تَبٰرَكَ الَّذِىۡ بِيَدِهِ الۡمُلۡكُ وَهُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرُۙ
(67:1) Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion of the Universe, and Who has power over everything;
Surah Al Mulk displays the blessings of Allah, His supreme power, and His exalted wisdom. He is the Creator, the Provider, the Overseer, the Wise Planner, and the Originator who perfected everything He created. It has been named as such in most copies of the Qur’an.
Importance of Surah Al-Mulk
- Protection from the Grave's Punishment
- Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "There is a surah in the Qur’an which contains thirty ayat which kept interceding for a man until his sins are forgiven. This surah is ‘Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion.’” — [Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood]
- It’s widely believed that Surah Al-Mulk, when recited regularly (especially at night), provides protection from the punishment of the grave.
- Intercession on the Day of Judgment: The Surah acts as an intercessor for those who recite it regularly.
- Reminder of Divine Power and Accountability: It constantly reminds believers of Allah’s control over life and death, the natural world, and the ultimate accountability in the afterlife.
Core Theme of Surah Al-Mulk
In this surah, on the one hand, the teachings of Islam have been introduced briefly, and, on the other, the people living in heedlessness have been aroused from their slumber in a most effective way. A characteristic of the earliest surahs of the Makkan period is that they present the entire teachings of Islam and the object of the Holy Prophet's mission, not in detail, but briefly, so that they are assimilated by the people easily. Moreover, they are particularly directed to make the people shun heedlessness, to make them think, and to arouse their dormant conscience.
The Surah emphasizes:
- Allah’s complete control over the universe (Mulk - The Dominion).
- The perfection of His creation.
- The consequences of disbelief.
- The need to observe, reflect, and be morally accountable.
Major Sections / Positions
- The Opening – Allah’s Sovereignty: Verses 1–2 Allah owns dominion over all; He controls life and death as a test.
- Wonders of Creation - verses 3–5 The skies are flawless; creation is perfect—signs for those who reflect.
- Warnings to Disbelievers - Verses 6–11: Description of Hell and punishment for those who reject truth.
- Earthly Blessings as Signs - Verses 12–15 Earth, rain, and sustenance—all signs of Allah's mercy and power.
- Who Can Protect You but Allah? Verses 16–20 No one can help against Allah's decree—don’t be deluded by worldly means.
- Creation and Sustenance as Proof - Verses 21–23 Allah alone provides; idols and false gods are powerless.
- Life is a Test; Use Senses to Reflect - Verses 24–27 Reminder of purpose of life, urging people to use hearing, sight, and hearts.
- Conclusion – Reliance on Allah and Prophets' Role - Verses 28–30 Message to the Prophet ﷺ to remain firm; Allah alone provides water and sustenance.
Reflection Questions
After reading the entire surah, one needs to reflect on what how has been said in the surah and how one should ask following questions to ensure its true understanding:
- Do I see the signs of Allah in the natural world?
- Am I prepared for the test of life and death?
- Do I rely on Allah as the true Provider?
We have already shared the Overview and the Tafseer / Exegesis of the Surah which can be read from links given below:
Herein under are some of the selected verses /ayat from Surah Al Mulk already shared:
- Blessed is He Who created death and life that He might try you as to which of you is better in deed - verses 1-2
- Ponder over Death and Life - for Allah created these to judge which of you is better in deeds - verse 2
- Forgiveness and a great Reward for Those who fear their Lord UNSEEN - verse 12
- Those who fear their Lord unseen will have forgiveness and great reward - verse 12
- It is He who has produced you and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful - verse 23
- How to be Ungrateful -verse 23
In time we shall more verses from this Surah which the holds significant spiritual, theological, and moral importance in Islam.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
For more Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. .
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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