Sūrah 91 · Meccan

How Sūrah Ash-Shams was revealed.

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

Read Ash-Shams → The revelation story
Where revealed Meccan

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

Order of revelation #26

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

Length 15 ayahs

1 reading sections in the Muṣḥaf.

The revelation story

How and when it came down.

This Makkan surah opens with nine cosmic oaths to affirm the pivotal importance of the purification of the soul. Its purpose is to contrast the eternal success of the purified soul with the failure of the corrupted one, warning the polytheists by citing the destruction of the arrogant nation of Thamūd.

Themes and purpose:

This Makkan surah opens with nine cosmic oaths to affirm the pivotal importance of the purification of the soul. Its purpose is to contrast the eternal success of the purified soul with the failure of the corrupted one, warning the polytheists by citing the destruction of the arrogant nation of Thamūd.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed early in the Prophet’s mission to establish the core Islamic ethic: that salvation depends solely on the internal state and purification of the soul, not on lineage or wealth which the Makkans valued.

Chronology: It is counted as the 26th surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Qadr and before al-Burūj.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known as "Sūrat al-Shams" (The Sun), and also "Sūrat wa-l-Shamsi wa-ḍuḥāhā" (By the Sun and its Morning Brightness), based on its opening oath.

Ayah Count: 15 ayahs (Majority) or 16 (Makkah).

Surah Overview:

  • The Cosmic Oaths: Using the magnificent creation (Sun, Moon, Day, Night, Heaven, Earth) as evidence of the Creator’s power and the truth of the message. [1-7]
  • Spiritual Accountability: Affirming the pivotal role of purification of the soul and the failure of those who corrupt it. [9-10]
  • Historical Warning: Threatening the polytheists with a fate similar to that of Thamūd (who killed the she-camel) as a clear consequence of denying the Messenger. [11-15]
  • Divine Power: Highlighting the greatness of Allah by demonstrating His sole authority over the creation and state of the soul. [7-8]
  • Concluding with the final warning that Allah will destroy the transgressors without hesitation or regret. [14]

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 2 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 4942
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6106

    حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَادَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَزِيدُ، أَخْبَرَنَا سَلِيمٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ دِينَارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَابِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ كَانَ يُصَلِّي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ يَأْتِي قَوْمَهُ فَيُصَلِّي بِهِمُ الصَّلاَةَ، فَقَرَأَ بِهِمُ الْبَقَرَةَ ـ قَالَ ـ فَتَجَوَّزَ رَجُلٌ فَصَلَّى صَلاَةً خَفِيفَةً، فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ مُعَاذًا فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ مُنَافِقٌ‏.‏ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلَ، فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا قَوْمٌ نَعْمَلُ بِأَيْدِينَا، وَنَسْقِي بِنَوَاضِحِنَا، وَإِنَّ مُعَاذًا صَلَّى بِنَا الْبَارِحَةَ، فَقَرَأَ الْبَقَرَةَ فَتَجَوَّزْتُ، فَزَعَمَ أَنِّي مُنَافِقٌ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ يَا مُعَاذُ أَفَتَّانٌ أَنْتَ ـ ثَلاَثًا ـ اقْرَأْ ‏﴿‏وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا‏﴾‏ وَ‏﴿‏سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الأَعْلَى‏﴾‏ وَنَحْوَهَا ‏"‏‏.‏

    Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah: Mu`adh bin Jabal used to pray with the Prophet (ﷺ) and then go to lead his people in prayer. Once he led the people in prayer and recited Surat-al-Baqara. A man left (the row of the praying people) and offered (light) prayer (separately) and went away. When Mu`adh came to know about it, he said. "He (that man) is a hypocrite." Later that man heard what Mu`adh said about him, so he came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Messenger! We are people who work with our own hands and irrigate (our farms) with our camels. Last night Mu`adh led us in the (night) prayer and he recited Sura-al-Baqara, so I offered my prayer separately, and because of that, he accused me of being a hypocrite." The Prophet called Mu`adh and said thrice, "O Mu`adh! You are putting the people to trials? Recite 'Washshamsi wad-uhaha' (91) or'Sabbih isma Rabbi ka-l-A'la' (87) or the like."

    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.

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