Surah
Juz
Surah Yūnus, Hud and Yūsuf were literally revealed back to back, one after the other. This was around a year or two before the Hijrah. So they are late Makkan Surahs. 90 verses are dealing with stories. In other words, around two thirds of the Surah is dealing with stories of the previous prophets.
This Surah focuses on the same topic as Surah 10: Yunus (Jonah), involving an invitation to the Message along with admonition and a stronger warning. According to a hadith, the Prophet ﷺ, feeling the weight of these stern warnings, mentioned that Surah Hud and similar Surahs had contributed to his ageing, making his hair grey. During this period, the Prophet ﷺ faced intense persecution from the Quraysh, who aimed to suppress the message of Islam. With the respite granted by God approaching its limit, the Prophet ﷺ feared the impending punishment on his people. The invitation is clear: Obey the Messenger of God ﷺ, abandon polytheism (Shirk), worship only God, and base your entire life on the belief in accountability in the Hereafter. The admonition urges reflection on the consequences faced by those who prioritised the worldly life and rejected the Prophets' messages. The warning emphasises not to be deceived by the delayed punishment; it is a grace-given respite. Failing to seize this opportunity will result in an inevitable punishment, sparing only the Believers. The surah employs stories of Noah, Hud, Salih, Lot, Shu’aib, and Moses to convey these messages. Notably, these stories highlight that when God's judgement comes, it spares no one, even close relatives of the Prophet ﷺ. Only those who believed in the Prophet ﷺ are saved, emphasising that faith should override blood and race relationships, as demonstrated by Muslims in the Battle of Badr four years after this Surah's revelation.
