(Revealed before Hijrah)
By common consent it is one of the earliest Chapters which were revealed at Mecca. In the preceding Chapters mention was made of the punishment that was to overtake disbelievers in the Holy Prophet’s own time and in the subsequent long career of Islam, including the age of his Second Advent. The present Surah deals with the factors which engender in man an inclination to, or a liking for, disbelief and which divert his attention away from God. It deals with a very common but very deadly spiritual malady viz. vying with one another in amassing worldly goods and taking pride in their abundance. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that the Surah was equal in weight and worth a thousand verses (Baihaqi & Dailami), thus stressing its great importance.