Essence of the Holy Qur’an — Page 51
51 Chapter 23 Al-Mu’min u n "$4 (Revealed before Hijrah) Date of Revelation and Context There is sufficient internal evidence to show that the S u rah was revealed towards the end of the Holy Prophet’s stay at Mecca. Say uti regards it as the last S u rah to have been revealed at Mecca just before the Holy Prophet’s departure for Medina. Though it may not have been actually the last, it was certainly one of the last S u rahs to be revealed at Mecca. In the closing verses of the previous S u rah believers were told to turn to God and obey His commandments as in this lay the secret of their future progress and prosperity. They were also enjoined to wage war with the sword so that those who had drawn the sword against Islam should themselves perish by the sword. They were further enjoined to strive in the way of the Lord with the Qur’ a n and the promise was held out to them that if they did so, God would help them and vouchsafe to them success and prosperity. The promise was conditional. A sure guarantee, however, is given here that a community of believers will certainly be born who, because they will fulfil the above-mentioned conditions, will achieve success. Thus a thing, which was presumed in the preceding S u rah to have existed, is claimed in this S u rah to have come into being as an actual fact. Subject-Matter The S u rah opens with the glad tidings to the true believers that the time of their success and prosperity has already arrived, and proceeds to give a brief description of their characteristics and special marks which is indicative of the process of their spiritual growth and development. This description is followed by a brief but beautiful account of the growth of the human foetus and defines the different stages through which the child passes—from the stage of a drop of sperm to that of a fully developed human being, and then explains that just as every physical birth is followed by death and Resurrection, similarly nations or communities among whom at one time a spiritual renaissance takes place, are at another time subject to decay and decadence and in due course are succeeded by another people. In fact, spiritual and physical developments bear close resemblance. Both of them have to pass through seven stages of development. Next, the S u rah develops the theme that all things are sent down into the world according to a determined measure and each one of them continues to exist and is afforded protection till an appointed time. When, however, it has served its utility, it decays and dies. In the same way Divine Teachings, sent down before the Qur’ a n, became defunct when they had served their intended purpose. Thus, the mere fact that a Teaching is Divine does not entitle it to immunity from