Introduction
The Sun (Ash-Shams) is the ninety-first chapter in
the one hundred and fourteen chapters of Quran. Thus it is amongst the short
chapters at the end of the Quran. Here almost all the verses and chapters were
revealed in Mecca, at the beginning of the prophethood of Muhammad, may the
mercy and blessings of God be upon him. In this early era the revelations were
primarily concerned with the establishment of faith and laid down the
foundation beliefs of Islam. The central theme of this chapter is the choice
between purifying or corrupting the soul, and the nation of Thamud is used as
an example of corruption.
The title, The Sun, comes from the description of the
sun in the first verse. When this chapter is recited in the Arabic language it
keeps up a rhyming musical beat throughout its fifteen verses. These few short
verses encompass a great truth, the nature of humankind and their inherent
abilities to choose between right and wrong and decide their own fate.
Verses 1 – 10 Success or failure
God swears by a number of celestial phenomena. The bright
and radiant sun, the moon, the day when the sun’s splendor is revealed, and the
night that descends to shroud the earth. God swearing by these objects gives
them an added significance and draws our attention to their extraordinary
nature and the magnificence of the One who created them.
The oath specifies the beauty of the sun when it rises
but also its effect on the earth when the day is revealed. Our familiarity
with the sun sometimes allows us to overlook this magnificent phenomenon and
its beauty and function, but this oath reminds us of the daily spectacle. The
human heart has long felt a fascination with the moon and on clear moonlit
nights one can feel the majesty of God in the space around us. When night
descends it is able to cover and conceal everything, the earth is quietly
waiting for the splendor of the sun to reawaken it.
The Quran frequently urges humankind to ponder and
reflect upon the universe. And God continues to swear by the sky and how He
constructed it and by the earth and how He spread it out. When God swears by
the construction of the sky we immediately think of the heavens above us, but
we really know very little about the sky and how it was built. Even in this
scientifically advanced century we continue to wonder what keeps it together, high
above us, ethereal yet somehow solid. When God refers to the earth it reminds
us that life on this planet would not have been possible if God had not
incorporated the characteristics and natural laws that make all life possible.
God then swears by the soul and how He balanced and
refined it giving it the knowledge of what is right for it and what is wrong
for it. Humankind is one of the most remarkable wonders because God molded and
inspired each person with the knowledge of wickedness and piety, and the
ability to choose one over the other. Humankind has the innate ability to
determine his or her own course of action and is thus responsible for each
choice. Those who make the right choices will be successful and those who
choose to corrupt their pure soul will fail. God, for His part, does not leave
the person or soul alone wandering blindly and trying to decide what is right; He
has made the message clear for anyone who seeks to benefit from it.
Verses 11 – 15 The people of Thamud
In these verses God uses a historical event to further
explain the previous verses. With arrogant cruelty the people of Thamud called
Prophet Saleh (who was chosen by God to deliver His message) a liar and denied
him. When the most wretched person among them was sent out to hamstring the
she-camel, that had been sent by God as a sign, Prophet Saleh told them not to
harm her (the she-camel). He also told them to let the she-camel drink on the
days that had been assigned to her. The people of Thamud ignored him, hamstrung
the she-camel and then killed her without thinking about the consequences of
their actions. As a result of their outrageous insolence a terrible calamity
befell the people of Thamud. God destroyed them by levelling them to the
ground.
God does not fear consequences for anything He does. God
is not like the kings and rulers of the world, who, when they want to take some
action against a people, are compelled to consider what the consequences of
their actions will be. God’s power is supreme. Humankind, however, should
fear the consequences because the Day of Judgement is coming, and every person
will answer to God for the choices he or she made. God is not asked about what
He does, but His servants will surely be asked to explain their actions.
This chapter links the human soul to the celestial
phenomena we experience on a regular basis. The sun rises, the moon comes out,
the day reveals the earth in all its splendor and night time is able to cover
and conceal. It is constant and repetitive. God’s laws that determine failure
or success are also constant. He plans wisely and sets a time for everything
and a purpose for every action.