Sūrat Yāsīn

Sūrah No. 36. Revealed in Makkah, 83 verses.

Merits of reciting the Sūrah

This Sūrah is one of the most important of Quranic Sūrahs and many Hadith talk about it.

– Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Quran is Yāsīn. – Holy Prophet a

– Whoever recites Yasin during the day before nightfall he will be from those who are protected and provided for until nighttime, and whoever recites it at night before sleeping a thousand angels are commissioned to protect him from every Shaytan and every affliction – Imam Ja‘far al-Sādiq (a).

Note: Quranic Scholars say that this Sūrah has many thought-provoking points that bring about God consciousness, a sense of responsibility and an enhancement of faith. This is translated into action and has the effects mentioned in hadith.

General synopsis of contents

1) Sending of the Holy Prophet a as a warner and the response of the people (vv. 3-11)

2) Story of the three people who invited towards the belief in One God (vv. 13-28)

3) Signs of Allah on the earth (vv. 33-44, 71-73, 77-83)

4) Discussion on death, the Day of Judgment, and the Hereafter (vv. 48-65)

Selected Lessons

1) The rejecters of faith are blind to the truth and have created a barrier between themselves and the message of God.

2) There have always been people who struggled to spread the mission of God.

3) Human beings are not appreciative of the favours of Allah around them. They don’t see them as signs of a caring Creator.

4) Diseases in the heart include mocking the truth, false logic, and obstinacy.

5) The rewards in Heaven include the spiritual – peace and greeting from the Lord.

6) The human being overlooks the origins of his creation when he challenges belief in resurrection.

Suggested verses for reflection and memorization.

1) 36:11 – You can only warn someone who follows the Reminder and fears the All-beneficent in secret; so give him the good news of forgiveness and a noble reward.

2) 36:60-61 – Did I not exhort you, O children of Adam, saying, “Do not worship Satan. He is indeed your manifest enemy. Worship Me. That is a straight path”?

Activities for self-study

What does this Sūrah tell us about:

a) the struggles to deliver and uphold the truth?

b) the attitude of arrogant human beings?

c) the obvious signs of the Creator?

d) the reasoning of the believer?