Sūrah 52 · Meccan

How Sūrah At-Tur was revealed.

Where and when it came down, what it teaches, and the hadith about it — all on one calm page.

Read At-Tur → The revelation story
Where revealed Meccan

Revealed in the Meccan period, before the migration to Madīnah.

Order of revelation #76

Its place in the traditional order in which the sūrahs were revealed.

Length 49 ayahs

2 reading sections in the Muṣḥaf.

The revelation story

How and when it came down.

This Makkan surah is dedicated to proving the certainty of the Day of Judgment and the truthfulness of the Quran against the arrogant deniers. It opens with powerful oaths by sacred symbols including Mount Sinai, contrasts the terrors awaiting the polytheists with the peace of Paradise, and challenges their denial by asking fundamental questions about creation and existence.

Themes and purpose:

This Makkan surah is dedicated to proving the certainty of the Day of Judgment and the truthfulness of the Quran against the arrogant deniers. It opens with powerful oaths by sacred symbols including Mount Sinai, contrasts the terrors awaiting the polytheists with the peace of Paradise, and challenges their denial by asking fundamental questions about creation and existence.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan by unanimous agreement.

Context: The surah was revealed during the Makkan period of severe confrontation.

Chronology: It is counted as the 75th surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat Nūḥ and before al-Mu’minūn.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is named "Sūrat al-Ṭūr" (The Mount) for the opening oath sworn by Mount Sinai, where Moses received revelation, confirming the divine origin of the message.

Virtue: The Prophet (ﷺ) was known to recite this surah in the Maghrib (sunset) prayer.

Ayah Count: 47 ayahs (Madīnah/Makkah) or 49 (Shām/Kūfah).

Surah Overview:

  • Warning of Judgment: Opening with oaths (including the Mount and the Inscribed Book) and threatening the immediate occurrence of the Day of Resurrection and the punishment awaiting the disbelievers. [1-16]
  • Reward and Contrast: Contrasting the fate of the deniers with the beautiful descriptions of the gratitude and reward of the pious. [17-28]
  • Consolation: Consoling the Prophet (ﷺ) against his people's mockery (such as their calls for his death) and commanding him to patience. [29-31, 48]
  • The Existential Challenge: Challenging the polytheists with questions about creation: Did they create themselves? Are they the creators of the heavens and earth? [32-37]
  • Refutation of Shirk: Arguing against their belief in partners for Allah (including the belief that angels are daughters) and mocking their mockery of divine warning. [38-47]
  • Final Command: Ordering the Prophet (ﷺ) to glorify Allah and await the final decree, for his enemies will surely be punished. [48-49]

Sūrah background — via the Quran Foundation Content API. Shown as supplied by the provider. We do not edit, summarise or generate it.

Hadith about this sūrah

What the hadith say.

These 3 narrations in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī are connected to specific āyāt of this sūrah — a linkage reviewed by the Quran Foundation. Open any one to read it in full, in Arabic and English.

  1. Relates to āyah1–2
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1619

    حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ شَكَوْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنِّي أَشْتَكِي‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ طُوفِي مِنْ وَرَاءِ النَّاسِ، وَأَنْتِ رَاكِبَةٌ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَطُفْتُ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حِينَئِذٍ يُصَلِّي إِلَى جَنْبِ الْبَيْتِ، وَهْوَ يَقْرَأُ ‏﴿‏وَالطُّورِ * وَكِتَابٍ مَسْطُورٍ‏﴾‏

    Narrated Um Salama: (the wife of the Prophet) I informed Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that I was ill. So he said, "Perform the Tawaf while riding behind the people." I did so, and at that time the Prophet (ﷺ) was praying beside the Ka`ba and reciting Surat-at-Tur.

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  2. Relates to āyah13
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1210

    حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ صَلَّى صَلاَةً قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ عَرَضَ لِي، فَشَدَّ عَلَىَّ لِيَقْطَعَ الصَّلاَةَ عَلَىَّ، فَأَمْكَنَنِي اللَّهُ مِنْهُ، فَذَعَتُّهُ، وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ أُوثِقَهُ إِلَى سَارِيَةٍ حَتَّى تُصْبِحُوا فَتَنْظُرُوا إِلَيْهِ فَذَكَرْتُ قَوْلَ سُلَيْمَانَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لاَ يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي‏.‏ فَرَدَّهُ اللَّهُ خَاسِيًا ‏"‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ النَّضْرُ بْنُ شُمَيْلٍ فَذَعَتُّهُ بِالذَّالِ أَىْ خَنَقْتُهُ وَفَدَعَّتُّهُ مِنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ ‏﴿‏يَوْمَ يُدَعُّونَ‏﴾‏ أَىْ يُدْفَعُونَ وَالصَّوَابُ، فَدَعَتُّهُ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ كَذَا قَالَ بِتَشْدِيدِ الْعَيْنِ وَالتَّاءِ‏.‏

    Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) once offered the prayer and said, "Satan came in front of me and tried to interrupt my prayer, but Allah gave me an upper hand on him and I choked him. No doubt, I thought of tying him to one of the pillars of the mosque till you get up in the morning and see him. Then I remembered the statement of Prophet Solomon, 'My Lord ! Bestow on me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me.' Then Allah made him (Satan) return with his head down (humiliated)."

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  3. Relates to āyah35–37
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4854

    حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ حَدَّثُونِي عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مُطْعِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقْرَأُ فِي الْمَغْرِبِ بِالطُّورِ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ [quran sura="52" aya_start="35" aya_end="37"]‏{‏أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَىْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ * أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ بَلْ لاَ يُوقِنُونَ * أَمْ عِنْدَهُمْ خَزَائِنُ رَبِّكَ أَمْ هُمُ الْمُسَيْطِرُونَ‏}‏ كَادَ قَلْبِي أَنْ يَطِيرَ‏.‏ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ فَأَمَّا أَنَا فَإِنَّمَا سَمِعْتُ الزُّهْرِيَّ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مُطْعِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقْرَأُ فِي الْمَغْرِبِ بِالطُّورِ‏.‏ لَمْ أَسْمَعْهُ زَادَ الَّذِي قَالُوا لِي‏.‏

    Narrated Jubair bin Mut`im: I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) reciting Surat at-Tur in the Maghrib prayer, and when he reached the Verse: 'Were they created by nothing, Or were they themselves the creators, Or did they create the Heavens and the Earth? Nay, but they have no firm belief Or do they own the treasures of Your Lord? Or have they been given the authority to do as they like...' (52.35-37) my heart was about to fly (when I realized this firm argument).

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The link between each āyah and these narrations is the Quran Foundation's reviewed reference map. The wording is reproduced verbatim from a public-domain edition of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and is not edited, summarised or generated; every narration also opens at Sunnah.com so it can be checked against another copy.

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