Sūrah 77 · Meccan

How Sūrah Al-Mursalaat was revealed.

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

Read Al-Mursalaat → The revelation story
Where revealed Meccan

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

Order of revelation #33

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

Length 50 ayahs

2 reading sections in the Muṣḥaf.

The revelation story

How and when it came down.

This Makkan surah focuses relentlessly on proving the certainty of the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment. It employs powerful oaths and cosmic imagery to assert this truth. It warns the polytheists of the impending punishment and contrasts the eternal torment awaiting them with the sublime reward prepared for the pious.

Themes and purpose:

This Makkan surah focuses relentlessly on proving the certainty of the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment. It employs powerful oaths and cosmic imagery to assert this truth. It warns the polytheists of the impending punishment and contrasts the eternal torment awaiting them with the sublime reward prepared for the pious.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan by the consensus of the commentators. The surah is often cited as one of the earliest Makkan revelations.

Context: The surah was revealed to address the polytheists’ denial of the Resurrection and their constant mockery of the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) was known to recite it often in prayer, even shortly before his death.

Chronology: It has been counted as the 33rd surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Ṭāriq and before Ṣād.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known both as "Sūrat al-Mursalāt" (The Emissaries), and by its opening phrase, "Sūrat wa-al-Mursalāti ʿurfan".

Virtue: The Prophet (ﷺ) said this surah was one of those that contributed to his graying hair, due to the severity of its warnings about the Hereafter.

Unique Feature: The terrifying refrain "Woe that Day to the deniers!" is repeated ten times.

Ayah Count: 50 ayahs by consensus.

Surah Overview:

  • Oaths and Affirmation: Opening with five powerful oaths to affirm the certainty of the Resurrection and Judgment. [1-7]
  • The Refrain: The repeated, thunderous warning against the deniers of the truth. [15, 19, 24, 28, 34, 37, 40, 45, 47, 49]
  • Cosmic Signs: Describing the terrifying upheaval and dissolution of the cosmos at the beginning of the Hour. [8-10]
  • Proofs of Creation: Proving the reality of Resurrection by recalling the miraculous creation of man from a despised fluid and the creation of the earth and mountains. [20-27]
  • Historical Warning: Warning the polytheists by recalling the historical destruction of past nations (who were the "first generations"). [16-18]
  • The Final Scene: Contrasting the sorrowful fate of the deniers in Hell with the joyful reward of the righteous in Paradise. [38-44]
  • Conclusion: Concluding with a challenge to the unbelievers to find another message if they reject the Quran. [50]

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 4 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
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 763

    حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ أُمَّ الْفَضْلِ سَمِعَتْهُ وَهُوَ يَقْرَأُ ‏﴿‏وَالْمُرْسَلاَتِ عُرْفًا‏﴾‏ فَقَالَتْ يَا بُنَىَّ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ ذَكَّرْتَنِي بِقِرَاءَتِكَ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ، إِنَّهَا لآخِرُ مَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقْرَأُ بِهَا فِي الْمَغْرِبِ‏.‏

    Narrated Ibn `Abbas: (My mother) Umu-l-Fadl heard me reciting "Wal Mursalati `Urfan" (77) and said, "O my son! By Allah, your recitation made me remember that it was the last Sura I heard from Allah's Messenger. He recited it in the Maghrib prayer. "

    Open at Sunnah.com →

    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3317

    حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ، عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي غَارٍ فَنَزَلَتْ ‏﴿‏وَالْمُرْسَلاَتِ عُرْفًا‏﴾‏ فَإِنَّا لَنَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ، إِذْ خَرَجَتْ حَيَّةٌ مِنْ جُحْرِهَا فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا لِنَقْتُلَهَا، فَسَبَقَتْنَا فَدَخَلَتْ جُحْرَهَا، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ وُقِيَتْ شَرَّكُمْ، كَمَا وُقِيتُمْ شَرَّهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ وَعَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مِثْلَهُ قَالَ وَإِنَّا لَنَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ رَطْبَةً‏.‏ وَتَابَعَهُ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنْ مُغِيرَةَ‏.‏ وَقَالَ حَفْصٌ وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ وَسُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ قَرْمٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ‏.‏

    Narrated `Abdullah: Once we were in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in a cave. Surat-al-Mursalat (77) was revealed there, and we were learning it from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . Suddenly a snake came out of its hole and we rushed towards it to kill it, but it hastened and entered its hole before we were able to catch it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said," It has been saved from your evil and you have been saved from its evil."

    Open at Sunnah.com →

    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4429

    حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ عَنْ أُمِّ الْفَضْلِ بِنْتِ الْحَارِثِ، قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقْرَأُ فِي الْمَغْرِبِ بِ ـ ‏﴿‏الْمُرْسَلاَتِ عُرْفًا‏﴾‏ ثُمَّ مَا صَلَّى لَنَا بَعْدَهَا حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ‏.‏

    Narrated Um Al-Fadl bint Al-Harith: I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) reciting Surat-al-Mursalat `Urfan (77) in the Maghrib prayer, and after that prayer he did not lead us in any prayer till he died.

    Open at Sunnah.com →

  2. Relates to āyah32
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4933

    حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَابِسٍ، سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ ‏﴿‏تَرْمِي بِشَرَرٍ‏﴾‏ كُنَّا نَعْمِدُ إِلَى الْخَشَبَةِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَذْرُعٍ وَفَوْقَ ذَلِكَ، فَنَرْفَعُهُ لِلشِّتَاءِ فَنُسَمِّيهِ الْقَصَرَ‏.‏ ‏{‏كَأَنَّهُ جِمَالاَتٌ صُفْرٌ‏}‏ حِبَالُ السُّفْنِ تُجْمَعُ حَتَّى تَكُونَ كَأَوْسَاطِ الرِّجَالِ‏.‏

    Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: (regarding) the explanation of "... It throws sparks as Al-Qasr ..." (V. 77:32): We used to collect logs of wood, three cubits long or longer, to store for heating purposes in winter, and we used to call it Al- Qasr, it also means a castle or a fort. "As if they were Jimalatun Sufr (yellow camels or bundles of ropes)" (V.77:33): means the ropes of a ship which are made in bundles till it become as wide as men's waists.

    Open at Sunnah.com →

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.

Learning to pray as you read? How to pray step by step, how to perform wuḍūʾ, and how many rakʿahs each prayer has.