Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Makkan surah is primarily dedicated to proving the certainty of the Resurrection and Judgment against the arrogant Makkan deniers. It achieves this by challenging them with profound oaths based on cosmic forces, providing physical evidence from creation, and using the destruction of past nations (like Sodom and the people of Pharaoh) as historical proof of Allah’s promised judgment.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan by unanimous agreement.

Context: The surah was revealed during the Makkan period to counter the polytheists’ fundamental denial and mocking of the Day of Resurrection and the prophethood of Muḥammad (ﷺ).

Chronology: It is counted as the 66th surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Aḥqāf and before al-Ghāshiyah.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known as "Sūrat al-Dhāriyāt" or "Wa-l-Dhāriyāt" due to its opening oath by al-dhāriyāt (the scatterers/winnowing winds) [1].

Ayah Count: 60 ayahs by unanimous agreement.

Surah Overview:

• Affirming the certainty of the Resurrection and Recompense. [5-6]
• Refuting the Deniers: Invalidating the claims of those who deny the Hereafter and the Prophet’s mission, exposing them as speaking without certainty. [8-11]
• The Promise: Warning the deniers of an impending punishment, while promising the believers eternal bliss. [12-14, 15-19]
• Praising the Pious: Detailing the virtues of the believers (spending wealth, praying little sleep, seeking forgiveness at dawn) that earned them reward. [16-19]
• Proving Allah’s Power: Using the creation of the vast heavens and earth, and the miraculous creation of humankind as evidence that resurrection is simple compared to initial creation. [20-23, 47-49, 56-57]
• Historical Warning: Warning the contemporary deniers by recounting the historical destruction of past nations (the people of Lūṭ, Thamūd, Pharaoh’s forces). [24-46]
• Conclusion: Command to the Prophet (ﷺ) to continue reminding his people (as a source of remembrance for the believer) and declare his innocence of their denial. [55-58]