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. 

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.