Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Meccan surah affirms the certainty of the Resurrection and Judgment. Its primary purpose is to refute the false assumption that worldly wealth or poverty is a sign of divine honor or degradation. It achieves this by citing the historical destruction of powerful nations and concludes with a vivid depiction of the Day of Judgment and the eternal bliss of the satisfied soul.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Meccan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed during the early Meccan period to counter the polytheists' arrogance and their social philosophy that wealth signified divine approval, while poverty signified divine disgrace.

Chronology: It is counted as the tenth surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Layl and before al-Ḍuḥā.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known as "Sūrat al-Fajr" (The Dawn), and sometimes as "Sūrat al-Fajr wa-layālin ʿashr" (The Dawn and Ten Nights), due to its opening.

Ayah Count: 32 ayahs (Madinah/Makkah) or 30/29 (Kūfah/Baṣrah).

Surah Overview:

• Historical Warning: Citing the destruction of ʿĀd, Thamūd, and Pharaoh as a powerful precedent for the punishment awaiting the Makkans. Consoling the Prophet (ﷺ) and promising the eventual defeat of his enemies. [6-14]
• Refuting False Honor: Invalidating the belief that Allah honors a person through wealth and disgraces them through poverty. Condemning the polytheists for failing to give charity, neglecting the orphan, and not feeding the poor. [15-20]
• Repentance: Warning the deniers that on that day, no amount of wealth or belated repentance will be accepted. [24-26]
• The Final Reward: Describing the welcoming of the satisfied soul into the Garden of Paradise. [27-30]