NAME: الرحمن, Ar-Rahman.
Name taken from Verse 1 where there is a mention of God’s Name ” Ar-Rahman”. Name applied to whole Surah as in it the Blessings of God on Jinn and mankind are discussed.
١ الرَّحْمَٰنُ
1 The Most Merciful
ENGLISH NAME: The Compassionate.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 55
SURAH RAHMAN TOTAL VERSES: 78
SURAH RAHMAN TOTAL WORDS: 352
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 179
TOTAL LETTERS: 1,647
REVELATION PERIOD:
Medinan. Some say revealed in Mecca. Supporting traditions for both opinions.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, Man, Jinn.
SURAH RAHMAN MAIN TOPICS:
Which Of The Favors Of Your Lord Will You Deny, God Created Man, His Eloquence, Heavens, Balance And All In Justice, Man Created From Clay, Jinns From Fire, Two Sea Side By Side With An Invisible Barrier, God Created For You All in this world and Then Many Blessings for Paradise.
SURAH RAHMAN KEY VERSES:
١٤ خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ كَالْفَخَّارِ
14 He created man from clay like [that of] pottery.
١٥ وَخَلَقَ الْجَانَّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ
15 And He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire.
١٩ مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ
19 He released the two seas, meeting [side by side];
٢٠ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ
20 Between them is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses.
٣٣ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَنْ تَنْفُذُوا مِنْ أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَانْفُذُوا ۚ لَا تَنْفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَانٍ
33 O company of jinn and mankind, if you are able to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass. You will not pass except by authority [from Allah].
٥٦ فِيهِنَّ قَاصِرَاتُ الطَّرْفِ لَمْ يَطْمِثْهُنَّ إِنْسٌ قَبْلَهُمْ وَلَا جَانٌّ
56 In them are women limiting [their] glances, untouched before them by man or jinni –
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1-13(God Taught Quran, Created Man And His Eloquence, Created Heavens In Balance And All In Justice, Which Of The Favors Of Your Lord Will You Deny), 14-16(Man Created From Clay, Jinns From Fire), 19-25(God Created Two Sea Side By Side With An Invisible Barrier That They Cannot Transgress), 26-30(Everyone In The Universe Will Perish, All Creation Ask God For Every Matter), 33-36(O Assembly Of Jinn&Man You Cannot Escape God), 37-45(Description Of Last Day, Criminals And Hell), 46-59(Description Of Paradise: Two Gardens For Righteous, Two Springs, Spouces Untouched By Jinn Or Man, Two More Gardens), 78(Blessed Is The Name Of Your Lord, Owner Of Majesty And Honor)
SURAH RAHMAN BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACK GROUND:
This Surah has 78 verses divided into 3 Rukus/Sections. It takes its name from verse 1: الرَّحْمَٰن ُ. The Most Gracious Merciful, which is an attribute and name of God. This name is not only a title but also the topic of the Surah where the blessings of God’s mercy upon Jinn and humankind are mentioned and discussed. Its revelation period is not certain, and some traditions state it as a Meccan while others a Madni Surah. On the authority of Abdullah bin Abbas, Ikrimah and Qatadah there are some traditions that say that this Surah revealed in Madina, but most commentators think it as a Meccan surah. Also, the subject of this Surah looks like that it is Meccans Surah.
This Surah is often considered and regarded as the ‘beauty of the Quran’ also based on a hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Masud that Prophet Muhammad PBUH said, “Everything has an adornment, and the adornment of the Quran is Surah Rahman.”
Tirmidhi recorded that Jabir said, “The Prophet of God PBUH went to his Companions and recited Surat Rahman from beginning till, but they did not say anything. The Prophet said,
لَقَدْ قَرَأْتُهَا عَلَى الْجِنِّ لَيْلَةَ الْجِنِّ فَكَانُوا أَحْسَنَ مَرْدُودًا مِنْكُمْ، كُنْتُ كُلَّمَا أَتَيْتُ عَلَى قَوْلِهِ فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ قَالُوا: لَا بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ نِعَمِكَ رَبَّنَا نُكَذِّبُ فَلَكَ الْحَمْد
(On the night of the Jinns I recited it to the Jinns, and their response was better than yours! Whenever I recited God’s statement: So “which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny” (They said, “None of Your favors do we deny, our Lord! All praise is due to you.”)
