History of surah The Cattle
Name
The ayahs 136, 138, and 139, which dispel several idolatrous Arab superstitions about the legality of some livestock (an'am) and the illegality of others, give this Surah its name.
Period of Revelation
In Makkah, the entire Surah was revealed in a single session, according to an Ibn Abbas tradition. During the revelation of this Surah, the Holy Prophet was riding on a she-camel, and I was holding her nose-string, according to Asma, a Yazid's daughter and Hadrat Mu'az-bin Jabl's first cousin. The weight started to feel so intense on the she-camel that it appeared as though her bones would give way. According to some traditions, the Holy Prophet narrated the entire Surah the same night it was revealed.
Because of its subject matter, it is obvious that the Holy Prophet received it at Makkah during his final year of life. Additionally, this is supported by Asma's tradition, a Yazid woman. She must have visited the Holy Prophet in Makkah during the final year of his life there because she joined the Ansar and converted to Islam when the Holy Prophet moved to Yathrib. Because before this, his relationships with those individuals were not so close that a woman from their community could have visited him in Makkah.
Occasion of Revelation
It is simpler to picture the Surah's background after the time of its revelation has been established. Since the Holy Prophet first extended an invitation to embrace Islam, twelve years have passed. The bulk of Muslims were forced to flee their homes and relocate to Habash due to the Quraish's cruel and vicious persecution of them (Abyssinia). Above all, the Holy Prophet was without the assistance and support of his two greatest followers, Hadrat Khadijah and Abu Talib. He was therefore cut off from all outside assistance. However, despite the opposition, he continued on with his objective. The good people of Makkah and the surrounding tribes eventually started to join Islam as a result of this, but the community as a whole was focused on obduracy and rejection. Because of this, anyone who displayed even a hint of interest in Islam was subject to verbal and physical abuse, as well as social exclusion. As a result of the efforts of some powerful Aus and Khazraj residents who had accepted Islam in Makkah, a glimmer of hope emerged from Yathrib amid these dire circumstances. No one could have predicted at the time the enormous potentialities that lie hidden in this humble beginning of Islam's march toward prosperity. Because Islam at the time seemed to have little support outside of the Prophet's family and the Movement's small, impoverished followers, it was apparent to a casual observer that it was only a weak movement. Being expelled by their own people, who had turned against them and were now persecuting them, the latter could not, of course, be of much assistance.
Topics
This conversation was disclosed under these circumstances. The key topics covered in this discourse can be categorized under the following seven headings:
A challenge to the Tauhid doctrine and a challenge to shirk.
- Defending the "Life-after-death" philosophy and dispelling the fallacious belief that there is no life after this one.
- The common superstitions are disproved.
- The articulation of the core moral values necessary for the development of the Islamic society.
- rebuttals to the criticisms leveled about the Holy Prophet's person and his mission.
- The Holy Prophet and his disciples needed consolation and inspiration at the moment because the mission seemed to have failed, and they were feeling anxious and hopeless.
- Admonishing, forewarning, and threatening the opponents and skeptics to end their arrogance and passivity. The conversation continues as a continuous whole, and the aforementioned topics are brought up repeatedly in fresh and new contexts. It must be observed, however, that the topics have not been addressed one at a time under separate titles.
Background Information on Makki Surahs
In order for the reader to understand the Makki Surahs and our references to its various stages in connection with our commentary on them, it will be helpful to explain the historical background of Makki Surahs in general since this is the first lengthy Makki Surah in the order of the compilation of the Quran.
In the first place, it should be emphasized that there is relatively little information available regarding the background of the revelation of Makki Surahs, whereas the period of revelation of all the Madani Surahs is known or may be ascertained with little effort. Even the occasions of the revelation of the majority of the passages have genuine traditions attached to them. Regarding the Makki Surahs, on the other hand, we do not have as much information. Only a small number of Surahs and verses are supported by reliable traditions that describe the moment and setting of their revelation. This is due to the lack of an in-depth compilation of the Makki period's history compared to the Madani period's. Because of this, we must rely on the internal evidence of these Surahs to pinpoint the time of their revelation. These internal clues include the topics they cover, their subject matter, their style, and any explicit or implicit allusions to the occasions and events surrounding their revelation. It follows that it is apparent that we cannot state with certainty that this verse or this Surah was revealed at this specific time using this evidence. The best we can hope for is to make a comparison between a Surah's internal evidence with the events of the Holy Prophet's life at Makkah, and from there to make a more or less accurate judgment as to which stage a specific Surah belongs.
The Holy Prophet's mission at Makkah can be divided into four parts if the aforementioned considerations are kept in mind.
His selection as a Messenger marked the beginning of the first phase, which lasted three years and culminated with the declaration of Prophethood. The Makkan populace was unaware of the Message during this time since it was only provided in secret to a small group of chosen individuals.
Following the announcement of his Prophethood, the second stage continued for two years. It started with individual opposition; with time, it evolved into hostility, mockery, scorn, abuse, accusations, and false information; as a result, gangs were created to target Muslims who were relatively weak, defenseless, and destitute.
Between the start of the persecution and Abu Talib and Hadrat Khadijah's passing in the tenth year of the Prophethood, the third stage lasted for almost six years. The Muslim minority was brutally persecuted at this time, forcing many of them to flee to Habash. The Holy Prophet and his family became the targets of a social and economic boycott, and those Muslims who persisted in Makkah were compelled to seek refuge in Shiab-i-Abi Talib, which was under siege.
Between the tenth and thirteenth year of Prophethood was the fourth stage, which lasted for around three years. The Holy Prophet and his followers experienced severe tribulations and excruciating pain at this time. Even beyond Makkah, life had become intolerable, and there didn't seem to be anywhere to seek solace. The Holy Prophet couldn't find any shelter or security when he traveled to Ta'if as a result. Additionally, he would beg every Arab clan to accept his call to Islam on the occasion of Haj, but he would always receive a resounding no from them all. In the meantime, Makkans were having meetings to discuss how to get rid of him, whether it be by killing, imprisoning, or expelling him. Allah opened the Ansar of Yathrib, to whom he migrated at their invitation, to Islam at that most crucial moment.
With the Holy Prophet's life at Makkah separated into four periods, it is now simpler for us to determine, as precisely as possible, the stage in which a given Makki Surah was revealed. The reason for this is because the subject matter and literary characteristics of the Surahs that belong to a certain stage can be used to identify them from those of the other stages. They also contain references that shed light on the situations and events that served as the backdrop for their discovery. The specific stage in which a particular Makki Surah was revealed will be identified in the Preface of the successive Makki Surahs and will be determined based on the distinctive characteristics of each stage.
Subject: Islamic Creed
The main topics of this Surah's discussion are on the various facets of the three basic tenets of the Islamic Creed—Tauhid, Life After Death, and Prophethood—as well as how these tenets relate to everyday human existence. Alongside this, it disproves the false assertions of the "opponents," addresses their concerns, forewarns and chastises them, and consoles the Holy Prophet and his devotees who were then subjected to persecution.
It goes without saying that these topics have been excellently combined rather than being addressed separately.
Topics and their Interconnection
This chapter's lines serve both an introduction and warning. Disbelievers have been warned that they will meet the same end as the earlier disbelievers if they reject the Islamic Creed and adhere to the "Light" revealed by the Revelation from the All-Knowing and All-Powerful Allah. Their defenses against the Prophet and the Revelation that was revealed to him have been disproved, and they have been warned not to be misled by the temporary reprieve that has been provided to them. 1-12
Shirk, which is the biggest barrier to the acceptance of Tauhid, is refuted in these verses, which inculcate Tauhid. 13-24
The purpose of these words is to warn unbelievers of the repercussions of rejecting the Articles of Faith by providing a realistic depiction of life in the Hereafter. 25-32
The main topic that has been explored is prophethood from the perspectives of the Holy Prophet, his Mission, the scope of his Authority, the Attitude towards His Followers, and also from the perspective of the Unbelievers. 33-73
In keeping with the same idea, the Prophet Abraham tale has been told to demonstrate to the paganism Arabs that the Mission of the Prophet Muhammad, which they were fighting, was the same as that of the Prophet Abraham (Allah's peace be upon them), who was a Muslim. They followed this line of reasoning because they saw themselves as his adherents, particularly the Quraish who were ecstatic to be his ancestors. 74-90
The Book, which Allah sent down to Muhammad, is yet another indication of his prophethood because its teachings provide the proper direction in terms of religion and behavior. 91-108
In order to demonstrate the significant contrasts between the two and demonstrate the Quran's status as a Revealed Book, divine prohibitions have been compared to the superstitious constraints of the Arabs. 109-154
Jews and Arabs who practiced polytheism were both criticized during the years 144–147, and it has been suggested that they compare the Torah's teachings with those of the Quran in order to see how similar they are, abandon their weak arguments against it, and follow its guidance in order to avoid suffering punishment on the Day of Resurrection. 155-160
The speech comes to an end with the directive that the Holy Prophet proclaim the Islamic Creed's articles and its ramifications with courage in a beautiful and strong manner. 161-165