Ya-Sin

Surah 36 of the Quran

يٰسٓ‎ Yā`Sīn Yāʾ Sīn
Qira'ahⓘ English text
Classification	Meccan
Position	Juzʼ 22 to 23
No. of verses	83
No. of Rukus	5
No. of words	730
No. of letters	2988

Double-page with illuminated frames marking the start of Chapter Ya-Sin in a Malay Qur'an manuscript from Patani. Despite the special significance of surah Ya-sin in lives of all Muslims, "this is the only Southeast Asian Qur'an manuscript known in which the beginning of Surat Yasin is marked with illuminated frames". 2nd half of the 19th century. British Library

Yā Sīn (also pronounced as Yaseen; Arabic: يٰسٓ, yāsīn; the letters 'Yā'' and 'Sīn') is the 36th chapter of the Quran. It has 83 verses (āyāt). It is regarded an earlier "Meccan surah". Some scholars maintain that verse 12 is from the Medinan period. While the surah begins in Juz' 22, most of it is in Juz' 23.

The surah begins with the eponymous (muqatta'at) Arabic letters: يس (yā sīn). The meaning of the letters yā sīn, while being primarily unknown, is debated amongst Muslim religious academics. One of the interpretations is "O human being!" referring to Prophet Muhammad since the verses that follow are translated as "By the Qur'an, full of Wisdom, Thou art indeed one of the messengers". Tafsir al-Jalalayn, a Sunni beginners exegesis (tafsir), concludes, "Allah knows best what He means by these [letters]."

The surah focuses on establishing the Qur'an as a divine source, and it warns of the fate of those who mock Allah's revelations and are stubborn. The surah tells of the punishments that plagued past generations of nonbelievers as a warning to present and future generations. Additionally, the surah reiterates Allah's sovereignty as exemplified by his creations through signs from nature.

The surah ends with arguments in favor of the existence of resurrection and Allah's sovereign power.

Reason for Revelation

The reasons for revelation in Sūrat Yā Sīn are specific to certain verses within it, as it was not revealed all at once. The following presents some reasons for revelation related to its verses:

His saying, Exalted is He: {Indeed, it is We who give life to the dead and record what they have sent ahead and their traces, and all things We have enumerated in a clear register}, was revealed concerning Banū Salimah, whose dwellings were on the outskirts of al-Madīnah. It is reported from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī: “Banū Salimah intended to leave their homes to settle closer to the Prophet. The Messenger of Allah disliked that al-Madīnah be left vacant and said: ‘Do you not reckon your footprints?’” Allah said in the Quran: {And he presents for Us an example and forgets his own creation. He says, ‘Who will revive the bones when they are decayed?’}, and the reason for the revelation of verses 77–83, is narrated from Ibn Abbās, who said: “Al-ʿĀṣs ibn Wāʾil came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with a decayed bone, crumbled it, and said: ‘O Muḥammad, will Allah revive this after it has turned to dust?’ He replied: ‘Yes, Allah will resurrect this, cause you to die, then revive you, and then admit you to the Fire of Hell.’” Ibn ʿAbbās also reported that the one who said this was Ubayy ibn Khalaf, as recorded by Ibn Marduwayh.

Objectives and Themes of Sūrat Yā Sīn

1. Affirmation of the divine message of Islam revealed to Prophet Muḥammad and its establishment as a universal message for all people, to save them from the torment of an imminent Day.
2. Strengthening the Prophet’s heart and consoling him by reminding that Allah is his support, as the disbelievers denied His power to recreate them after their annihilation, failing to realize that the return to Him is inevitable.
3. Establishment of the core principles of faith: monotheism, the truth of prophethood, revelation, divine decree, resurrection, recompense, acknowledgment of Allah’s omniscience, and gratitude to the Benefactor.
4. A challenge to the polytheists and deniers regarding the inimitability of the Qur’an and its disjointed letters, and their incapacity to produce anything like it, as it is the word of Allah, revealed to His Prophet ﷺ, pure from poetic fabrications and imperfections.
5. Reminder of Allah’s countless blessings upon creation, which necessitate gratitude and obedience, serving as conclusive evidence of His Lordship and Oneness.
6. An invitation to follow the callers to righteousness, avoid denying Allah’s messengers or ridiculing them, and to shun polytheism, whose end is reckoning and punishment.
7. Clarification of the foundations of obedience to Allah through faith and righteous action, emphasizing the certainty of accountability and recompense.
8. Presentation of examples from previous peoples: those who followed the messengers and those who turned away, showing the reward and punishment of each group.
9. Demonstration that Satan is a declared enemy to mankind.
10. Affirmation of prophethood as the essence of existence and confirmation of Muḥammad’s message through the oath: “Indeed, you are among the messengers, upon a straight path. [This is] a revelation of the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.” (Yā Sīn 3–5).
11. Illustration of resurrection in various forms, cutting off every argument of the deniers and affirming its reality for all who reflect. This emerges as a central theme of the surah, presenting the destinies after resurrection: the people of Paradise rejoicing with their spouses in shade upon couches, and the polytheists driven into Hellfire: “This is Hell which you were promised. Enter to burn therein today for what you used to deny.” (Yā Sīn 63–64), their mouths sealed.
12. Classification of the warned into two types: those beyond hope of guidance and those striving for success, with the deeds of both groups recorded and their traces preserved.
13. Presentation of rational and natural evidence for resurrection.
14. Clarification of Allah’s power, Oneness, knowledge, and encompassing mercy.
15. The recompense of the ungrateful: their swift punishment and regret upon witnessing the chastisement.

Connection of Sūrat Yā Sīn to What Precedes It

Sūrat Yā Sīn is connected to the preceding chapters, forming a thematic and structural complementarity with Sūrat Fāṭir and Sūrat Saba. Sūrat Sabaʾ addresses the general and comprehensive form of a believer’s commitment to divine obligation, founded on gratitude to Allah. Sūrat Fāṭir then elaborates on the method and starting point upon which this obligation rests. Sūrat Yā Sīn extends this inclusiveness by clarifying the foundational principle that should guide the believer in receiving the Prophet’s ﷺ call—namely, reverence for Allah, worship of Him alone, and adherence to the Qur’an. Thus, the three chapters present a sequence and complementarity, articulating the objective, its initiation, and the path leading to its fulfillment.

Themes Addressed in Sūrat Yā Sīn

1. Affirmation of the Qur’an and Prophet Muḥammad’s ﷺ mission to all people as a messenger and prophet.
2. Discussion of resurrection, the revival of the dead, and their eventual gathering for recompense.
3. The story of the people of the town who received the messengers, referenced in: “And present to them an example: the people of the city, when the messengers came to it.” (Yā Sīn: 13).
4. Establishing the foundations of faith in Allah, exalted is He.
5. Declaring that none but Allah possesses the power to benefit or harm.
6. Affirmation of the inevitability of punishment for the deniers, both in this world and in the hereafter.
7. Drawing attention to Allah’s signs, blessings, magnificent creation, and omnipotence.
8. Emphasis on the importance of spending in the way of Allah and warning against miserliness and greed.
9. Description of the reward of the people of Paradise, enjoying eternal bliss with their spouses in their dwellings.
10. Reminder of Allah’s greatness and power, underscoring that when He wills a matter, His command is simply: “Be,” and it is.

Derived Benefits from Sūrat Yā Sīn

Allah the Exalted says: “It was said, ‘Enter Paradise.’ He said, ‘Would that my people knew (26) of how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honored (27).’”When he was admitted to Paradise, he said: “Would that my people knew of how my Lord has forgiven me”—meaning for my Lord’s pardon to me, granting His favor in the Hereafter after His earlier favor in the world by guiding me to faith during a brief period following a long life spent in disbelief—“and placed me among the honored”, that is, among those given the highest ranks. Thus, he advised his people both in life and after death, wishing that they might act as he had so they could attain what he attained.

Basis for Derivation

Emulation of the righteous and taking heed from those who have preceded is evident in the story of the believer of Āl Yāsīn. Scholars have extracted from these verses, by necessary implication, several benefits, including:

1. Encouragement to leave the company of evildoers and to follow the righteous, as this believer did. He strove for the truth he carried, came forth to urge the people to follow the messengers, despite their extreme obstinacy and threats, saying: “They said, ‘We consider you a bad omen. If you do not desist, we will surely stone you, and a painful punishment from us will surely afflict you.’” (Yā Sīn: 18) In the face of such threats, he still declared the truth and invited them to faith.
2. Lessons in restraining anger, forbearance, and not seeking revenge against the ignorant. This believer was not distracted by his admission to Paradise from concern for his people’s state. Instead, he wished they might learn of his Lord’s pardon and honor, so they could appreciate the virtue of faith and believe. He felt compassion for them, hoping they might act as he did and attain what he found. He did not wish for their destruction or gloat over them. His self-restraint and concern for his people in both life and death led Allah to fulfill his wish by conveying his words and making his story known to his people.
3. Compassion for those who have fallen among the ranks of the wicked and the oppressors, striving to save them gently and to redeem them rather than rejoicing over their misfortune or praying against them. Observe how he wished good even for his killers and for those who plotted against him, though they were idolaters and enemies of Allah’s messengers.
4. Recognition that no one enters Paradise except by Allah’s mercy, even if they excel in good deeds. As Allah reports of him: “of how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honored”, attributing all merit to Allah alone. Despite his immense effort, striving, and sincere counsel, he acknowledged that entrance to Paradise is solely by Allah’s grace.
5. Steadfastness in calling to guidance and truth, regardless of opposition from tyrants and corrupters, even to the point of suffering humiliation, torture, or death. This was the path of the prophets and messengers, and of those who follow their way sincerely until the Day of Judgment.

Summary

• 1–3 God swears that Muhammad is a prophet
• 4–5 The Quran is given to warn the Makkans
• 6–9 The greater part of the people of Makkah reprobate
• 10–11 Muhammad's preaching only profitable to secret believers
• 12 The dead shall be raised; all their deeds are registered
• 13–14 Two, then three, apostles were sent to a village, though their names are not mentioned
• 15–18 They are rejected as impostors and threatened with stoning
• 19 The apostles warn the people impending divine judgments
• 20–26 A certain believer is put to death by the infidels
• 27–28 The persecutors are suddenly destroyed
• 29 Men generally reject God's messengers
• 30 The lessons of the past are forgotten
• 31–33 The doctrine of the resurrection asserted and illustrated
• 34–44 God's power and goodness manifested by his works
• 45–46 Unbelievers unmoved by either fear or the signs of the Quran
• 47–48 They scoff at almsgiving and the resurrection
• 49–53 The resurrection trumpet and the judgment-day shall surprise the unbelievers
• 54 God's judgment shall be according to works
• 55–65 The rewards of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked
• 66–68 God deals with the wicked as he pleases
• 69–70 Muhammad not a poet; the Quran is the word of God
• 71–73 God manifest in his works of benevolence
• 74–75 Idolaters will find their trust in idols vain
• 76 The Prophet is not to grieve at the hard speeches of the idolaters; God knows all
• 77–81 The Creator of all things able to raise the dead to life
• 82 God says Be, and it is
• 83 Praise be to the Sovereign Creator and raiser of the dead

Heart of the Quran

17th century Indian talisman with the text of the sura in micro-calligraphed, Khalili Collection of Islamic Art

It has been proposed that yā sīn is the "heart of the Quran". The meaning of "the heart" has been the basis of much scholarly discussion. The eloquence of this surah is traditionally regarded as representative of the miraculous nature of the Qur'an. It presents the essential themes of the Qur'an, such as the sovereignty of Allah, the unlimited power of Allah as exemplified by his creations, Paradise, the ultimate punishment of nonbelievers, resurrection, the struggle of believers against polytheists and nonbelievers, and the reassurance that the believers are on the right path, among others. Yā Sīn presents the message of the Qur'an in an efficient and powerful manner, with its quick and rhythmic verses. This surah asserts that Muhammad was not a poet, rather he was the greatest and the Last Messenger of Allah (the "Seal of the Prophets").

Virtues

It is reported in Sunan al-Darimi that Prophet Muhammad said, "Whoever recites Yā-Sīn in the early morning, his needs for that day will be fulfilled." Although it is graded as weak (da'if), a similar suspended (mawquf) narration from Ibn Abbas states, "Whoever recites Yā-Sīn in the morning, there will be ease for him until the evening, and whoever recites Yā-Sīn at night, there will be ease for him until the morning." It has been graded as either authentic (sahih) or good (hasan).

Sections and themes

See also: People of Ya-Sin

There are three main themes of yā-sīn: the oneness of God (tawhid); Risala, that Muhammad is a messenger sent by God to guide his creations through divine revelation; and the reality of Akhirah, the Last Judgment. 36:70 "This is a revelation, an illuminating Qur'an to warn anyone who is truly alive, so that God's verdict may be passed against the disbelievers." The surah repeatedly warns of the consequences of not believing in the legitimacy or the revelation of Muhammad, and encourages believers to remain steadfast and resist the mockery, oppression, and ridicule they receive from polytheists and nonbelievers. The arguments arise in three forms: a historical parable, a reflection on the order in the universe, and lastly a discussion of resurrection and human accountability.

The chapter begins with an affirmation of the legitimacy of Muhammad. For example, verses 2–6, "By the wise Qur'an, you [Muhammad] are truly one of the messengers sent of a straight path, with a revelation from the Almighty, the Lord of Mercy, to warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, and so they are unaware." The first passage, verses 1–12, focuses primarily with promoting the Qur'an as guidance and establishing that it is God's sovereign choice who will believe and who will not. It is stated that regardless of a warning, the nonbelievers cannot be swayed to believe. 36:10 "It is all the same to them whether you warn them or not: they will not believe."

Surah Yā-Sīn then proceeds to tell the tale of the messengers that were sent to warn nonbelievers, but who were rejected. Although the messengers proclaimed to be legitimate, they were accused of being ordinary men by the nonbelievers. 36:15–,17 "They said, 'Truly, we are messengers to you,' but they answered, 'You are only men like ourselves. The Lord of Mercy has sent nothing; you are just lying." However, a man from amongst these people beseeched them to believe in the messengers. "Then there came running, from the farthest part of the City, a man, saying, 'O my people! Obey the messengers: Obey those who ask no reward of you (for themselves), and who have themselves received Guidance.'"^{[Quran 36:20]} Upon his death, the man entered Paradise, and lamented the fate of the nonbelievers. 36:26 "He was told, 'Enter the Garden,' so he said, 'If only my people knew how my Lord has forgiven me and set me among the highly honored." This surah is meant to warn the nonbelievers of the consequences of their denial. Verse 36:30 goes on to state: "Alas for human beings! Whenever a messenger comes to them they ridicule him." Ultimately, it is God's will who will be blind and who will see.

The following passage addresses the signs of God's supremacy over nature. This is presented by the sign of revived land, the sign of day and night, the sign of the arc and the flood, and the sign of the sudden blast that arrives on the day of judgement. 36:33–37 The sign of revived land follows:

There is a sign for them in this lifeless earth: We give it life and We produce grains from it for them to eat; We have put gardens of date palms and grapes in the earth, and We have made water gush out of it so that they could eat its fruit. It is not their own hands that made all this. How can they not give thanks? Glory be to Him who created all the pairs of things that the earth produces, as well as themselves and other things they do not know about.

The disbelievers do not recognize God's power in the natural world, although he is the one Creator.

The surah further addresses what will happen to those who reject the right path presented by Muhammad and refuse to believe in God. On the last day, the day of reckoning, the nonbelievers will be held accountable for their actions and will be punished accordingly. God warned the nonbelievers of Satan, and yet Satan led them astray. 36:60–63 "Children of Adam, did I not command you not to serve Satan, for he was your sworn enemy, but to serve Me? This is the straight path. He has led great numbers of you astray. Did you not use your reason? So this is the fire that you were warned against." Although God warned them against following Satan, the nonbelievers were deaf, and so now they will suffer the consequences of their ill judgements. 36:63 "So this is the Fire that you were warned against. Enter it today, because you went on ignoring [my commands]."

The surah proceeds to address the clear nature of the revelation and assure that Muhammad is a legitimate prophet. 36:69 states, "We have not taught the Prophet poetry, nor could he ever have been a poet." Yā-Sīn concludes by reaffirming God's sovereignty and absolute power. 36:82_83 "When He wills something to be, His way is to say, 'Be'—and it is! So glory be to Him in whose Hand lies control over all things. It is to Him that you will all be brought back." It is to God, the one Creator who holds everything in his hands, that everything returns. The closing passage carries an essential message of the Qur'an.

External links

• Works related to The Holy Qur'an (Maulana Muhammad Ali)/36. Ya Sin at Wikisource