524 Page Notes

52 Surah At-Tur (continued)

Page 524 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 524 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Surah At-Tur (Chapter 52), verses 15 through 31, contrasts the painful fate of the deniers with the eternal rewards of those who lived in taqwa (God-consciousness). While there are few Hadiths that exclusively address these specific verses in isolation, the Surah as a whole is well-documented in the Sunnah due to the Prophet Muhammad’s (ﷺ) frequent recitation of it.

Key Themes in Verses 15–31

• The Confrontation with Truth (Verses 15–16): These verses depict the skeptics who previously mocked the hereafter finally encountering the Fire. They are told to "burn" in it, as their condition—whether they are patient or impatient—is the same, for they are receiving the recompense of their own deeds.

• The Reward of the Pious (Verses 17–28): This passage provides one of the most vivid descriptions of Paradise in the Quran. The righteous are described as enjoying the fruits and bounties granted by their Lord, being protected from the torment of the Fire, and reclining on lined-up thrones.

• Family Reunion in Paradise (Verse 21): A deeply comforting aspect of these verses is the promise that those who believed and whose descendants followed them in faith will be reunited with their families in Paradise, with their ranks elevated to match those of their parents without diminishing any of the parents' own rewards.

Traditions and Context

• Recitation in Prayer: The Prophet (ﷺ) was known to recite Surah At-Tur during the Maghrib prayer. The companion Jubayr ibn Mut'im (ra) famously noted that when he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) recite these verses, his heart felt as though it were "about to fly" due to the profound impact of the message.

• Fear of Accountability: Verses 26–27 highlight the mindset of the people of Paradise. When asked how they attained their station, they reply: "Indeed, we were before among our families, fearful." Scholars explain this "fear" as taqwa—a constant awareness of Allah that guided their actions in the worldly life. The Prophet’s (ﷺ) habit of reciting this Surah during public prayers served to constantly remind the community that their station in the afterlife is directly tied to their mindfulness of Allah in their daily life.

• The Reality of Hell: While verse 14 mentions the "Fire which you used to belie," a relevant Hadith from Sahih Muslim (Hadith 6810) provides insight into the scale of the afterlife realities described in the Surah. The Prophet (ﷺ) stated: "Hell will be brought on that Day with seventy thousand bridles; and with every bridle will be seventy thousand angels, pulling it." Scholars use this to emphasize that the descriptions of Hell in the Quran are literal realities that require firm belief.

Scholarly Insight

The recurring theme throughout this section is the transition from "fear" in this life to "peace" in the next. The verses emphasize that the believers who maintained their duty to Allah while amidst their families (verse 26) are the ones who are ultimately shielded from the scorching wind of punishment. Reciting these verses is often recommended by scholars as a means to cultivate yaqeen (certainty) and to motivate the believer to maintain righteousness both privately and within the family unit.

References

• Sahih Muslim, Book 40, Hadith 6810 (Concerning the description of Hell).

• Maududi, S. A. A. Tafhim al-Qur'an (Commentary on Surah At-Tur).

• Cetin, A. "The place of music in Qur'anic recitation," American Journal of Islam and Society.

Surah At-Tur (Chapter 52), Verses 15 through 31 comprises the entirety of page 524 in the standard Madinah mushaf (Quran). This section vividly contrasts the grim reality facing the deniers of truth with the sublime, multi-generational rewards awaiting the righteous in Paradise, concluding with a piercing critique of the psychological deflections used by the disbelievers against the Prophet.

The authentic Hadiths and prophetic traditions linked directly to this specific portion of the Quran are documented heavily within canonical literature like Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, as well as specific interpretive (Tafsir) traditions.

1. Historical & Liturgical Significance: The Incident of Jubayr ibn Mut’im

The most famous historical narrative connecting the Prophet's direct recitation of Surah At-Tur to the conversion of an enemy is explicitly tied to this chapter.

The Conversion of Jubayr (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Jubayr ibn Mut'im traveled to Madinah as a non-Muslim emissary to negotiate the ransom of prisoners captured during the Battle of Badr. He arrived during the evening prayer.

"I heard the Prophet reciting Surat At-Tur in the Maghrib prayer, and when he reached the verses: '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!' [Verses 35–36, directly following your passage], my heart was about to fly [i.e., to accept Islam]." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 4854).

Though the exact verses he overheard extended into the mid-30s, the entire passage of Surah At-Tur recited in that prayer session was what deeply shook his theological foundations, leading to his eventual conversion.

2. Hadith Contextualization of Verses 15–31

Verse 21: Reunion of Families in Paradise

“And those who believed and whose offspring followed them in faith—We will join with them their offspring, and We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds.”

• Sunnah Link and Interpretive Hadith: In the classic Tafsir literature (such as Ibn Kathir and the analytical compilations of mushkil al-hadith), a well-known interpretive tradition attributed to Abdullah ibn Abbas states that the Prophet explained this verse as an act of pure Divine favor (Mirzaei et al., 1403).

• The Prophet noted that Allah raises the spiritual degree of a believer's children in Paradise to match the high rank of their parents—even if the children's personal deeds were lower—simply so the parents' eyes may be comforted by their family’s presence, without diminishing the parent's reward.

• This concept of "conditional joining" reinforces that while individual responsibility is paramount, family lineage bound by collective faith is honored in the afterlife (Mirzaei et al., 1403).

Verses 22–24: The Etiquette and Delights of Paradise

“And We will provide them with fruit and meat from whatever they desire. They will exchange with one another a cup [of wine] wherein is no frivolous talk or practice of sin. And there will circulate among them [servant] boys for them, as if they were pearls well-protected.”

• Sunnah Link on the Servants of Paradise: In standard Prophetic traditions concerning the nature of Paradise, companions asked about the striking imagery of verse 24. A famous Hadith found in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad clarifies the sheer scale of luxury. The Prophet was asked: "If the servant is like a well-protected pearl, what must the master look like?" The Prophet replied: "The superiority of the master over the servant is like the superiority of the full moon over the rest of the stars on a clear night."

Verse 30: Accusations of Being a Doom-Poet

“Or do they say [of you], 'A poet for whom we await a misfortune of time [i.e., death]?'”

• Sunnah Link to Prophetic Adversity: This verse directly references the psychological warfare waged by the Quraysh elite against Muhammad. They attempted to dismiss his revelations as mere temporal poetry or a spell. In multiple Sahih traditions regarding Islamic military history and early da'wah, figures like Abu Jahl and Utbah ibn Rabi’ah are noted as explicitly using this verbiage, advising the Quraysh to simply wait out the Prophet's life span, hoping his movement would dissolve upon his natural death. This verse exposes that exact strategy (Al-Fughom, 2015).

References

• Al-Fughom, N. B. (2015). Major factors affecting the performance of the Muslim military in early Islamic battles. White Rose eTheses.

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. (n.d.). Sahih al-Bukhari. (Reference to Hadith on Jubayr ibn Mut'im's Maghrib prayer experience).

• Mirzaei, P., Adineh Satri, P., & Maleklou, S. (1403 [2024/2025]). Approaches to Resolving the Analysis of Problematic (Mushkil) Hadiths on "Joining Offspring to Fathers" in the Interpretation of Verse 21 of Surah al-Ṭūr. Journal of Quranic Knowledge Research, 15(59), 53-82.