Basic
Monotheism
Surah: Ar-Rahman (26)
Everyone on It Will Perish and the Face of Your Lord Will Remain — The Only Permanence in a World of Passing
كُلُّ مَنۡ عَلَيۡهَا فَانٍ وَيَبۡقَىٰ وَجۡهُ رَبِّكَ
— الرحمن الآية 26
Verse: "Everyone on it will perish and the Face of your Lord of Majesty and Honor will remain." (55:26-27) — After the verses of blessings — a verse that restores balance: everything on earth — its beauty, power, wealth — is perishing. "Face of your Lord" = Allah Himself — the Face is a metonym for the Divine Self — meaning Allah alone remains. "Of Majesty and Honor" — Majesty = boundless greatness; Honor = immeasurable generosity. These two names are among the greatest of Allah's names — closing the verse of cosmic perishing. Lesson: when you weep over something that passed — remember what remains is immeasurably greater than what passed.
Source: Ibn Kathir (7/487); Al-Sadi
Test Yourself
What is the wisdom in placing the perishing verse "everyone will perish" amid the blessings verses of Ar-Rahman?
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