Brief Tafsir of Surah Yasin by Sheikh Abdur Raheem Limbada (DB)

Surah Yaseen in a Nutshell (Source: Tafseer Raheemi)

“Everything has a heart and the heart of Quran is Surah Yaseen” (Hadith)
The reason behind this is that the Quran focuses a lot on aqeedah (belief).
The core of Aqeedah is three things:
Tawheed (Oneness of Allah)
Risaalah (Prophethood)
Aakhirah (Hereafter)
Surah Yaseen explains these three topics very beautifully, making it the heart of the Quran.
It starts with “Yaseen! Walquranil hakeem. Innaka la Minal Mursaleen. Ala siratim mustaqeem. Tanzeelal Azeezir Raheem”
Maulana Idrees Kandhalwi (rahmatullahi alayhi) writes that Allah has not taken an oath to declare the messengership of any messenger, except for Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam.
Allah said: “Yaseen! By the powerful Quran! (full of wisdom) You are definitely a messenger from our Messengers. You are upon the straight path. (And this Quran is not your word); It is a revelation from the Mighty, the Merciful. (It has been revealed upon you) So that you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned and for that reason they are in negligence.
Many of them are so stubborn that they are not going to budge. So we have also put a seal on their hearts & minds, and We have made them stiff necked so they will continue to deny.
You can only warn someone who pays attention, accepts advice, and fears Rabb (Their Lord). Such should be given good news of maghfirat (forgiveness) and noble reward. We will breathe life into such lifeless people. We have noted down their whole life and recorded it in to a detailed book.”
In the next Ruku (part), Allah mentions the incident of some Rasuls (Messengers) who were sent to a town. The people rejected them and Allah’s wrath fell upon the disbelieving community, and the whole town was annihilated.
They had attempted to kill the three messengers that were sent to them, and they did murder Habib an Najjar who voiced his support for the messengers.
This is an indirect warning to the mushrikeen (polytheists) of Makkah that they should be careful in rejecting Allah’s Rasul, and in trying to kill him otherwise, they will also suffer the same fate.
In the the 3rd Ruku, Allah mentions His power and thereby elaborates the mas’ala (subject) of Tawheed; Allah being the One and Only power and that He is in total control of the whole universe.
“The dry earth brought to life, producing crops and grains, is a sign.
The fields, gardens, palm trees, vineyards, and flowing rivers are a sign.
The creation of pairs in everything, even in plants, is a sign.
The night and day, the extraction of light and the falling of darkness, is a sign.
The rotation of the sun in its designated orbit, is a sign.
The moon and it’s positioning in fixed stations, & it’s resemblance with a twig at the end of the month, is a sign.
No mishaps, No accidents in the cosmos, is a sign.
The ships laden with people and goods for import export, are a sign: He gave the ability to make the ships and He lets them sail smoothly; He could drown them, if he wanted to do so.”
After mentioning some ungratefulness and turning away of the polytheists, Allah mentions their objection upon life after death, which is the third subject of this surah.
“And they say: ” When will this promise materialise, if you lot are telling the truth? They are awaiting nothing but a single scream which will seize them while they will be arguing. Then they will not get the chance to make a will nor will they be able to return to their families”.
This sudden death came upon many of them, like Abu Jahl and Utbah and Shaybah and the likes. They met their fate in the battle of Badr. Surah Yaseen was revealed in Makkah Mukarramah, and the battle of Badr was in Ramadhan 2 years after the migration to Madinah Munawwarah. So there wasn’t a long gap between the warning and between it’s materialisation.
“As for the blowing of the trumpet and the rising of the dead, then that will also happen very swiftly, like the blink of an eye. These criminals will be terrified of the horror at the time of resurrection. They will rise from their graves saying “Woe unto us! Who caused us to stand up from our resting place?” (Ie the graves) the angels will reply: “This is the promise which the Compassionate One had made, and the Rasuls spoke the truth” ”
Every single soul shall be present before Allah. No one will suffer the slightest bit of injustice. Everyone will be repaid only for what they had earned.
People will finally fall in to one of two categories; As’haabul Jannah (People of Paradise) and al-Mujrimioon (Criminals).
The first will be merrymaking in their paradises. They, along with their wives, will be reclining on couches beneath the shades of the beautiful trees in the gardens. They will be offered fruits, and all their demands will be met. On top of that, Rabbe Raheem (Lord Most-Merciful) will say salams to them.
As for the criminals, they will have a hard time. They will be separated from the mass. And Allah will address them very angrily “O children of Adam! Did I not instruct you to avoid devil worship? He was your open enemy. I told you to worship me! This was the straight path. Satan did mislead many among you. Did you not have any brains? This is the jahannam, of which you were warned. Enter and burn in there, due to your denials and disbelief.”
Some will deny their denial saying: “We never committed shirk” Allah will put a seal on their mouths, then their hands and feet will speak up and testify to their crimes.
Then Allah gives a warning “I don’t need to wait for that day to put a seal on them, I can turn them blind and disable them even now, instantly. It is my mercy which prevents me from doing so in this dunya (world).
Well, Do they not ponder over the old age? How we turn around a perfectly healthy person into someone unrecognisable. (See an old man and see his photo when he was young. You will see two completely different figures.)
Thereafter Allah talks about the Quran and sahibe (the recepiant of the) quran. “And don’t think that this Quran is poetry! We never taught poetry to this Rasul of ours. Poetry would not be appropriate for him. This Quran is but a reminder. A Warner for someone whose heart is alive and kicking. It will establish proof against the deniers.”
Then Allah reminds us of His favour upon us by creating the cattle for us. He made us own them, subdue them, ride upon them, drink their milk, eat their meat and use their skin, wool, etc for our living.
Then Allah files a complaint against those who are ungrateful, in a beautiful manner. “They take others as gods, in the hope of gaining their support. It’s impossible. In fact, on the day of judgement, those idols will also be brought in front of their worshipers . Life will be breathed into them and Allah will ask them “Did you mislead these people?” They will reply “Subhanak! (Glory be to Allah) It was not possible for us to take anyone beside You as our patron, You gave them so many things to enjoy that they forgot You and forgot Your reminders. And they were doomed people” (al Furqan)
Then Allah consoles his Rasul “(My beloved) Don’t let their comments grieve you! We know their ins and outs! Therefore continue with your good work.
Then Allah asks a question “Does man not realise that we created him from a drop of semen. Now that he has turned into an eloquent speaker, he turns in to an adversary and he produces a similitude before us. He forgets how he was created. He says Who will bring these crumbled bones back to life?”
This refers to a mushrik (Polytheist) who brought the bone of a goat which had died long ago and he rubbed the bone on his hand and the particles began to fall on the floor. Then he said the above in mocking tone.
Rasulullah kept quiet. Allah sent Jibreel alayhissalam with these heart piercing verses.
“Tell him (the mushrik), “That being who created the bones first time, will create them for a second time. He has full knowledge of how to create everything” Two things are needed to create; knowledge and power, Allah has both.
He created fire in the branches of some trees (markh & afaar) water and fire are two completely opposite entities; Allah has combined them both in these trees so travellers can light fire with them and use them for cooking and warming.
Can that being Who created the seven heavens and the earth, not create a 6 foot human being? Why not? He is Al Khallaq Al Aleem. When intends to do something, he only has to say “Be” and it becomes. Subhan (Glorified) is that being in whose hands is the malakoot (kingdom) of everything and to Him is your return”
In this beautiful way, the Surah comes to a close. The three subjects are covered. Aqeedah is strengthened. Maybe this is why we have been instructed to recite Yaseen upon a dying person. If he understands Arabic, his heart will turn towards Aakhirah, which will ease the pangs of death. If he doesn’t understand Arabic, he will get the Barakah (blessings) of Surah Yaseen.
END