Ad-Dukhaan (The Smoke)
Verse 1 - 3
Table of Contents
Section (juz’ 25)
Number of Verses: 59
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Chapter in question revealed in Mecca has fifty nine Verses. It is the fifth Chapter beginning with the detached letters Ha-Meem (HM).
The word:
dukhan (“smoke”)
it attested twice in the Holy Qur’an. One instance is to be found in Chapter 411 concerning the beginning of this world and the other which may be found in the tenth Verse of the Chapter in question, makes a reference to the end of the world.
Most of the issues mentioned in the Chapter concern the Greatness of the Qur’an; it Revelation on the Night of Decree; Unity; disbelievers’ fate; the story of prophet Moses (as), Children of Israel, and Pharaoh; uselfulness of creation; and the creation of the heavens and the earth.
Merits of the Recitation of the Chapter
According to a Prophetic tradition:
“One who recites Surah al-Dukhan on Friday in the day and at night, God will have a mansion built for him in Paradise.”2
Another Prophetic tradition says:
“One who recites Surah al-Dukhan in one night, he will awaken when seventy thousand angels ask for his forgiveness.”3
Surah al-Dukhan - Verses 1-3
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ حم (1) وَ الْكِتابِ الْمُبِينِ (2) إِنَّا أَنْزَلْناهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُبارَكَةٍ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنْذِرِينَ (3)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1. Ha-Meem
2. By the manifest Book that makes things clear.
3. We sent It down on a blessed night. Indeed, We are ever warning.
The word “blessed” (mubarak) refers to the Night of Decree (laylat al-qadr) which is in the blessed month of Ramadan [the ninth month of the lunar calendar]: (“The month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was sent down”).
Different interpretations have been put forward for the detached letters opening a number of Qur’anic Chapters the best of which may be the one according to which the inimitability of the Holy Qur’an springs from the same letters as the second Verse of Chapter 422 , following the detached letters Ha-Meem (HM) Ain-Sin-Qaf (ASQ), reads:
“Likewise Allah, the Omnipotent, the All-Wise sends Revelation to you [O Muhammad!].”
according to a number of traditions, a secret lies in these letters which is solely known to God.3
The detached letters Ha-Meem (HM) open the Verse in question as well as the four preceding and the two following Chapters. Interpretations of these letters have been discussed above. Such interpretations of the detached letters Ha-Meem (HM) may be found in the openings of Chapters 40 and 414 .
It is worthy of note that a number of exegets have taken Ha-Meem in the sense of taking an oath consistent with the following oath to the Qur’an thus making two oaths to the detached letters Ha-Meem (HM) and the Qur’an.
It was mentioned above that God Almighty swears to the Holy Qur’an in the second Verse of this Chapter saying:
“By the manifest Book that makes things clear.”
The Holy Qur’an is a Book with manifest contents, invigorating teachings, constructive decrees, and well measured plans. It bears testimony to Its Truth.
“The Sun bears testimony to [the existence of] the Sun.”
The truth for which the oath has been taken is suggested in the third Verse:
“We sent It [i.e., the Holy Qur’an bearing testimony to the veracity of the prophethood of the Prophet of Islam (S)] down on a blessed night.”
The word:
mubarak (“blessed; useful; everlasting; permanent”)
derives from baraka.
What night is the one which is the source of permanent good things? The majority of exegets maintain that it is the Night of Decree, a blessed Night on which the Ordainments of the world of humanity found a novel color with the Revelation of the Holy Qur’an, a night on which the fates of humanity and the Ordainments of one year are predestined.
Thus, the Holy Qur’an was revealed to the pure heart of the Prophet (S) on a fateful and momentous night. It is noteworthy that the Verse apparently indicates that the Holy Qur’an, in Its entirety, was revealed to the Prophet (S) on the Night of Decree.
What was the main purpose behind Its revelation?
It is mentioned in the same Verse:
“Indeed, We are ever warning.”
God Almighty appoints His Messengers to warn polytheists and wrong doers and the prophethood of the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) with this manifest Book is the last link of the chain of prophethood.
It is true that prophets warned on the one hand and bore glad tidings on the other, but their calls basically rested on giving warnings to wrong doers and sinners.