Ta-Ha (طه)

Surah Ta-Ha was revealed in Makkah before the hijrah of the Prophet (ﷺ) to Medina. It is the 20th surah in the Quran, has a total of 135 verses, 8 Rukus, and can be found in juz 16. Surah Ta-Ha was sent down after a long break of almost 6 months when the Prophet (ﷺ) was anxiously waiting for a revelation. Surah Taha was revealed when the Prophet (ﷺ) faced backlash from the disbelievers. They mocked and slandered our beloved Prophet (ﷺ). For almost six months, there was no revelation by Allah to His Prophet (ﷺ). This made Prophet (ﷺ) worried and sad as he was eagerly waiting for Allah to send down His message. After six months of no revelation, Allah revealed this surah to comfort the Prophet (ﷺ) and to assure him that Allah is with him and will never leave him alone. 

In Surah Ta-Ha, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) assured the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) that he did not withhold the Quran to cause the Prophet distress. Instead, the temporary discontinuation in the divine revelation was to admonish those who fear Allah. In this surah, Allah recounted the life of Prophet Musa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) and all the struggles he faced in the path of Allah and was granted victory over the Pharoah. Allah assured His beloved last Messenger (ﷺ) that He would support him in the same way, overcoming all the challenges and hardships, and will surely grant him success over the enemies. 

Themes and Subject Matter of Surah Ta-Ha (طه)

Surah Ta-Ha was revealed before the migration period when Muslims were fewer and used to pray in a confined place. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) begins the surah beautifully by comforting Muhammad (ﷺ), saying, “We have not sent down the Quran to you that you should be burdened, but as admonition for him who fears…”

A great part of the surah is dedicated to the story of Hazrat Musa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ), the miracles Allah granted him to defeat the Pharoah and spread the words of Allah. Allah says to His Prophet (ﷺ), “Has the story of Moses come to you?” and explains how Musa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) saw a fire when he was with his family, he made them stay and moved towards the fire alone which was actually from Allah. 

Upon reaching there, Musa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) had a conversation with his Lord and was granted Prophethood. This surah goes in depth about all the struggles faced by Musa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) as he became a Prophet and how he faced much more than all the other Prophets. All these struggles and hardships were closely related to the life of the Prophet (ﷺ), and it was discussed in the surah to comfort and assure Rasool Allah (ﷺ) how challenges come in the life of Prophets and how Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) makes His Prophets succeed against His enemies. 

By the end of Surah, Allah mentions the Day of Qiyamah and the story of Adam (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) and Hawwa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ). Allah tells how Iblis persuaded them over materialistic things and will continue to do so to the next generations until the Hour arrives. The surah was revealed to assure His Prophet (ﷺ) that the message of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is ultimate and will succeed. Allah has always helped His Prophets and given them success over others who stood against them, and he will also do the same with Muhammad (ﷺ). His (ﷺ) job is to spread the words of Allah, and it is only Allah alone who can grant people Hidayah. 

Allah says in Surah Qasas:

“You cannot guide anyone you like: God guides whosoever He please. He knows best who will come to guidance.” (Quran 28:56)

Virtues and Benefits of Surah Ta-Ha (طه)

Surah Ta-Ha was revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ) when he (ﷺ) was facing hardships to spread the words of Allah. It was a time when the Mushriks of Makkah were creating trouble for the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Sahaba to spread Islam, torturing them with verbal and even physical abuse. It is one of the early Surahs revealed to Prophet (ﷺ). It is narrated by Abdullah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ):

“The Surahs of Bani Israel, Al-Kahf, Mariyam, Taha and Al-Anbiya are amongst my first earnings and my old property, and (in fact) they are my old property.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari 4994, Book 66, Hadith 16)

Revelation of Surah Ta-Ha gave Rasool Allah (ﷺ) the strength to stand firm in his path, as Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) assured His Prophet (ﷺ), He will never leave him alone. Allah states the points that whoever is patient, trusts Allah, and submits to Allah will always be victorious. In a Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), Rasool Allah (ﷺ) said:

“A thousand years before creating the heavens and the earth, God recited Ta-Ha and Ya-Sin, and when the angels heard the recitation, they said, ‘Happy are people to whom this comes down, happy are the minds which carry this, and happy are the tongues which utter this.” (Mishkat al-Misbah 2148, Book 8, Hadith 39)

The beautiful and heart-changing words of Surah Ta-Ha led Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to choose the path of Allah even after hating Islam since the beginning. When Muslims were being abused in Makkah, Hazrat Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was among the people who stood against the religion and Prophet (ﷺ). The hate was so great that once he set out with a sword towards the Prophet (ﷺ), but on his way, he met a friend who said: Why don’t you take care of your family first and set them right? The man was referring to Umar’s sister and brother-in-law, who recently converted to Islam but kept it hidden from Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). 

When Umar entered his sister’s house and attacked her, she insisted he listen to the Quran and see why they accepted the religion of peace. She recited the beautiful verses of Surah Ta-Ha from the beginning, which led Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to weep. He straight away went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and embraced Islam. According to Khabbab (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), it was only a day earlier that Prophet (ﷺ) prayer Allah to strengthen Islam with either Umar or Abu Jahl and Allah answered his prayers by filling the heart of Umar with eternal love for Islam and beloved Prophet (ﷺ).