Opening with an oath by al-dhāriyāt—the winnowing winds—this Makkan chapter takes its name from its first verse. Revealed between Surah Al-Ahqaf and Al-Ghashiyah, its 60 verses were sent down to counter polytheists who mocked the prophethood of Muḥammad (ﷺ) and the promise of Resurrection.

The text begins by binding cosmic forces to the certainty of judgment, exposing deniers as speaking without certainty. It then shifts to a stark contrast, promising eternal bliss to believers while detailing the virtues that earned their reward: spending wealth, sleeping little, and seeking forgiveness at dawn. The verses next turn to the vast heavens, the earth, and the creation of humankind, presenting physical evidence that resurrecting life is simple compared to initiating it.

Finally, the chapter recounts the ruin of past nations like the people of Lūṭ, Thamūd, and Pharaoh's forces as historical proof of Allah’s judgment. Notice how the closing verses direct the Prophet (ﷺ) to persist in his mission, framing the act of reminding as a lasting benefit for the believer.

Surah Adh-Dhariyat (The Winnowing Winds) — 60 verses

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

51:1

By those [winds] that scatter far and wide,

M.A.S. Abdel Haleem

51:2

and those that are heavily laden,

M.A.S. Abdel Haleem

51:3

that speed freely,

M.A.S. Abdel Haleem

51:4

that distribute [rain] as ordained!

M.A.S. Abdel Haleem

51:5

What you [people] are promised is true:

M.A.S. Abdel Haleem

51:6

the Judgement will come––

M.A.S. Abdel Haleem

51:7

by the sky with its pathways,

M.A.S. Abdel Haleem

51:8

you differ in what you say––

M.A.S. Abdel Haleem

51:9

those who turn away from it are [truly] deceived.

M.A.S. Abdel Haleem