lead them to destruction 39-44 Muhammad exhorted to remain steadfast in faith notwithstanding the unbelief of his countrymen 45-56 Moses rejected with contempt by Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who were drowned 57-58 The Arab idolaters justified their idolatry by reference to the Christian worship of Jesus 59-64 But Jesus did not say he was a god, but was a servant and a prophet of God 65-67 Unbelievers warned of approaching judgment 68-73 The joys of Paradise reserved for Muslims and their wives 74-78 The damned shall vainly seek relief in annihilation 79-80 Angels record the secret plottings of infidels 81-82 If God had a son, Muhammad would be the first to worship him 83-87 God knoweth the folly of idolaters 88-89 Muhammad commanded to turn aside from the unbelieving Quraish Themes Affirmation of the revelation The surah begins with a strong affirmation of the revelation. Verses 2-4 emphasize the Scripture as being “clear” and “truly exalted and authoritative.” These verses present a pronounced declaration of the truth and certainty of the revelation and also include the first of the two times that the word "Quran" is specifically used throughout the surah. The word ‘qur’an’ is only used 70 times throughout the entirety of the Quran. Quran is a verbal noun in Arabic meaning ‘to recite.’ As it appears in verse 3 and 31 of this surah, it is confirming the Quran as an oral revelation, the spoken word of God recited to Muhammad. The word 'quran' instead of, for example, the word ‘kitab’ (book), reveals not a written but a recited, spoken and oral nature of the Quran. Exaltation of God and divinity of the Quran The Ornaments of Gold ends with a flourish of praise and exaltations of God. “He who is God in heaven and God on Earth; He is the All Wise, the All Knowing” (84). This creates a parallel between the first and third sections of the surah as it also exalts God as “the Almighty, the All Knowing” (9), but also as it praises the words and knowledge of God as the ultimate truth. Debate between the believers and disbelievers The surah continues with a debate between the believers and the disbelievers. These debates, or “polemical utterances… against listeners who do not comply with the behavioral norms of the cult,” are an essential element in the structure of the surahs of the Quran. In verses