Ash-Shams (ٱلشَّمْس)

Surah Ash-Shams (الشَّمْس) consists of 15 verses in one Ruku. It is the 91st chapter of the Quran and was revealed in Makkah before the Hijrah. The literal translation of its name is 'The Sun,' which is taken from its first word, 'As-Shams.' We can find this surah in the 30th and last Juz. The surah opens with several oaths on various phenomena. "By the sun" is the opening oath, after which the surah is named. After that, there is an oath taken on the destruction of the Thamud tribe, the human soul, the day, the night, the moon, and so on. 

The word 'Shams' has been mentioned 4 times in this surah. Overall, the style and subject matter of the verses reveal that it was revealed in Mecca when there was a very strong opposition to the Prophet (ﷺ) and his followers. To make the message easier and more effective, the Meccan surahs revealed at the time were short, with few verses, and easy to memorize. 

Shaan e Nazool (Historical Background)

No specific incident, event, or occasion is associated with the revelation of Surah Ash-Shams. The theme and subject of this Surah resemble the other Surahs, which were revealed during the early phases of the Prophet Muhammad's صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ Prophetic mission in Mecca. At this stage of his preaching, the disbelievers of the Quraysh tribe had increased their persecutive actions. They had outrightly rejected the Prophethood and the Divine revelations, and were not inclined to accept the Message of Islam.

Surah Ash-Shams specifically addresses humans' instinctive ability to distinguish between good and bad. However, the disbelievers in Mecca, at that stage, were not willing to, or perhaps unable to, realize that the Message being conveyed to them by the Prophet was the right path. In the unique Quranic style, this Surah draws the attention of its immediate audience to examples from nature and the universe, to see how Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ has created the opposite of everything. The Surah describes the distinctions between several natural phenomena, such as day and night, the earth and sky, the sun and the moon, and so on.

The Surah explains that all these creations have their specific role and purposes. Similarly, the good and evil paths are also created by Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ and made available for humans. At the same time, humans are also blessed with a natural instinct to differentiate the cause and results of any of these two paths. Humans have the ability to understand the consequences of following the good or adopting evil. It is up to them to choose the right path.

After describing these apparently conflicting causes and effects of these cosmic creations, in the first 8 verses of this Surah, it is clarified in the next two verses that those who choose the right path will be successful, whereas those adopting the wrong (evil) path will be destined for complete failure and destruction. The Surah emphasizes that although it usually applies to individual human behavior, if society as a whole adopts evil practices, the entire nation may face the consequences.

Here, the Surah briefly describes the fate of the nation of the Prophet Saleh عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ (the people of Thamud). The people of Thamud disobeyed the clear instructions of the Prophet Saleh عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, and killed the miraculously created She-Camel. As a result, the entire nation was punished and destroyed. By narrating this historical example, the disbelievers of Mecca were indirectly warned about their behavior.    

Makki or Madni Surah

Surah Ash-Shams is a Makki Surah, revealed during the very early days of the Prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ.

Place in the Quran

Surah Ash-Shams is the 91^st Surah of the Quran, and is placed in the 30^th Juzz (Para). It comes after Surah Al-Balad and before Surah Al-Layl. It is the 26^th Surah in the order of revelation, and falls at number 91 in the sequence of recitation.

• Number of Verses: Surah Ash-Shams has 15 verses.
• Number of Ruku (Sections): Surah Ash-Shams is grouped into 1 Ruku (section).

Significance of Surah Ash-Shams  

Surah Ash-Shams, just like other Surahs of the Quran, holds great significance in Islam, which impacts our lives profoundly:

• The Surah emphasizes the purification of the soul. The purification of the soul is one of the basic requirements of Islamic teachings. Surah Ash-Shams relates it to the success of human life, describing that the one who purifies his soul will be successful, and the one who is unable to do so will end up in total failure. Purification of the soul can be achieved through faith, repentance, righteous deeds, and above all, obedience and fear of Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ. So, the Surah reminds us to strive for attaining purification of the soul, for a successful, eternal life after death.
• Recitation of this Surah, while reflecting upon its theme and subject, strengthens our faith (Iman) in the absolute power and authority of Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ, and in His absolute Wisdom. The Surah cites witnesses of the most impactful cosmic creations, such as the sun and the moon, and the alternation between the day and the night, which are all the perfect and undeniable signs of Allah's سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ perfect designs.
• The Surah reminds us that Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ has instilled in all humans the sense of distinguishing between the good and the evil, the right and the wrong. The choice of selecting any of these two paths is, however, left to humans themselves. In this context, the man will naturally be held accountable for whatever they do in their worldly life. Both paths are open for us, and only we are responsible for which path we adopt.
• The way the story of the people of Thamud has been narrated in this Surah is a powerful reminder for the civilization as a whole. The Surah tells us that while doing good and believing in the Islamic faith is the responsibility of everyone in their individual capacity, it is also the collective responsibility of a society or civilization. The punishment given to the nation of Thamud clearly shows that when wrongdoings prevail, the society as a whole has to face the consequences. So, we, as an integral part of society, must try to promote Islamic values in society.

Themes and Subject Matter of Surah Ash-Shams (الشَّمْس)

The main theme of Surah Ash-Shams is to help people differentiate good from evil. It came as a warning to the disbelievers creating mischief against the Muslims and our beloved Prophet (ﷺ). It tells them what happened to people who threatened their Prophets, like the tribe of Thamud. The same thing can easily happen to any other tribe that rejects their messenger, including the disbelievers of Mecca. 

The oaths at the beginning of this surah mention some contradictory phenomena: sun and moon, earth and sky, day and night, etc. These pairs are very different and cancel each other out, much like good and evil. They can never be the same in appearance and will always have opposite results. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎  may have given us free will, but also instilled the potential to differentiate between right and wrong, good and evil, etc. Humans sense the good and the evil in things; we also have the advantages of judgment, will, and discrimination that come from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎.

As long as humans work on their good side, they will weaken the evil part within themselves and hopefully gain success in the Hereafter. The people on the other end, like the people of Thamud, neglected their good side and gave in to the evil side. From this message, we learn that humans are not always capable of differentiating between good and bad. Therefore, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎  sent human messengers to show us how we should live our lives according to our Maker. However, the Quraysh rejected their Prophet (ﷺ) like the tribe of Thamud did. They were then warned of meeting the same fate as the people of Thamud unless they changed their ways. The surah gives a strong message that despite fate and destiny, humans write their own corruption or success through their own actions and choices. 

Virtues and Benefits of Surah Ash-Shams (الشَّمْس)

`Abd Allah ibn `Umar narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) warned his men against staying too long in the area where Thamud had once lived. When his people used the water skins of Thamud and used the water to knead the dough, the Prophet (ﷺ) did not allow it and told them to empty the skins, not to use the dough, and to give it to the camels instead. He also searched for the well where the she-camel of Thamud would drink. Furthermore:

"He warned them against entering upon the people that had been punished, saying, "Do not enter the house of those who were unjust to themselves, unless (you enter) weeping, lest you should suffer the same punishment as was inflicted upon them." [Sahih Bukhari 3379]

The Prophet (ﷺ) would also advise his companions to recite Surah Ash-Shams during the prayer so as not to put the congregation in difficulty. Reciting short surahs in prayers doesn't test the general public. It makes the daily prayers short, and people are able to offer their salah without having to miss work. Moreover, this surah serves as a reminder that people need to watch their actions at all times. In our hearts, we probably know the difference between right and wrong when faced with a choice. If we don't, there are always books of Hadith, Tafsir, and Fiqh to guide certain decisions. If we still choose to take the evil way, there will be a dire punishment in the future. These wrong choices today can become a slippery slope and even waste our good deeds if we're not careful. 

Listen to the Recitation of Surah Ash-Shams by Renowned Qaris

The Quran was revealed in Arabic, which is one of the ancient languages of the known history of the World. It is eloquent but sometimes becomes difficult to pronounce, especially for non-Arabic speakers. The Arabic language is so vast that just with a slight change in pronunciation, a word may lead to an entirely different meaning. Hence, correct pronunciation matters a lot in this language.

When it comes to the Quran, which comprises the words of Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ directly revealed to the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ, precisely correct pronunciation becomes critically sensitive. Hence, it is extremely important to recite every word of the Quran exactly in the same way as was taught by the Prophet to his companions because wrong pronunciation of a word may entirely change what the Quran intends to convey. Even Arabic-speaking persons may often find it difficult to recite the Quran correctly. The problem gets even worse for non-Arabic-speaking people. The best way to learn the correct recitation of the Quran is to listen to the recitation by an authentic reciter (Qari). Apart from that, sometimes we may also like to listen to the Quran, instead of reading it on our own.  

The MuslimandQuran mobile app facilitates you to listen to the recitation of the Quran. The recitation of the Quran by many of the renowned and authentic Qaris is available on our website and mobile application, which you can listen to on your mobile devices or laptops quite easily, whenever you may like. You can select a Qari of your preference to listen to and learn the correct recitation of the Quran. You only need to download the MuslimandQuran mobile application to listen to any Surah of the Quran, including Surah Ash-Shams.

You can download our mobile app for both Android and iOS by clicking the links given below:

• Mobile Application for iOS
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Surah Ash-Shams PDF

The MuslimandQuran mobile app provides the ability to read the Quran online. But if you are interested in reading it offline, you can also download any Surah of the Quran, including Surah Ash-Shams, as a PDF.

You can download Surah Ash-Shams in PDF by following these simple steps:

• Press Ctrl + P on your keyboard.
• In the Destination dropdown menu, choose Save as PDF.
• Click Save to download Ash-Shams to your device.

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