(Revealed before Hijrah)
Some Commentators of the Qur’an think that this Surah was revealed at Medina. This, however, is a mistaken view, being against all historical data. It is definitely a Meccan Surah and belongs to the very early years of the Call. Such eminent and respected authorities as Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn Zubair and ‘A’ishah subscribe to this view. Noldeke places it after Chapter 93, which was one of the earliest Chapters to have been revealed at Mecca. The preceding Surah had opened with the Divine command to the Holy Prophet to recite the Qur’an and preach and proclaim its Message to the world. The present Surah deals with the high status, dignity and excellence of the Qur’an itself which is declared in the opening verse to have been revealed in Lailatul-Qadr, i.e. the Night of Decree (or Dignity). This Night of Decree or Destiny has been described elsewhere in the Qur’an, as the "Blessed Night" (44:4). The Surah has only five little verses, excluding the Bismillah and yet its meaning and contents are of very deep spiritual significance.