Theme of Juz Eleven – Tawheed

The bulk of this Juz comprises Surah Yunus, a Makkan Surah focusing on once again on the most important aspect of Islam, Tawheed (the Oneness of Allah). This is the core theme of Qur’an as a whole and the main focus of many Makkan Surahs as it is the essence of our religion.

Observing the rights of Allah is the first pillar of Islam, and violating the rights of Allah, called Shirk in Arabic is the only sin which is unforgivable if someone dies without repenting from it. With this being the most important part of Islam, it is no surprise that it is the most repeated theme throughout the Qur’an.

Many verses in this Surah revolve around the theme of contemplating over the creation and realizing that there can be only One Creator and that He is therefore the only One worthy of worship. This contemplation benefits both the Muslim and the Non-Muslim. For the Non-Muslim, it is one of the ways through which he can realize there is only One Creator and come closer to Islam, and for the Muslim it increases his faith in Islam and strengthens his conviction.

The Surah contains stern warnings to those who reject Allah’s Oneness and refuse to obey Him. Allah created humans for a purpose and abandoning that purpose bring about our own ruin in both worlds. There is a reminder in this Surah about the story of Prophet Nuh and the fate of his people who rejected his message for centuries. The relationship to the theme is that rejecting the Oneness of Allah has severe consequences.

Yet a reminder is also given of the people of Prophet Yunus who repented upon seeing the punishment approaching, and Allah gave them a second chance and they became righteous.

These two examples together create a balance between hope in Allah’s mercy and fear of His punishment.

The balance between hope and fear are necessary components of our faith. Too much emphasis on hope and forgiveness leads to laxity in worship and dependence on forgiveness without effort, while too much emphasis on fear leads to despondency and pessimism, and this prevents a person from performing their best. This is why the Qur’an always balances between these two principles by mentioning one after the other.


Source: Themes of the Qur'an by Abu Muawiyah Ismail Kamdar