SURAH YASEEN, Verses 1-12

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. What is the number of this surah in the Qur’an?
Ans: 36
2. What does Ya-Seen mean? Is it a prophet’s name? Explain.
Ans: YaSeen is two letters of the Arabic alphabet categorized as Huroof-al-Muqat’ta’aat.
These are abbreviated letters whose meaning is known only to Allah.
3. By what did Allah swear at the beginning of the Surah, and to prove what?
Ans: Allah swore by the Quran full of wisdom. This was to prove that Prophet Muhammad
(Peace be upon him) is rightly guided and that he is on the straight path.
4. What was the main mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) according
to this surah?
Ans: The purpose of Prophet Muhammad’s coming was to warn the people against
disbelief and idol worship. In addition to this, he gave the good news to those who
followed him and believed in him.
5. What the punishment of the disbelievers was as described in the surah?
Ans: The punishment was in a form of a blast which was so powerful that it destroyed the
whole village.
6. What can benefit a man even after his death? Support your answer with a hadith.
Ans: Abu Hurairah said: The Messenger of Allah said, “when a man dies, all his deeds come
to an end except three: an ongoing charity which he leaves behind, knowledge which is
beneficial to others, and a righteous child who prays for him.”
7. How many aayaat are there in Surah Yaseen?
83 ayaat.

8. Mention four qualities of the Bounteous Qur’an.

The Qur’an is the word of Allah. It is guidance to humanity for all times to come. It is the
source of success and glory in the Qur’an. The Qur’an is the greatest blessing of Allah upon
humanity.
9. What challenges does the Qur’an pose to its opponents?
The challenge is to produce the likeness of the Qur’an: “If You are in doubt concerning that
which we have sent down (i.e. the Qur’ân) to Our servant (Muhammad ‫)ﷺ‬, Then produce a
Sûrah (chapter) of the like thereof and call all your supporters besides Allah; accomplish this, if
You are truthful”.

10. Mention some of the merits of Surah YaSeen.

Surah YaSeen is the heart of the Qur’an. Whoever reads Surah YaSeen, seeking Allah’s
pleasure, will have all his past sins forgiven. One reading of Surah YaSeen brings the reward of
ten readings of the Qur’an.

11. Who is the Guardian of the Qur’an?

Allah is the Guardian of the Qur’an.

12. What does ‘as-Sirat al-Mustaqim’ means?

‘as-Sirat al-Mustaqim’ means ‘the Straight Path, the Right and the Clear Path that has no
crookedness, the religion of Islam.

13. Discuss the unique nature of the Qur’an.

The Qur’an is the word of Allah. It is unique in purpose. It is unique in style. It is a miracle in
human language. It is free of contradictions. It is free from all concoctions. It is guarded and
protected by the Almighty Allah Himself. None in the world can produce the likeness of the
Qur’an. It is guidance to humanity for all times to come.

B. Write SHORT NOTES on:

1. Arrogance blocks all channels for correction:
Allah says in Surah Yaseen, “Surely We have put upon their necks fetters up to chin so their
heads are raised”. This simile symbolizes the arrogance of man and his spiritual stagnation.
Refusal to believe in Allah and refusal to obey Him means less and less freedom for man; the
yoke of sin is fettered around man’s neck and it gets more and more tightened; right up to the
chin.
When you are arrogant, you refuse to grow. Arrogance, pride, and haughtiness make a man
blind to truth and reality and he refuses to see beyond his nose. It blocks all channels for
improvement and self-development.
2. The story of the town and the Prophets:
Allah sent two Messengers unto the town, and when the opposition became great, He
strengthened them with a third Messenger. The unjust and ungodly people of the town not
only rejected the Messengers and their Message, but they also denied the possibility of Allah
sending such a mission and threatened the Messengers with cruel punishment. The
Messengers explained to them that they have been sent by Allah and that they do not lie. They
also said that they must convey the Message. The people of the town reacted strongly by
saying that if they don’t desist from their mission of calling people to the oneness of Allah,
they would stone them and inflict upon them a grievous punishment. The Messengers then
declared that their fate is sealed because they have transgressed all bounds.
3. The Certainty of Resurrection and Day of Judgement:
The Reckoning on the Day of Judgement is a fact. Our deeds, good and bad, are preserved in a
Book of Record. They will of course be brought to our account.
The earthly life is temporary. Death is not the end of everything. It is the beginning of a
journey towards the Day of Judgement. Dead will be given life to see for themselves the result
of their deeds. The evil consequences of our bad deeds would spell disaster on the Day of
Judgement. The reward of good deeds would bring sure success and everlasting happiness.
Resurrection is needed to do full justice to the acts of the people done in this world. Among
people, many do good things but their deeds go unrewarded. They have to be recognized and
rewarded. Likewise, many people continue to do sins and evil deeds. They go unpunished.
They have to be called to account and punished. For this, there has to be a Day of Judgement
and that Day of Judgement is sure to come.