Surah Adh-Dhariyat

Adh-Dhariyat (The Winnowing Winds) is the 51st surah of the Quran. It is a Meccan surah of 60 verses and the 67th in the traditional order of revelation, after Al-Ahqaf. It takes its name from its opening oath, "by the winds that scatter", affirms that the promised resurrection and judgment are true, and ends by recalling the purpose for which jinn and humans were created.

The opening oaths

The surah begins with four oaths. Commentators, following an explanation attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib, understand them as the winds that scatter dust, the clouds heavy with rain, the ships that sail with ease and the angels who apportion affairs by God's command. Their answer: what you are promised is true, and the Judgment will come (51:5–6).

Themes

• Those who deny, lost in conjecture and asking when the Day of Judgment will be (51:10–14), set against the God-fearing, who slept little at night, sought forgiveness before dawn and saw in their wealth a right for the beggar and the deprived (51:15–19).
• Signs on the earth and within yourselves: "Will you not then see?" (51:20–21); your provision is in the heaven, as true as the fact that you speak (51:22–23).
• The honoured guests of Abraham, angels to whom he brought a roasted calf, who announced a knowing son and were sent to destroy the people of Lot (51:24–37).
• Lessons from Pharaoh, from 'Ad struck by the barren wind, from Thamud and the people of Noah (51:38–46).
• The heaven built with might, the earth spread out, and all things created in pairs (51:47–49), followed by the call "So flee to God" (51:50).
• The purpose of creation: "I created jinn and humankind only to worship Me" (51:56), for God needs nothing from them: He is the Provider, Lord of power, the Firm (51:57–58).

Related surahs

It follows Qaf and precedes At-tur. The story of Abraham's guests is also told in Hud.