Sūrat as-Sajdah

Observations on the structure, coherence and organization of Sūrat as-Sajdah

Sūrat as-Sajdah (Bowing One’s Head to the Ground) is the 32nd sūrah in the Quran’s compiled order and a sūrah the Messenger ﷺ would frequently recite during Fajr prayer on Fridays along with Sūrat al-Insān (Mankind). Sūrat as-Sajdah is said to have been revealed in Makkah. When the contents of the sūrah are laid out, it appears that the sūrah forms a mirror structure.

CONNECTIONS

[A]/[A’] - The sūrah begins by defending the integrity of the Message and Messenger ﷺ. The disbelievers say (yaqulūna), “Did he make it up?” in the first few āyāt, and again are found making baseless claims towards the conclusion of the sūrah where they say (yaqulūna), “When is this victory if you all were truthful?”

The sūrah continues by informing the Messenger ﷺ that he was given the Truth “in order to warn a people who weren’t given a warner before.” By the end of the sūrah, the position of the disbelievers is made clear as Allah ﷻ instructs the Messenger ﷺ to “turn away from them.” They have rejected the warner sent to them, so don’t bother with them.

The opening passage concludes with the reason the Messenger ﷺ was sent; “so that they may be guided.” The concluding passage resoundingly confirms their lack of guidance as it states, “The faith of the disbelievers won’t benefit them on the Day of Decision.”

[B]/[B’] - Section [B] mentions “the heavens and the earth and what is in-between them,” as well as “the sky and the earth,” which are referenced again in Section [B’] when Allah ﷻ says He “drives the rain [from the sky] to the barren earth.” Allah ﷻ also says in [B] that He is the “Knower of the unseen and seen” which complements the hidden plants alluded to in [B’], which Allah ﷻ “brings out [into view]” from the earth.

Both sections also have a rhetorical question embedded in them. First, Allah ﷻ asks, “Do they not reflect and ponder?” after outlining His creations and how incomparable He is. He is the One who “Perfected everything He created.” The corresponding section asks, “Do they not see?” again in response to the disbelievers not reflecting on the creation of Allah ﷻ, such as the vegetation, “cattle, and themselves.”

[C]/[C’] - These two sections describe exact opposites. [C] details the creation of humans while [C’] speaks of people who were destroyed. In [C], Allah ﷻ says that He gave humans “hearing, sight and intellect,” which we show little thanks for. [C’] seems to detail that ingratitude by stating that we don’t look at our homes and realize someone else used to be there, but was taken back to Allah ﷻ. Nor do we reflect and think about the miraculous signs around us. Which leads Allah ﷻ to ask, “Why don’t [we] listen?”

[D]/[D’] - Section [D] quotes the disbelievers mocking the idea of them being resurrected and standing before Allah ﷻ, saying, “They are in complete disbelief in regards to them meeting their Master.” [D’] addresses their disbelief by simply stating that “your Master will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning their differences.”

[E]/[E’] - Section [E] clearly illustrates the disbelievers being humbled on Judgement Day. The Angel of Death will bring out their souls against their will to stand for judgment. Then, when faced with their inevitable accounting they will say, “Our Lord, now that we have seen and heard, send us back and we shall do good. [Now] we are convinced.” Compare this with how the Nation of Moses is spoken of in [E’]. “They were, in regards to [Allah’s] āyāt (miraculous signs), always convinced.” Allah ﷻ adds that He granted them “leaders among them, guiding them according to Our command,” after they “became steadfast and believed firmly in Our āyāt.”

Allah ﷻ also says in [E] that had He willed, He would have given every person guidance, just as He chose to give guidance to the Tribe of Israel in [E’].

Finally for this section, Allah ﷻ tells the disbelievers in [E], “So since you ignored the meeting (liqā') on this Day of yours, now We shall ignore you: taste the lasting suffering for all you have done.” Allah ﷻ uses the same word in Arabic to remind the Messenger ﷺ to “not doubt that you are receiving (liqā') [revelation like Moses did].”

[F]/[F’] - The center of the sūrah focuses on the consequences of belief versus disbelief. [F] highlights the rewards for believing and striving to worship while [F’] outlines the punishment in store for those who reject faith.

The clearest difference between the two groups is in how they respond to Allah’s āyāt. The believers shed all arrogance and “bow their heads to the ground in praise and gratitude” whenever Allah’s āyāt are mentioned. The disbelievers on the other hand are spoken of dismissively for their arrogance. Allah ﷻ asks, “And who does more wrong than someone who, when āyāt from his Lord are mentioned to him, turns away from them?” 

And Allah ﷻ knows best.