Sūrah Yā-Sīn

Overview

Sūrah Yā-Sīn is a Makkan sūrah with 83 āyāt. The name of the sūrah comes from its first āyah; in fact, the first two letters: yā and sīn. This sūrah is among the best known of those that open with these enigmatic, disjointed letters.

The sūrah begins with an entrancingly beautiful exposition about the Qur’an and the man upon whom it was revealed, the Messenger ﷺ. It is a warning to a people who forgot the way of their forefather Ibrāhīm, and the Seal of Prophets ﷺ has come to remind them of what they forgot—a severe punishment awaits those who pridefully turn away from the reminder.

A unique narrative follows: a parable of a township which received three messengers, to no avail. That is other than a single, brave, sincere caller. He followed the way of truth and earnestly urged his people to follow suite, only to be shunned in the worst of ways. Having been martyred at their hands, this pure soul laments his people’s state—if only they knew how good God has been to him in the Afterlife, then perhaps they would submit to the Divine! Alas, those who deny have seals on their hearts by virtue of their haughtiness and are enslaved to their lowly desires. And that was that; no more messengers came to them thereafter, they became history in a most damning way, and the sunnah of Allah remains ever enduring.

The discussion shifts to reminders of the cosmic marvels Allah decorated the creation with. The food that we eat, the water that we drink, and the intricate harmony and equilibrium He brought about through pairs—these are spectacular signs of the Giver of Gifts. Likewise the moon and its cycle and the Sun and its orbit—all are “swimming” in their own, appointed courses. Allah brings back the discourse to how all these powerful portents relate to mankind. He carried our ancestors—and still continues to carry us—upon the tumultuous, uncertain waters of the oceans. As well as being an allusion to the Flood narrative, the latter is a reminder of how our deeds have direct, consequential, cosmic repercussions. This idea is further accentuated when Allah cites the stinginess of the deniers and how a harrowing day awaits them. They will exclaim, “Woe unto us! Who resurrected us from our slumber? This is what the Merciful promised, and the messengers spoke the truth!” As for the inhabitants of Paradise, it will be declared to them, “Peace! A saying from a mercifying Lord.”

In the verses that follow, Allah reminds us of the covenant He took from us: that we do not worship the devil, our sworn enemy, and instead worship Him—that is the straight path. Those who fall prey to Satan’s ploys will meet the same end as him—the Fire of Hell, and what a terrible abode! On the day when we are taken into account, there will be no room for excuses. The inanimate will be made animate, and all will bear witness before the Almighty.

In the concluding passages of the sūrah, Allah reminds us of two immense favours that often come together in the Qur’an: our sustenance and our origin. The former is from livestock and all the benefits that we enjoy from them, and the latter is the measly fluid whence our biology initiates. How can we possibly think ourselves self-sufficient after that? How ridiculous is our acting high and mighty when we are so utterly needy for His favours? Just as He created us, and just as He sustains us, He will resurrect us, and to Him is our return.

Context

There are no confirmed, authentic reports regarding the exact occasion of Sūrah Yā-Sīn’s revelation. With regards to the parable of bones that come to life at the end of the sūrah, it is reported that Ubayy ibn Khalaf came to the Prophet ﷺ with decayed bones and threw it before him, mockingly asking, “You think Allah will give life to something like this?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Yes, and He will resurrect you and throw you into the Fire.” Allah says: “He set up an argument about Us and forgot his creation. He said, ‘Who will give life to the bones when they are decayed?’ Say, ‘He who created them in the first place will give them life again: He has full knowledge of every creation.’” (36:78-79)

Themes

• The Messenger ﷺ as a paragon of honesty and virtue.
• The Hereafter generally, and the Rising in particular (see note on ṣayḥah in Unique Features).
• The humiliation of the arrogant on the Last Day.
• God’s marvels in creation as blessings unto mankind, signs of His majesty, and reasons to submit adoringly to Him.

Unique Features

• Due to the wording of the opening passage, ‘Yā-Sīn’ is believed by some scholars to be a title of the Messenger ﷺ.
• Sūrāh Yā-Sīn is prophetically dubbed as the Heart of the Qur’an (see Virtues).
• The story of ‘the man who came from the furthermost part of the city’, calling to God’s way until martyrdom, is only mentioned in this sūrah.
• There is a rather fitting and visually captivating palindrome in Sūrah Yā-Sīn with regards to celestial orbits (see Lessons for more on this): ﴾كُلٌّ في فَلَكٍ﴿ ك ل ف ي ف ل ك
• A unique imagery is employed in the sūrah with regards to the moon’s phase: al-ʿurjūn al-qadīm. The old date stalk—a shrivelled palm leaf—appears curved, fine, and pale like a crescent moon.
• Despite its relatively short length, Sūrah Yā-Sīn features the most appearances of the word ṣayḥah (literally: shout) of any sūrah, referring to the blowing of the Horn at the end of times.

Lessons

1. Never fret over worldly fame; what matters is who you are to Allah. The hero of this sūrah is described to us as just a rajul—some man (36:20). Yet, what an honourable stand he took, and what a tremendous reward he received. Many a person remains unknown on earth, yet is intimately known in heaven!
2. If ever you feel like hardships in the path of Allah are unbearable, remind yourself that, as bad as they may seem, they are merely a blip in the grand scheme. With the Hero of Yā-Sīn, Allah be pleased with him, his martyrdom is not even mentioned in the sūrah, only his earnest call and his after-worldly bliss. That moment of material suffering is literally nothing in comparison to the spiritual serenity which characterises the steadfast—not even worthy of mention. (36:20-27)
3. Only in recent scientific history did astronomers assert that the Sun—like the Earth, Moon, and other celestial bodies—has an orbit. This was expressed in the Qur’an almost a millennium and a half ago, with orthography and poetic language that describes the phenomenon in a way only its creator can describe it in. (36:40)

Virtues and Valuable Information

• It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Verily, for everything there is a heart, and the heart of the Qur’an is Yā-Sīn.”
• It is also reported that he ﷺ said: “Recite Yā-Sīn over your deceased.”