Essence of the Holy Qur’an — Page 39
39 Chapter 18 Al-Kahf ) 23 (Revealed before Hijrah) Date of Revelation and Context According to Ibn ‘Abb a s and Ibn Zubair the whole of this S u rah was revealed at Mecca (Manth u r). Almost all the Commentators of the Qur’ a n appear to be agreed upon this point. Western scholars have assigned the S u rah to the sixth year of the Call, but most probably it was revealed in the fourth or fifth year. Anas reports that the S u rah was revealed in one whole and was guarded by seventy thousand angels (Manth u r, vol. 4, p. 210). In Chapter An- Na h l the prophecy that the Holy Prophet would meet with severe opposition from the Jews and the Christians had been dealt with at some length. This subject was further elaborated in S u rah Ban i Isr a ’ i l in which it was stated that he would be taken to regions where he would live among the Jews and would establish new contacts with them and later meet with opposition from both the Jews and the Christians and in the end would conquer them. The S u rah Ban i Isr a ’ i l mentioned a Vision of the Holy Prophet, which also embodied a prophecy that he would conquer the Holy Land of the Jews, and alluded to two revolts of the Jews foretold in the Book of Deuteronomy. The first revolt took place after the time of David as a consequence of which the Jews were expelled from their native land. They repented of their sins and their homeland was restored to them. But they again relapsed into iniquitous practices, defied God’s commandments and revolted for the second time in the time of Jesus. This second defiance brought upon them severer punishment. Their holy places were destroyed and they were exiled from their beloved Land of Promise. These prophecies had also mentioned the conditions and circumstances under which the first part of the Israelites—the Jews—had to pass. A description of their condition, however, gave rise to two obvious questions: (a) If Christians, who form the second part of the Mosaic Dispensation, have been spared the punishment with which the Jews who were its first part were afflicted, does it not follow that Christians are heirs to the Divine blessings and favours promised to the Jews? (b) Why are Muslims warned to be on their guard lest they incur Divine displeasure by following in the footsteps of the Jews, and what does this warning portend and what has the future in store for them? Subject-Matter Both these very natural and pertinent questions have been answered in the present Chapter and some light has also been shed on the vicissitudes through which Christianity—second branch of the Mosaic Dispensation—was to pass. Mention has also been made of how Muslims would behave and make