تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ ٱلْفُرْقَانَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَـٰلَمِينَ نَذِيرًا 1
Translations
Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a warner -
Transliteration
Tabaraka allathee nazzala al-Furqana ala abdihi liyakuna li-al-alameen natheeran
Tafsir (Explanation)
This opening ayah of Surah Al-Furqan glorifies Allah (Exalted is He) for revealing the Qur'an—called 'Al-Furqan' (The Criterion) because it distinguishes between truth and falsehood—upon His servant Muhammad (peace be upon him). The phrase 'Tabaraka' (Blessed/Exalted) emphasizes Allah's infinite blessing and majesty. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that the purpose of this revelation is to make the Qur'an a universal warning (natheer) for all mankind, calling them away from idolatry and toward monotheism.
Revelation Context
This ayah opens Surah Al-Furqan, a Meccan surah revealed during the early Meccan period. It establishes the foundational theme of the surah: the Qur'an as a divine criterion and warning for humanity. The opening serves to introduce the surah's emphasis on the Qur'an's miraculous nature and its universal mission to warn all peoples.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'I have been sent as a warner and a bringer of glad tidings' (Sahih Bukhari 4:1). Additionally, the hadith emphasizing the Qur'an's role as a guide: 'Indeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most upright' (Surah Al-Isra 17:9)—a related Quranic principle affirming the Qur'an's guiding function.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that the Qur'an is not merely a religious text for a specific community, but a universal guidance and warning meant for all humanity. For modern readers, it emphasizes the responsibility to understand, internalize, and convey the Qur'anic message as a criterion for distinguishing right from wrong in all aspects of life.