Al-Anbiyaʼ (, ; "The Prophets") is the 21st chapter (

sūrah A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...

) of the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

with 112 verses ( āyāt). Its principal subject matter is

prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divinity, divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings ...

s of the past, who also preached the same faith as

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

. Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation (''

asbāb al-nuzūl Occasions or circumstances of revelation (in Arabic - ''al-nuzūl'') names the historical context in which Quranic verses were revealed from the perspective of traditional Islam. Though of some use in reconstructing the Qur'an's historicity, ''a ...

''), it is a "

Meccan surah A Meccan surah is, according to the timing and contextual background of their revelation ('' asbāb al-nuzūl'') within Islamic tradition, a chronologically earlier chapter ('' suwar'', singular ''sūrah'') of the Qur'an. The traditional chronolog ...

", which means it is believed to have been revealed in Mecca, instead of later in Medina. It was revealed around 2–3 years before

Hijrah The Hijrah, () also Hegira (from Medieval Latin), was the journey the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers took from Mecca to Medina. The year in which the Hijrah took place is also identified as the e ...

, in a later stage of

preaching in

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

Summary

*1-4 The judgment of careless and mocking

Quraysh The Quraysh () are an Tribes of Arabia, Arab tribe who controlled Mecca before the rise of Islam. Their members were divided into ten main clans, most notably including the Banu Hashim, into which Islam's founding prophet Muhammad was born. By ...

near *5 The Meccan people regard Muhammad as “a forger” *6 Former nations did not heed the miracles *7-8 The former

prophets In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the ...

were but mortal men *9 God favors His prophets but judges infidels *10 The Quraysh mentioned in the Quran *11-15 The unbelieving cities and scoffers destroyed *16-17 The heavens and the earth not created in play *18 The truth must triumph *19-22

Angels An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

serve God, therefore not to be worshipped *23 God is sovereign *24 The great sin of idolatry *25 All apostles testified to God’s unity *26 Angels are not the daughters of God but only 'His' honored servants *27-28 Angelic intercession only by divine permission *29 The doom of angels who usurp divine honors *30-33 God’s works the proof of His divinity *34-35 No human is immortal, all souls will taste death and be returned to God *36-37 Muhammad regarded by the Makkans as a scoffer *38-39 Men hasty to call down divine wrath on themselves *40 Threatened vengeance will descend suddenly *41-42 The doom of those who mocked former prophets *43-44 The gods of the idolaters unable to deliver their votaries, God will triumph over the infidels *45-46 Muhammad only a warner, the deaf will not hear the warnings of God *47 God will judge righteously *48-50 Moses and Aaron, like Muhammad, received a revelation * The Story of Abraham **51 He receives a revelation **52-56 Reproaches his father and people with idolatry **57 He devises a plot to destroy the idols **58 He destroys the idols of the Chaldeans **59-61 He is accused before the people **62-63 He lays the blame on the largest idol **64-65 The Chaldeans at first disposed to repent, but they draw back **66-67 Abraham reproaches them for their idolatry **68 They command him to be burned alive **69-70 God miraculously delivers him **71-73 He receives the promise of Isaac and Jacob *74-75 Lot delivered from Sodom *76 Noah delivered from the Flood *77 The rejecters of Noah drowned for being evil *78-80 The wisdom of David and Solomon, the hills and birds sang with David *81-82 Winds and demons subject to Solomon *83-84

Job Work, labor (labour in Commonwealth English), occupation or job is the intentional activity people perform to support the needs and desires of themselves, other people, or organizations. In the context of economics, work can be seen as the huma ...

is delivered from his affliction *85-86 Other prophets receive mercy from God *87-88 Jonah repents to God and is saved from affliction *89-90 Zachariah’s prayer answered *91 The miraculous conception of Jesus through the virgin Mary *92-93 The true religion is one, but Jews and Christians have sects *94 The faithful certain to be rewarded *95-97 Infidels to be judged at the resurrection *98-100 Idolaters with their gods to be cast into hell *101-103 The reward of the righteous *104 The heavens to be rolled away at the judgment *105-106 The righteous shall inherit the earth *'
107
109 Muhammad is a mercy to mankind and an informer *110-111 God knows the secret thoughts of the infidels *112 God will judge the infidels and show mercy to His prophet

Historical context

Muslims believe this surah was revealed in the Second Meccan Period and is listed as Number 65 according to the Nöldeke Chronology. Within its verses are found numerous evocations of earlier

Judeo-Christian The term ''Judeo-Christian'' is used to group Christianity and Judaism together, either in reference to Christianity's derivation from Judaism, Christianity's recognition of Jewish scripture to constitute the Old Testament of the Christian Bibl ...

prophets. These examples help to emphasize and define Muhammad's role as a messenger within the Quranic context. Additionally, the incorporation of pre-existing Biblical and Judaic scriptures integrate Muhammad's prophetic mission into a larger religious framework, thus broadening the horizons of both the Quran as a text and Islam as a religious movement. The surah is thematically and stylistically characteristic of the Second Meccan Period. The verses identify the religious agency of

by relating him to preexisting Judeo-Christian figures, and from there illustrate common notional doctrines, such as:

Islamic eschatology Islamic eschatology includes the afterlife, apocalyptic signs of the End Times, and final Judgement. It is fundamental to Islam as life after death is one of the six Doctrines of Islam. Resurrection is divided into Lesser Resurrection (''al-q ...

embodied in the Day of Judgment, the fates of the disbelievers and the believers, and the mercy of God. In terms of ordering and delivery, surah 21 contains a tripartite composition and traceable "ring structure", in which the path of

revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...

comes full circle through the sequence of three distinct parts. Consisting of 112 verses in total, The Prophets maintains the Quran's distinctive voice, in which the verses seem conscious of their own revelation and also depend on other Surahs to illustrate particular messages. This clear self-reference, or "self-declaration", and intertextuality are perceptibly unique to the Quran and possess the book with a consciousness distinct from other religious texts.

References

External links

*
Quran 21

Clear Quran translation Mustafa Khattab is a Canadian–Egyptian Muslim scholar, imam, and university chaplain. He holds a professional ijâzah in the Ḥafṣ style of recitation. He is known for his translation of the Quran in "The Clear Quran" series. Career He ...

Q21:2
50+ translations, islamawakened.com {{Authority control Anbiya Abraham in Islam David Solomon Lot (biblical person) Isaac Jacob Noah Job (biblical figure) Gog and Magog John the Baptist