Overview - Surah 46: al-Ahqaf (Sand Dunes)

The Surah gives warnings to those who deny the truth. When Allah's punishment comes then neither the sea, nor the dry land can protect.  There is a reference in this Surah to the people of 'Ad and Allah's punishment for their sins.

Sections:

1. Allah sent down the Qur'an and He has created the heaven and earth. The gods of Shirk have created nothing.  Is there any proof for Shirk? The truth of this revelation is manifest.
2. The Qur'an verifies the previous revelations.
3. The fate of 'Ad.
4. Warnings to those who deny the truth.  A group of Jinn accept the message. Be patient in giving the message of Allah.

The Surah takes its name from the Ayat, وَاذْكُرْ أَخَا عَادٍ إِذْ أَنذَرَ قَوْمَهُ بِالْأَحْقَافِ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ النُّذُرُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّـهَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ "And mention, [O Muhammad], the brother of 'Aad, when he warned his people in the [region of] al-Ahqaf - and warners had already passed on before him and after him - [saying], "Do not worship except Allah. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day." (46:21).

The following Surahs all have the letters, Ha-Meem as their opening Ayaat and interestingly what is common to all of them is their mentioning of the Prophet Musa. These Surahs are;

Surah 40: al-Ghafir
Surah 41: Fussilat
Surah 42: Shurah
Surah 43: Zukhruf
Surah 44: Dukhan
Surah 45: Jathiyah
Surah 46: al-Ahqaaf

There are 35 Ayat in this Surah.

The Surah gives warnings to those who deny the truth. When Allah's punishment comes then neither the sea, nor the dry land can protect.  There is a reference in this Surah to the people of 'Ad and Allah's punishment for their sins.

Sections:

1. Allah sent down the Qur'an and He has created the heaven and earth. The gods of Shirk have created nothing.  Is there any proof for Shirk? The truth of this revelation is manifest.
2. The Qur'an verifies the previous revelations.
3. The fate of 'Ad.
4. Warnings to those who deny the truth.  A group of Jinn accept the message. Be patient in giving the message of Allah.

The Surah takes its name from the Ayat, وَاذْكُرْ أَخَا عَادٍ إِذْ أَنذَرَ قَوْمَهُ بِالْأَحْقَافِ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ النُّذُرُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّـهَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ "And mention, [O Muhammad], the brother of 'Aad, when he warned his people in the [region of] al-Ahqaf - and warners had already passed on before him and after him - [saying], "Do not worship except Allah. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day." (46:21).

The following Surahs all have the letters, Ha-Meem as their opening Ayaat and interestingly what is common to all of them is their mentioning of the Prophet Musa. These Surahs are;

Surah 40: al-Ghafir
Surah 41: Fussilat
Surah 42: Shurah
Surah 43: Zukhruf
Surah 44: Dukhan
Surah 45: Jathiyah
Surah 46: al-Ahqaaf

There are 35 Ayat in this Surah.

The subject matter of the Surah is to warn the disbelievers of the errors in which they were involved, and also persisted arrogantly, and were condemning the man who was trying to redeem them. They regarded the world as a useless and purposeless place where they were not answerable to anyone. They thought that invitation to Monotheism (Tawhid) was false and stuck to the belief that their own deities were actually the associates of God. They were not inclined to believe that the Qur’an was the Word of the Lord of the worlds. They had a strange erroneous concept of apostleship on the basis of which they were proposing strange criteria of judging the Prophet’s claim to it. In their estimation one great proof of Islam’s not being based on the truth was that their elders and important chiefs of the tribes and so called leaders of their nation were not accepting it and only a few young men, and some poor folks and some slaves had affirmed faith in it. They thought that Resurrection and life after death and the rewards and punishments of the Hereafter were fabrications whose occurrence was absolutely out of the question.

In this Surah each of these misconceptions has been refuted in a brief but rational way, and the disbelievers have been warned that, if they would reject the invitation of the Qur’an and the Prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad, by prejudice and stubbornness instead of trying to understand its truth rationally, they would only be preparing for their own doom.

The subject matter of the Surah is to warn the disbelievers of the errors in which they were involved, and also persisted arrogantly, and were condemning the man who was trying to redeem them. They regarded the world as a useless and purposeless place where they were not answerable to anyone. They thought that invitation to Monotheism (Tawhid) was false and stuck to the belief that their own deities were actually the associates of God. They were not inclined to believe that the Qur’an was the Word of the Lord of the worlds. They had a strange erroneous concept of apostleship on the basis of which they were proposing strange criteria of judging the Prophet’s claim to it. In their estimation one great proof of Islam’s not being based on the truth was that their elders and important chiefs of the tribes and so called leaders of their nation were not accepting it and only a few young men, and some poor folks and some slaves had affirmed faith in it. They thought that Resurrection and life after death and the rewards and punishments of the Hereafter were fabrications whose occurrence was absolutely out of the question.

In this Surah each of these misconceptions has been refuted in a brief but rational way, and the disbelievers have been warned that, if they would reject the invitation of the Qur’an and the Prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad, by prejudice and stubbornness instead of trying to understand its truth rationally, they would only be preparing for their own doom.

Ahqaf is the place of dwellings of the nation of Aad in southern Arabia.

Ahqaf is the place of dwellings of the nation of Aad in southern Arabia.

The Surah begins and ends by drawing the attention of the reader/listener to the the creation of the heavens and earth. By observing the creation we find that nothing exists except it has a specificed and pre-defined purpose. That was determined by the Creator and His creation reflects His grand abilities.

 مَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَمَّا أُنذِرُوا مُعْرِضُونَ "We did not create the heavens and earth and what is between them except in truth and [for] a specified term. But those who disbelieve, from that of which they are warned, are turning away." (46:3)

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّـهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَمْ يَعْيَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَىٰ أَن يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَىٰ ۚ بَلَىٰ إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ "Do they not see that Allah, who created the heavens and earth and did not fail in their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes. Indeed, He is over all things competent. " (46:33)

The Surah begins and ends by drawing the attention of the reader/listener to the the creation of the heavens and earth. By observing the creation we find that nothing exists except it has a specificed and pre-defined purpose. That was determined by the Creator and His creation reflects His grand abilities.

 مَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَمَّا أُنذِرُوا مُعْرِضُونَ "We did not create the heavens and earth and what is between them except in truth and [for] a specified term. But those who disbelieve, from that of which they are warned, are turning away." (46:3)

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّـهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَمْ يَعْيَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَىٰ أَن يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَىٰ ۚ بَلَىٰ إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ "Do they not see that Allah, who created the heavens and earth and did not fail in their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes. Indeed, He is over all things competent. " (46:33)

• The prayers of a 40 year old monotheistic father for his parents and his children. (46:15)

• The prayers of a 40 year old monotheistic father for his parents and his children. (46:15)

• Surah 46. Al-Ahqaf - Saad al Ghamidi  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGiamNr5bgs&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN&index=46
• Surah 46. Al-Ahqaf Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUd_th3-dys&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM&index=46​
• Surah 46. Al-Ahqaf Muhammad Al Luhaydan  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5I5b3Rz8us&index=46&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe​
• Surah 46. Al-Ahqaf muhammad Minshawi  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXj2TJq1HDQ&index=46&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG