(Revealed partly before and partly after Hijrah)
According to scholarly opinion a part of the Surah was revealed before the Hijrah and a part after it. Dahhak, however, holds that the whole of it was revealed after the Hijrah. In Surah Al-Anbiya’ it was stated that Divine punishment continues to dog the footsteps of disbelievers because they reject the truth. In its last verse the Holy Prophet was enjoined to invoke Divine punishment upon disbelievers because of their persistently hostile attitude. The opening verse of the present Surah constitutes an answer to his prayer. This is the immediate connection of the Surah with Al-Anbiya’. But there exists a broader connection and deeper relationship between the subject-matter of some preceding Chapters and this Surah. The subject which began in Surah Maryam and was later developed and elaborated in Surahs Ta Ha and Al-Anbiya’ is brought to completion in the present Surah. In Surah Maryam the basic principles of the Christian Faith were explained and effectively refuted, as without their refutation there could have been no justification for a new Message. The Holy Prophet had claimed to have brought a new Message and a new Law for the whole of mankind. If Christianity could be shown to have existed in the world in its pristine purity and if there was extant in the world a Faith which claimed to be true, practical and practicable, then the need of a new Faith could not arise. So the basic principles of Christianity had to be proved to be false and unfounded. This was done in Surah Maryam whereby shedding light on the incidents attending his birth Jesus was shown to have been in no way different from, or superior to, other Messengers of God. In Surah Ta Ha, the Christian doctrine that Law is a curse was fully and completely repudiated, while in Surah Al-Anbiya’ the same subject was treated in a different manner, and the doctrine of original sin was shown to be quite untenable. It was made clear that if man suffered from the legacy of original sin and being devoid of free will he could not get rid of it, then the very object of the advent of Divine Messengers was defeated and man could not have been regarded as accountable for his actions and deeds. In the present Surah, however, we are told that if Jesus had attained the highest stage of spiritual perfection, then there was no need of a new Shari‘ah (Law) and a new Messenger. But the fact that the Holy Prophet had claimed to be a new Messenger and to have brought a new Law, in itself constitutes a challenge to this Christian belief.
The subject-matter of the Surah is split into five main parts: (1) The disbelievers are threatened with Divine punishment because they reject the claim of the Holy Prophet which rests on the following very sound hypotheses: (a) His teachings are indispensable for mankind and are based on truth and wisdom and have sound and solid arguments to establish their abiding utility and the emptiness of the objections of disbelievers. (b) Heavenly Signs uphold the Prophet’s cause—his followers are prospering both materially and spiritually and his enemies like those of the former Prophets are suffering defeat at his hands. (c) He will be blessed with Divine boons and blessings in an unusual measure. (d) His teachings are designed to bring about peace, harmony and goodwill among nations of the world. (e) All false faiths and religious systems including Christianity will retreat before the invincible onrush of Islam and will eventually be completely routed. (2) All Divine Messengers were opposed and satanic people placed all sorts of obstacles and impediments in their way. But God removed all those obstacles and the cause of Truth ultimately prevailed. (3) The advent of the Holy Prophet has fulfilled that Divine purpose for which Patriarch Abraham had prayed to God in the barren and arid valley of Mecca when he left his son Ishmael and his wife Hagar there. (4) The Holy Prophet has met with long and hard opposition and has endured untold hardships with great patience and fortitude, and the time has now arrived that he be granted permission to fight his opponents in self-defence. Defensive warfare is not only permissible but is commendable when the cause of Truth is at stake; and Divine succour comes to those who fight in its defence. If fighting in defence of Truth had not been allowed, man would have become deprived of freedom of conscience which is his most precious heritage, and God would have ceased to be worshipped and sin and iniquity would have reigned supreme in the world. (5) Divine Teaching like fresh rain gives new life and vigour to a spiritually dead world and is, therefore, bound to succeed. The cycle of a new Revelation taking the place of an old one continues. When a particular Teaching completes its allotted span of life and serves its intended purpose, a new Teaching replaces it and becomes the vehicle of Divine Will and Purpose. The Surah ends with the Divine promise that Heavenly help will come to the Holy Prophet because he is the Promised Teacher. His followers should, therefore, give him full and unconditional allegiance. This is the way to victory and success.