Dominion | Reflections On Surah Al Mulk

Opening Recitation & Introduction

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَصَلِّ اللَّهُمَّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا وَحَبِيبِنَا وَقُرَّةِ أَعْيُنِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, informed us — from the hadith of Abdullah ibn Abbas, radhiyallahu anhuma — he said: there is a chapter in the book of Allah that is roughly 30 verses. Whoever recites it before they sleep, they will have with that 30 good deeds, and 30 sins will be wiped out, and 30 ranks will be raised, and Allah will send an angel to surrender their wings and to protect them from all evil until they wake up. That is none other than Surah al-Mulk.

The surah that is in front of us today and before our eyes. Surah al-Mulk is a Makkan surah that was revealed in the early years of the Prophet's, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, mission. It is such an important surah because of a hadith which many of the later scholars consider to be hasan — sound in its authenticity — in which the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, encouraged us to recite it every night before we sleep. Every single night before we sleep.

And there's got to be a reason why. Nothing that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, commands or instructs or encourages is for no reason. So what is the secret of this surah that made the Prophet, peace be upon him, encourage his entire ummah to recite it every night? The answer to this question is hopefully what we are going to come across today and what we are going to explore, inshallah.

Understanding Mulk: The Difference Between a King and an Owner

Surah al-Mulk is a surah which centers around the idea of mulk. To understand the surah, we have to understand: what is mulk? What does mulk mean in the Arabic language?

A malik is a king. But what is the difference between malik (مَالِك) and malik (مَلِك)? A king and an owner. Let us understand this so we can understand the surah.

Allah said: مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ or مَلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ — which one? Both of them. In the riwayah of Hafiz 'Asim it is مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ, and in the riwayah of Warsh and other qurra' it is مَلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ. Allah revealed in Surah al-Fatihah with both options.

Malik means king. A king has ultimate authority, but a king doesn't necessarily own everything. Imagine there is a hypothetical kingdom — does the king own every single person's house, car, and belongings? No. But they have the authority to make royal decrees: this should happen, this should happen. So the king has authority, but the king has no ownership and control over specific things. If you are a property owner, you decide what happens with your property. The king cannot meddle — there is a law, there is a constitution that protects you. This is a king: ultimate authority, but no ownership, no control.

Then we come to the owner. You own your car, you own your phone, you own your book, you own your clothes — what does this give you? Control. So let's say this is my phone — I own this phone. If I were to, right now in front of all of you, break this phone, am I entitled to do so? It's mine. You can't stop me. أنا أملكه — it is my ownership, it is my property. If I want to in this moment destroy this bottle, crush this bottle — you can't stop me. It's my ownership.

And so: an owner has full control but no authority. A king has full authority but no control.

Surah al-Mulk highlights Allah's kingship and His complete authority over all things.

The Surah's Context: What Comes Before and After

Surah al-Mulk is situated between two surahs. The surah that comes before it is Surah al-Tahrim. The last subject covered in Surah al-Tahrim is good and bad examples — specifically, three or four women.

Surah al-Tahrim is a surah that revolves around the family life of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Towards the end of the surah, Allah talks about four women: the wife of Nuh, the wife of Lut, the wife of Pharaoh, and Maryam, alayhis salam. And Surah al-Tahrim ends with a phrase describing Maryam, where Allah says:

She was somebody in constant obedience to Allah.

This is Surah al-Tahrim. Surah al-Mulk comes to motivate you towards obedience. Every surah in the Quran is connected — every passage is connected. The previous surah ends with a discussion on obedient and disobedient women. The Prophet's, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, household is a place in which he thinks he has control, but then some of his wives rebel against him — so he is reminded: he is not in control. The next surah, Surah al-Mulk, is a statement that Allah is in ultimate control and He is the ultimate authority.

And after Surah al-Mulk comes Surah al-Qalam. In the middle of Surah al-Qalam there is a story about a number of men who were farmers — they had agriculture, they had a business — and they made a plot and they made a plan. But Allah went against their plan and proved that even though you may own the largest plantation, you are not in control. I am the King.

So Surah al-Mulk comes between these two surahs: a surah about the family in which the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, realizes he is not in full authority or control over what happens in his household — Allah is — and a surah afterwards in which a group of farmers think they can control the output of their farmland, but Allah surprises them and shows them: no, you are not in control. Surah al-Mulk comes between them because it is the surah that teaches us about the complete authority of Allah.

The Opening Verses: Setting the Stage

Allah begins the surah by saying: how magnificent is the One in whose hands is the kingdom, and He is able to do all things — the One who created death and life in order to test you: who is going to be the best in deed? And He is the Almighty, the All-Forgiving.

Why Does Death Come Before Life?

The scholars who were exploring and studying the Quran — the mufassirun — for a long time stopped on this point. Allah is introducing Himself as the King, and the first thing He mentions is death and life. But why does death come before life in this ayah, when in real life, life comes before death? Why does Allah switch the order?

The vast majority of the scholars of tafseer said: when Allah mentions death and then life, it is because before you were alive, you were nothing — you were not existent, you were dead. In other words, Allah was in control of you before you even existed. You were not even a soul, not even a being, not even a human, not even a body. Allah was in control of you.

Of all of the creation of Allah mentioned in this surah — the heavens and the earth and the birds and the sky and all of these things — before He talks about all of that, He talks about death and life. Because when we die and we come to be brought to life again on the Day of Judgment, that is the day we will really realize that Allah is the true King. Because at the moment, in this world, there are many kings and owners and bosses — at every level of hierarchy there is some human being. So we live in this illusion: this is my boss, that's the president, that's the prime minister, that's the king, that's the United Nations — we live in the illusion of all these human authorities.

But it is only when we die that we will realize, on the Day of Judgment, that all of these people are nothing. Allah is the ultimate authority. It is narrated in the hadith of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet of Allah said that on the Day of Judgment, Allah will roll up the heavens and the earth in His right hand and will say:

"I am the King — where are the kings of the earth?"
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4812; Sahih Muslim, Book 39, Hadith 6708)

I am the King — where are the kings of this world? Where are the dominators of this world? Where are you today? Today I am the King. This is why Allah mentions death and then life — because really, when we die and we are resurrected, we will realize the kingship of Allah.

This World is a Test

In the second verse, Allah describes this whole kingdom of Allah and tells us its purpose: to test us — which of us is best in deed. A test by definition is difficult. Have you ever had a test where you open the paper and there are no questions? Strange. Imagine you go into an exam hall, you get a test, the invigilator says "exam starts now," you open the first page — it's empty. How is this a test?

Imagine a driving test. You go to get your driving license. You sit next to the examiner. You sit in the car. You turn the car on. The examiner says: "Thank you very much, here is your license." These are the people who are going to go and commit accidents on the roads because their test was too easy — it wasn't a test. By definition, this world is going to be difficult.

And this surah — one of the secrets behind reciting it every night — is that it prepares you for all the difficulties of tomorrow morning. In the second verse, Allah has already set the stage: you are entering into an exam hall. It's going to be difficult. It's going to be long. You're going to sweat. The questions are not going to be easy. Now you can go in.

Al-Aziz Al-Ghafur: A Unique Combination

Then Allah ends by saying وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ — Allah is the Mighty, the Forgiving. In the entire Quran, these two names did not come in this order. Al-Aziz Al-Ghafur has never been mentioned in the entire Quran — only here. But what a strange combination. Allah's name Al-Aziz means the Dominant, the Compeller — if He wants something to happen, it will happen, no one can come in His way. But Allah's name Al-Ghafur means He is the constantly forgiving. So why would Allah pair might and power and strength with forgiveness? Why would that be paired together in the beginning of this surah?

Usually Al-Aziz comes with which name? Al-Hakim — Allah is the Mighty and the Wise. But Mighty and Forgiving — it has never come in this combination. Imagine you go to the shop, you get fried chicken and chips — that makes sense. One day you go to the shop, you get fried chicken and sambal — you think, what is this combination? So Allah brings Al-Aziz Al-Ghafur and you have to think: why did this combination come?

The answer: Allah has the power to take revenge or to punish you, but He is very forgiving. He is highlighting His forgiveness even though He is mighty and powerful — to inspire repentance. You see, when you think of a king or an ultimate authority, imagine you are standing in front of a king — automatically you are trembling. So the king says: "Take it easy, look, I'm just a normal person here, sit down, take it easy." The king is trying to put you at ease.

The beginning of this surah, when Allah uses the word al-Malik — "I am the King" — automatically there is a level of fear, a level of awe, a level of an aura when we face Allah. But in order to make us feel comfortable, Allah says: I'm not just the King — I'm a very forgiving and easy-going King. Don't worry. You don't have to be scared. You're safe here. I'm the forgiving King.

You will not find a forgiving king on this earth. You will not find any king on this earth who, if his subject disobeys him, keeps them employed. You will not find a king on this earth where every day his subjects disobey his commands a hundred times a day and he still employs them. This king doesn't exist on this earth.

Imagine I employed someone. I say: look brother, you have one job — bring this bottle of water to my desk every hour. Every hour there is no bottle of water. He will not last in my employment for one day. This is me — with a bottle of water. Imagine a king who has important things to do: an economy to run, foreign relations, all these things — and he has his subjects, and he says: I need a marketing strategy, I need an economic strategy, I need this — and these people are not doing their jobs. Anybody in authority will just get rid of them. But Allah is saying: I am the King, and you disobey Me every twenty minutes, and I still look after you.

The Kingdom Revealed: The Heavens and What They Contain

Now the first three verses are the introductory appetizer — the starter — in which Allah sets the scene: this is the test, I am the King, you are the subject, I have placed you in this test, I have full power and authority, but I'm still going to be easy on you and forgiving. Now I want you to know who I am.

The second part of the surah is the mains — a set of verses in which Allah tells you: I want you to know who I am. And if you are to know who I am, you need to understand My creation and My kingdom — then you will know who I am. So Allah begins by describing the sky:

The One who created seven layered heavens — you will never see an imperfection in Allah's creation. Then look again and try to see if you can find an imperfection in the creation of Allah. Then look again and again — your sight will turn back frustrated and weary. And We beautified the lowest, closest sky with lamps — stars like lamps — and We made them missiles for the eavesdropping devils, for whom We have prepared the torment of the blaze.

Allah begins by talking about the sky. Why does He talk about the sky when He is trying to teach you about His kingdom? Because if you look on earth you will see many kings, but if you look up you will not see any king except Allah. So Allah wants to draw your attention away from the things you deal with on a day-to-day basis — your car, your workplace, your house, your property, the things you are familiar with. Allah is saying: you need to step out of this in order to appreciate My power and My kingdom. You need to get away. You need to go to the highlands in order to appreciate My creation.

Four times here Allah is asking us to look at the sky. One of the abandoned sunnahs of the Prophet is contemplating the sky — something we very rarely do, because most of us, our necks and our backs are arched down looking at our screens. Allah is saying: look at the sky. Look at it again. Look at it twice more. We need to go to places where we can appreciate the skyline because this is the direct command of Allah for us to appreciate His kingdom.

The Consequences of Failing the Test: Jahannam

Then Allah talks about — after talking about the sky — He mentions that there are devils and jinn who try to eavesdrop on what is being discussed by the angels, and so there are asteroids that are thrown in their direction in order to push them away. And then He says these devils, these jinn, they are going to be in Jahannam.

Why start with Jahannam? Why not start with Jannah? Because the king, when he is trying to establish his authority, is not going to establish it by being your best friend — he is going to establish his authority by showing you the consequences of disobeying him. That's how Allah is about to establish His authority. Initially Al-Aziz Al-Ghafur — the Mighty and the Forgiving — He has to start with fear, and then He will bring it to hope. So Allah begins to talk about Jahannam:

The warner here is the Quran, the warner here is the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah is saying the people who disobeyed His authority, rebelled against His authority, they will be questioned: didn't I give you every reason to follow? Didn't I give you every reason to listen? Didn't I give you every reason to obey?

They will say: of course a warner came to us, but we decided to rebel. We denied, we rejected, and we said Allah has not sent down any revelation — you people are lost.

And they said — as a regret, as they sit in Jahannam: if only we listened and thought carefully about the messages that we were receiving, we would have never been from the people of the Fire.

They admitted their fault. So away with the residents of the Fire.

So Allah goes from describing the test to the consequences of failing the test. This world is a test, I am the King, you are the subject, and if you fail the test and deny all the signs in My kingdom — a blazing fire awaits you.

Two Barriers Between Us and Paradise

But what is the secret? What is the reason why people fell into the Fire? The secret is here:

It's just two things. The people of the Fire only have two regrets: if only we listened to what was in revelation, and we thought about the messages we heard, we would have never been from the people of the Fire.

There are therefore two barriers between us and paradise. The first one is our capacity to listen — our capacity to set aside time, to spend time and hear the messages of the Quran and the messages of Allah. That's step one. And step two is our capacity to think about what we are reciting. And most of us fall short in step two, not step one. Many of us listen to the Quran. Many of us recite the Quran. Many of us memorize the Quran. Most of us don't understand what we are reciting. And this is one of the greatest barriers to paradise and one of the greatest barriers to guidance.

Imagine I bought a washing machine — a Hitachi washing machine. It's actually a Japanese brand. The instruction manual came in Japanese. I opened it, I memorized it, and then I pressed all the buttons I wanted because I didn't understand anything. I put all the pink in with the white clothes — my clothes all come out in a different color. I say: what's this? I memorized the manual! Where did I go wrong? How am I going to operate a machine if I don't understand the manual? If we can apply this to washing machines, how are we not applying this to the manual for our life, which is the Quran?

The people who are in the Fire are saying: if only I listened and I thought about the meanings of revelation, I wouldn't be here. Therefore that's what we have to do in order to avoid being from the people of the Fire — we need to think about the messages of Allah.

The Heart of the Surah: Awe of Allah

Now of course, when Allah talks about Jahannam, He always follows it up by talking about Jannah:

Those who are in awe of their Lord even though they never saw Him — they will have forgiveness and a mighty reward.

This ayah is the center of this surah. If you want to put a stamp on this ayah, put a stamp on it. Underline this ayah. The whole surah revolves around this verse. Everything in this surah is a description of Allah's kingdom — why? To get you to a point where you feel in awe of Allah, where you feel amazed by Allah. When you feel amazed by Allah, Allah says: those who were amazed by Me, even though they never saw Me directly but they saw My kingdom — I promised them forgiveness and I promised them a great reward.

If this surah doesn't give you a feeling of amazement at Allah, it has failed to do its job. And most likely that means we failed to think about it — because the surah itself is perfect, but it is our appreciation of it that has failed.

Allah's Knowledge: Al-Latif Al-Khabir

Then Allah returns back to the original point — the discussion around the kingdom of Allah:

Whether you speak secretly or openly — He knows what is hidden in the heart. If there is a king of a particular kingdom, does he know the contents of what you are whispering to your spouse in the darkness of the night? He doesn't. Maybe today with surveillance — maybe they do — but traditionally, when you think of a king: ultimate authority, but the king still doesn't know your secrets. Allah wants to point out the fact that His kingdom is very different to the kingdom of any human being. He knows the secrets. He knows the silent words. He knows the silent thoughts. He knows the secret desires.

وَأَسِرُّوا قَوْلَكُمْ — keep it secret, keep it open — it's all His kingdom. إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ — He knows what is in the heart. And then Allah says: أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ — how can it not be that the One who created you knows you best?

وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ — we have to pause here. When Allah mentions His names in the Quran, this is a principle: you have to stop, because you are passing by the most important parts of the Quran — the parts which describe Allah.

Al-Latif — what does it mean? The Subtle. The subtlety is: He is the One who operates secretly without you realizing. You are sitting here and Allah has already planned your promotion — you don't realize the secret plans that are happening above the heavens. You are sitting here depressed, upset, annoyed due to something that's happened — Allah has already planned your way out, and you don't realize it. Allah is Latif. He is very subtle — you don't realize that He is already working His way to take you out of your current situation. And He is Al-Khabir — He is fully aware of every detail.

The King of the Heavens and the Earth

He is the One who smoothed out the earth for you to move about in its regions and eat from His provisions — and to Him all will be returned. What was the previous creation of Allah that He spoke about? The sky. And now what is He talking about? The earth. Why is He doing that? To tell you: I am the King of the heavens and I am the King of the earth — and so everything in between is also Mine. Allah is talking about the boundaries of His kingdom — the borders: the heavens and now the earth.

Now when He is going to talk about the earth, He is going to talk about the day-to-day lives that all of us lead. He made the earth easy for you to operate on. The land is fertile for you to plant seeds. You go to some very strange places — mountainous regions — and you see there is a road in the middle...