Surah Al-Mulk (“The Sovereignty”) is chapter 67 of the Holy Quran. It was revealed in Mekka, in the early period of Islam. As all chapters revealed in Mekka, it mainly concentrates on the basics of Islam: Allah as being the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Oneness of Allah, the creature of Man, how great and powerful Allah is, news about the hereafter and resurrection, and all these topics that have to do with the essence of religion.
The name of any chapter of the Quran is very revealing of the virtue and purpose of that particular chapter. Surah Al-Mulk has, in fact, several names. From these names:
Table of Contents
1- Al-Mulk (الملك):
This Arabic name: الملك means “Sovereignty”. That is revealing as the Surah mainly speaks about the absolute sovereignty of Allah over all creation. It further describes Allah’s power and perfect design of the universe. This is quite evident in the first verse of the Chapter:
“Blessed is the One in Whose Hands rests all authority. And He is Most Capable of everything.“
“تَبَـٰرَكَ ٱلَّذِى بِيَدِهِ ٱلْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌ”
2- Al-Munjia (المنجية):
This name means “the Saviour”. It is called so because one of its main merits is that it saves those who recite it every night, both in the grave and on the Day of Judgment, as we will see later in this article.
Ibn Abbas said that they (the Muslim people at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)) used to call this Surah “Al-Munjia” (المنجية) as it saves the one who reads it from the grave torture and hellfire in the hereafter.
3- Al-Waqia (الواقية):
This means “the Protector”. It also serves the above-mentioned theme of protection which will also be discussed below.
4- Al-Mani’a (المانعة):
This name also means “the Preventer of evil”.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“Sūrat Tabārak (Sūrat al-Mulk) prevents the punishment of the grave.”
.“سُورَةُ تَبَارَكَ هِيَ المَانِعَةُ مِن عَذَابِ القَبر”
