SURAH ASH-SHAMS Chapter. 91

 

This blog is part of a series of blogs based on my research and compilation of Surahs of the Quran, in an effort to understand these surah’s in an easy way. Today's effort is SURAH ASH-SHAMS Chapter. 91, hope going through it will be a learning journey for all of you. May Allah forgive any mistake, omission, or error on my part in its compilation (Aameen Summa Aameen).

English Translation:
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
1: By the sun and its brightness,  2. And [by] the moon when it follows it, 3. And [by] the day when it displays it, 4. And [by] the night when it covers it, 5. And [by] the sky and He who constructed it , 6. And [by] the earth and He who spread it , 7. And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it, 8. And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness, 9. He has succeeded who purifies it, 10. And he has failed who instills it [with corruption]. 11. Thamud denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression, 12. When the most wretched of them was sent forth. 13. And the messenger of Allah [Salih] said to them, “[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allah or [prevent her from] her drink.”     14. But they denied him and hamstrung her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them]. 15. And He does not fear the consequence thereof.

Introduction:

Ash-Shams (Arabic: الشمس, "The Sun") is the 91st surah of the Qur'an, with 15 ayats or verses, 54 words with 48 unique words without any repetition and 253 letters in total, its Mekki Surah and its time of revelation is between 616 – 620 AD. It opens with a series of solemn oaths sworn on various astronomical phenomena, the first of which, "by the sun", gives the surah its name, then on the human soul itself. Surah Al Shams is one of the surahs that includes an important message and valuable teachings, as the surah begins with the oath with the sun and its light, and the moon that follows it, and refers to the alternating appearance of the sun and the moon in the sky as signs of Allah, and concludes the surah with an affirmation that Allah is just and does not oppress anyone, and that he – Almighty – is the just ruler who no one can escape from his ability and justice. In this article, we address the interpretation of Surat Al-Shams and explain its virtues and the reasons for its revelation

Surah Shams, which is actually a Surah on the purification of the ‘carnal soul’ and the sanctification of the heart from vice and impurities’, explains the same themes as previous Surahs, but at the start of the Surah, eleven great subjects from the world of creation and Divine essence are mentioned, and some oaths are taken to prove that salvation is dependent on the ‘purification of the carnal soul.’ Most of the Quranic swears are encapsulated in these oaths.

Revelation:

Surat Al-Shams was revealed after Surat Al-Qadr, and before Surat Al-Buruj, and that it was revealed in the period between the migration of the Companions to Abyssinia and the incident of Isra and Mi'raj, This Surah was revealed in the early period when opposition to the Prophet (pbuh) during his residence at Makkah had grown very strong and intense. Success depends on keeping the soul pure and failure depends on corrupting it, people of Thamud were leveled to the ground for that very reason. The reason for the descent of Surat Al-Shams is that it was revealed as a complement to Surat Al-Balad that preceded it, which included mentioning the owners of the starboard and the owners of Al-Mashama, and the definition of each category of them, so Surat Al-Shams came to clarify the fate of each category through its work and behavior in the world.

Lesson from Suratul Shams.

1.      Allah swears with the sun, moon, the day, the night, heavens and earth to show us the importance of their properties.

2.      All the properties of the items of oath are devoted to the service of man.

3.      Man has been endowed with great natural potential and qualities.

4.      He has been given a sense of what is good or bad through revelation.

5.      An example of those who corrupted their soul is given i:e the people of Thamud. Thamud is a tribe from the oldest Arabian tribes (prophet Salih was sent to them as their Messenher.

6.      She camel which was sent to them as a sign of his prophet hood was stabbed to Death.

7.      Allah let loose His punishment on them.

8.      They were destroyed with earthquake.

Main theme of Surah Ash Shams:

The Qur’an teaches us the following: Surah Ash-Shams is one of the most important surahs in Islam.

The following are the key themes of this Surah:

·         The difference between good and evil

·         The reward for doing the right thing

Surah teaches that:

Ø  Just as the sun and the moon, the day and the night, the earth and the sky, are different from each other and contradictory in their effects and results, so are good and evil different from each other and contradictory in their effects and results; they are neither alike in their outward appearance nor can they be alike in their results.

Ø  Allah, after giving the human its body, sense and mind has not left it uninformed in the world, but has instilled into its unconscious, by means of a natural inspiration, the distinction between good and evil, right and wrong.

Ø  The future of man depends on recognizing these differences, developing the good and suppressing the evil tendencies of the self. If he develops good inclinations and frees himself of evil inclinations, he will attain eternal success, and if, on the contrary, he suppresses good and promotes evil, he will meet with disappointments and failures.

Surah Ash Shams benefits:

Ø  The reward for reciting Surah Ash Shams, according to our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallal laahu alaihi wasallam, is comparable to the things that the sun and moon shine upon.

Ø  Our beloved Imam Jaffar Sadiq (Radi Allahu Tala Anhu) declared that whoever recites Surat Ash-Shams, al-Lail, ad-Dhuha, and al-Inshirah would find all creatures of the earth testifying in his favor on the Day of Judgement, and Allah will accept their evidence and grant him a position in Jannah.

Ø  On the day of judgment, whoever recites Surah Shams, Surat Lail, Surat Duha, and Sura Inshirah on any day or night, there is nothing that will not bear witness to his recitation of these four surahs, to the point where the reciter’s hair, face, blood, muscles, and bones will bear witness, and everything on earth will come forward to bear witness for him.

Ø  “I have accepted the testimony of all of you for my servant, and now I send him to paradise,” Allah would declare. Everything he desires will be supplied to him there, as well as more, thanks to My mercy and favor.”

Ø  Those who recite Surat Ash-Shams are like the wealthy man who gives away everything he has in charity; and if the reciter is poor, Allah will provide him with favorable circumstances and divine guidance, and he will be protected wherever he goes. The Reciter will reap many benefits; he will become a popular and amiable man among the people; Allah will increase his means of substance, and he will be freed from losses, worries, and poverty.

Ø  His trembling will go if you write Surah Ash-Shams on a china plate, wash it with clean water, and drink it, inshallah.

Ø  Surat Shams recitation helps you gain more strength, courage, and popularity among the people.

Ø  To get rid of a fever, recite Surat Ash-Shams over water.

Virtues of Surat Al-Shams

Surah Al-Shams has many virtues, including:

1- It is one of the surahs of the joint that Allah preferred his Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) over other prophets, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: (I was given the place of the seven long Torah, and I was given the place of the centenary Zabur, and I was given the place of the Mathani Gospel, and I preferred the joint).

2- It contains a mention of the Day of Resurrection and the great events that happen in it, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: (Whoever is pleased to look at the Day of Resurrection as if it were the opinion of an eye, let him read: If the sun is broken, if the sky breaks open, and if the sky splits).

3- It includes the reward of reading the Holy Qur’an and what a Muslim gets from the reward and good deeds, and the Almighty said: (And be divine by what you knew the Book and by what you were studying), and the Almighty said: (And those who hold the Book and establish prayer, we do not waste the reward of the reformers), and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: (Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah has good deeds in it, and the good deeds are ten times as good, I do not say the pain of the letter, but: A letter, a letter L, and a meme).

 

Researched & Compiled by:

OVAIS ASAD KHAN