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سُورَةُ الرَّحۡمَٰن · 55:26
MedinanRevelation order ٩٧Juzʾ ٢٧Page ٥٣٢

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍۢ

٢٦
Saheeh International · EN

Everyone upon the earth will perish,

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Introduction

This is āyah 26 of Sūrat Ar-Rahmaan (The Beneficent), the 97th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Medinan period and sits within Juzʾ 27. Medinan verses often address community life, law, and the building of society.

This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.

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Revelation & occasion

Asbāb al-Nuzūl
Period
Medinan
Order revealed
97 of 114
Surah
Ar-Rahmaan (55)
Occasion of revelation · Al-Wahidi

All that is upon it undergoes annihilation, and there subsists the face of thy Lord, Pos- sessor of Majesty and Generous Giving. This is the same that He says elsewhere: “What is with you runs out, but what is with God subsists” [16:96]. MuṣṬafā said, “Prefer what subsists over what undergoes annihilation.” This world is the Abode of Delusion, the afterworld the Abode of Joy. This world is the Abode of Annihilation and the afterworld the Abode of Subsistence. The breeze of intelligence does not reach those who choose what undergoes annihilation over the subsistent, who put aside the Abode of Joy and build up the Abode of Delusion. Even if the empire of the world and the empire of Adam's children were beneath your seal ring and the keys to this world's treasures given to you, the outcome of all would be annihilation, so fixing the heart on it would be an error. Listen to these words of wisdom, testaments of the sages, and words of advice of the great: “Being satisfied with words without deeds is the work of the deluded.” “Depending on the resources of others is the vocation of the indigent.” “Delighting in borrowed clothes is the custom of the idle.” “Being happy with others' robes of honor is the conduct of the unintelligent.” “Being disloyal and hoping for loyalty is the act of double-dealers.”

Commentary

Tafsir

4 works

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish (26)And the Face of your Lord Dhul-Jalal wal-Ikram will remain forever (27)Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny (28)Whosoever is in the heavens and on the earth begs of Him. Every day He is (engaged) in some affair (29)Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny (30) Allah is the Ever Living, Free of all Need Allah states that all the residents of earth will perish and die. The residents of the heavens will die, except whomever Allah wills. Only Allah's Honorable Face will remain, because our Lord, the Exalted, the Blessed, is the Ever Living Who never dies. Qatadah said, "First, Allah mentioned His creatures and then He said that all of this will perish." And in the reported supplication: 'O You the Ever Living Who sustains all that exists! O You Who created the heavens and the earth without precedence.…
Provenance

Chains of transmission

Oral — isnād

  1. ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation

    Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.

  2. 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation

    Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.

  3. TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation

    Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.

Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.

Written — the manuscript record

  1. ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation

    The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).

  2. 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation

    Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.

  3. Modern printModern printawaiting curation

    The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.

A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.

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And now — what do you think?

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Provenance

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