Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Makkan surah asserts Allah’s boundless mercy and sole divinity, proving the certainty of the Resurrection through the creation of man and the cosmos. Its primary purpose is to shame the disbelievers by listing Allah’s countless blessings and challenging them, along with the Jinn, to deny the truth of their Creator and inevitable Reckoning.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan according to most Companions and Followers, though some stated it was revealed in Madinah after the Treaty of al-Ḥudaybiyyah.

Context: The surah was revealed when the polytheists were actively denying Allah's name al-Raḥmān (as mentioned in 25:60). It was revealed early enough that Asmā’ bint Abī Bakr heard it in Makkah before the command for public preaching was fully established.

Chronology: According to Ibn ʿĀshūr, it is likely the 43rd surah in order of revelation (after Sūrat al-Furqān, before Fāṭir), though the famous count by al-Jaʿbarī assumes it is a Madinan surah and places it as the 93rd to be revealed.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: "Sūrat al-Raḥmān" (The Lord of Mercy), being the only surah that opens with one of Allah’s names. It is described also as "ʿArūs al-Quran" (The Bride of the Quran), based on a ḥadīth of the Prophet (ﷺ).

Unique Feature: The phrase “Then which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?” is repeated 31 times.

Ayah Count: 77 ayahs (Madīnah/Makkah) or 78 (Shām/Kūfah).

Surah Overview:

• Divine Instruction: Establishing that Allah the Lord of Mercy is the one who taught the Quran and created humanity. [2] 
• Monotheism and Creation: Proving Allah’s sole divinity by citing proofs from creation, the cosmos (Sun, Moon, Stars), and the natural order. [5-13]
• Justice and Accountability: Establishing the need for justice and proving the certainty of the Resurrection and Judgment. [17-27]
• Dual Creation: Addressing the Jinn and humankind together, highlighting the blessings given to both species. [14-16, 31-36]
• The Final Landscape: Detailing the terrors awaiting the guilty on Judgment Day and the specific joys and descriptions of the two Gardens awaiting the pious. [35-77]
• Concluding with the glorification and praise of Allah, the Lord of Majesty and Honor. [78]