Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Madinan surah asserts Allah’s sovereignty and proves the certainty of the Resurrection through universal glorification. Its core purpose is to define the principles of spiritual loss and gain (al-taghābun), warning believers against the corrosive influence of their disbelieving spouses and children, and commanding them to prioritize faith, piety, and spending over family and wealth.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed to address the social dilemma faced by believers who wished to make migration but were obstructed by their own spouses and children in Makkah. It was revealed to clarify that this opposition was a trial.

Chronology: It is counted as the 107th surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Jumuʿah and before al-Ṣaff.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah's established name is "Sūrat al-Taghābun" (The Mutual Loss/Gain). It is named for the unique description of the Day of Judgment in ayah 9: the believers’ eternal gain is contrasted with the disbelievers’ eternal loss.

Virtue: A weak ḥadīth indicates that its opening section is protection for whoever recites it.

Ayah Count: 18 ayahs by consensus.

Surah Overview:

• Asserting that all beings in the heavens and the earth glorify Allah, who is the sole King and Creator. [1-3]
• Warning deniers by pointing to the historical destruction of past nations who rejected the Messengers. [5]
• Affirming that Allah knows all things, whether manifest or hidden, and that nothing occurs except by His wisdom. [4, 11-12]
• Refuting the disbelievers’ denial of the Resurrection and threatening them with the inevitable consequence of their actions. [7, 10]
• Warning believers against the spiritual danger of their own spouses and children, who may hinder them from faith and migration. [14]
• Commanding believers to fear Allah, listen, obey, and spend from their wealth, as all wealth and children are a trial. [16-17]
• Consoling the believers regarding their wealth that was confiscated by the disbelievers. [15]
• Concluding with a reminder that Allah is the ultimate Protector and the final point of return. [13, 18]