Sura al-Shams

al-Shams is the 91st sura of the Qur’an, which means ‘The Sun’, and takes its name from the 1st verse. It belongs to the Meccan period and comprises 15 verses, 54 words, 240 letters, and 1 segment. It is the 26th sura in chronological order, revealed after Sura al-Qadr. The sura begins with a series of oaths and moves on to state that people have the free will to either purify or corrupt their souls. Those who choose purity will be successful, and those who choose corruption will be destroyed like the people of Thamud. The sura concludes by briefly mentioning the account of Prophet Salih (peace be upon him). He sent to his people as a warning, but they were disobedient and hamstrung a she-camel, sent as a sign of God Almighty, and because of their defiance, they endured a terrible end.