What is Islam

AL RAHMAN (The Most Gracious).

1 (Allah) Most Gracious!
2 It is He Who has taught the Quran.
3 He has created man:
4 He has taught him speech (and Intelligence).
5 The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed;
6 And the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration.
7 And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice),
8 In order that ye may not transgress (due) balance.
9 So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance.
10 It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures:
11 Therein is fruit and date palms, producing spathes (enclosing dates);
12 Also corn, with (its) leaves and stalk for fodder, and sweet smelling plants.
13 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
14 He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery,
15 And He created Jinns from fire free of smoke:
16 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
17 (He is) Lord of the two Easts and Lord of the two Wests:
18 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
19 He has let free the two bodies of flowing water, meeting together:
20 Between them is a Barrier which they do not transgress:
21 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
22 Out of them come Pearls and Coral:
23 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
24 And His are the Ships sailing smoothly through the seas, lofty as mountains:
25 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
26 All that is on earth will perish:
27 But will abide (forever) the Face of thy Lord, Full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.
28 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
29 Of Him seeks (its need) every creature in the heavens and on earth: every day in (new) Splendour doth He (shine)!
30 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
31 Soon shall We settle your affairs, O both ye worlds!
32 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
33 O ye assembly of Jinns and men! If it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, pass ye! Not without authority shall ye be able to pass!
34 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
35 On you will be sent (O ye evil ones twain!) A flame of fire (to burn) and a smoke (to choke): no defense will ye have:
36 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
37 When the sky is rent asunder, and it becomes red like ointment:
38 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
39 On that Day no question will be asked of man or Jinn as to his sin,
40 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
41 (For) the sinners will be known by their Marks: and they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet.
42 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
43 This is the Hell which the Sinners deny:
44 In its midst and in the midst of boiling hot water will they wander round!
45 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
46 But for such as fear the time when they will stand before (the Judgment Seat of) their Lord, there will be two Gardens
47 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
48 Containing all kinds (of trees and delights);
49 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
50 In them (each) will be two Springs flowing (free);
51 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
52 In them will be Fruits of every kind, two and two.
53 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
54 They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the Fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach).
55 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
56 In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;
57 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
58 Like unto rubies and coral.
59 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
60 Is there any Reward for Good other than Good?
61 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
62 And besides these two, there are two other Gardens,
63 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
64 Dark green in colour (from plentiful watering).
65 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
66 In them (each) will be two Springs pouring forth water in continuous abundance:
67 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
68 In them will be Fruits, and dates and pomegranates:
69 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
70 In them will be Fair (Companions), good beautiful;
71 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
72 Companions restrained (as to their glances), in (goodly) pavilions;
73 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
74 Whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;
75 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
76 Reclining on green Cushions and rich Carpets of beauty.
77 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
78 Blessed be the name of thy Lord, Full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.

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Explination of the Surah

Name This Surah is entitled Ar Rahman, the word with which it begins. This title, however, deeply relates to the subject matter of the Surah too, for in it, from the beginning to the end, the manifestations and fruits of Allah's attribute of mercy and grace have been mentioned. Period of Revelation The commentators generally hold the view that this is a Makki Surah, though according to some traditions which have been cited on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, Ikrimah and Qatadah, it was revealed at Madinah. But, firstly, there are also some other traditions from these very authorities, which contradict this view; secondly, its subject matter bears a closer resemblance with the Makki Surahs than with the Madani Surahs; rather it appears to belong to the very early Makkah period. However, there are several authentic traditions which testify that it had been revealed in Makkah itself many years before the hijra. Musnad Ahmad contains a tradition from Hadarat Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr (may Allah bless them both), to the effect: "I saw the Messenger of Allah offering his Prayers in the sacred precincts of the Ka'bah facing the corner in which the "Black Stone" is fixed. This relates to the time when the Divine Command, fasda bi-ma tumar ("So, proclaim publicly, O Prophet, what you are being commanded") had not yet been revealed. The polytheists at that time were hearing the words, Fa-biayyi alaa'i Rabbi kuma tukadhdhi ban, being recited by him in the Prayer. " This shows than this Surah had been sent down even before Surah Al-Hijr. Al-Bazzar, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Al-Mundhir, Daraqutni (in Al Afrad), Ibn Marduyah and Ibn Al Khatib (in At-Tarikh) have related, on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar, that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Aliah be upon him) recited Surah Ar-Rahman himself, or heard it recited before him : then he said to the people: How is it that I am not hearing from you the kind of good answer that the jinn had given to their Lord? When the people asked what it was he replied: "As I recited the Divine Words, Fa bi-ayyi alaa'i Rabbi-kuma tukadhdhiban, the jinn in response would repeat the words La bi shai'in min ni'mati Rabbi-na nukadhdhib: "We do not deny any of our Lord's blessings. " A similar theme has been related by Tirmidhi, Haakim and Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar from Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah. Their tradition contains these words: "When the people kept silent on hearing the Surah Ar-Rahman, the Holy Prophet said 'I recited this very Surah before the jinn in the night when they had gathered together to hear the Qur'an. They responded to it better than you have. As I recited the Divine Words, Fa bi ayyi alaa'i Rabbikuma tukadhdhiban ("O jinn and men, which blessings of your Lord will you deny? ") they would respond to it, saying: O our Lord, do not deny any of your blessings Praise is for You alone'! " This tradition indicates that on the occasion of the incident that bas been related in Surah Al Ahqaf (vv. 29 - 32) of the jinn's hearing the Qur'an from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) he was reciting Surah Ar Rahman in the Prayer. This happened in the 10th year of the Prophethood when the Holy Prophet had halted at Makkah on his way back from Ta'if. Although in some other traditions it has been reported that the Holy Prophet did not know then that the jinn were hearing him recite the Qur'an, but afterwards Allah had informed him of this, it is not unreasonable to suppose that just as Allah had informed him of the jinn's hearing the Qur'an so also Allah Himself might have told him as to what answer they were giving on hearing Surah Ar Rahman. These traditions only indicate that Surah Ar Rahman had been revealed even before Surahs Al-Hijr and Al-Ahqaf. Besides, we come across another tradition which shows that it is one of those Surahs which were the earliest Revelations at Makkah. Ibn Ishaq has related this on the authority of Hadrat Urwah bin Zubair: The Companions one day said to one another: "The Quraish have never heard any one recite the Qur'an publicly to them, and who would read out the Divine Word aloud to them Hadrat Abdullah bin Masud said that he would. The Companions expressed the apprehension that he might be subjected to a harsh treatment and said that it should better be done by a person of a powerful family, who would protect him if the Quraish tried to subject him to violence. Hadrat Abdullah said: 'Let me alone : my Protector is Allah. ' So early next morning he went to the Ka'bah while the Quraish chiefs were sitting in their respective conferences. Hadrat Abdullah arrived at the Maqam (station of Abraham) and began to recite Surah Ar-Rahman raising his voice as he did so. The Quraish first tried for a while to understand what he was saying. Then, when they realized that it was the Word that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was representing as the Word of God, they fell upon him and began to hit him in the face. But Hadrat Abdullah was not deterred : he continued to receive the slaps and to read the Qur'an as long as he could, At last, when he returned with a swollen face, the Companions said that they apprehended the same. He replied: 'God's enemies were never so light for me as they were today. If you say I'll recite the Qur'an to them again tomorrow. ' They all said, 'No, you have done enough; you have made them listen to what they didn't want to bear. '" (Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 336). Theme and Subject Matter This is the only Surah of the Qur'an in which besides men the jinn also, who are the other creation of the earth endowed with freedom of will and action, have been directly addressed, and both men and jinn have been made to realize the wonders of Allah's power, His countless blessings, their own helplessness and accountability before Him, and have been warned of the evil consequences of His disobedience and made aware of the best results of His obedience. Although at several other places in the Qur'an there are clear pointers to show that like the men the jinn too are a creation who have been endowed with freedom of will and action and are accountable, who have been granted the freedom of belief and unbelief, of obedience and disobedience, and among them too there are the believers and the unbelievers, the obedient and the rebellious, as among human beings, and among them too there exist such groups as have believed in the Prophets sent by God and in the Divine Books, this Surah clearly points out that the message of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Qur'an is meant both for men and for jinn and that his Prophethood is not restricted to human beings alone. Although in the beginning of the Surah the address is directed only to human beings, for to them only belongs the vicegerency" of the earth, among them only have the Messengers of Allah been raised, and in their tongues only have the Divine Books been revealed, yet from verse 13 onward both the men and the jinn have been addressed and one and the same invitation has been extended to both.