Overview - Surah 55: ar-Rahman (The Most Merciful )
The Surah clearly indicates that Prophet Muhammad is Allah’s Prophet and Messenger for both human beings as well as Jinns. Allah's many blessings and favors are mentioned in this Surah. Human beings and Jinn are invited to remember these favors and not to deny Allah's blessings.
Sections:
- The various bounties of Allah.
- Everything is finite, but Allah is infinite. Everyone depends on Allah. The warnings to the guilty.
- The rewards for the righteous.
This Surah takes its name after the name of Allah mentioined in the first Ayat, الرَّحْمَـٰنُ "The Most Merciful" (55:1). This is the only Surah of the Qur'an that begins with a name of Allah, in this case, ar-Rahman.
There are 78 Ayat in this Surah.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 78 |
| Total Words * | 351 |
| Root Words * | 110 |
| Makki / Madani | Madani |
| Chronological Order* | 97th (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | |
| Events during/before this Surah*
N/A
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| Events during/after still to occur*
N/A
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| Names of Prophets Mentioned
No Prophets names are mentioned in this Surah
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| Surah Index
Astronomy (celestial mechanics) (solar and lunar orbits), Astronomy (sunrise) , Astronomy (sunset) , Date palms, Earth, Grain, Heaven (several) , Heaven (virgin mates of modest gaze) , Hell, Humankind, Humankind (creation of) (from clay), Hur al-Ayn, Jinn, Jinn (created of fire) , Judgement (Day) (flash of fire followed by smoke), Judgement (Day) (red like burning oil), Judgement (Day) (rent asunder), Pearls, Pomegranates, Qur’an, Ruby, Sea, Ships, Trees, Water (two great bodies of)
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This is the only Surah of the Qur’an in which besides men, the Jinn - who are the other creation of the earth endowed with freedom of will and action - have been directly addressed. Both men and Jinn have been made to realise the wonders of God’s power, His countless blessings, their own helplessness and accountability before Him, and have been warned of the evil consequences of His disobedience and made aware of the best results of His obedience. At several other places in the Qur’an there are clear pointers to show that like the men, the Jinn too are a creation who have been endowed with freedom of will and action and are accountable, who have been granted the freedom of belief and unbelief, of obedience and disobedience, and among them too there are the believers and the unbelievers, the obedient and the rebellious, as among human beings. And among them too there exist such groups as have believed in the Prophets sent by God and in the Divine Books. This Surah clearly points out that the message of the Prophet and the Qur’an is meant both for men and for Jinn and that his Prophethood is not restricted to human beings alone.
Although in the beginning of the Surah the address is directed only to human beings, for to them only belongs the vicegerent of the earth, among them only have the Messengers of God been raised, and in their tongues only have the Divine Books been revealed, yet from verse 13 onwards both the men and the Jinn have been addressed and one and the same invitation has been extended to both.
- The Ayat revolve around the manifestation of the Rahmah [mercy] of Allah.
- The Surah begins with the name of Allah and ends guiding the reader to glorify His name:
الرَّحْمَـٰنُ "The Most Merciful." (55:1)
تَبَارَكَ اسْمُ رَبِّكَ ذِي الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ "Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor." (55:78)
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
- There are 55 Ayat in Surah al-Qamar. Surah ar-Rahman is Surah no. 55.
- Surah al-Qamar ends with mentioning that the Believers will be with the King. Surah ar-Rahman begins with who this King is - He is ar-Rahman [the Most Merciful]
فِي مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عِندَ مَلِيكٍ مُّقْتَدِرٍ "In a seat of truth (i.e. Paradise), near the Omnipotent King (Allah, the All-Blessed, the Most High, the Owner of Majesty and Honour) (54:55)
الرَّحْمَـٰنُ "The Most Merciful." (55:1) - Both Surah al-Qamar and ar-Rahman end with the mention of Paradise.
- Both Surah ar-Rahman and al-Waqiah end with similar Ayat
تَبَارَكَ اسْمُ رَبِّكَ ذِي الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ "Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor." (55:78)
فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ "So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great." (56:96)
- حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ وَاقِدٍ أَبُو مُسْلِمٍ السَّعْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ زُهَيْرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، رضى الله عنه قَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَرَأَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةَ الرَّحْمَنِ مِنْ أَوَّلِهَا إِلَى آخِرِهَا فَسَكَتُوا فَقَالَ " لَقَدْ قَرَأْتُهَا عَلَى الْجِنِّ لَيْلَةَ الْجِنِّ فَكَانُوا أَحْسَنَ مَرْدُودًا مِنْكُمْ كُنْتُ كُلَّمَا أَتَيْتُ عَلَى قَوْلِهِِ : ( فبأَىِّ آلاَءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ ) قَالُوا لاَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ نِعَمِكَ رَبَّنَا نُكَذِّبُ فَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ زُهَيْرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّ
Muhammad bin Al Munkadir narrated that, "Jabir [may Allah be pleased with him] said: “The Messenger of Allah came out to his Companions, and recited Surat Ar-Rahman from its beginning to its end for them, and they were silent. So he said: ‘I recited it to the Jinns on the ‘Night of the Jinns,’ and they had a better response to it than you did. Each time I came to Allah’s saying: ‘Which of your Lords favor do you deny.’ They said: “We do not deny any of Your favors our Lord! And Yours is praise.” Tirmidhee no. 3291
- This Surah address both Mankind and Jinn together - فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ "So which of the favors of your Lord would you [both] deny?" (55:16)
- The following Ayat has been repeated 30 times in this Surah, فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ "So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?" (55:16)
- (55:33) is the longest Ayat of this Surah with 16 words,
يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُوا مِنْ أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَانفُذُوا ۚ لَا تَنفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَانٍ "O company of jinn and mankind, if you are able to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass. You will not pass except by authority [from Allah]" (55:33)
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = * | ||
Tafsir Zone
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Overview (Verses 31 - 36) A Frightening Threat Having stated this fundamental truth of God's eternity while everything else perishes and its correlate making clear that He controls all the affairs of all His creatures, the surah begins a new section that starts with a threat that sends fear into all hearts. This is a prelude to the discussion of the Day of Judgement that follows later in the surah: We shall attend to you two huge communities [of jinn and mankind]. Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny? Jinn and mankind, if you can pass beyond the regions of heaven and earth, then do so. You cannot pass beyond them without authority. Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny? A flash of fire will be sent against you, and molten brass, and you will be left without support. Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny? (Verses 31-36) "We shall attend to you two huge communities [of jinn and mankind]." (Verse 31) What a frightening threat that neither man nor jinn can face. Indeed firm mountains, stars and galaxies tremble to hear it. God Almighty, in all His power and majesty, says that He will attend to the reckoning of these two humble creatures, man and jinn, giving His statement an air of warning! It is unimaginably terrible! A more literal translation of the threat would say: "We shall be free to attend to you two..." God - limitless is He in His glory - is not preoccupied with something so as to need to free Himself of what preoccupies Him. This is merely an expression intended to make it easier for us to understand, and to deliver the warning in a stunning and crushing way. This entire universe was originated and put in place with a single word, 'Be', and once the word was uttered the whole universe came into existence. Likewise, its total disappearance needs nothing more than the command to be issued once, in less than the twinkling of an eye. What can happen, then, to these two communities of creatures, man and jinn, when God attends fully to them alone, administering their punishment? Under the shadow of this fearful threat, they are both asked: "Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny?" (Verse 32) The surah continues with this frightening tone, challenging both man and jinn to pass beyond their own world: "Jinn and mankind if you can pass beyond the regions of heaven and earth, then do so." (Verse 33) How, and where to? "You cannot pass beyond them without authority." (Verse 33) No authority can be given except by the One who has it. Once more, they are faced with the question: "Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny?" (Verse 34) Do they have, within themselves, anything that amounts to a lie to say, or even a word to utter? Nonetheless the onslaught continues to the end, adding further threats and revealing their miserable end: "A flash of fire will be sent against you, and molten brass, and you will be left without support. Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny?" (Verses 35-36) The horror painted in this image is beyond the scope of human imagination, or any creature's imagination for that matter. It is a unique image. Although there are a few images akin to it in the Qur'an, none are exactly similar to this one: "Leave Me alone with those who deny the truth and enjoy lift's blessings." (73: 11) "Leave Me alone [to deal] with him whom I have created alone." (74: 11) The fact remains that this present verse, and the warning it implies, is far more frightful: "We shall attend to you two huge communities [of jinn and mankind]." (Verse 31) |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Overview (Verses 31 - 36) A Frightening Threat Having stated this fundamental truth of God's eternity while everything else perishes and its correlate making clear that He controls all the affairs of all His creatures, the surah begins a new section that starts with a threat that sends fear into all hearts. This is a prelude to the discussion of the Day of Judgement that follows later in the surah: We shall attend to you two huge communities [of jinn and mankind]. Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny? Jinn and mankind, if you can pass beyond the regions of heaven and earth, then do so. You cannot pass beyond them without authority. Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny? A flash of fire will be sent against you, and molten brass, and you will be left without support. Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny? (Verses 31-36) "We shall attend to you two huge communities [of jinn and mankind]." (Verse 31) What a frightening threat that neither man nor jinn can face. Indeed firm mountains, stars and galaxies tremble to hear it. God Almighty, in all His power and majesty, says that He will attend to the reckoning of these two humble creatures, man and jinn, giving His statement an air of warning! It is unimaginably terrible! A more literal translation of the threat would say: "We shall be free to attend to you two..." God - limitless is He in His glory - is not preoccupied with something so as to need to free Himself of what preoccupies Him. This is merely an expression intended to make it easier for us to understand, and to deliver the warning in a stunning and crushing way. This entire universe was originated and put in place with a single word, 'Be', and once the word was uttered the whole universe came into existence. Likewise, its total disappearance needs nothing more than the command to be issued once, in less than the twinkling of an eye. What can happen, then, to these two communities of creatures, man and jinn, when God attends fully to them alone, administering their punishment? Under the shadow of this fearful threat, they are both asked: "Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny?" (Verse 32) The surah continues with this frightening tone, challenging both man and jinn to pass beyond their own world: "Jinn and mankind if you can pass beyond the regions of heaven and earth, then do so." (Verse 33) How, and where to? "You cannot pass beyond them without authority." (Verse 33) No authority can be given except by the One who has it. Once more, they are faced with the question: "Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny?" (Verse 34) Do they have, within themselves, anything that amounts to a lie to say, or even a word to utter? Nonetheless the onslaught continues to the end, adding further threats and revealing their miserable end: "A flash of fire will be sent against you, and molten brass, and you will be left without support. Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny?" (Verses 35-36) The horror painted in this image is beyond the scope of human imagination, or any creature's imagination for that matter. It is a unique image. Although there are a few images akin to it in the Qur'an, none are exactly similar to this one: "Leave Me alone with those who deny the truth and enjoy lift's blessings." (73: 11) "Leave Me alone [to deal] with him whom I have created alone." (74: 11) The fact remains that this present verse, and the warning it implies, is far more frightful: "We shall attend to you two huge communities [of jinn and mankind]." (Verse 31) |
- Surah 55. Ar-Rahman - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqJ3k0YTBs8&index=55&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN
- Surah 55. Ar-Rahman Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g3KMzGZ_EI&index=55&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM
- Surah 55. Ar-Rahman Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3q29pvDkl4
- Idris Akbar Surah Ar-Rahman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vua7KTHLF_M
- Surah 55. Ar-Rahman Muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otW1VxWD5EE&index=55&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG
