What is the meaning of the word Yasin?

What is the meaning of the word Yasin?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The meaning of the chapter of Yasin, which is the heart of the Quran

- The word “Yasin” is one of huruf al-muqatta’at located at the beginning of the other twenty-eight chapters. Those letters are “mutashabih” (ambiguous, that can have various meanings) letters. Therefore, interpretations were made for the letters “Ya Sin” like the other letters with probable meanings.

- One of those interpretations is “O human being!” Those who interpreted it like that probably thought as follows: There is an address after the letters Yasin. Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) is addressed: “By the Qur´an, full of Wisdom,- Thou art indeed one of the messengers,”. This expression of the Quran necessitates the word “Ya-Sin” before it to be a “call”. Those letters (ya: a word of calling, sin: the word insan (human being) reminds the letter “Sin”) are suitable for such meanings. In that case, Hz. Muhammad (pbuh), who is the prophet of all human beings and their representative, is addressed as “O human being!” It is only one of the several interpretations.

- The following interpretations were also made for the word:

In Abyssinian, it means “O human being!” It means “ya Rajul! = O man!” This is a style of vowing/swearing; this word is a name of Allah. It is a code Allah uses for the access of His word. (see Tabari, the interpretation of the verse in question)

According to some scholars, Yasin is an address to the Prophet meaning “Ya Sayyid = O Master!” (Ibn Ashur)

- In fact, the letter “Y” is also used at the beginning of the chapter of Maryam: “Kaf-Ha-Ya-Ayn-Sad". It is certain that the letter “Y” is not a word of addressing/calling here.

- We should not forget that the expressions of the Quran are very comprehensive; the same word indicates several meanings because the Quran reflects Allah’s endless knowledge. From this point of view, it is the necessity of a mysterious style for the mysterious letters at the beginning of the twenty-nine chapters to express several meanings. In this context, when used as the names of the letters of the alphabet, the abjad value of “YA=(Y- alif - hamza) is twelve; the abjad value of the letter “Sin” is a hundred and twenty. The total is a hundred and thirty-two, which is the abjad value of the words both “Muhammad” and “qalb (heart)”. This conformability supports the view of the scholars who say that those letters are related to Hz. Muhammad (pbuh); it also sheds light on the relationship between “qalb (heart)” and Yasin as it is stated in the following hadith: “The chapter of Yasin is the heart of the Quran.”

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