In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

The composition of this Makkan surah has a special and prominent pattern. Essentially, it provides a general announcement, made in the open space of the universe, highlighting the blessings God bestows from on high. These are easily discernible in the beauty of everything He has created, in the great favours He grants to all, in the way He controls all existence, and in the fact that all creatures look up to see His face, etc. It is an invitation to all the universe to be witnesses against the two worlds of jinn and humans. Both are addressed in this surah on an equal basis, in the presence of all creatures in this vast universe. Both are challenged to deny, if they can, any of Gods blessings. The challenge is repeated after every single blessing mentioned, each with their detailed aspects. The great universe, then, is the stage where all these blessings are exhibited.

The distinctive ring of the announcement is apparent in the surah's structure as also in the endings of its verses, with a final rising note in each, coupled with a long vowel pointing far. It is also apparent in the opening of the surah, which gives an air of expectation of what will follow. It begins with a single word, al-Rahman, as a subject without a predicate. This word, which is a name and an attribute of God that we translate as the Lord of Grace, stresses mercy and adds emphasis to the announcement. Beyond that, the surah is a great exhibition of Gods grace and blessings.

The first blessing put forward in this great exhibition is the teaching of the Quran, the greatest favour God has bestowed on man. This is mentioned ahead of mans own creation as also his faculty of speech, his most important and distinctive quality. The surah then opens up pages of the universe that show Gods blessings: the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the skies, the balance, the earth and what it contains of fruit, dates, grains and aromatic plants, the jinn, mankind, the two risings and the two settings, the two great bodies of water and the barrier between them, what is taken out from them and what goes through them. When these great pages have been shown in full, the surah then adds an image showing them all as perished, where no creature is left alive yet Gods face remains full of majesty. To Him all creatures turn awaiting His decision regarding them.

Against the background of these two extremes of absolute extinction and absolute presence, a fearsome warning is issued to both man and jinn-. “ We shall attend to you two huge communities [of yum. and mankind].

Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny? Jinn and mankind, if you can pass beyond the regions of heaven and earth, then do so. You cannot pass beyond them without [God's] authority. Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny? A flash of fire will be sent against you, and molten brass, and you will be left without support. Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny?" (Verses 31-36)

This is followed by a scene of the end, i.e. the Day of Judgement, against a backdrop of the universe in which we see the sky flowing with the colour of a red rose, and the suffering endured by evildoers.

A long and detailed scene of the reward given to the God-fearing then follows. This great exhibition of Gods blessings aptly concludes with a verse that says: “Blessed is the name of your Lord, full of majesty, granting grace." (Verse 78)