Period of Revelation
The exact period of its revelation is not known from any reliable tradiiion. However
the style shows that it is either the middle or the early Makkan period. If it is the middle period
it was probably its initial stage when the persecution had not yet become tyrannical and the Islamic movement was being suppressed only by resort to derision and ridicule
rumour mongering
false allegations and casting of evil suggestions in the people's minds.
Theme and Subject Matter
The SJrah deals with those objections of the disbelievers
which they were raising against the Holy Prophet's message of Tauhidand the Hereafter
and about his Prophethood itself
mostly in the form of absurd allegations and taunts and mockery. These objections have been answered
sometimes by citing them and sometimes without citing them
and the discourse itself shows which objection is being answered at a particular place. The answers mostly take the form of instruction and admonition and argument
but at some places the disbelievers have been warned also of the evil consequences
of their stubborness. In this connection
the stories of the Sabaeans and the Prophets David and Solomon have been related to impress this lesson: "You have both these historical precedents before you. On the one hand
there were the Prophets David and Solomon
who had been blessed by Allah with great powers and such grandeur and glory as had been granted to hardly any people before them. In spite of this
they were not proud and arrogant
but remained grateful servants of their Lord. They were never rebellious. On the other hand
there were the people of Saba
who
when blessed by Allah
became proud
and were consequently so thoroughly destroyed and dispersed as to be remembered only in myths and legends. With these precedents in view
you may see and judge for yourselves as to which bind of the life is better: that which is built on belief in Tauhidand the Hereafter and the attitude of gratefulness to Allah
or that which is based on disbelief and shirkand denial of the Hereafter and the worship of the world."