سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّٰهِ
Holy Qur'an
Al-Qur'an
Kids Qur'an
1. Al-Fatiha
2. Al-Baqara
3. Aal-Imran
4. An-Nisaa'
5. Al-Ma'ida
6. Al-An'am
7. Al-A'raf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Tawba
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Ar-Ra'd
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. An-Nahl
17. Al-Israa
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Sad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Ghafir
41. Fussilat
42. Ash-Shura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiya
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Qaf
51. Az-Zariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Ar-Rahman
56. Al-Waqia
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadilah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumu'ah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. At-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Ma'arij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddaththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Al-Insan
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abasa
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. Al-Mutaffifin
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Ash-Sharh
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayinah
99. Az-Zalzalah
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. Al-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Quraish
107. Al-Ma'un
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Masad
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
This Surah was revealed during the early stage of the Prophet's residence at Makkah.
This is the only Surah of the Qur'an in which, besides men, the jinn are directly addressed. In this Surah both men and jinn are taught to realize the wonders of Allah's power, His countless blessings, their own helplessness and accountability before Him. They are warned of the evil consequences of being disobedient to Him and made aware of the best results of His obedience.
Although at several other places in the Qur'an there are clear pointers that the jinn are a creation, who like men, are endowed with freedom of will and action and are therefore, accountable; who have been granted the freedom of belief and unbelief and of obedience and disobedience. Also among them are believers and unbelievers, the obedient and the rebellious, just as there are among human beings. Also among them exists such groups as have believed in the Prophets sent by God and in the Divine Books. This Surah clearly points out that the message of the Prophet (pbuh) and the Qur'an is meant both for men and for jinn. His Prophethood is not restricted to human beings alone. The beginning of the Surah addresses human beings. But from verse 13 onward both men and jinn are addressed, and one and the same invitation is extended to both.
This Surah is entitled Ar Rahman, the word with which it begins. This title, however, deeply relates to the subject matter of the Surah too, for in it, from the beginning to the end, the manifestations and fruits of Allah's attribute of mercy and grace have been mentioned.
The commentators generally hold the view that this is a Makki Surah, though according to some traditions which have been cited on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, Ikrimah and Qatadah, it was revealed at Madinah. But, firstly, there are also some other traditions from these very authorities, which contradict this view; secondly, its subject matter bears a closer resemblance with the Makki Surahs than with the Madani Surahs; rather it appears to belong to the very early Makkah period. However, there are several authentic traditions which testify that it had been revealed in Makkah itself many years before the hijra.
Musnad Ahmad contains a tradition from Hadrat Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr (may Allah bless them both), to the effect: "I saw the Messenger of Allah offering his Prayers in the sacred precincts of the Ka'bah facing the corner in which the "Black Stone" is fixed. This relates to the time when the Divine Command, fasda bi-ma tumar ("So, proclaim publicly, O Prophet, what you are being commanded") had not yet been revealed. The polytheists at that time were hearing the words, Fa-biayyi alaa'i Rabbi kuma tukadhdhi ban, being recited by him in the Prayer." This shows than this Surah had been sent down even before Surah Al-Hijr.
Al-Bazzar, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Al-Mundhir, Daraqutni (in Al Afrad), Ibn Marduyah and Ibn Al Khatib (in At- Tarikh) have related, on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar, that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited Surah Ar-Rahman himself, or heard it recited before him: then he said to the people: How is it that I am not hearing from you the kind of good answer that the jinn had given to their Lord? When the people asked what it was he replied: "As I recited the Divine Words, Fa bi-ayyi alaa'i Rabbi-kuma tukadhdhiban, the jinn in response would repeat the words La bi shai'in min ni'mati Rabbi-na nukadhdhib: 'We do not deny any of our Lord's blessings'."
A similar theme has been related by Tirmidhi, Hakim and Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar from Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah. Their tradition contains these words: "When the people kept silent on hearing the Surah Ar-Rahman, the Holy Prophet said, 'I recited this very Surah before the jinn in the night when they had gathered together to hear the Quran. They responded to it better than you have. As I recited the Divine Words, Fa bi ayyi alaa'i Rabbikuma tukadhdhiban ("O jinn and men, which blessings of your Lord will you deny?") they would respond to it, saying: "O our Lord, do not deny any of your blessings Praise is for You alone" '!"
This tradition indicates that on the occasion of the incident that bas been related in Surah Al Ahqaf (vv. 29- 32) of the jinn's hearing the Quran from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); he was reciting Surah Ar Rahman in the Prayer. This happened in the 10th year of the Prophethood when the Holy Prophet had halted at Makkah on his way back from Ta'if. Although in some other traditions it has been reported that the Holy Prophet did not know then that the jinn were hearing him recite the Quran, but afterwards Allah had informed him of this, it is not unreasonable to suppose that just as Allah had informed him of the jinn's hearing the Quran so also Allah Himself might have told him as to what answer they were giving on hearing Surah Ar Rahman.
These traditions only indicate that Surah Ar Rahman had been revealed even before Surahs Al-Hijr and Al-Ahqaf. Besides, we come across another tradition which shows that it is one of those Surahs which were the earliest Revelations at Makkah. Ibn Ishaq has related this on the authority of Hadrat Urwah bin Zubair: The Companions one day said to one another: "The Quraish have never heard any one recite the Quran publicly to them, and who would read out the Divine Word aloud to them? Hadrat Abdullah bin Masud said that he would. The Companions expressed the apprehension that he might be subjected to a harsh treatment and said that it should better be done by a person of a powerful family, who would protect him if the Quraish tried to subject him to violence. Hadrat Abdullah said: 'Let me alone: my Protector is Allah.' So early next morning he went to the Ka'bah while the Quraish chiefs were sitting in their respective conferences. Hadrat Abdullah arrived at the Maqam (station of Abraham) and began to recite Surah Ar-Rahman raising his voice as he did so. The Quraish first tried for a while to understand what he was saying. Then, when they realized that it was the Word that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was representing as the Word of God, they fell upon him and began to hit him in the face. But Hadrat Abdullah was not deterred: he continued to receive the slaps and to read the Quran as long as he could. At last, when he returned with a swollen face, the Companions said that they apprehended the same. He replied: 'God's enemies were never so light for me as they were today. If you say I'll recite the Quran to them again tomorrow.' They all said, 'No, you have done enough; you have made them listen to what they didn't want to hear.'" (Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 336).
This is the only Surah of the Quran in which besides men the jinn also, who are the other creation of the earth endowed with freedom of will and action, have been directly addressed, and both men and jinn have been made to realize the wonders of Allah's power, His countless blessings, their own helplessness and accountability before Him, and have been warned of the evil consequences of His disobedience and made aware of the best results of His obedience. Although at several other places in the Quran there are clear pointers to show that like the men the jinn too are a creation who have been endowed with freedom of will and action and are accountable, who have been granted the freedom of belief and unbelief, of obedience and disobedience, and among them too there are the believers and the unbelievers, the obedient and the rebellious, as among human beings, and among them too there exist such groups as have believed in the Prophets sent by God and in the Divine Books, this Surah clearly points out that the message of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Quran is meant both for men and for jinn and that his Prophethood is not restricted to human beings alone.
Although in the beginning of the Surah the address is directed only to human beings, for to them only belongs the vicegerency of the earth, among them only have the Messengers of Allah been raised, and in their tongues only have the Divine Books been revealed, yet from verse 13 onward both the men and the jinn have been addressed and one and the same invitation has been extended to both.
1 to 14 - It is Allah Who created man, taught the Quran and taught him how to convey his feelings and thoughts
15 to 25 - Allah is the Rabb of the easts and wests and put the laws to regulate oceans, its products and ships
26 to 32 - All that exist will perish except Allah, Who is busy in heavy tasks all the time
33 to 45 - No one can run away from the jurisdiction of Allah and Sinners will be punished in hell
46 to 55 - Righteous will be rewarded in paradise with lush gardens, springs, fruits, bashful virgins and much more