Surah Al-Burooj (الْبُرُوج) is the 85th Surah of the Quran. It is also written as Al-Burooj in some translations. The name of Surah Al-Burooj is mentioned in the first verse as وَالسَّمَاۗءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوْجِ (By the heaven with its impregnable castles). It is the elegance of the Quran that Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ swears upon something to emphasize a certain topic. Here, Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ swears upon the sky and the Buruj, to warn the disbelievers. Buruj is an Arabic word that can be translated as "Stars." "Big Stars" or "Constellations." Another interpretation of the word "Buruj" is that it is the plural of the Arabic word "Burj," which means "tower" or something so high that it can be seen from a distance.
Surah Al-Burooj appears in the 30th Juzz (Para) of the Quran. It is the 85th surah of the Quran by the recitation order, whereas the 27th in the revelation sequence. It is the 8th Surah of the 30th Juzz. It was revealed upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in Mecca before he migrated to Medina; hence, it is known as the Makki Surah. It comprises 22 verses (Ayah), grouped in one Ruku. The total number of words in this surah is 109, comprising 469 letters.
٨٥ - ٱلْبُرُوج
85 - Al-Burooj
English
Ahmed Ali
3
English
Ahmed Ali
4
English
Ahmed Ali
5
English
Ahmed Ali
6
English
Ahmed Ali
7
English
Ahmed Ali
8
English
Ahmed Ali
9
English
Ahmed Ali
10
The main theme of the Surah Al-Burooj is the warning given by Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ to the non-believers of Mecca. They are warned of the consequences of their wrong and evildoings. The warning is also for their tyrannic and oppressive acts against the people of Mecca, who were embracing Islam at that time. On the other hand, Muslims are pacified with the promise of huge rewards on the Day of Judgment for those who would stay firm on their belief during this phase of oppression and tyranny at the hands of the disbelievers. It is also assured that Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ will Himself avenge for the torment they are facing at this stage.
The story of the "Ashab-al Ukhdud" (the People of the Ditch) is narrated in verses 4 to 11 of this surah. It is the story of a group of people (most probably the Christians), around 70 years before the birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who were burnt alive by the then ruler by throwing them in a huge firepit, as they refused to divert from their faith in Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ. It is believed that this incident occurred in the city of Najran, situated in present-day Yemen.
There is a lesson for the new Muslims of Mecca, in the example of the Ashab-al Ukhdud. Just like the pagans in the story of the People of the Ditch, the disbelievers of Mecca are destined to face the same punishment. Similarly, Muslims are also encouraged to stay firm on their belief, as did the believers in the story of the people of the ditch. It is also assured that Allah is watching everything, including the acts of both believers and non-believers. Believers will be rewarded with a place in paradise, whereas the destiny of the disbelievers is hell. In the end, giving the example of Thamud and Pharoah, the disbelievers are again warned that they might be mighty, but they would not be able to escape the punishment they are destined for, as written in the لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوْظٍ (the well-guarded Tablet).
The first and foremost benefit of reciting Surah Al-Burooj, like any other surah or verse of the Quran, is that it is a source of blessings and guidance of Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ. Every word recited from the Quran carries rewards, in addition to being a source of connecting the reciter with Allah. Other benefits and virtues of regularly reciting Surah Al-Burooj, as derived from the Islamic traditions and commentaries, can be summarized as under.