Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Makkan surah is the theological core known as the "Heart of the Quran". Its main purpose is to establish the truth of Muḥammad's (ﷺ) mission, the divine authority of the Quran, and the reality of the Resurrection. It achieves this by presenting proofs from the cosmos and history, contrasting the eventual victory of the righteous with the comprehensive destruction that befell past nations who rejected their messengers.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan.

Context: The surah was revealed to console the Prophet (ﷺ) during the severe early persecution and to warn the polytheists that their rejection would lead to the same fate as previous generations.

Chronology: It is counted as the 41st surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Jinn and before al-Furqān.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: "Sūrat Yā-Sīn," named after the two letters that open the surah. It is also known as "Sūrat al-Qalb" (The Heart of the Quran), based on a ḥadīth of the Prophet (ﷺ). Another name that has been used is "Sūrat Ḥabīb al-Najjār", in reference to the man who came running from the farthest part of the city [20].

Virtue: The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded, "Recite Yā-Sīn upon your deceased" (i.e. those about to die), and a ḥadīth states that whoever reads it, Allah will write for him the reward of reading the entire Quran ten times.

Ayah Count: 82 ayahs (Majority) or 83 (Kūfan).

Surah Overview:

• Prophethood: Affirming the truth of the Prophet Muḥammad's (ﷺ) mission and the divine origin of the Quran. [1-7]
• Refutation: Describing the state of most disbelievers who reject the message and comparing them to those who lack guidance. [6, 10]
• The Parable of the City: Detailing the story of the people of a certain city and their rejection of the messengers, and the example of the man who believed. [13-30]
• Cosmic Proofs: Presenting signs from the universe as proofs of the Resurrection. [33-47]
• The Warning: Describing the terrifying arrival of the Hour, the blast of the trumpet, and the separation of the believers and disbelievers. [48-67]
• Satan’s Enmity: Proving the fundamental enmity of the devil toward humankind. [60-62]
• Creation and Recreation: Using the ease of the initial creation of man as proof of the ease of Resurrection. [77-80]
• Concluding with a final affirmation of monotheism and the absolute sovereignty of Allah. [81-83]