About Surah Yaseen
Surah Yaseen is the 36th surah of the Quran and has 83 verses. It begins with two of the disjointed letters, يسٓ (Yaa Seen), which is where its name comes from. Its main themes are the truth of the Prophet's message, the signs of Allah in the world around us, and the certainty of life after death.
The story of the town and the running man (verses 13-27)
Allah tells of a town to which messengers were sent. The people rejected them and threatened them. Then "there came from the farthest end of the city a man, running" (36:20), urging his people to follow the messengers, who asked for no payment and were rightly guided. His people killed him, and he was told, "Enter Paradise." Even then, he wished that his people knew how Allah had forgiven and honoured him (36:26-27).
Lessons for children: stand up for the truth even when others do not; be sincere; and wish good for people even when they treat you badly. Ask your child: "Why do you think the man was running?"
Signs in nature (verses 33-44)
This part of Yaseen is wonderful to read with children outdoors:
- Dead earth brought to life with grain, palm trees and grapes (33-35). Plant a seed together and watch it grow.
- Night and day: the day is "removed" from the night, leaving darkness (37).
- The sun runs to its appointed place and the moon has phases until it looks like an old curved date stalk (38-39). Keep a moon diary for a month.
- Everything swims in an orbit: "each, in an orbit, is swimming" (40).
- Ships on the sea carrying people safely (41-44).
وَٱلشَّمْسُ تَجْرِى لِمُسْتَقَرٍّۢ لَّهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْعَلِيمِ ﴿٣٨﴾
Meaning: And the sun runs [on course] toward its stopping point. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing. (36:38)
وَٱلْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنَٰهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّىٰ عَادَ كَٱلْعُرْجُونِ ٱلْقَدِيمِ ﴿٣٩﴾
Meaning: And the moon - We have determined for it phases, until it returns [appearing] like the old date stalk. (36:39)
لَا ٱلشَّمْسُ يَنۢبَغِى لَهَآ أَن تُدْرِكَ ٱلْقَمَرَ وَلَا ٱلَّيْلُ سَابِقُ ٱلنَّهَارِ ۚ وَكُلٌّۭ فِى فَلَكٍۢ يَسْبَحُونَ ﴿٤٠﴾
Meaning: It is not allowable for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming. (36:40)
The surah ends with the beautiful reminder that when Allah wills something, "He says to it, 'Be', and it is" (36:82).
What is authentic about the virtues of Yaseen?
Many virtues of Yaseen are shared on social media. In honesty to parents, here is what hadith scholars say about the two most famous ones:
- "Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Quran is Yaseen." This is reported in Jami' at-Tirmidhi (2887). Imam at-Tirmidhi himself noted a weakness in its chain (an unknown narrator), and it is graded weak (da'if).
- "Recite Yaseen over your dying." Reported in Sunan Abi Dawud (3121); graded weak by al-Albani and others.
Some scholars allow weak narrations for encouraging good deeds under conditions, while others are stricter; please follow your teacher or local scholar. What is certain is that Yaseen is the speech of Allah, and the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever reads a letter of the Book of Allah receives a good deed, multiplied by ten (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2910). That alone is reason enough for children to love reading it.
How children can memorise Surah Yaseen
Yaseen is a big step up from the short surahs of Juz Amma. We usually suggest it once a child reads fluently and has memorised most of Juz Amma, typically from about age 8 to 10.
- Split it into six parts: 1-12, 13-27 (the story), 28-44 (the signs), 45-58, 59-70, 71-83.
- Two or three verses a day for most children, revising the whole part before adding more.
- Revise daily: new verses, then the last week's verses, then one older part (the sabaq, sabqi and manzil method).
- Recite to a teacher weekly. Longer surahs have similar-sounding verses that are easy to mix up without correction.
At two verses a day with revision days, most children finish in about two to three months. See our daily Hifz routine for kids for when to fit practice around school.
Verses 1-12 in Arabic and English
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
يسٓ ﴿١﴾
Meaning: Ya, Seen. (36:1)
وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ ﴿٢﴾
Meaning: By the wise Qur'an. (36:2)
إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿٣﴾
Meaning: Indeed you, [O Muhammad], are from among the messengers, (36:3)
عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ ﴿٤﴾
Meaning: On a straight path. (36:4)
تَنزِيلَ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ﴿٥﴾
Meaning: [This is] a revelation of the Exalted in Might, the Merciful, (36:5)
لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًۭا مَّآ أُنذِرَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ فَهُمْ غَٰفِلُونَ ﴿٦﴾
Meaning: That you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, so they are unaware. (36:6)
لَقَدْ حَقَّ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَىٰٓ أَكْثَرِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٧﴾
Meaning: Already the word has come into effect upon most of them, so they do not believe. (36:7)
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا فِىٓ أَعْنَٰقِهِمْ أَغْلَٰلًۭا فَهِىَ إِلَى ٱلْأَذْقَانِ فَهُم مُّقْمَحُونَ ﴿٨﴾
Meaning: Indeed, We have put shackles on their necks, and they are to their chins, so they are with heads [kept] aloft. (36:8)
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنۢ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ سَدًّۭا وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ سَدًّۭا فَأَغْشَيْنَٰهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ ﴿٩﴾
Meaning: And We have put before them a barrier and behind them a barrier and covered them, so they do not see. (36:9)
وَسَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٠﴾
Meaning: And it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them - they will not believe. (36:10)
إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَخَشِىَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ ۖ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍۢ وَأَجْرٍۢ كَرِيمٍ ﴿١١﴾
Meaning: You can only warn one who follows the message and fears the Most Merciful unseen. So give him good tidings of forgiveness and noble reward. (36:11)
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا۟ وَءَاثَٰرَهُمْ ۚ وَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَٰهُ فِىٓ إِمَامٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ ﴿١٢﴾
Meaning: Indeed, it is We who bring the dead to life and record what they have put forth and what they left behind, and all things We have enumerated in a clear register. (36:12)
For the full surah with word-by-word meaning, you can read it on Quran.com. To learn it with a teacher who corrects every verse, see our online Hifz classes or book a free trial.