الزمر
Az Zumar
Verses
75
Revelation
Makki
Period
Late Makkan
Surah No.
39 / 114
Az-Zumar takes its name from the groups (zumar) of people who will be driven to the Fire and to Paradise on the Day of Judgement. The surah presents a powerful theological argument for sincere worship (ikhlas): Allah does not need any associates, yet people stubbornly invent intermediaries. It addresses those who have wronged themselves with an extraordinary verse of hope – that Allah forgives all sins – and closes with the majestic scene of the final judgement. The surah is noted for the beauty and depth of its theological content.
أسباب النزول
Revealed in the late Makkan period, the surah addressed the practice of the Quraysh who worshipped idols as intercessors with Allah (39:3). The famous verse of hope (39:53) was revealed in response to companions who feared that their pre-Islamic sins were too great for forgiveness, assuring them of the boundless mercy of Allah. The surah's meditation on the Quran as a healing and warning was revealed as the believers were confronting intense persecution.
“Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins."”
Considered by many scholars the most hopeful verse in the Quran. It is an unconditional address to those who have sinned excessively, opening the door of tawbah without condition other than turning to Allah.
“Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord [like one who does not]?”
A rhetorical question contrasting the one who worships sincerely with the heedless, concluding with the famous rhetorical question: "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?"