Quranic Reflections - Islamic School of Stanford

Surat Hud
Surat Hud consists of 123 ayahs and was revealed in Makkah after Surat Yunus; this
is also how the Surahs appear in the sequence of the Holy Qur’an.
Three consecutive Surahs with Prophets’ names
There are several Surahs in the Qur’an that are named after Prophets, some of which
are the three consecutive Surahs, Yunus, Hud, and Yusuf. These Surahs are united by
several resemblances. They were the first Surahs of the Qur’an to be named after
Prophets. They were revealed in the same sequence you would find in the Qur’an. In
addition, they were revealed during the same Makkan period, which was
characterized by increased distress on Muslims and the Prophet (SAWS).
It is important here to mention that there is a Qur’anic rule in narrating Prophets’
stories. When the name of a Prophet is used as a title for a Surah, the objective of the
Surah is always related to that Prophet’s story, as in the example of Surat Yunus (AS),
whose main objective was the submission to Allah’s wisdom in fate.
Another Qur’anic rule that makes one feel the glory of this book and its magnificence
is that every story of Allah’s Prophets ends with an ayah or a group of ayahs that
clarify the moral behind the story. If one wanted to know the divine message that any
story carries, one just needs to read the last line in that Surah’s Prophetic story. It is a
magnificent rule that is repeated in a wondrous way in the Qur’an.
Earthquakes of Trials
This Surah was revealed ten years after the Prophet’s (SAWS) call during the darkest
and hardest of all times for him. The Muslims were oppressed in Makkah, and thus,
the Prophet gave permission to his companions to migrate to Al-Habasha (Ethiopia).
Other companions, who were left in Makkah, remained to suffer various types of
torment.
As for Allah’s messenger, his state wasn’t much better than the state of his
companions. His uncle and protector, Abu Taleb, and his wife Khadija bint
Khuwailed, who used to solace him, both died. Moreover, when the Prophet went to
“Al-Taif” to invite people to Islam, they rejected him and harshly threw stones at him.
At the same time, additional people in Makkah stopped converting to Islam and all
tribes refused to support the Prophet (SAWS) or to accept this religion.
How similar today is with yesterday
The circumstances that the Prophet (SAWS) and his followers passed through were
harsh and very much resemble the hardships that Islam and Muslims are facing now.
The aura of this Surah is useful to religious youth. Open your minds and hearts in
order to understand Allah’s aim from this Surah.
When humans live under pressure, just like the Prophet’s companions, or similar to
what we are facing today, they must fall in one of the following problems: