Listen to Dr Musharraf Hussain sharing his thoughts and analysis of Surat Al-Tin. This Makkan surat opens with four oaths: two of the valuable trees and two of sacred places. These splendid symbols are used as a testimony to the truthfulness of its theme, the 'inherent goodness' of human nature, and how this is ruined. This vivid description of the splendour of Allah's creation and the nobility of humanity is an elegant piece of rhetoric. The reference to human nature being as the "most beautiful" is an important Quranic teaching, which offers hope in a world ravaged by wars and human greed. It refers to the upright and beautiful human figure, possessing beneficial intelligence, moral goodness and yearnings for the Divine. In other words, humans have the potential to be good, kind and generous, but can easily be ruined by disregarding faith in the Hereafter. This "most beautiful" nature can be easily damaged. The concept of Din (creed) or Judgement Day acts as a deterrent.
