Ayet:
109
Vahiy Yeri:
Mekke
Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur
Themes and purpose:
This powerful Makkan surah is a direct challenge to the deniers of the Quran, arguing for its divine origin and the prophethood of Muḥammad via the challenge of inimitability. It establishes the pillars of Monotheism and the Resurrection, using the stories of Noah and Moses as warnings, while highlighting the saving power of faith through the unique example of Jonah's people.
Context of Revelation:
Era: Makkan according to Ibn ʿAbbās and most authorities. Some scholars held that it was Madinan or that parts of it were revealed in Madinah. Ibn ʿĀshūr argues that these claims rest on a mistaken assumption that verses involving debate with People of the Book must be Madinan; he shows that the verses in question are primarily directed against the Quraysh.
Time: It has been counted as the 51st surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Isrā’ and before Hūd. It was likely revealed around the eleventh year of Prophethood (late Makkan period). Context: Verse 21 may be read as an allusion to the seven-year famine of Quraysh, and their renewed scheming once relief came. By this point the Prophet (ﷺ) had already been calling the people of Makkah for years, and their stubbornness had hardened. Within this setting, the long accounts of Nuh and Musa serve as warnings to Quraysh and a consolation to the Prophet ﷺ, while the unique story of Yunus’s people hints that there is always hope for a people on the brink of destruction to be spared by collective repentance, foreshadowing the way the people of Makkah would eventually be forgiven at the Conquest.
Name and Ayah Count:
Name: "Sūrat Yūnus". It is the only surah that mentions the unique story of the people of Yunus, who believed after their messenger warned them of punishment and were consequently saved [98]. The name also serves to distinguish it from its fellow surahs that begin with Alif-Lām-Rā.
Ayah Count: 109 (Majority) or 110 (Shām).
Surah Overview: