Ya-Sin

Yā Sīn^[2] (also Yaseen; Arabic: يٰسٓ, yāsīn; the letters 'Yā'' and 'Sīn') is the 36th chapter of the Quran. It has 83 verses (āyāt). It is regarded an earlier "Meccan surah". Some scholars maintain that verse 12 is from the Medinan period.^[3] While the surah begins in Juz' 22, most of it is in Juz' 23.

The surah begins with the eponymous (muqatta'at) Arabic letters: يس (yā sīn).^[4] The meaning of the letters yā sīn, while being primarily unknown, is debated amongst Muslim religious academics. One of the interpretations is "O human being!" referring to Muhammad since the verses that follow are translated as "By the Qur'an, full of Wisdom, Thou art indeed one of the messengers".^[5] Tafsir al-Jalalayn, a Sunni beginners exegesis (tafsir), concludes, "God knows best what He means by these [letters]."^[6]

The surah focuses on establishing the Qur'an as a divine source, and it warns of the fate of those who mock God's revelations and are stubborn. The surah tells of the punishments that plagued past generations of nonbelievers as a warning to present and future generations. Additionally, the surah reiterates God's sovereignty as exemplified by his creations through signs from nature.

The surah ends with arguments in favor of the existence of resurrection and God's sovereign power.