Sūrah Al-Muʼminun المؤمنون, meaning: "The Believers" is the 23rd Sūrah (chapter) of the Qur'an with 118 āyāt (verses). This is considered to be a Meccan Sūrah, and is considered to have been revealed during the end period when Muslims were a persecuted minority, which means it is believed to have been revealed before the migration of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and his followers from Mecca to Medina (Hijra).
Reading of this Sūrah is mind boggling as the Stages of human creation (from clay to embryonic development), which science discovered much later than the revelation of Al Qur'an, which has been explicitly mentioned in verse 12-22. Naturally, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم could have known it either at that time. This mention thus means beyond doubt that AL Qur'an is a Divine Scripture.
We have already shared the Tafseer / Exegesis of the Surah which can be read from links given below:
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
Revealed during the Makkan period, when Muslims were a persecuted minority. The surah strengthens their faith, outlines the true qualities of believers, contrasts them with disbelievers, and stresses accountability in the Hereafter.
Main Themes
- The characteristics of true believers: The Surah begins with an assertion, "Most certainly the Believers have attained true success", intending to put across a point that the criterion of success and failure which people who disbelieve in Islam, hold in mind is in fact erred because it is based on misconceptions and is transitory and limited in nature, in turn leading to eventual failure and not true success.
- Human creation as a sign of Divine power.
- The mission and struggles of past prophets.
- The futility of worldly arrogance.
- The certainty of death, resurrection, and judgment.
- Allah’s mercy for the faithful and His justice against deniers.
The surah drives these themes home by drawing attention to God's creation of man through different stages in the mother's womb, His creation of the heavens and the earth, His sending down rains and growing plants, trees and fruits, and His providing of domestic animals with various benefits for man, all together with an emphasis on the fact that man shall die and shall be raised up on the Day of Resurrection.
Main Subjects
- Qualities of the True Believers (vv. 1–11): Starts by describing the successful believers:
- Humble in prayer,
- Avoid vain talk,
- Pay zakah,
- Guard chastity,
- Keep trusts and promises,
- Diligent in prayer.
- These are crowned with Paradise as their eternal home.
- Signs of Allah in Creation (vv. 12–22)
- Stages of human creation (from clay to embryonic development).
- Blessings of animals, crops, water, and natural resources.
- The theme of Risalah is emphasized with reference to the accounts of some Past Prophets (vv. 23–50) - noting that all of them delivered the same message of monotheism, but were disbelieved and opposed by the people they preached to, and that all of them were helped and rescued by Allah.
- Nūḥ (Noah) – rejected by his people.
- Hūd, Mūsā, and others – showing that prophets faced opposition, but truth ultimately prevailed.
- Warnings to Disbelievers (vv. 51–77)
- People mocked the truth, indulged in desires, and denied the resurrection.
- Allah tests people with prosperity and hardship.
- Certainty of the Hereafter (vv. 78–118)
- Arguments for resurrection and accountability.
- The disbelievers’ regrets on Judgment Day.
- Ends with a powerful du‘ā’: “And say, ‘My Lord, forgive and have mercy, for You are the best of those who show mercy.’” (23:118).
Lessons for Us Today
- Faith in Action – Success in Allah’s sight is not about wealth or status, but about living the qualities of believers (honesty, prayer, purity, justice).
- Gratitude for Creation – Science now confirms embryonic stages of creation, but the Qur’an already highlighted this — reminding us to reflect on Allah’s power.
- Warning against Arrogance – Civilizations before us were destroyed when they rejected truth; material strength is no shield against Divine justice.
- Accountability Mindset – Everything will be judged: words, promises, and actions. This keeps a believer humble and responsible.
- Hope in Allah’s Mercy – The surah ends with a prayer for forgiveness — teaching us to always turn back to Allah.
In short, Surah al-Mu’minūn gives us a blueprint of true faith, balances it with signs of Allah in creation, and reminds us of the Hereafter. It tells us: be a believer in action, not just in name.
You may now like to refer to some of the selected verses from already published:
- Verse 1-11:
- Characteristics of Believers who will inherit Paradise - Jannah الۡفِرۡدَوۡسَؕ
- Four Traits of the Believers whom Allah Promises True Success
- Man laments: I'm a failure - Allah replies: The believers have indeed attained true success
- Verse 2-9: Traits of Believers who attain true success
- Verse 2:
- A true believer humbles himself in his prayers (Traits of Believers who attain true success)
- How to develop Khushoo (Humility / focused concentration) when offering Salat
- Verse 5: Traits of Believers who attain true success are those who Guard their Chastity
- Verse 7: Those whose desires exceed the prescribed limits are Transgressors
- Verse 8:
- Successful are those who are true to their trusts and covenants
- Believers!! Be true to your trusts and covenants
- Verse 9: Successful are those who guard their prayers
- Verses 57-61: Description of the Believers of Good Deeds
- Verse 62: Man is Divinely reassured that he will not be burdened beyond his capacity
- Verses 97-98: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from Quran: Refuge from Whisperings of Shayatin (Satan / Evil)
- Verse 109: Our Lord, we believe, so forgive us, and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of those that are merciful
- Verse 115: Did you imagine that WE created you without purpose, and would never be brought back to Us?
- Verse 117: Whoever invokes, along with Allah, another god, then his reckoning is only with his Lord
In time we will add more selected verses from this Surah, 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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