Every surah of Al Qur'an is unique in its substance addressing the core issues related to Islam. We have already shared the exegesis of all surahs of Al Qur'an and selected verses from some of the surahs. This post today is about selected verses from the Surah Az Zumar, the 39th surah / chapter of Al Qur'an.
Sürah Az-Zumar (Arabic: الزمر, meaning: "The Throngs") contains 75 verses (ayat), part of the Juzʼ 23 to 24. This surah derives its name from the Arabic word zumar (groups) that occurs in verses 71 and 73.
.....وَسِيۡقَ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡۤا اِلٰى جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا ؕ
(After the judgement has been passed) the unbelievers shall be driven in companies to Hell.....
We have already shared the Tafseer / Exegesis of Sürah 39. Al Zumar (The Throngs) which can be read from links | Exegesis / Tafseer |
Herein under we will only present a condensed overview of the entire Sūrah, for the scope of this post is to only to introduce the Sūrah and provide links to some of the selected verses from this Sūrah for selective reading / references. The following bird eye view includes the context, major themes and subjects and lessons that we can learn from this Sūrah, followed by references to some of the selected verses already published.
Context of Revelation (Asbāb an-Nuzūl – General)
The surah is believed to have been revealed in the mid-Meccan period, possibly before the migration of a group of Muslims to Habash to avert the chances of persecution from the non believers of Makkah. It is a call to pure monotheism, sincere devotion, and moral clarity. It confronts shirk, comforts the believer, opens the door of repentance, exposes the illusion of worldly life, and ends with a decisive image of humanity divided into groups based on their response to Allah. It remains deeply relevant today as a guide for faith, hope, and accountability in a confused and material-driven world.
The Surah was revealed at a time when: (1) The Makkan opposition to the Prophet ﷺ had intensified, (2) Muslims were few, weak, and under pressure,
This was the time when the Polytheists justified shirk through: (1) Intercession myths, (2) Ancestral tradition, and (3) Claims of nearness to God through idols
Therefore, under such hostile environment this surah was revealed to: (1) Purify Tawḥīd (absolute monotheism), (2) Expose the false logic of shirk, (3) Comfort the Prophet ﷺ and believers, (4) Offer hope to sinners while warning arrogant rejecters. Thus this surah of clarity, sincerity, and decisive outcomes.
Core Theme of Surah Az-Zumar
1. Central Theme:
- Pure devotion (ikhlāṣ) to Allah alone, and the ultimate division of humanity based on that devotion.
- Everything in the surah revolves around:
- Who Allah is
- How He must be worshipped
- What happens to people who accept or reject that truth
2. Major Themes Explained
- Pure Tawḥīd & Ikhlāṣ: (1) Allah alone deserves worship — without intermediaries. (2) “Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion.” (39:3) - Shirk is shown as: Illogical, Unjust and Spiritually corrupt.
- False Intercession Exposed - Pagans claimed idols would bring them closer to Allah. as a rebuttal Allah responds: “They worship besides Allah that which neither harms nor benefits them…” (39:3). This emphasises the plain truth that Nearness to Allah comes through obedience, not symbols.
- The Qur’an as a Living Guide: The Qur’an is described as: (1) Consistent, (2) Repetitive in wisdom and (3) Spiritually transformative - “Allah has sent down the best of speech…” (39:23)
- Hope After Sin (One of the Most Merciful Passages) - No one is beyond forgiveness: “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah.” (39:53) - This verse alone has brought countless people back to Islam.
- Life’s Impermanence: The world is temporary and deceptive. The 21st verse is sent down specially for the men who reflect: “Do you not see that Allah sends down rain…” (39:21). This verse explains Human life is compared to vegetation that flourishes and fades.
- Ultimate Judgment: Groups Divided: The surah ends with a vivid scene: Disbelievers driven to Hell in groups and that Believers welcomed to Paradise in groups “And those who feared their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups…” (39:73) - This gives the surah its name.
Relevance & Application Today
- In an age of confusion Surah Az-Zumar restores clarity of belief. It emphasises that Worship is not: Cultural, Symbolic or Inherited - It is conscious devotion to Allah alone.
- In an age of despair:, the surah revives hope. That is no matter how broken a person feels, repentance is open.
- In a materialistic world the surah reminds us that Life is short, and every success fades with passage of time and that accountability is real and no one will escape it.
- In moral relativism the surah draws clear lines between: (1) Truth and falsehood, (2) Sincerity and hypocrisy, and (3) Salvation and loss
Some of the Most Important Verses
- 39:2 Sincerity in worship
- 39:3 Refutation of shirk
- 39:9 Are those who know equal to those who don’t?
- 39:21 Parable of worldly life
- 39:23 Description of the Qur’an
- 39:36 Allah is sufficient
- 39:42 Sleep and death
- 39:53 Door of repentance
- 39:71–73 Groups to Hell and Paradise
- Verse 2: Sincerity in worship A verse from Al Qur’an that gives out the Mission Statement of Islam
- Verse 3: Refutation of shirk Utter losers worship others than Allah with lame excuse of being closer to Allah
- Verse 18: Allah guides those who pay heed to what is said and follow the best of it
- Verse 21: Parable of worldly life A deeply reflective verse of Al Qur’an that teaches man the entire cycle of human life
- Verse 39: Reward beyond all reckoning for those who Fear Allah and Persevere
- Verse 53: Door of repentance
- Don't let the Satan win
- The Divine Call to repent before the Punishment comes
- The Verse of Mercy: Those who have committed excesses should not despair of Allah's Mercy - Surely Allah forgives all sins
- Verse 54: Surrender yourselves to your Lord before the chastisement over-takes you
In time we will share more selected verses from Sürah 39. Az Zumar, In sha Allah
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
For more Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. .
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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