In the name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever Merciful
Ya Sin. By the Qur’an, full of wisdom, you are indeed one of God’s messengers, pursuing a straight way. It is a revelation by the Almighty, the Merciful. Ya Sin: 36:1-5)
The surah can be divided into three parts. The first begins with an oath God makes by the expression of two separate letters, Ya Sin, and by the Qur’an, which is full of wisdom, to emphasize the truth of the Prophet’s message and that he follows a straight path. This is followed by describing the miserable end of those who pay no heed to the message and deny its truth. They will never find a way to guidance because this is God’s judgment. It explains that the warning only benefits those who follow the revelations given by God and who fear Him despite the fact that their faculties of perception cannot reach Him. Such people open their hearts to receive the evidence of divine guidance and the pointers to the path of faith. In this part, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is asked to cite the example of the people of the township who denied God’s messengers and the end they suffered. It also shows the nature of faith and how it affects the heart of the man arguing its case.
The second part begins with a call of sorrow for those people who continue to deny every messenger God sends to them, ridiculing them and their message, paying no heed to what happened to earlier communities who denied the truth, or to the great many signs God has placed all around them. This part includes the universal images we have already mentioned as well as a long and detailed scene from the Day of Judgment.
The third and final part sums up all the themes of the surah, starting with a denial that what Muhammad (peace be upon him) recited was poetry, and emphasizing the fact that the Prophet never had anything to do with poetry. It portrays a number of images confirming God’s oneness. It decries the unbelievers’ practice of having deities to which they pray to give them victory over their enemies, when in fact they themselves have to protect those alleged deities.
It discusses the issue of resurrection, reminding them of their origin and how their creation starts with a gamete. This should enable them to understand that giving life to bones that have crumbled into dust is barely different from their first creation from a gamete. It reminds them of the green trees and how they become fire fuel, although the two concepts seem to be far apart. The creation of the heavens and the earth is also mentioned as a reminder that God is able to create them in both stages of their life. Finally, the last beat that concludes the surah is: “When He intends something to be, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is. Limitless, then, in His glory is He in whose hand rests the mighty dominion over all things, and to Him you all will be brought back.”
The surah starts with this oath: “Ya Sin. By the Qur’an, full of wisdom.” God says an oath by these two letters and by the Qur’an. Several surahs start with the mention of separate letters as well as the Qur’an. The proof that God is the source of the Qur’an is obvious from these letters which are available to all Arabs to use yet they are incapable of producing with them anything like the thoughts and modes of expression contained in the Qur’an. Yet seldom do they consider such confirmation.
As He swears by the Qur’an, God Almighty describes it as being full of wisdom. In fact, a literal translation should be ‘By the wise Qur’an.’ Wisdom is a quality of rational beings, which suggests that the oath is phrased in this way to impart to the Qur’an the qualities of life, having a purpose and a will, which are essential for a wise being. Although this is allegorical, nonetheless it describes a fact, bringing it closer to our minds’ eye. This Qur’an has a soul of its own, giving it qualities similar to those of a living person with whom you have mutual responses and feelings. This takes place when you pay full attention to it and listen to it with your heart and soul. Whenever you open your faculties up to it, the Qur’an reveals to you more of its secrets. When you have lived for a while in the company of the Qur’an, you will long for its distinctive features, just as you long for the features of a close friend. God’s Messenger used to love to listen to the Qur’an being recited by other people. He would even stop by people’s doors if he overheard someone inside reciting the Qur’an, just like a lover listens to a conversation about the one he loves.
The Qur’an is certainly wise. It addresses everyone according to their ability; touching heart strings, speaking in a measured way, and using a wisdom that suits each person. Furthermore, the Qur’an is full of wisdom. It educates people wisely, according to a straight logical and psychological system that releases all human potential and directs people to what is good and beneficial. It establishes a code of living that allows every human activity within the limits of its wise system.