Surah Ar-Rahman — سُورَةُ الرَّحْمَن — is the 55th surah of the Quran, comprising 78 verses. It is often called the “Bride of the Quran” for its beauty. The Prophet ﷺ recited it to a group of jinn who responded with the refrain at each mention — and this response became the model: every time the repeated question “Fabi ayyi ala’i rabbikuma tukadhdhiban” — Then which of your Lord’s favours will you deny? — is asked (31 times), the listener says: “Nothing of Your favours do we deny, O Lord — praise belongs to You.”
What it contains
Surah Ar-Rahman opens with Allah ﷻ teaching the Quran (55:1-2), then lists the creation of mankind, the sun and moon in their courses, the sky raised high, the two seas that do not mix, the description of the gardens of paradise with astonishing detail — two sets of paradise gardens for two categories of believers, each described with flowing water, fruit, reclining furniture, protected companions. The surah moves between the favours of this world and the favours of the next, asking 31 times: which of these favours will you deny? The structural message: every condition you live in — this world and the next — is filled with Allah’s ﷻ favours. Denial requires deliberate effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the theme of Surah Ar-Rahman?
The overwhelming abundance of Allah’s ﷻ favours — in this world (creation, nature, sustenance) and the next (paradise described in extraordinary detail). The 31 repetitions of “which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?” are not rhetorical — they are an invitation to actually consider each favour named. The surah’s message: you are surrounded by Allah’s ﷻ mercy so completely that denial requires ignoring everything.
Which of your Lord’s favours will you deny? Thirty-one times. Name one each time it is asked. Let the question land. Nothing of Your favours do we deny.