Surah
Juz
According to Ibn Abbas, this Surah was revealed immediately after Surah 39: Az-Zumar (The Groups), and its current placement in the Quran follows its chronological order of revelation.
This Surah provides clear indications about the circumstances in which it was revealed. At that time, the disbelievers of Makkah were actively engaged in two types of activities against the Prophet ﷺ. Firstly, they were spreading doubt and mistrust about the teachings of the Quran, Islam, and the Prophet ﷺ himself. They initiated numerous disputes, raised irrelevant objections, and made new accusations to confound the Prophet ﷺ and the Believers, making it challenging for them to respond. Secondly, they were plotting against the Prophet's ﷺ life. They devised various schemes and, on one occasion, even took concrete steps to carry out an assassination plot. There is a Hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As, stating that one day, while the Prophet ﷺ was praying near the Ka'bah, 'Uqbah bin Abi Mu’ait rushed forward and attempted to strangle him with a piece of cloth. Abu Bakr intervened and pushed him away. During the struggle, Abu Bakr admonished the assailant, questioning whether he intended to kill a man simply for proclaiming that God is his Lord.
