Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Makkan surah affirms that humanity was created in the best of forms, endowed with a pure natural disposition. Its purpose is to prove the necessity of divine recompense by citing the perfection of creation and by reminding people that their descent into corruption is reversible through faith and righteous deeds, which leads to an eternal, unfailing reward.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan according to the majority.

Context: The surah was revealed early in the Prophet’s mission to establish the principle of fiṭrah that the essence of Islam is aligned with the original, beautiful nature of humanity and to refute the polytheists' claims of human weakness and lack of accountability.

Chronology: It is counted as the 28th surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Burūj and before Quraysh.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known as "Sūrat al-Tīn" (The Fig) and sometimes "Sūrat wa-al-Tīn" (By the Fig) due to the opening oath, often taken to allude to the land of Jesus (pbuh) and the Prophets.

Ayah Count: 8 ayahs.

Surah Overview:

• The Oaths: Using oaths sworn by sacred sites to affirm the truth of the message. [1-3]
• Creation and Fiṭrah: Affirming the blessing of creating humanity in the best of forms and that Islam aligns with this perfect nature. [3-4]
• The Descent: Explaining that humanity's descent to the lowest of the low is due to their own corruption of the natural disposition. [5]
• Unfailing Reward: Affirming the unfailing reward for those who believe and perform righteous deeds. [6]
• Concluding with a profound question regarding the certainty of the Day of Judgment, thus affirming Allah as the most just of judges. [7-8]