Surah Furqan

Surah Furqan (سورة الفرقان), also known as Tabarak (تبارك),  is the 25^th surah of the Quran that Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad in the city of Mecca. The surah gets its name, Furqan, meaning criterion, or something that separates the truth from falsehood from the first verse that says, “Blessed is the one who sent down the Criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to all nations.” In this article on Islam4u, the following topics will be discussed:

Facts about Surah Furqan

Surah no.	25
Place	Juz’ 18 & 19
Makki/Madani	Makki
Order of revelation	42
No. of verses	77
No. of words	897
No. of letters	3877

Benefits of Reciting Surah Furqan

1. Having faith in the Day of Judgment: The Noble Prophet has been quoted as saying, “Whoever recites surah Furqan will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment while he has faith in the Day of Judgment and the resurrection of the dead from their graves. He will enter paradise without being held accountable for his deeds.”¹
2. Not being punished in the Hereafter and going to heaven without being held accountable for one’s deeds: Musa ibn Ja‘far al-Kāẓim has said, “Do not abandon recitation of surah Furqan because whoever recites it at night, Allah will never punish him nor hold him accountable for his deeds, and Allah will admit him into paradise.²
3. Easy marriage: If a single person wishes to get married, he should fast for three days and every night before going to bed, he must recite verses 74-76 of surah Furqan 21 times. Then, he should ask Allah to grant his request. In this way, Allah will make his marriage easy for him.³
4. A cure for shortness of breath: Verse 11 can be recited for relieving shortness of breath.⁴

The Gist of Surah Furqan

Furqan means separator of the truth from falsehood. Surah Furqan discusses topics such as monotheism, Qiyamah, prophethood, and fighting idolatry and its final verses talk about the qualities of true believers. Moreover, surah Furqan contains verses about:

1. The excuses of polytheists and the answers to them
2. The story of past nations such as the people of Rass (رَسّ)
3. The people’s regret on the Qiyamah
4. Signs of monotheism and Allah’s grandeur in nature
5. Comparison of believers with disbelievers

The most important verses of this surah are about “the Servants of the All-beneficent (عِبادُ الرَّحمن).” Verses 63 to the end of surah Furqan describe the Servants of the All-beneficent.⁵

The Occasion of Revelation of a Few Verses of Surah Furqan

As for the occasion of revelation of verse seven of surah Furqan, some exegetes have said: A group of people among the disbelievers went to the Prophet to speak with him and tell him that if he wants wealth they will give it to him. However, the Prophet rejected them and said that that which he has brought is not for wealth, kingdom, or fame, but rather Allah has given him the duty of warning and giving good news to people and convey His message. Then the disbelievers said, “How come an angel does not accompany you, or why has not Allah given you a garden or palace to make you needless? Therefore, verse 20 of surah Furqan was revealed saying:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا إِنَّهُمْ لَيَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُونَ فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ ۗ وَجَعَلْنَا بَعْضَكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ فِتْنَةً أَتَصْبِرُونَ ۗ وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ بَصِيرًا ‎﴿٢٠﴾‏

And all the messengers We sent before you [were human being like you, so they] ate food and walked in the markets [too]. And We test some of you with another [to see] whether you exercise patience [or not]. And [you should know that] your Lord is All-Seeing.⁷

So Allah tests some of you with another to see whether you are patient or not. That is, if Allah wanted He would give his Messenger the whole world so that they would not oppose him anymore.⁸

Famous Verses of Surah Furqan

Verse thirty of surah Furqan is a very famous verse of the Quran. It reads:

وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا ‎﴿٣٠﴾‏

And the Messenger will say, “O My Lord! Indeed, my people abandoned [and disregarded] this Qur’ān.”⁹

Nowadays, we are witnessing how this saying of the Prophet has come true. Most exegetes say that the Prophet will say this on Qiyamah. However, this saying holds true even  today. We are living at a time when the Quran is disregarded by Muslims. Muslims keep the Quran in their houses, but do not read it or act upon it. Therefore, this saying of the Prophet is not just for the Day of Judgment, but rather it applies to our lives today as well.

Verse 53 of Surah Furqan

وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًا وَحِجْرًا مَّحْجُورًا ‎﴿٥٣﴾

And it is He who brings two seas together, one of them is sweet and favorable and the other is salty and bitter, and He placed a barrier between them lest they mingle.¹⁰

This verse speaks about one of the wonders and powers of Allah. There are two seas that are brought together, yet they do not mix. One is sweet while the other is bitter and salty. Allah has placed a barrier between the two seas so they do not mingle. This is truly one of the miracles of Allah. There really is such a thing in the real world. For example, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea meet, but their waters do not mingle.

Verse 59 of Surah Furqan

الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ ۚ الرَّحْمَٰنُ فَاسْأَلْ بِهِ خَبِيرًا ‎﴿٥٩﴾

He, who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days, and then settled on the Throne, the All-beneficent; so ask someone who is well aware about Him.¹¹

The content of this verse has been repeated in six other verses with some differences. Most exegetes agree that by days, Allah means periods of time, not 24 hours. What is meant by Allah settling on the Throne is that He began managing His creation.

Historical Narrations

Surah Furqan talks about Prophet Moses and Aaron and introduces the people of Noah as a group of people who denied prophets and ultimately drowned in the flood. It also mentions the people of ‘Ād, Thamūd, and Rass, introducing them as people who suffered divine punishment. Likewise, verse 40 speaks about the fate of the people of Prophet Lot.

Conclusion

Surah Furqan is a surah that contains very useful information. Furqan means separator of the truth from falsehood. Surah Furqan discusses topics such as monotheism, resurrection, prophethood, and fighting idolatry and its final verses talk about the qualities of true believers, namely the Servants of the All-beneficent. One of the benefits of reciting surah Furqan according to the Noble Prophet is that one will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment while one has faith in the Day of Judgment and the resurrection of the dead from their graves. One will enter paradise without being held accountable for one’s deeds.