The Themes of the Sūrah

Several themes stand out on reading it. The first is a set of basic matters of ʿaqāʾid and belief: tawḥīd, prophecy, resurrection once more, reward for one's deeds, and īmān. The second is the censure of the disbelievers, with an account of the fire and of how terrible it will be — dissuasion, in other words, set out at length.

After that comes the corresponding persuasion. It may be seen from verse 28, and from 31 to 38:^** the Paradise prepared for the believers.

Then there is the consolation given to the Prophet (peace be upon him), at verses 9, 12, 13 and 18: comfort and reassurance concerning the peoples of the past, an assurance that he will succeed, that he should persist in what he is doing, and that he need not trouble himself over their enmity and opposition. The discussion continues in this vein throughout, and Allah (swt) speaks of the other prophets.