Sūrah No. 89. Revealed in Makkah, 30 verses. This sūrah is known as the sūrah of Husayn bin Ali (a). This could be because the Imam is a true manifestation of the soul at rest mentioned in verse 27. The connection of the Sūrah with the Imam is also mentioned in hadith (see below).
Sūrat al-Fajr
Merits of reciting the Sūrah
Imam Ja‘far al-Sādiq (a) has said: Recite Sūrah al-Fajr in your obligatory and recommended prayers for it is the Sūrah of Husayn bin Ali (a), and whoever recites it will be with Husayn bin Ali (a) on the Day of Judgment.
Note: The companionship of the Imam (a) on the Day of Judgment will be for those who have passed their trial in this world through absorbing the message of the sūra.
General synopsis of contents
1) Oaths on the truth of the message in the Sūrah (vv. 1-5)
2) Mention of peoples in the past who rejected and rebelled against God (vv. 6-13)
3) Different trials for the human being (vv. 14-16)
4) Deeds that take the human being away from Allah (vv. 17-20)
5) Reward and punishment in the Hereafter (vv. 21-30)
Selected Lessons
1) History has many stories of people who thought they were very powerful, but they were destroyed due to their actions.
2) Both ease and difficulty in life are tests from Allah.
3) Love of wealth and miserliness is one of the main reasons for turning away from Allah.
4) The Nafs al-Mutmainnah is the highest stage that a believer can reach.
Suggested verses for reflection and memorization.
1) 89:14 – Most surely your Lord is watching.
2) 89:23 – That Day man will remember, but what good to him will be the remembrance?
3) 89:24 – He will say, ‘Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life’.
4) 89:27-30 – O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], And enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise.
Activities for self-study
Tests for the human being.
a) Human beings are tested in many ways in the world. Read verses 15 and 16 of the sūrah. Why is the response different although each is a test?
b) Check the following verses for different tests in this world; 2:155, 8:28, 64:15.
c) What should the response to tests be? Check verses 2:153, 2:156, 2:250.