Early Makkan surah, proving the Akhira. Known as the Heart of the Quran, its recitation is equivalent to reading the Quran 10 times. The surah is commonly recited over a persons death bed, as it talks about the Akhira and provides comfort of a better life to come.

Themes

• Allah SWT will resurrect us.
• The heedless and their fate.
• The signs of Allah SWT.
• Rewards of the believers and the disbelievers.

Selected Verses

5-11: The Quran is a revelation from the Almighty, the Most Merciful to warn heedless people whose forefathers were not warned. However, most will not believe, whether they are warned or not. Only those who follow the Reminder (Quran) and are in awe of the Most Compassionate can be warned; they will have forgiveness and an honorable reward.

12: Allah SWT shall indeed revive the dead and will write down everything they have forwarded, that is our good deeds. Everything done for the sake of Allah SWT is recorded, no matter how small, and is listed in a perfect Record.

13-32: The story of the 3 messengers, Christians who were sent to Antioch, an ancient city in Southern Turkey. The messengers were denied as, “humans like us,” “liars” and a “bad omen” and threatened with being stoned to death.

A man came rushing to his people and told them to embrace their message. The locals were about to kill the messengers but then turned on the man who embraced the faith. He was beaten to death and was granted Jannah as a martyr. “How I wish my people could know the truth;” he was genuinely compassionate, wanting the best for his people.

The town was destroyed instantly by a mighty blast. The angels expressed their pity that man is the only creation to reject the truth, his arrogance and refusal to consider those nations destroyed before.

33-44: The signs of Allah SWT. Plants, vegetation, springs; the day and the night; pairs of creation in everything, known and unknown; the moon and sun in their own orbits. The One Who can create these objects, can resurrect us.

45-47: No miracle or sign comes to the disbelievers except they turn their backs. They say, Why should we feed the people that Allah SWT could care for Himself? The difference between belief and disbelief – believers look to use the wealth Allah SWT gave us to spend in His cause; disbelievers mock and criticize at all times.

48-54: The Resurrection; the promise of Ar Rahman. The disbelievers question the Resurrection but it will seize them with a single blast when they are busy with their worldly affairs. A second blast and they will rush from their graves to be brought before Allah SWT exclaiming, This must be what the Most Compassionate warned us about; the Messengers told the truth! No soul will be wronged in the least on that day and everyone will be rewarded only for what they used to do.

55-58: People of Jannah will be busy having fun and entertaining one another on that Day, being spoilt after a lifetime of pleasing/striving for Allah SWT. Whatever they desire will be possible. The highest reward will be the greeting of, “Peace,” from Allah SWT.

59-65: The disbelievers will be told to step away from the believers and admonished that they were commanded not to follow shaytan, who misled great multitudes of them. They were warned of Hell, so Today, “Burn in it for your disbelief.” On that Day their mouths will be sealed and their hands and feet will speak to bear witness against them.

69: We have not taught the Prophet ﷺ poetry.

71: Allah SWT created and gifted/subdued livestock for mankind- for travel, eating, drinking and other uses. They are bigger and more powerful than us yet they are subdued for our use.

77-79: Mankind comes from a despised fluid and yet argues and challenges Allah SWT: How will we come back from the dead? They will be revived by the One Who produced them the first time, Who has perfect knowledge of every created being .

81: Can the One Who created the heavens and the earth not easily resurrect you? He is the Master Creator, All Knowing.

82: When He wills something to be, all it takes is to say: “Be!” and it is.

83: So glory be to the One in Whose Hands is authority over all things and to Who you will all be returned.