Sura Yasin
36
Introduction of Surah
Ya-Sin is the 36th sura of the Qur’an, which derives its name from the two letters of the Arabic alphabet, ‘Ya’’ and ‘Sin’, in the 1st verse. The sura belongs to the Meccan period and comprises 83 verses, 729 words, 3,000 letters, and 5 segments. It is the 41st sura in chronological order, revealed after Sura al-Jinn. This sura is often recited at times of distress, for those approaching death, and at the graves of loved ones. The chapter contains a parable of a village to which delegates are sent, following a description of some of the signs of God’s power, and it speaks of the Last Day along with the joys of Paradise for the righteous and the Hellfire for the disbelievers. The central teachings of this sura include the attributes of God Almighty, Prophethood, Resurrection and the Hereafter. It also denotes the wonders of the natural world, including God Almighty’s signs on the earth, the night and the day, the sun and the moon, as well as a mentioning of Allah Almighty’s mercy upon Prophet Nuh (Noah [peace be upon him]) when he travelled with his fully loaded Ark.
Furthermore, the chapter addresses the various objections raised by the disbelievers, and later speaks of the desperate end of disbelievers and the pleasant fate of believers. The sura reminds the Arab polytheists of the fate of the earlier disbelieving communities for following Satan and denying the Day of Resurrection. It further admonishes them for discrediting the Holy Qur’an, disbelieving the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and considering him a poet. The chapter also describes many elements of God’s power, from the creation of the heavens and the earth to creating fire from green trees. These all act as a testament to Almighty Allah being All-Capable of resurrecting everyone on the Day of Judgement. This sura concludes with an affirmation of God’s Omnipotence, declaring that the dominion of the whole world is in God Al-mighty’s hand, and whenever He wills something to be, it happens only by His single command, His divine intention. As for the merits and virtues of the sura, Imam Ahmad narrates in al-Musnad on the authority of Ma‘qil b. Yasar (may God be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said: ‘The Ya-Sin is the heart of the Qur’an; whoever recites it seeking Allah and the Hereafter, is forgiven. You should all recite it over your dead.’ Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah also report the same. al-Tirmidhi, al-Darimi and al-Bayhaqi narrate on the authority of Anas (may God be pleased with him), who said: ‘The Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qur’an is [Sura] Ya-Sin. Whoever recites Ya-Sin, Allah will record for him the recitation of the [entire] Qur’an tenfold.’ al-Darimi narrates in al-Sunan from Abu Hurayra (may God be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘Whoever recites [Sura] Ya-Sin at night seeking the good pleasure of Allah, is forgiven in that night. And Abu Ya‘la narrates in his al-Musnad on the authority of al-Hasan who said: “I heard Abu Hurayra (may God be pleased with him) saying, ‘The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘Whoever recites [Sura] Ya-Sin at night will awake in the morning forgiven.’ al-Tayalisi and Ibn Kathir also support this tradition.
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In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the All-Merciful
36:1. Ya-Sin.
يس
(Yasin, 36 : 1)
36:2. By the Wise Qur’an,
والقرآن الحكيم
(Yasin, 36 : 2)
36:4. upon the straight path.
على صراط مستقيم
(Yasin, 36 : 4)
36:40. It is not allowable for the sun that it should (deviate from its orbit and) overtake the moon, nor can the night precede the day. And all of them (i.e. the stars and the planets) are moving in their respective orbits.
لا الشمس ينبغي لها أن تدرك القمر ولا الليل سابق النهار وكل في فلك يسبحون
(Yasin, 36 : 40)
36:47. And when they are told: ‘Spend out of what Allah has provided you,’ the disbelievers say to the believers: ‘Shall we feed (someone) whom Allah would have fed if He had wanted?’ You are just in clear error.
وإذا قيل لهم أنفقوا مما رزقكم الله قال الذين كفروا للذين آمنوا أنطعم من لو يشاء الله أطعمه إن أنتم إلا في ضلال مبين
(Yasin, 36 : 47)
36:77. Does human being not see that We created him from a fertilised egg (i.e. zygote*)? And even then, he is an open disputant?
* In Arabic, the word ‘al-nutfa’ is mentioned, and it refers to a zygote, which is a mixture of male and female gametes. It is the new single cell formed after the union of a sperm and ovum.
