Sūrah al-Bayyinah

Observations on the structure and organization of Sūrah al-Bayyinah

﷽

Sūrah al-Bayyinah (The Clear Proof), while short in length, has some of the most exhaustive commentary written, especially pertaining to the opening āyāt. The sūrah is named after the mention of “al-Bayyinah (the clear proof),” which Allah ﷻ sent down to guide mankind.

When observed in whole, the sūrah appears to form a ring structure.

Connections

[A]/[A’]

The sūrah begins by describing the “bayyinah” which came to separate people into believers and disbelievers. The ending declares the outcomes for people on either side of that division. Those who disbelieved in the face of clear evidence are labeled as the “worst of creatures (sharrul bariyyah),” while those who chose to believe and act on that belief are labeled as “the best of creatures (khayrul bariyyah).”

When broken down further, Section [A] and Section [A’] appear to form a ring and a mirror structure, respectively.

[B]

The center of the sūrah focuses on the integrals of al-bayyinah. What does it mean to follow the clear evidence and dīn (religion) of Allah ﷻ? The message sent is one consistent with the message of all previous messengers; messengers the disbelievers would have been familiar with before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

When observed more granularly, the center appears to form another mini-mirror structure.

And Allah knows best - والله أعلم

Please share widely with friends and family :)

---

Source

Ali Khan, Nouman. “01. Al-Bayyinah (Ayah 1-8) - A Concise Commentary” Bayyinah TV, https://bayyinahtv.com/topics/1/categories/9/series/193/videos/1986

Mini-structures within are from personal observation