Az-Zumar


Az-Zumar is the 39th chapter, of the Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam. It contains 75 verses. This surah derives its name from the Arabic word zumar that occurs in verses 71 and 73. Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation, it is believed to have been revealed in the mid-Maccan period when persecutions of the Muslim believers by the polytheists had escalated.

Content

The surah expounds the signs of God's Oneness in the natural world and emphasizes the absurdity of associating partners with God. It also hints at emigration for the believers who were suffering great difficulties in worshiping God in their homeland. It also declares that there can be no reconciliation between believing in God's Oneness and association partners with God. The chapter also reminds readers of the other world, where Muslims believe people will see the outcome of their own deeds.

Exegesis ([Tafsir])

Q9:5 He wraps the night over the day

Translation: He created the heavens and earth in truth. He wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running for a specified term. Unquestionably, He is the Exalted in Might, the Perpetual Forgiver.
According to Unal: the word "wraps" in this verse is a simile, which alludes both to the earth's being rounded and to differences in the times of sunrise and sunset.