The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 2
Muslims that they could live in his country in perfect security and freedom. From these incidents it becomes quite clear that this Surah was revealed before the migration of Muslims to Abyssinia. The migration, as historically proved, took place in the 5th year of the Call and the Muslims must have taken some months to learn and memorize it. Thus, taking all relevant historical data into consideration the fact becomes established beyond all reasonable doubt that this Surah was revealed at Mecca in the first half of the fifth year or probably towards the end of the fourth year of the birth of Islam. Muir, however, against all proved facts of history holds the view that the Surah was revealed towards the closing years of the Holy Prophet's life at Mecca while Wherry is of the opinion that it was revealed in the fifth or sixth year of the Call i. e. about a year after the migration of Muslims to Abyssinia. But both these views are evidently wrong, being inconsistent with reliable historical evidence mentioned above. The reluctance of these gentlemen to accept an established fact of history and their attempt to adumbrate quite an untenable theory is not without reason. Before the migration of Muslims to Abyssinia the Holy Prophet had preached his mission in Mecca for about four years while the Word of God was continuously being revealed to him but it lacked any detailed reference to Christian dogmas and doctrines. But all of a sudden, a few months before the migration took place, the revelation came thick and fast denouncing and demolishing these false doctrines till a whole Surah (the present Sūrah) dealing with them became revealed. This fact was not accidental. It was designed and deliberate. The Muslims were about to migrate to Abyssinia, a Christian country. The Revealer of the Quran knew that in their new place of migration they would come in contact with Christians and would have to discuss Christian beliefs. So by the revelation of this Surah, the Muslims were armed with a full and thorough refutation of all basic Christian doctrines in advance. This fact pointed to an inescapable inference that the Quran was the revealed Word of the All-Knowing God Himself. The inference was so patent and irresistible that in order to minimize its importance Muir and Wherry had to have recourse to a novel, albeit, unfounded theory. Connection with the Preceding Sūrahs The connection of this Surah with the Surahs that precede it i. e. Banī Isrā'il and Kahf, consists in the fact that some account of the rise and progress 1916