هُوَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُ وَٱلۡأٓخِرُ وَٱلظَّٰهِرُ وَٱلۡبَاطِنُۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ ٣
He is the First 1 and the Last, 2 the Ascendant 3 and the Intimate, 4 and He is, of all things, Knowing.
Translation: Saheeh International (English)
1 Before whom nothing existed. Also, He who is supreme, foremost or uppermost.
2 Enduring eternally when nothing else remains.
3 Nothing being above Him. Another meaning is "the Apparent," i.e., evident through His creation and revelation.
4 Nothing being nearer than Him by way of His knowledge. Another meaning is "the Unapparent," i.e., concealed from man's physical senses.
Word by word Each word's meaning and sound
هُوَ He huwa ٱلۡأَوَّلُ (is) the First l-awalu وَٱلۡأٓخِرُ and the Last wal-ākhiru وَٱلظَّٰهِرُ and the Apparent wal-ẓāhiru وَٱلۡبَاطِنُۖ and the Unapparent wal-bāṭinu وَهُوَ and He wahuwa بِكُلِّ (is) of every bikulli شَيۡءٍ thing shayin عَلِيمٌ All-Knower ʿalīmun Tafsir He is the First; nothing existed before Him. He is the Last; nothing will exist after Him. He is the Apparent; there is nothing above Him. He is the Intimate; there is nothing without Him, and He knows everything, He does not miss anything.
Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran
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