64:1

يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ لَهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ وَلَهُ ٱلۡحَمۡدُۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٌ

Yusabbihu lillahi ma fee alssamawati wama fee alardi lahu almulku walahu alhamdu wahuwa AAala kulli shayin qadeerun

Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is exalting Allah. To Him belongs dominion, and to Him belongs [all] praise, and He is over all things competent.

Word by word
  1. يُسَبِّحُGlorifies
  2. لِلَّهِ[to] Allah
  3. مَاwhatever
  4. فِي(is) in
  5. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِthe heavens
  6. وَمَاand whatever
  7. فِي(is) in
  8. ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖthe earth
  9. لَهُFor Him
  10. ٱلۡمُلۡكُ(is the) dominion
  11. وَلَهُand for Him
  12. ٱلۡحَمۡدُۖ(is) the praise
  13. وَهُوَAnd He
  14. عَلَىٰ(is) on
  15. كُلِّevery
  16. شَيۡءٖthing
  17. قَدِيرٌAll-Powerful
At-Taghabun · 64:1Madinah

His is the kingdom, His is the praise.

The last of the surahs that open with glorification


Three truths
the kingdomHe controls all creation
the praisefor all He decreed
power over allwhat He wills happens
Who is in charge
things just happenluck and chance
He wills, it happensand He is praised for it

Ibn Kathir notes this is the last of the surahs that begin with glorification. His is the dominion and to Him belongs the praise. Whatever He wills happens without resistance, and whatever He does not will never happens.

The job offer fell through. The flight was cancelled. The test result came back fine. You call it luck, good or bad. Every one of those was decided by the King who is also praised for His decisions.

Most of what happens to me is just chance.

Everything is in the hands of One who owns it all and deserves praise for it.

Try this

Next time something goes unexpectedly today, good or bad, say alhamdulillah before you react.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ 

(In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ - هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنْكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ - خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ وَصَوَّرَكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ - يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

(1. Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah. His is the dominion, and to Him belongs the praise, and He is Able to do all things.)(2. He it is Who created you, then some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers. And Allah is All-Seer of what you do.)(3. He has created the heavens and the earth with truth, and He shaped you and made good your shapes. And to Him is the return.)(4. He knows what is in the heavens and on earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you reveal. And Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts.)

Praising Allah and mentioning His Creation and Knowledge

This is the last Surah among Al-Musabbihat. We mentioned before that all creatures praise the glory of Allah, their Creator and Owner. Allah the Exalted said,

لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ ۖ 

(His is the dominion, and to Him belongs the praise,) meaning, He is the One Who has control over all creation, the One praised for all He created and decreed. Allah's statement,

وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

(and He is Able to do all things.) means that whatever He wills occurs without resistance, and whatever He does not will, never occurs. Allah said,

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنْكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ ۚ 

(He it is Who created you, then some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers.) meaning, Allah created you with these characteristics and He willed that for you. Therefore, there will be believers and disbelievers. Surely, Allah is the One Who sees those who deserve guidance and those who deserve misguidance. He is the Witness over His servant's deeds and He will completely recompense them. This is why Allah the Exalted said,

 وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

(And Allah is All-Seer of what you do.) Allah said,

خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ

(He has created the heavens and the earth with truth,) with equity and wisdom,

وَصَوَّرَكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ ۖ 

(and He shaped you and made good your shapes.) He made you in the best shapes and forms. Allah the Exalted said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ - الَّذِي خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّاكَ فَعَدَلَكَ - فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ مَا شَاءَ رَكَّبَكَ

(O man! What has made you careless about your Lord, the most Generous? Who created you, fashioned you perfectly and gave you due proportion; in whatever form He willed, He put you together.)(82:6-8) And His saying,

اللَّهُ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَالسَّمَاءَ بِنَاءً وَصَوَّرَكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ وَرَزَقَكُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ ۚ 

(Allah, it is He Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and made your shapes good (looking) and has provided you with good things.)(40:64) and His saying;

وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ

(And to Him is the return.) means the return and final destination. Allah then informs of His knowledge of all that there is in the heavens, in the earth and in the souls, He said:

يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

(He knows what is in the heavens and on earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you reveal. And Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts.)