As-Saaffaat (Those drawn up in Ranks)

180. “Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honour, far above that which they ascribe (unto Him).”

181. “And peace be upon the messengers,”

182. “And (all) praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.”

The world of creation is the manifestation of the Lordship of Allah. The Lordship of Allah is the doorway to the praise of Allah. The attributes that the polytheists ascribed to Allah do not agree with the rank of honour and Lordship of Allah, because He is the Owner and Manager of the whole world of existence.

This verse says:

“Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honour, far above that which they ascribe (unto Him).”

They sometimes call the angels as the daughters of Allah, and sometimes they consider a communication between Him and the jinn, and sometimes they put some worthless things, such as pieces of stone, and wood, in a row with Allah. The emphasis on the honour and might of Allah, in fact, is in the sense of nullifying all these imaginary objects of worship.

The verses of this Surah have sometimes spoken of the glorification of the sincere servants of Allah, and sometimes the glorification of the angels are referred to, and here the words are about the glorification of Allah due to His Pure Essence.

In the second verse Allah has involved all the messengers in His endless grace and favour and says:

“And peace be upon the messengers,”

This is a greeting which is the sign of health and security from any kind of punishment and retribution in Hereafter. It is a peace that is security against failures and is an evidence to victory over the enemies.

In the third verse the Qur’an concludes the words with the praise of Allah when it says:

“And (all) praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.”

These three recent verses can be a short review over all the materials of this Surah, because an important part of this Surah is about Unity and struggling against kinds of polytheism. The first verse, by glorifying Allah, nullifies all the undue qualities that the polytheists attribute to Him.

Another part of this Surah is the statement about the states of former seven great prophets; and the second verse refers to them. And, finally, another part of this holy Surah is about the Divine bounties, specially the kinds of blessings in Paradise, and the victory of the army of Allah against the troops of the pagans. The praise of Allah, mentioned at the end, is an indication to all of them.

Numerous traditions narrated from the holy Prophet of Islam (S), from Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as), and sometimes from Imam Baqir (as) indicate that whoever desires that on the Day of Hereafter his container of reward would be filled and given fully with the great container, his last word in any meeting he participates should be this, saying:

“Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honour, far above that which they ascribe (unto Him).” “And peace be upon the messengers,” “And (all) praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.”1

Yes, our meetings must be concluded by the glory to the Pure Essence of Allah, and peace to his prophets, and praises and thank to Him for His blessings, so that if we have done something wrong or said some undue words in this meeting they may be recompensed.

O Lord! You have promised to help Your messengers and to make Your army victorious; set us in the line of Your messengers and in the rows of Your army, and make us victorious over the blood-thirsty enemies who have raised from the east and west of the world against the Qur’an to vanish it and to quench its light!

O Lord! Protect and secure us from being polluted to any polytheism and deviation from the way of Monotheism!

O Lord! Those difficulties which the appointed prophets faced with during the length of history against the troops of infidelity and polytheism, have just now appeared in our Islamic society, may You involve us in the same peace that was the cause of the health of the appointed messengers in these events!

Amin, O’ the Lord of the Worlds.