Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Makkan surah is primarily dedicated to proving the certainty of the Resurrection and Judgment. It achieves this by contrasting the historical arrogance and destruction of Pharaoh with the certainty of the cosmic upheaval. The surah affirms Allah’s power to recreate life and warns the Prophet (ﷺ) to focus on his role as a warner of the Hour.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed to counter the polytheists' disbelief and mockery of the Resurrection, which they deemed impossible due to the body’s disintegration. The revelation uses the destruction of Pharaoh – a king who claimed divinity – as the ultimate proof of Allah’s power to punish.

Chronology: It is counted as the 81st surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Naba’ and before al-Infiṭār.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known mainly as "Sūrat al-Nāziʿāt" or “wa-al-Nāziʿāt" (The Pluckers/Extractors), for its opening oath. It has also been called "Sūrat al-Mudabbirāt" (The Disposers) [5], "Sūrat al-Sāhirah" (The Surface/Wakefulness) [14], and "Sūrat al-Ṭāmmah" (The Overwhelming Calamity) [34].

Ayah Count: 45 ayahs (Majority) or 46 (Kūfan).

Surah Overview:

• Affirming the certainty of the Resurrection and warning of its terrifying arrival. [1-14]
• Historical Warning: Using the life and destruction of Pharaoh as a direct parable of how arrogance and rejection of the Messenger lead to eternal punishment. [15-26]
• Proving the possibility of the second creation by demonstrating that the creation of the cosmos is infinitely greater than the recreation of humankind. [27-33]
• Describing the overwhelming Judgment and the differing fates of the pious and the transgressors. [34-41]
• Addressing the polytheists’ mockery of the Hour and clarifying that the Prophet’s (ﷺ) duty is only to warn, not to specify the time of its coming. [42-45]
• Establishing that Allah's governance over the universe is complete and that the only true path is obedience. [46]