the fall of Iblis, who becomes Satan. The larger center section (12-64) gives examples of biblical figures like David, Solomon, and Job to Muhammad as Messengers who also faced adversity. In the middle portion of the sura, God concisely tells Muhammad to “Remember Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, all men of strength and vision. We caused them to be devoted to Us…with Us they will be among the elect, the truly good…This is a lesson” (Q38:45-49). The historical context of the sura confirms that this is indeed its central message: supposedly, Muhammad was struggling with rejection from his tribe, the Quraysh, so God sent this revelation to support and encourage him. As entrance to heaven is the final goal of Islam, nothing could serve as better inspiration to Muhammad to persevere in the face of adversity. Nevertheless, one must keep in mind that as Islam gained followers and adapted to continue its growth, the clear divisions within suras blur and texts slowly become lengthier and more expansive works; the reader cannot always find three, let alone two, clear-cut sections. Even within Sura 38, the subject and tone can shift every few verses from general descriptions of heaven and hell to short examples of specific prophets. 1-11 comments made by nonbelievers The surah opens with comments made by nonbelievers confused by the Prophet’s portents. Verse 8: the nonbelievers do not try to understand warnings: they blatantly “doubt” (Q38:8). God warns that they “have not tasted My torment yet” (Q38.8). He tells Muhammad to “bear their words patiently” (Q38.17), given the historical context of disbelief among the Quaryash. verse 17 recounts stories of specific messengers to the Prophet. 12-64 Transition to the Day of Judgment and hell Transition from general warnings to exemplar People of the Book and, later, a description of the Day of Judgment and hell. 17 Patience Patience (Verse 17): Muhammad is told to 'bear their words patiently' (Q38.17) by God, “they” referring to the Quraysh, given the historical context of their disbelief. This marks the transition from generalizations about the disbelieving peoples of the past to stories of specific messengers. 17-26 Story of David and the Two Litigants The tone and style of Sura 38 become more specific, both in examples of previous prophets and their stories. For example: verses 17-26 chronicle David as he errs during a test God gives him, but quickly “fell down on