NAME: الصافات, As-Saffat.
Name taken from Verse 1 where there is a mention of the word “As-Saffat”.
١ وَالصَّافَّاتِ صَفًّا
1 By those [angels] lined up in rows
But It does not mean that this name is the actual topic discussed in the whole Surah. It is just a reference and mark/symbol to distinguish this Surah from others as is with most other Surahs of Quran. While there are diversified topics discussed in these Surahs.
ENGLISH NAME: Those arranged in Ranks.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 37
SURAH SAFFAT TOTAL VERSES: 182
SURAH SAFFAT TOTAL WORDS: 865
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 535
TOTAL LETTERS: 3,899
REVELATION PERIOD:
Meccan, Approx. 619 – 620 AD.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, Angels, Satan/Devil, Disbelievers, Chosen Slaves, Hurs/Hoors, People In Hell and In Paradise, Tree Of Zaqqum, Prophet Nuh, Prophet Ibrahim, Idols, Ibrahim’s Son, Isaac, Moses, Aron, Ilyas/Elijah, Baal, ill Yasin/Elias, Lut, Jonah/Yunus, Fish.
SURAH SAFFAT MAIN TOPICS:
Disbelievers Denial Here In This World And Their Situation In Hashr/Last Day, Scene Of Paradise & Hell, Zaqqum Tree, Ibrahim Story, Idol Breaking, Fire and His Trial of Sacrificing His Son, Jonah/Yunus Story Runaway In A Ship, Swallowed By Fish, Prediction Of Victory For Every Messenger.
SURAH SAFFAT KEY VERSES:
٨٣ وَإِنَّ مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ لَإِبْرَاهِيمَ
83 And indeed, among his kind was Abraham,
٨٤ إِذْ جَاءَ رَبَّهُ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
84 When he came to his Lord with a sound heart
٨٨ فَنَظَرَ نَظْرَةً فِي النُّجُومِ
88 And he cast a look at the stars
٨٩ فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَقِيمٌ
89 And said, “Indeed, I am [about to be] ill.”
٩٧ قَالُوا ابْنُوا لَهُ بُنْيَانًا فَأَلْقُوهُ فِي الْجَحِيمِ
97 They said, “Construct for him a furnace and throw him into the burning fire.”
١٠٢ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَىٰ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ
102 And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, “O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think.” He said, “O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast.”
١٧١ وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ
171 And Our word has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers,
١٧٢ إِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْمَنْصُورُونَ
172 [That] indeed, they would be those given victory
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1-10(Swear By Those Lined Up In Rows, God Has Adorned The Nearest Heaven With An Adornment Of Stars, And Made It Safe From Devils), 12-39(Disbelievers Denial Here In This World And Their Situation In Hashr/Last Day, Dialogue Between Followers And Leaders And Those They Worship, All Will Blame Each other) 40-49(Last Day Punishment Except For The Chosen Slaves Of Allah, In Pleasure And Paradise, And With Them Will Be Spouses With Large Beautiful Eyes), 51,54-55(They Can See Each other Even Can See People In Hell And Speak To Them, Dialogues Between Them), 62-70( Is Paradise A Better Accommodation Or The Tree Of Zaqqum?), 75-81(Prophet Nuh), 83-84(Prophet Ibrahim, Came To Us With Pure Heart ), 88-89(Ibrahim Cast A Look At The Stars And Said That I Am Sick), 91-96(Ibrahim Start Breaking The Idols), 97-98(Ibrahim Put To Fire That Was Made In A Furnace), 102-107 (Ibrahim Given Tiding Of A Son, Ibrahim Test To Sacrifice His Son, He Put Him Down Upon His Forehead), 113-114(Prophet Isaac, Moses, Aron), 124-130(Prophet Ilyas/Elijah, Baal, Il Yasin), 133-138(Prophet Lut), 140-148(Prophet Jonah/Yunus, Runaway In A Ship, Passengers Drew Lot And Yunus Became The Looser, Swallowed By Fish, Threw Him Onto The Open Shore, We Caused To Grow Over Him A Gourd Vine, +God Sent Yunus To 100 Thousand Plus People), 164-166(Angels Say There Is None Among Us Any Except That He Has A Known Position And Rank, ), 171-173(Prediction Of Victory For Every Messenger)
SURAH SAFFAT BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACK GROUND:
This Surah has 182 verses divided into 5 Rukus/Sections. The Surah revealed in Mecca almost at the same time period as that of Surah Yaseen i.e in later years of Muhammad’s stay in Mecca before migration to Madina. The Surah speaks about the teachings of various messengers of God and that all of them preached the same divine message. It gives warnings to the deniers that their plots against the Message of God will not work and that the truth will predominate.
The story of Abraham and his son was told that how Abraham became ready to sacrifice his only son just on a vision he saw and the submission of his son to his father’s order and God’s command. It tells the real motive of Islam that how you should submit to God and ready for any sacrifice in the way of God.
The Prophet of God PBUH said: For one who recites Surah Saffat, God gives him 10 rewards equal to the no. of all Jinns and Devils and keeps away from him the evil of Devils and protects him from disbelief and his 2 guarding angels will witness for him on the Judgment Day that he had faith in the messengers.
