Surah 091
Ash-Shams
الشمس
15 verses · Meccan
Key structural observations
- The oaths lead from the sun and its brightness to moon, day and night. Three uses of idhā accompany following, revealing and covering (1–4).
- Three occurrences of wa-mā join sky, earth and soul to their formation. The formed soul receives inspiration of its fujūr and taqwā (5–8).
- Two occurrences of qad affirm success and failure: purifying the soul or corrupting it. Thamūd’s account follows this opposition (9–11).
- One individual rises; the messenger warns the group about the she-camel and her water; denial and the attack are then attributed in the plural (12–14).
- The Lord judges because of their sin. Sawwāhā returns after destruction, echoing the soul’s formation; the final verse affirms the sovereignty of the divine act (7, 14–15).