Introduction to Commentary on Surah of the Sun

Commentary on Surah of the Sun contains a verse-by-verse interpretation of Surah 91, and a discussion on the process of scriptural interpretation.

Baha’u’llah revealed this commentary in response to a question about the Qur’anic Surah of the Sun (Surah 91). The text opens with a rich meditation on divine speech — the “dove of eloquence” and the “tree of explanation” — and then moves into a sweeping reflection on revelation, knowledge, and the inner meanings of scripture. Although the commentary engages a specific Qur’anic chapter, its purpose is broader: it invites the reader to approach sacred texts with humility, openness, and a heart freed from rigid assumptions.

The work begins by praising God as the source of all meaning and as the One who brings forth the “Most Great Ocean” of revelation. It then turns to the Prophet Muhammad, honoring Him as the dawning‑place of divine names and attributes. From there, Bahá’u’lláh addresses the questioner directly, urging him to cleanse his heart, set aside idle speculation, and ascend toward a more immediate experience of divine nearness.

A central theme of the commentary is the nature of interpretation. Baha’u’llah describes how knowledge, rhetoric, and scholarly pride can become veils, even for those who imagine themselves learned. He speaks of the limits of language, the weight of hidden meanings, and the vastness of truths that cannot yet be disclosed. Throughout the text, He emphasizes that scripture contains layers of meaning — literal, metaphorical, spiritual — and that a complete understanding must hold these layers together.

The commentary then turns to the Surah of the Sun itself. Baha’u’llah explains the symbolic meanings of the sun, moon, day, night, heaven, earth, and soul. Each symbol opens into a different spiritual station: the sun as the Primal Will, the prophets, and the lovers of God; the moon as guardianship; the day as the appearance of a Manifestation; the night as the veiling of divine reality; the earth as the human heart; and the soul as the arena of choice, purity, and transformation.

Throughout the work, Baha’u’llah contrasts true understanding with mere conjecture. He encourages the reader to move beyond both rigid literalism and ungrounded esotericism, and instead to seek a balanced, reverent approach to scripture — one that honors both outward meaning and inward light.

For many readers, Commentary on the Surah of the Sun becomes a guide to approaching all sacred texts. It shows how revelation speaks through symbol and metaphor, how the heart must be prepared to receive meaning, and how divine knowledge always exceeds the limits of human interpretation.

For further details, see Juan Cole: Commentary on the Surah of the Sun: Introduction.

Text to Surah of the Sun, from https://surahquran.com/English/91.html:

1. By the sun and its brightness,
2. And the moon when it follows it,
3. And the day when it displays it,
4. And the night when it covers it,
5. And the sky and He who constructed it,
6. And the earth and He who spread it,
7. And the soul and He who proportioned it,
8. And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,
9. He has succeeded who purifies it,
10. And he has failed who instills it [with corruption].
11. Thamud denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression,
12. When the most wretched of them was sent forth.
13. And the messenger of Allah [Salih] said to them, “Do not harm the she‑camel of Allah or [prevent her from] her drink.”
14. But they denied him and hamstrung her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal upon all of them.
15. And He does not fear the consequence thereof.