Bismillah.
وَأَنزَلْنَا ٱلْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌۭ شَدِيدٌۭ وَمَنَـٰفِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُۥ
وَرُسُلَهُۥ بِٱلْغَيْبِ
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌۭ
And We sent down iron, wherein is mighty power and benefits for the people, and so that Allah may
make evident those who support Him and His messengers in secret.
Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted
(Sūrat al-Hadīd, no.57, Āyat 25)
As mentioned in a previous reflection, this verse mentions the reasoning of sending the prophets. After discussing miracles and revelation as sources for proving the veracity of the prophets, the verse then turns to the final and decisive option that has been granted to the prophets. The word “anzalna,” translated as “sent down” and used for iron in the verse, could be thought of having a metaphorical meaning to explain that iron has been given to benefit people. But, when we take into consideration the literal meaning of the word, which is, “being physically sent down from the sky,” as this word had not been employed in the Quran except in its literal meaning, like the descending of the rain or revelation, we realise that this verse implies a very significant scientific discovery, which was made centuries after the revelation of the Quran.
A recent article in Science Daily by the University in Oslo suggests that Iron came from Iron-Nickel Meteorites that were formed by the nuclear reaction which occurs at the end point of a large star. The reason we find iron in the ground is through processes that occurred millions of years ago, causing the iron to melt and seep through the ground. The substance iron has heavy emblematic significance. In many cultures, iron is seen as the symbol of strength, military might and even justice. Aside from warfare, the element of iron has innumerable general uses in every walk of life. Today we now know that iron is an essential mineral present in our blood haemoglobin. Lack of iron causes a person to become sick, and many people must take iron supplements to help boost their immune system.
In Sūrat al-Hadīd, Allah ‘azza wajall speaks of iron chiefly in the context of establishing and maintaining justice saying, “in it is might and benefits for mankind.” This indicates that one of the main intended reasons for Allah’s creation of the substance is for it to be used for the checking of powers and in defence of just and noble causes. This sentiment is reflected in the content of the Sūrah, as Allah speaks highly of those who do their duty and uphold justice by taking on the enemies of faith, and preserving the honour, wealth and dignity of the believers.
As always, Islam guides towards the middle path. In this case Islam teaches a balance between extreme monasticism and excessive materialism. Therefore, believers are encouraged to be spiritually detached from worldly obsessions, while remaining vigilant and responsible of their duty towards social and political justice. A Muslim must not crave authority, luxury or wealth, yet at the same time he or she must be concerned with economic justice and the socio-political realities of the day. Islam teaches that indeed the world is prone to corruption. But it is not to be escaped, rather it is to be saved.
Islam recognises the sad reality of this world; that iron is all too often a necessary means to achieving peace, as well as being the most efficacious deterrent against oppression, injustice and other manifestations of mankind’s darker nature. Allah subhānahu wata‘ālā has sent iron to this earth because He wants the believers to uphold the fight for His sake. However, this struggle must never be for material gain. Warfare, when necessary and sanctioned, must only be conducted for spiritual reasons – the establishment of truth and justice.
When we refer to the narrations from Ahlul-Bayt ‘alayhimus-salām this significance becomes clearer. ‘Allāmah Majlisī in Bihār al Anwār, v 42, p 57 quotes from Manāqib of ibn Shahr ‘Āshūb on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbās: Allah sent down Adam with Dhulfiqār and Adam defended himself from his enemies and it was scribed on it prophet after prophet, friend after friend until Amīrul Mu’minīn ‘alayhis-salām. All our companions have narrated that this verse has been revealed about Dhulfiqār.
The popular narration, found in the Sunni sources, is that it was granted in ‘Uhud to Imam Ali (a) when his own sword broke defending the Prophet sallal-lāhu ‘alayhi wa-ālihi wasallam (Tirmidhī, Hadith 1561).
May Allah grant us the opportunity to practice and propagate the prophetic ideals of justice as well as implementing them with the Imam of our time (ajf) after his reappearance. We continue to pray for all the oppressed including the resilient people of Palestine.
Sources: Muhammad Baqir Majlisī, Bihār al Anwār; Tirmidhī, Sunan