All of the Surahs in the Qur’an are linked, and within them, Allah is building a deep message for the believers.
There is something to be drawn from this Surah; it is a source of strength. Muhammad (SAW) went out of his way to teach the merits of Surah Yaseen, as it is a catalyst for changing the way we see things in our lives.
Muhammad (SAW) said:
“Surah Ya Sin is the heart of the Qur’an.”
This is because the whole Surah gives us a very different description of the Day of Qiyamah. It takes us directly to the reality of life.
Reading Surah Yaseen is a preparation of the heart for the Aakhirah. It is a reminder for us of the ultimate destination, and is a driving force for our A’maal. Additionally, Surah Yaseen is a means of Allah’s mercy on us, ease for the dead, and it fulfills one’s needs if it is put ahead of those needs.
Consider the following question: do I rely on my schedules, or do I draw strength from Surah Yaseen?
These systems we rely on and think we cannot live without must be replaced by Surah Yaseen. A shift of mindframe is necessary: that it is not our schedules and comforts that pull us through the day, but the incredible power of this Surah.
Surah Yaseen has several different names:
This name creates value in our minds. It is great, and thus, has an impact in our lives.
This is such a marvelous word, in that Surah Yaseen has blessings in this world and the Aakhirah. It has the benefit of helping us through the day, as well as preparing for the Hereafter.
Sharif is ‘noble’.
It was said that his intercession on the Day of Judgement will be accepted for a number of people that would exceed the number of people in the tribe of Rab’ah (reported by Said Ibn Mansur and al-Baihaqi from Hassan Ibn ‘Atiyyah).
It removes the misfortune from its readers.
It is the caretaker of needs. We do not draw our strength from people, but from Allah’s Word.
يسٓ ١
“Ya-Sin.” (36:1)
These are one of the ‘isolated letters’, and the knowledge of them is only with Allah.
وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ ٢
“By the Quran, rich in wisdom!” (36:2)
إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ ٣
“You O Prophet are truly one of the messengers.” (36:3)
عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ ٤
“upon the Straight Path.” (36:4)
تَنزِيلَ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٥
“This is the revelation from the Almighty, Most Merciful,” (36:5)
Allah opens Surah Yaseen taking an oath on the Qur’an; that it is perfect and there is no fault in it. He affirms Muhammad (SAW) as a prophet, telling him that his Deen is good.
In these Ayaat, Allah wants us to value the Qur’an that we have. Before it was sent down, there was no guidance. And so it is a light for humanity.
لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًۭا مَّآ أُنذِرَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ فَهُمْ غَـٰفِلُونَ ٦
“so that you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, and so are heedless.” (36:6)
The whole purpose of the Qur’an was to warn and bring people to Allah. Allah sent it down to pull humanity out of negligence and heedlessness, which is linked to the lessons of Surah Saba’.
لَقَدْ حَقَّ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَىٰٓ أَكْثَرِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ٧
“The decree of torment has already been justified against most of them, for they will never believe.” (36:7)
Many people are written to be on the path of Kufr, even if they were warned.
Allah gives us reminders as believers, but sometimes we do not make the changes necessary. It is a matter of responding to the warnings of Allah in order to enact these changes.
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا فِىٓ أَعْنَـٰقِهِمْ أَغْلَـٰلًۭا فَهِىَ إِلَى ٱلْأَذْقَانِ فَهُم مُّقْمَحُونَ ٨
“It is as if We have put shackles around their necks up to their chins, so their heads are forced up,” (36:8)
Allah gives the example of the disbelievers being akin to shackled around their necks, and cannot look in any other direction; this is the most extreme example of the disbelievers. Because of these shackles, they cannot even see danger ahead of them.
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنۢ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ سَدًّۭا وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ سَدًّۭا فَأَغْشَيْنَـٰهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ ٩
“and have placed a barrier before them and a barrier behind them and covered them all up, so they will fail to see the truth.” (36:9)
Secondly, they have barriers around them, veiling them from the truth. These are examples of negligence.
There are times where as believers, we cannot bring changes into our lives. What are these barriers that prevent us from changing? What are the factors that block our paths?
وَسَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ١٠
“It is the same whether you warn them or not–they will never believe.” (36:10)
إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَخَشِىَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ ۖ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍۢ وَأَجْرٍۢ كَرِيمٍ ١١
“You can only warn those who follow the Reminder and are in awe of the Most Compassionate without seeing Him. So give them good news of forgiveness and an honourable reward.” (36:11)
Because of these shackles and barriers, many will never believe.
The warning only benefits those who take heed of and follow them. Our relationship with Allah must be intimate; to recognise Him and His power in everything.
As believers, we must foster this quality of being in the awe of Allah. To build this awe of Him, we must recognise His might in everything and attribute all in our life to Allah. This is when we truly feel the impact of this awe.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا۟ وَءَاثَـٰرَهُمْ ۚ وَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَـٰهُ فِىٓ إِمَامٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ ١٢
“It is certainly We Who resurrect the dead, and write what they send forth and what they leave behind. Everything is listed by Us in a perfect Record.” (36:12)
Allah not only gives life to us on the Day of Qiyamah, but He gives life to our hearts. In the same way he will resurrect us after death, He can give life to hearts of whomever He wills, be it the disbelievers, or those hearts that died in misguidance, by guiding them to the truth.
Muhammad (SAW) said:
“Whoever starts (or sets an example of) something good in Islam, will have a reward for it, and a reward equal to that of everyone who does it after him, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. Whoever starts (or sets an example of) something evil in Islam, will bear the burden for that, and a burden equal to that of everyone who does it after him, without that detracting from their burden in the slightest.”
And so Surah Yaseen is a redirect of what we are putting forward to the Aakhirah, and not this world.
