Surah Muhammad (مُحَمَّد) — Muhammad
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Muhammad is the 47th surah, 38 verses, and one of the few surahs named directly after the Prophet ﷺ (PBUH). It's a Madani surah, revealed during the period when the early Muslim community was facing organised opposition.
The surah opens with a sharp contrast that sets the tone. Those who disbelieve and turn people away from Allah's path, Allah will waste their actions. Those who believe and do good and accept what was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ, Allah will erase their bad deeds and improve their condition. From there, the surah moves between describing the disbelievers' attitude and the believers' reward, switching back and forth.
There's a famous parable in the surah about paradise. Rivers of water that never spoils. Rivers of milk whose taste never changes. Rivers of wine, delicious to those who drink. Rivers of clarified honey. Then the comparison. Are these the same as people stuck in fire and given boiling water that cuts up their insides? The contrast is the point. The two outcomes are not on a spectrum. They are entirely separate categories.
The surah also has direct guidance for the community itself. Don't get tired. Don't call for peace when you have the upper hand. Don't waste what Allah gave you. There's a powerful line about people whose hearts are diseased and who are afraid of what Allah might ask of them, and the verse says Allah knows what's in their hearts even when they hide it.
How many verses are in Surah Muhammad?
Thirty-eight verses. It's the 47th surah in the Quran.
Why is the surah named Muhammad?
The Prophet ﷺ is mentioned by name in verse 2 of the surah. There are only four places in the Quran where he's named directly. This is one of them, and it's the only surah named after him.
What's the parable of paradise in this surah?
The surah describes paradise as having four rivers: water that never spoils, milk whose taste never changes, wine that's a pleasure to drink, and clarified honey. It contrasts this with people stuck in Hellfire. The point is the two outcomes are entirely separate, not points on a scale.