Title: The Last, After Whom Nothing Exists - Explanation of Al-Hadeed 57:3 Question: Allah (swt) states in the Qur'an that He is "the First" and "the Last". He being "the First" means that He existed before the existence of anything else. This would imply that there was a time where only God existed. What then is meant by Him being "the Last"? It could be that on the day of Judgment when everything perishes, He will be "the Last" to remain in existence and that then every one of us is brought back to life to live eternally either in Paradise or Hell. However, couldn't it be that it means that there will also be a time when nothing but He exists and hence - He will be "the Last"? Could it be that the life in Paradise and Hell is not eternal and that these terms are only used in the Scripture to indicate a very long period? Jazakallah , Answer: The referred verse of Surah Hadeed has given an idea of how God is aware of everything. It says that God is not bound by the restrictions of the continuum of time and space, noting precedes or succeeds him in time and nothing is above or beneath Him in space and, thus, He is aware of everything. If we deliberate on why we are not aware of many things it is only because we are bound in the continuum of time and space: There was a time when we did not exist and there will be a time when we would not exist, we can only know things that take place within the small interval of our two extinctions, before and after our existence; Similarly, we are also bound by space restrictions, due to which we can only be at one place at a time and become unaware of all those things that happen at places where we are not present. In contrast to our being limited in time and space, God is, simultaneously, present at the beginning as well at the end of everything and above as well as beneath everything and, therefore, nothing can remain hidden from Him. Take a look at the verse in the light of the foregoing explanation: هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ (الحديد 57: 3 ) He is before as well as after everything; and over and under everything and [,therefore,] He is aware of everything. I hope this helps. Moiz Amjad November 10, 2004