28:70

وَهُوَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۖ لَهُ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ فِي ٱلۡأُولَىٰ وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖ وَلَهُ ٱلۡحُكۡمُ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ

Wahuwa Allahu la ilaha illa huwa lahu alhamdu fee aloola waalakhirati walahu alhukmu wailayhi turjaAAoona

And He is Allah; there is no deity except Him. To Him is [due all] praise in the first [life] and the Hereafter. And His is the [final] decision, and to Him you will be returned.

Word by word
  1. وَهُوَAnd He
  2. ٱللَّهُ(is) Allah
  3. لَآ(there is) no
  4. إِلَٰهَgod
  5. إِلَّاbut
  6. هُوَۖHe
  7. لَهُTo Him
  8. ٱلۡحَمۡدُ(are due) all praises
  9. فِيin
  10. ٱلۡأُولَىٰthe first
  11. وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖand the last
  12. وَلَهُAnd for Him
  13. ٱلۡحُكۡمُ(is) the Decision
  14. وَإِلَيۡهِand to Him
  15. تُرۡجَعُونَyou will be returned
Al-Qasas · 28:70Makkah

His is the praise, first and last, and the decision.

Praise in both lives, and the return to Him


Who He is
no god but Himunique in divinity
all praisehere and hereafter
the decisionnone can put it back
and
you returnevery deed seen
Why praise Him in hardship
praise when it is goodonly then
praise in allfor His justice and wisdom

Ibn Kathir explains: in all that He does, He is to be praised for His justice and wisdom. His decision cannot be put back. Everyone returns to Him on the Day, and none of their deeds will be concealed.

You say alhamdulillah after a good meal. Can you say it at the bus stop in the rain, or after the rejection email? The praise is His in the first life and the last, not only in the good moments.

I praise Allah when things go my way.

All praise belongs to Allah in every situation, because His decisions are just and wise.

Try this

Say alhamdulillah once today right after something goes wrong.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 28:68)

And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses, no choice have they. Glorified is Allah, and exalted above all that they associate (68)And your Lord knows what their breasts conceal, and what they reveal (69)And He is Allah; La ilaha illa Huwa, His is the praise in the first and in the last, and His is the decision, and to Him shall you be returned (70)

Allah Alone is the One Who has the Power of Creation, Knowledge and Choice

Allah tells us that He is the only One Who has the power to create and make decisions, and there is no one who can dispute with Him in that or reverse His judgement. His saying:

وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ ۗ 

(And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses,) means, whatever He wills, for what He wills, happens; and what He does not will, does not happen. All things, good and bad alike, are in His Hands and will return to Him.

مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ ۚ

(no choice have they.) is a negation, according to the correct view. This is like the Ayah,

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ 

(It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision)(33:36). Then Allah says:

وَرَبُّكَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُكِنُّ صُدُورُهُمْ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

(And your Lord knows what their breasts conceal, and what they reveal.) He knows what is hidden in their hearts, just as He knows what they do openly.

سَوَاءٌ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَسَرَّ الْقَوْلَ وَمَنْ جَهَرَ بِهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ مُسْتَخْفٍ بِاللَّيْلِ وَسَارِبٌ بِالنَّهَارِ 

(It is the same whether any of you conceals his speech or declares it openly, whether he be hid by night or goes forth freely by day.)(13:10).

وَهُوَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ 

(And He is Allah; La ilaha illa Huwa,) meaning, He is unique in His divinity, for none is to be worshipped besides Him, and there is no lord who can create what he wills and chooses besides Him.

لَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي الْأُولَىٰ وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ 

(His is the praise, in the first and in the last,) in all that He does, He is to be praised for His justice and wisdom.

وَلَهُ الْحُكْمُ

(His is the decision,) that none can put back, because of His might, power, wisdom and mercy.

وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ 

(and to Him shall you be returned.) means, all of you on the Day of Resurrection, and everyone will be rewarded or punished according to his deeds, good and evil alike, and absolutely none of their deeds will be concealed from Him.