050- QAF
Qaf
Although all scholars agree that Qāf is a Makkan sūrah, some maintain that v. 38 is from the Madinan period. The sūrah takes its name from the mention of the Arabic letter qāf at the beginning and is known to some as al-Bāsiqāt, “The Towering,” after the reference to date palms towering with layered spathes in v. 10 (Itqān). It could also be understood to be the “Sūrah of the Threat,” since of the six times that threat or “warning” (waʿīd) is employed in the Quran, four occur in this sūrah. Just as the previous sūrah criticized those who claim to believe, but have not yet realized the fullness of faith, this sūrah criticizes those who do not believe in the prophethood of Muhammad and the Hereafter.
Many scholars consider Qāf to mark the beginning of the “separated” (mafaṣṣal) sūrahs, the shorter sūrahs whose length leads to the more frequent appearance of the basmalah—In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful—which marks the beginning of each new sūrah. It is reported that in later years, the Prophet would recite Qāf from the pulpit during the sermon of the Friday congregational prayer. He is also reported to have read Qāf and Sūrah 54, al-Qamar, during the two ʿīds (the Feast of Sacrifice and the Feast of Breaking Fast) and to have often recited Qāf during the morning prayer. The Prophet’s frequent recitation of this sūrah has led some to consider it as among the greatest of sūrahs.
After beginning with a reference to the Quran and addressing those who reject the Prophet and deny Resurrection (vv. 1–5), the sūrah calls one to reflect upon the wonders of creation as evidence of God’s Omnipotence (vv. 6–11). A brief reference to previous communities that rejected the prophets sent to them (vv. 12–15) leads into the main subject of the sūrah, death and the disparate ends of the believers and the disbelievers in the Hereafter (vv. 16–35). Another brief allusion to past generations (vv. 36–37) paves the way for an injunction to be mindful of death (vv. 38–44) and a final injunction to the Prophet to remind those who fear God’s Threat (v. 45).
(source: “The Study Quran” a new translation and commentary by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)
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