وَالإِحَاطَةُand the surroundingالْمَكَانِيَّةُspatial
And the spatial surrounding.
هُوَHe isالْأَوَّلُthe first:الْأَوَّلُthe first:فَسَّرَهُhe explained itالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetعَلَيْهِupon himالصَّلَاةَprayerوَالسَّلاَمُand peaceبِقَوْلِهِby saying:«الَّذِي"the one whoلَيْسَis notقُبْلَهُbefore Himشَيْءٌ»(۱)anything" (1)
He is the first: the first: the Prophet explained it by saying: "the one who is not before Him anything" (1).
وَهُنَاAnd hereفَسَّرَhe explainedالإِثْبَاتَthe affirmationبِالنَّفْيِ،by negation,فَجَعَلَand he madeهَذِهِthisالصِّفَةَattributeالثُّبُوتِيَّةَthe affirmativeصِفَةًa qualityسَلْبِيَّةً،negative,وَقَدْand it hasذَكَرْنَاwe mentionedفِيْمَاin whatسَبَقَprecededأَنْthatالْصِّفَاتِthe attributesالثُّبُوتِيَّةِthe affirmative onesأَكْمَلَتْare more completeوَأَكْثَرَ؛and more;فَلِمَاذَا؟so why?
And here he explained the affirmation by negation, and made this affirmative attribute a negative one, and we have mentioned before that the affirmative attributes are more complete and more; so why?
فَنَقُولُSo we say:فَسَّرَهَاHe explained itالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetﷺ(peace be upon him)بِذَلكَ؛with that;لِتَوْكِيدِto assureالأُولِيَّةِ؛the primacy;يَعْنِيit meansأَنَّهَاthat it isمُطْلَقَةٌabsoluteأُولِيَّةٌprimacyلَيْسَتْis notأُولِيَّةًprimacyإِضَافِيَّةً،additional,فَيُقَالُ:so it is said:هَذَاthisأَوَّلٌis the firstبِاعْتِبَارِwith regard toمَاwhatبَعْدَهُ،is after it,وَفِيهِand there isشَيْءٌsomethingآخَرٌelseقَبْلَهُ؛before it;فَصَارَso it becameتَفْسِيرُهَاits explanationبِأَمْرٍby a matterسَلْبِيٍّnegativeأَدَلٌّmore indicativeعَلَىofالْعُمُومِthe generalityعَلَى أَنَّهَاthat it isأُولِيَّةٌprimacyمُطْلَقَةٌabsoluteوَلِهَذَاand for thisقَالَ:he said:«لَيْسَ"is notقَبْلَهُbefore Himشَيْءٌ،»anything,"وَهَذَاand thisبِاعْتِبَارِconsideringالتَّقَدُّمِthe advancementالزَّمَنيِّ.temporal.
So we say: the Prophet ﷺ explained it with that; to assure the primacy; it means that it is an absolute primacy, not an additional primacy, so it is said: this is first regarding what is after it, and there is something else before it; thus its explanation became by a negative matter, more indicative of the generality that it is an absolute primacy, and this is because of the temporal advancement.
وَالأَخِيرُAnd the lastفَسَّرَهُhe explained itالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetعَلَيْهِupon himالصَّلَاةَprayerوَالسَّلاَمُand peaceبِقَوْلِهِ:by saying:الَّذِيthe one whoلَيْسَis notبَعْدَهُafter Himشَيْءٌ،anything,وَلَاand notيَتَوَهَّمُone should imagineأَنْthatهَذَاthisيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىonغَايَةٍthe limitلَآخِرِيَّتِهِ؛of His lastness;لِأَنَّbecauseهُنَاكَthere areأَشْيَاءَ،things,أَبَدِيَّةًeternalوَهِيَand they areمِنْofالْمَخْلُوقَاتِ؛the creations;كَالجَنَّةِlike Paradiseوَالنَّارِ،and Hell,وَعَلَيْهِ؛and thus;فَيَكُونُit will beمَعْنَىthe meaning of﴿وَالْآخِرُand the lastأَنَّهُis thatمُحِيطٌencompassesبِكُلِّwith allشَيْءٍ؛thing;فَلَاtherefore notنِهَايَةٌan endلَآخِرِيَّتِهِ.for His lastness.
And the last is explained by the Prophet ﷺ by saying: "the one who is not after Him anything, and it should not be imagined that this indicates a limit to His lastness; because there are eternal things which are creations; like Paradise and Hell, and thus it would mean that "and the last" encompasses all things; therefore there is no end to His lastness.
وَظَّاهِرُAnd the apparentمِنْofالظُّهُورِ،the appearance,وَهُوَand it isالْعُلُوُّ؛the elevation;كَمَاasقَالَHe saidتَعَالَى:the Exalted:هُوَHe isالَّذِيthe one whoأَرْسَلَsentرَسُولَهُHis Messengerبِالْهُدَىwith the guidanceوَدِينِand the religionالْحَقِّof the truthلِيُظْهِرَهُto manifest itعَلَىuponالدِّينِthe religionكُلِّهِall of it[التُّوبَةِ:[at-Tawbah:٣٣]؛33];أَيْ:that is:لِيُعَلِّيَto exalt itوَمِنْهُand from itظَهَرَappearedالدَّابَّةَ؛the beast;لِأَنَّهُbecause itعَالٍis elevatedعَلَيْهَا،above her,(۱)رَوَاهُNarratedمُسْلِمٌMuslim(٢٧١٣)(2713)مِنْfromحَدِيثِthe hadithأَبِيof AbuهُرَيْرَةَHurairaرَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُmay Allah be pleased with him.
And the apparent is from the appearance, and it is the elevation; as the Exalted said: "He is the one who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it upon all of the religion" [at-Tawbah: 33]; that is: to exalt it and from it appeared the beast; because it is elevated above her, (1) narrated by Muslim (2713) from the hadith of Abu Huraira may Allah be pleased with him.