Sura 38 substantiates Muhammad's role as Prophet through concrete examples of previous messengers of God and the evils that have befallen the people who did not heed sacred messages.

They “prove that divine justice is at work in history, the unjustly harassed being rewarded with salvation, the transgressors and unbelievers punished by annihilation” (McAuliffe, 106).

Through regular reference to biblical characters and a self-assertive tone praising both Muhammad and God, the reader can attribute this sura to the 2nd Meccan Period, according to Noldeke's chronology .

[4] Like many contemporary passages, Sura 38 attempts to convert the reader to a monotheistic religion honoring Muhammad as Prophet by promising salvation for true believers on the Day of Judgment.

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.

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.

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.

[5] 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.

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.

For example: verses 17-26 chronicle David as he errs during a test God gives him, but quickly “fell down on his knees, and repented” (Q38.24).

Muhummad's inability to read supports the authenticity of his revelations from God as uninfluenced by any knowledge he could have gained from texts of the time.

With further research, one uncovers the story referred to in Sura 38: Solomon is more devoted to his horses than to God, and misses prayer sessions while indulging in the hoofed creatures’ company.

He justifies his obsession, saying, “My love of fine things is part of my remembering my Lord!” [8] God knows this is not true, is displeased with the king and “[reduces] him to a mere skeleton on his throne” [9] as punishment.

This one is particularly scaring, arresting multiple senses and capturing the reader in a dark, seemingly inescapable cloud of perpetual agony.

Ja'far al-Sadiq, in a written letter to his companions, advises them to observe Taqiya when dealing with "liars and hypocrites" because the status of the "people of falsehood" is different to Allah than the status of the "people of truth", hence he cites the following verse from Surah Sad in support of this:Or should we treat those who believe and do righteous deeds like corrupters in the land?