QURAN SUMMARY: AZ ZUMAR

Surah Zumar Background And Summary of Main Topics.

Surah Zumar Statistics: Total Number of Verses, Revelation Period, Main Characters, Theme And Key Verses.

NAME: الزمر, Az-Zumar.

Name taken from Verse 71 and 73 where there is a mention of the word “Az-Zumar”.

٧١  وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْكُمْ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِ رَبِّكُمْ وَيُنْذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَٰذَا ۚ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ
71  And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups until, when they reach it, its gates are opened and its keepers will say, “Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?” They will say, “Yes, but the word of punishment has come into effect upon the disbelievers.

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: Throng, The Crowd..

CHAPTER NUMBER: 39

SURAH ZUMAR TOTAL VERSES: 75

SURAH ZUMAR TOTAL WORDS: 1,177

TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 637

TOTAL LETTERS: 4,869

REVELATION PERIOD:

Meccan, Approx. 615 – 617 AD.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

God, Man, Prophet Muhammad, Wrongdoers, Righteous, Souls.

SURAH ZUMAR MAIN TOPICS:

Creation, Eight Mates Of Cattle, 3 Layers Of Darkness In Womb, Springs And Sweet Water All Because Of Rains, Quran Is Consistent, Death While Sleep, God Promise That Despair Not Of My Mercy, They Have Not Appraised Allah With True Appraisal, Scene of Last Day All Will be driven in Groups.

SURAH ZUMAR KEY VERSES:

٦  خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَأَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَنْعَامِ ثَمَانِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ ۚ يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ خَلْقًا مِنْ بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ ثَلَاثٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُصْرَفُونَ

6  He created you from one soul. Then He made from it its mate, and He produced for you from the grazing livestock eight mates. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, within three darknesses. That is Allah, your Lord; to Him belongs dominion. There is no deity except Him, so how are you averted?

٢٣  اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا مَثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ

23  Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whom He wills. And one whom Allah leaves astray – for him there is no guide.

٤٢  اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنْفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَىٰ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

42  Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.

٦٧  وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَالْأَرْضُ جَمِيعًا قَبْضَتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ مَطْوِيَّاتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

67  They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal, while the earth entirely will be [within] His grip on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right hand. Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him.

٧٤  وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُ وَأَوْرَثَنَا الْأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَاءُ ۖ فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ

74  And they will say, “Praise to Allah, who has fulfilled for us His promise and made us inherit the earth [so] we may settle in Paradise wherever we will. And excellent is the reward of [righteous] workers.

SUMMARY OF TOPICS

1-5(God Sent Down The Book In Truth, God Has Created Heaven Earth, Day Night And Subjected The Sun & Moon), 6(Eight Mates Of Cattle, 3 Three Layers Of Darkness In The Womb), 7-10(No Bearer Of Burdens Will Bear The Burden Of Another, And When Adversity Touches Man He Calls God, When Favored He Forgets), 11-12( Muhammad Is Commanded To Follow Pure Sincere Religion, And Be The First Of The Muslims), 16(Wrongdoers Will Have Canopies Of Fire Above Them And Below Them), 20(Those Who Have Feared Their Lord, They Will Have Lofty Chambers Above Lofty Halls In Heaven), 21(Springs And Sweet Water All Because Of Rains), 22-31(Quran Is Consistent And Have Different Parables To Explain Matters So That People Can Understand), 33-38(If Allah Intends Harm No One Can Save And If He Intends His Blessings No One Can Withhold It), 42(Death While Sleep; Allah Takes The Souls At The Time Of Death, And Those That Do Not Die During Their Sleep), 44(To Allah Belongs The Intercession) 47(Wrongdoers Will not be Able To Ransom Themselves Even If They Would Have Entire Earth To Give Or Its Double), 49(When Adversity Touches Man, He Calls Upon Us & When Achieve Success He Says Its All Because Of My Wisdom), 53-54( God Promise That O My Slaves Those Who Transgressed Despair Not Of My Mercy), 60(Last Day, Faces Black Of Those Who Lied About Allah), 63(To God Belongs The Keys Of The Heavens And The Earth), 67-69( They Have Not Appraised Allah With True Appraisal, Last Day Earth In His Grip And Heavens In His Right Hand, First And Then Second Horn/Sur/Trumpet, Record Of Deeds Will Be Placed), 70-75(Wrongdoers Will Be Driven To Hell In Groups, Righteous Will Be Driven To Paradise In Groups, They Will Thank God That He Made Them Inherit The Earth, And You Will See The Angels Surrounding The God’s Throne, Exalting God)

SURAH ZUMAR BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACK GROUND:

This Surah has 75 verses divided into 8 Rukus/Sections. This Surah was revealed in Mecca at a time when the adversary of Meccans shifted from verbal accusations and harassment to physical anguish and social bans most probably sometime before the migration of Abyssinia took place. In verse 10 of this surah there is an indication of that as “قُلْ يَا عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ”  Say O My slaves those who have believed, fear your Lord. Those who do good in this world, for them is good, and the earth of God is vast. Indeed, the patient one will be given their reward without account.”

The Believers are told not to lose heart and despair.  If it is difficult for them to practice their belief and religion in one place, they can migrate to another place. This chapter compares the believers with those who ascribe partners with God. The truth of Tauhid and the results of admitting it, and the falsehood of associating partners with God and the evil consequences of following it, have been explained. And the people urged to give up their wrong way of life and return to the mercy of their Lord.

An Nasai recorded that Aaisha wife of Prophet said, “The Messenger of God used to fast until we would say, He does not want to break fast, and he would not fast until we would say, He does not want to fast.  And he used to recite Surah Isra  and Zumar every night.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said: For one who recites it, Allah does not cut off his hope and bestows him the reward of those who fear (Him).