Arabic text
هُوَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُ وَٱلۡأٓخِرُ وَٱلظَّـٰهِرُ وَٱلۡبَاطِنُۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ
He is the First[1623] and the Last,[1624] the Ascendant[1625] and the Intimate,[1626] and He is, of all things, Knowing.Translator’s notes (4)
- [1623]Before whom nothing existed. Also, He who is supreme, foremost or uppermost.
- [1624]Enduring eternally when nothing else remains.
- [1625]Nothing being above Him. Another meaning is "the Apparent," i.e., evident through His creation and revelation.
- [1626]Nothing being nearer than Him by way of His knowledge. Another meaning is "the Unapparent," i.e., concealed from man's physical senses.