Sūrat al-Mulk is the sixty-seventh chapter of the Quran. It was revealed in Mecca, and consists of thirty verses. It is apparently the seventy-seventh chapter that was revealed, after Sūrat al-Ṭūr (52) and before Sūrat al-Ḥāqqah (69). Its name is obtained from the first verse, which talks about God’s kingdom and sovereignty (al-mulk). In the Islamic traditions the chapter is also referred to as Tabāraka (He is blessed), which is the opening word of the chapter.
The surah can be described as an awakener of heedless souls, especially through a sense of warning and admonishment that flows throughout the chapter. The first verse establishes God’s blessedness and His kingdom and power over all things, and the second verse accentuates the centrality of tests and trials in the life of mankind in this world. These concepts are present in the background of the following verses, which approach the conscience of the audience by various means, including many verses that draw the reader’s attention to the weakness of mankind and his utter poverty and need to his Lord. The tenth verse of this surah is of special importance, since it talks about the role of reason (ʿaql) and its relationship with revelation. Verses 1, 2, and 10 are among the fundamental verses of the Quran (ghurar al-āyāt), in the sense that they involve integral parts of the Quran’s view on creation and humankind, which can contribute to a better understanding of the other verses of the Quran.
[1] Tamhid, 1/137.