39:63

لَّهُۥ مَقَالِيدُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡخَٰسِرُونَ

Lahu maqaleedu alssamawati waalardi waallatheena kafaroo biayati Allahi olaika humu alkhasiroona

To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. And they who disbelieve in the verses of Allah - it is those who are the losers.

Word by word
  1. لَّهُۥFor Him
  2. مَقَالِيدُ(are the) keys
  3. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ(of) the heavens
  4. وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۗand the earth
  5. وَٱلَّذِينَAnd those who
  6. كَفَرُواْdisbelieve
  7. بِـَٔايَٰتِin (the) Verses
  8. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  9. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَthose
  10. هُمُthey
  11. ٱلۡخَٰسِرُونَ(are) the losers
Az-Zumar · 39:63Makkah

He holds the keys of the heavens and the earth.

Who opens and who closes


The keys
Allahowns the keys
to
the treasuresof heavens and earth
Who loses
the one who lost moneywhat I call losing
the one who denied His signsthe real losers

Mujahid said maqalid means keys; As-Suddi said treasures. Ibn Kathir says both mean that control of all things is in Allah's hand. Those who deny His signs are the losers.

You stand outside a closed door: a visa, a job offer, a rishta that went quiet. You keep knocking on people. The keys are with Him.

The right person holds the key to what I need.

Every key to every door belongs to Allah.

Try this

For one closed door in your life, ask Allah directly today before asking anyone else.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 39:62)

Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Trustee over all things (62)To Him belong the Maqalid of the heavens and the earth. And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah, such are they who will be the losers (63)Say: "Do you order me to worship other than Allah O you fools! (64)And indeed it has been revealed to you, as it was to those before you: "If you join others in worship with Allah, surely your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers. (65)Nay! But worship Allah, and be among the grateful (66)

Allah is the Creator and Controller, and associating others in worship with Him cancels out Good Deeds

Allah tells us that He is the Creator, Lord, Sovereign and Controller of all things; everything is subject to His dominion, power and guardianship.

لَهُ مَقَالِيدُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ 

(To Him belong the Maqalid of the heavens and the earth.) Mujahid said, "Maqalid means 'keys' in Persian." This was also the view of Qatadah, Ibn Zayd and Sufyan bin 'Uyaynah.

As-Suddi said:

لَهُ مَقَالِيدُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ 

(To Him belong the Maqalid of the heavens and the earth.) "The treasures of the heavens and the earth." Both opinions mean that the control of all things is in the Hand of Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, for His is the dominion and to Him is the praise, and He is able to do all things. He says:

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ

(And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah,) meaning, His proof and evidence,

أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

(such are they who will be the losers.)

قُلْ أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَأْمُرُونِّي أَعْبُدُ أَيُّهَا الْجَاهِلُونَ 

(Say: "Do you order me to worship other than Allah O you fools!") The reason for the revelation of this Ayah was narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim and others from Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the idolators in their ignorance called the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to worship their gods, then they would worship his God with him. Then these words were revealed:

قُلْ أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَأْمُرُونِّي أَعْبُدُ أَيُّهَا الْجَاهِلُونَ - وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

(Say: "Do you order me to worship other than Allah? O you fools!" And indeed it has been revealed to you, as it was to those before you: "If you join others in worship with Allah, surely your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.") This is like the Ayah:

وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُوا لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

(But if they had joined in worship others with Allah, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them.)(6:88).

بَلِ اللَّهَ فَاعْبُدْ وَكُنْ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ

(Nay! But worship Allah, and be among the grateful.) means, 'you and those who follow you and believe in you should make your worship sincerely for Allah Alone, with no partner or associate.'