The Core of the Qur'an: Sūrat Yā Sīn (Q. 36)
The Prophet dubbed Sūrat Yā Sīn the ‘core of the Qur'an’. This article attempts to explain the reasons for this. It highlights the central theme of the sura, the resurrection of the dead: Yā Sīn provides the longest presentation of this subject in one single sura, dealing with all the arguments the disbelievers bring up against it. Contrary to the opinions of some scholars, the structure of this sura, seen in the succession of its well-connected parts, with additional consolidation from a web of recurring expressions, is shown to be completely coherent. The article elucidates some of the stylistic features of the sura and ends with an account of the special significance of Sūrat Yā Sīn for Muslim believers, individually and collectively, throughout the world.