الشورى
Ash Shura
Verses
53
Revelation
Makki
Period
Late Makkan
Surah No.
42 / 114
Ash-Shura takes its name from the principle of mutual consultation (shura) mentioned as a characteristic of the believers in verse 38. The surah opens with two sets of disconnected letters (Ha Mim, 'Ain Sin Qaf) and moves through an extended meditation on divine unity, prophetic succession, the diversity of religious communities, and the modes by which Allah communicates with human beings – through revelation, from behind a veil, or through a messenger. The surah establishes that all the prophets brought the same essential religion.
أسباب النزول
Revealed in the late Makkan period, the surah addressed the Quraysh's bewilderment at the idea of revelation coming to a human being. The extended discussion of how Allah communicates (42:51) was particularly important in clarifying the nature of prophethood. The principle of shura, while stated briefly, was expanded in the Madinan legislation and became a cornerstone of Islamic political thought.
“There is nothing like Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”
The foundational verse of Islamic theology on divine transcendence (tanzih), establishing that nothing in creation resembles Allah while affirming His attributes of hearing and sight.
“And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a partition or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills.”
A key verse defining the three modes of divine communication with human prophets: direct inspiration, speech from behind a veil (as with Musa), and angelic revelation.