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Sura 55
Aya 1

Chapter 55

The All-Beneficental-Raḥmān ( الرحمن )

78 verses • revealed at Medinan

»The surah that crowns the Quran and opens with the chant of a single word proclaiming one of God’s most beautiful names, The All-Beneficent. It takes its name from verse 1 which mentions “the All-beneficent” (al-raḥmān). The surah highlights Gods wonders in this world, describes the end of the world, and paints an evocative picture of the delights of Paradise. Hell is briefly contrasted (verse 43 ff.) with the joys that await the righteous. The surah is characterized by the refrain “So which of your Lord’s bounties will you both deny?” which runs throughout. The surah divides mankind and jinn into three classes: the disbelievers (verse 41 ff.), the best of believers (verse 46 ff.), and the ordinary believers (verse 62 ff.).«

The surah is also known as (God) Most Gracious, The All-Merciful, The Beneficent, The Lord of Mercy, The Merciful, The Mercy-giving, The Most Gracious

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

Muhammad Asad: In The Name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace:

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الرَّحمٰنُ

Muhammad Asad

ALTHOUGH most of the commentators regard this surah as a Meccan revelation, Zamakhshari and (among the later scholars) Suyuti ascribe it to the Medina period. Baydawi leaves the question open, and adds that parts of it may have been revealed before and parts after the Prophet's hijrah to Medina. Some authorities are of the opinion that it followed immediately upon surah 13 ("Thunder"): an opinion which is not very helpful since that surah, too, cannot be assigned to either of the two periods with any degree of certainty.
THE MOST GRACIOUS