Sura al-Hijr

al-Hijr is the 15th sura of the Qur’an, which means the ‘The Rocky Valley’ and belongs to the Meccan period. It comprises 99 verses, 654 words, 2,760 letters, and six segments. It is the 54th sura in chronological order, revealed after Sura Yusuf. The sura derives its name from verse 80, which refers to the ‘People of The Rocky Valley’ (Ashab al-Hijr). This rocky region is said to be inhabited by the people of Thamud, the community to which Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) was sent. This valley is located in western Arabia between Hejaz and Syria. The sura seeks to console the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) regarding the insulting and mocking behaviour of the Meccan polytheists, reminding him that this rebellious attitude of the disbelievers has been typical among the period of all Messengers (peace be upon them).

The sura also describes the refusal of Iblis to bow before Prophet Adam (peace be upon him), despite God’s command. Therefore, Iblis is described as ‘stoned’ or ‘cursed’ (rajim) in verse 34. It is further men-tioned that Iblis appealed to God for respite till the Day of Resurrection, which he was granted. After that, Iblis declared his resolve and scheme to tempt and mislead everyone except the chosen ones. The sura also recounts the stories of the Prophets Ibrahim, Lut, Shu‘ayb (peace be upon them) and the inhabitants of the Rocky Valley, to whom Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) was raised. The sura concludes by urging the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) to keep glorifying the Praise of his Lord and worshipping Him till the arrival of inevitable time.