Surah At-Tur is one of the purely Makkan surahs. It consists of 49 verses according to the Kufan and Shammi recitations, 48 verses according to the Basran recitation, and 47 verses in the Hijazi Mushaf.
This surah was among those frequently recited by the Prophet Peace Upon him in his prayers.
Al-Imam Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Jubayr ibn Mut'im, who said:
"I heard the Prophet Peace Upon him reciting At-Tur in the Maghrib prayer. I have never heard anyone with a more beautiful voice or recitation than him."
Al-Imam Al-Bukhari also narrated from Umm Salamah, who said:
"I complained to the Messenger of Allah Peace Upon him that I was unwell. He said: 'Perform Tawaf behind the people while riding.' So I performed Tawaf while the Messenger of Allah Peace Upon him was praying beside the Ka‘bah, reciting At-Tur and 'Wa Kitaabin Mastuur'."
Surah At-Tur begins with an oath from Allah- Exalted and Glorified be He- by some of His creations, affirming the certainty of resurrection, the certainty of recompense, and that all of this will occur on the Day when the earth and the heavens will be changed.
It opens with this solemn introduction that instills awe and fear in the hearts, saying:
"By the Mount (At-Tur),
And by a Book inscribed,
In parchment unrolled,
And by the much-frequented House (Al-Bayt Al-Ma‘mur),
And by the lofty canopy (the sky),
And by the surging sea,
Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is certain to occur-
There is none who can avert it."
At-Tur is the name of the mountain upon which Allah spoke to Musa (Moses), and Allah swore by it to honor, dignify, and remind people of the great signs it contains. It is also one of the mountains of Paradise.
Isma‘il ibn Ishaq narrated that Isma‘il ibn Abi Uways said:
"Kathir ibn Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Awf reported from his father, who reported from his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allah Peace Upon him said: ‘There are four mountains from the mountains of Paradise and four rivers from the rivers of Paradise and four battlefields from the battlefields of Paradise.’
It was asked, ‘Which are the mountains?’
He replied:
"Mount Uhud loves us, and we love it; At-Tur is one of the mountains of Paradise; Mount Lebanon is one of the mountains of Paradise; and Mount Aj-Judi is one of the mountains of Paradise."
(This hadith is mentioned in detail in the book At-Tadhkirah).
Mujaahid said:
"At-Tur, in the Syriac language, means ‘mountain,’ and it refers specifically to Mount Sinai."
Al-Imam As-Suddi held the same opinion.
Maqatil ibn Hayyan said:
"There are two mountains: one is called Tur Sina (Mount Sinai), and the other is called Tur Zayta (Mount of Olives) because they grow figs and olives."
It is also said that At-Tur refers to a mountain in Madyan, and its name is Zubayr.
Aj-Jawhari mentioned:
"Az-Zubayr is the mountain upon which Allah spoke to Musa, peace be upon him."
I say that Madyan is located in the Holy Land and is the village of Prophet Shu‘ayb (Jethro), peace be upon him.
Another opinion states that At-Tur refers to any mountain that has vegetation, while a mountain that does not grow plants is not called At-Tur. This view was reported from Ibn Abbaas.
As is the style of the Qur'an in drawing comparisons between the righteous and the wicked, the surah moves to describe the beautiful outcome of the believers after mentioning the wretched end of the deniers:
"Indeed, the righteous will be in gardens and bliss,
Rejoicing in what their Lord has given them,
And their Lord will protect them from the torment of Hell.
Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you used to do."
Then, the noble surah transitions to addressing the falsehoods and fabrications of the polytheists, conveying their statements with honesty. It then refutes them with the truth revealed to the Prophet Peacee upon him, exposing their lies as false and baseless. This is done in a captivating and eloquent manner:
"Or do they say: 'He is a poet, let us await for him the calamities of time'?
Say: 'Wait, for I too am among those who wait.'
Or do their minds command them to say this, or are they a transgressing people?
Or do they say: 'He has fabricated it'? Rather, they do not believe.
Let them bring a discourse like it, if they are truthful."
The surah then concludes with verses that console the Prophet Peace Upon him and provide him with a healing remedy:
"So be patient for the decision of your Lord, for indeed, you are under Our watchful eyes.
And glorify the praises of your Lord when you rise,
And in the night glorify Him, and at the retreat of the stars."
May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, his family, and his companions.