Essence of the Holy Qur’an — Page 123
123 Chapter 68 Al-Qalam ,T (Revealed before Hijrah) Date of Revelation, Context and Subject-Matter This is one of the first four or five Chapters which were revealed at Mecca in the very beginning of the Call. According to some authorities it was revealed just after S u rah Al-‘Alaq, which was the first Qur’ a nic S u rah to have been revealed, but some other authorities place it after S u rahs , Al-Muzzammil and Al-Muddaththir. There is, however, no doubt about it that all these Chapters were revealed more or less in consecutive order, because there exists a strong likeness in their subject-matter. The present S u rah deals principally with the Holy Prophet’s claim as a Divine Messenger. Like all the Meccan S u rahs which mainly deal with matters of doctrine and belief, it deals with the truth of the Holy Prophet’s claim and gives sound and solid arguments to support it. A large part of the S u rah is also devoted to a discussion of the fight of disbelievers against Truth, and to the evil end to which they ultimately come, and gives reasons why they reject Truth and strive and struggle against it and how, when their efforts appear to be on the point of bearing fruit they come to naught, and Truth, which seems to be going under, begins to prosper, prevail and predominate. Towards the close of the S u rah , the Holy Prophet is enjoined to bear with patience and fortitude all the mockery, opposition and persecution to which he is subjected, because his cause is bound to succeed.