الصافات
As Saffat
Verses
182
Revelation
Makki
Period
Middle Makkan
Surah No.
37 / 114
As-Saffat opens with three oaths by the angels who stand in ranks before Allah, setting the tone of heavenly order and divine sovereignty. The surah then narrates in sequence the stories of Nuh, Ibrahim, Ismail (and the great trial of sacrifice), Musa, Harun, Ilyas, Lut, and Yunus – each demonstrating the consistent pattern of divine support for prophets and destruction for their rejecters. The surah closes with a resounding declaration that Allah's servants will be victorious and His messengers will be aided.
أسباب النزول
Revealed in the middle Makkan period when the Prophet and early believers were under intense pressure. The surah's long sequence of prophetic narratives served to assure the Prophet that he stood in an unbroken line of divinely supported messengers, and that just as each prophet was ultimately vindicated, so too would he be. The story of Ibrahim and Ismail's trial (37:100-111) was particularly significant in establishing the Quranic account of the sacrifice.
“He said, "O my father, do what you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast."”
Ismail's sublime response to his father Ibrahim when informed of the divine command to sacrifice him – a model of voluntary submission celebrated as the spirit of Eid al-Adha.
“Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of honour, above what they describe.”
The surah's closing tasbih, which together with the following two verses forms a frequently recited three-verse conclusion asserting divine glory, peace upon messengers, and praise.