Name
This Surah (Chapter) takes its name from vv. 136, 138 and 139 in which some superstitious beliefs of the idolatrous Arabs concerning the lawfulness of some cattle (An'am) and the unlawfulness of some others have been refuted.

Period of Revelation
According to a tradition of Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه, the whole of the Surah (Chapter) was revealed at one sitting at Makkah. Asma" bint Yazidرضى الله عنها, a first cousin of Mu'adh bin Jabl رضي الله عنه, says, "During the revelation of this Surah (Chapter) , the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was riding on a she-camel and I was holding her nose-string. The she-camel began to feel the weight so heavily that it seemed as if her bones would break under it."We also learn from other traditions that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم dictated the whole of the Surah (Chapter) the same night that it was revealed.

Its subject-matter clearly shows that it must have been revealed during the last year of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم's life at Makkah. The tradition of Asma" bint Yazidرضى الله عنها also confirms this. As she belonged to the Ansar and embraced
Islam after the migration of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to Yathrab, her visit to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم at Makkah must have taken place during the last year of his life there. For before this, his relations with those people were not so intimate that a woman from there might have come to visit him at Makkah.

Occasion of Revelation
After determining the period of its revelation, it is easier to visualize the background of the Surah (Chapter). Twelve years had passed since the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had been inviting the people to Islam. The antagonism and persecution by the Quraysh had become most savage and brutal, and the majority of the Muslims had to leave their homes and migrate to Habash (Abyssinia). Above all, the two great supporters of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Abu Talib and Khadijah رضى الله عنها, were no more to help and give strength to him. Thus he was deprived of all the worldly support. But in spite of this, he carried on his mission in the teeth of opposition. As a result of this, on the one hand, all the good people of Makkah and the surrounding clans gradually began to accept Islam; on the other hand, the community as a whole, was bent upon obduracy and rejection. Therefore, if anyone showed any inclination towards Islam, he was subjected to taunts and derision, physical violence and social boycott. It was in these dark circumstances that a ray of hope gleamed from Yathrab, where Islam began to spread freely by the efforts of some influential people of Aus and Khazraj, who had embraced Islam at Makkah. This was a humble beginning in the march of Islam towards success and none could foresee at that time the great potentialities that lay hidden in it. For, to a casual observer, it appeared at that time as if Islam was merely a weak movement it had no material backing except the meager support of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم's own family and of the few poor adherents of the Movement. Obviously the latter could not give much help because they themselves had been cast out by their own people who had become their enemies and were persecuting them.

Topics
These were the conditions, when this discourse was revealed. The main topics dealt with in this discourse may be divided under seven headings:

1.   Refutation of shirk and invitation to the creed of Tauhid.

2.    Enunciation of the doctrine of the "Life-after- death." and refutation of the wrong notion that there was nothing beyond this worldly life.

3.    Refutation of the prevalent superstitions.

4.    Enunciation of the fundamental moral principles for the building up of the Islamic Society.

5.    Answers to the objections raised against the person of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his mission.

6.    Comfort and encouragement to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلمand his followers who were at, that time in a state of anxiety and despondency because of the apparent failure of the mission.

7.    Admonition, warning and threats to the disbelievers and opponents to give up their apathy and haughtiness. It must, however, be noted that the above topics have not been dealt with one by one under separate headings, but the discourse goes on as a continuous whole and these topics come under discussion over and over again in new and different ways.

The Background of Makki Surahs
As this is the first long Makki Surah (Chapter) in the order of the compilation of the Qur-an, it will be useful to explain the historical background of Makki Suwar (Chapters) in general, so that the reader may easily understand the Makki Suwar (Chapters) and our references to its different stages in connection with our commentary on them.

First of all, it should be noted that comparatively very little material is available in regard to the background of the revelation of Makki Suwar (Chapters) whereas the period of the revelation of all the Madani Suwar (Chapters) is known or can be determined with a little effort. There are authentic traditions even in regard to the occasions of the revelation of the majority of the verses. On the other hand, we do not have such detailed information regarding the Makki Suwar (Chapters). There are only a few Suwar (Chapters) and Ayat (Verses) which have authentic traditions concerning the time and occasion of their revelation. This is because the history of the Makki period had not been compiled in such detail as that of the Madani period. Therefore we have to depend on the internal evidence of these Suwar (Chapters) for determining the period of their revelation: for example, the topics they discuss, their subject. matter, their style and the direct or indirect references to the events and the occasions of their revelation. Thus it is obvious that with the help of such evidence as this, we cannot say with precision that such and such Surah (Chapter) or verse was revealed on such and such an occasion. The most we can do is to compare the internal evidence of a Surah (Chapter) with the events of the life of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم at Makkah, and then come to a more or less correct conclusion as to what particular stage a certain Surah (Chapter) belongs.

If we keep the above things in view, the history of the mission of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم at Makkah can be divided into four stages.

The first stage began with his appointment as a Messenger and ended with the proclamation of Prophethood three years later. During this period the Message was given secretly to some selected persons only, but the common people of Makkah were not aware of it.

The second stage lasted for two years after the proclamation of his Prophethood. It began with opposition by individuals: then by and by, it took the shape of antagonism, ridicule, derision,, accusation, abuse, and false propaganda then gangs were formed to persecute those Muslims who were comparatively poor, weak and helpless.

The third stage lasted for about six years from the beginning of the persecution to the death of Abu Talib and Khadijah رضى الله عنها in the tenth year of Prophethood. During this period, the persecution of the Muslims became so savage and brutal that many of them were forced to migrate to Habash. Social and economic boycott was applied against the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the members of his family, and those Muslims who continued to stay in Makkah were forced to take refuge in Shi'b-i-A'bi Talib which was besieged.

The fourth stage lasted for about three years from the tenth to the thirteenth year of Prophethood. This was a period of hard trials and grievous sufferings for the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his followers. Life had become unendurable at Makkah and there appeared to be no place of refuge even outside it. So much so that when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم went to Ta'if, it offered no shelter or protection. Besides this, on the occasion of Hajj, he would appeal to each and every Arab clan to accept his invitation to Islam but met with blank refusal from every quarter. At the same time, the people of Makkah were holding counsels to get rid of him by killing or imprisoning or banishing him from their city. It was at that most critical time that Allah opened for Islam the hearts of the Ansar of Yathrab where he migrated at their invitation.

Now that we have divided the life of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم at Makkah into four stages, it has become easier for us to tell, as far as possible, the particular stage in which a certain Makki Surah (Chapter) was revealed. This is because the Suwar (Chapters) belonging to a particular stage can be distinguished from those of the other stages with the help of their subject matter and style. Besides this, they also contain such references as throw light on the circumstances and events that form the background of their revelation. In the succeeding Makki Suwar (Chapters), we will determine on the basis of the distinctive features of each stage, and point out in the Preface, the particular stage in which a certain Makki Surah (Chapter) was revealed.

Subject :Islamic Creed.
This Surah (Chapter) mainly discusses the different aspects of the major articles of the Islamic Creed: Tauhid, Life-after- death, Prophethood and their practical application to human life. Side by side with this, it refutes the erroneous beliefs of the opponents and answers their objections, warns and admonishes them and comforts the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his followers, who were then suffering from persecution.

Of course, these themes have not been dealt with under separate heads but have been blended in an excellent manner.

Topics and their Interconnection
These verses are of introductory and admonitory nature. The disbelievers have been warned that if they do not accept the Islamic Creed and follow the `Light' shown by the Revelation from the All-Knowing and All-Powerful Allah, they would go to the same doom as the former disbelievers did. Their arguments for rejecting the Prophet and the Revelation sent down to him have been refuted and a warning has been given to them that they should not be deluded by the respite that is being granted to them. 1 - 12

These verses inculcate Tauhid, and refute shirk which is the greatest obstacle in the way of its acceptance. 13 - 24

In these verses, a graphic scene of the life in the Hereafter has been depicted in order to warn the disbelievers of the consequences of the rejection of the Articles of Faith. 25 - 32

Prophethood is the main theme which has been discussed from the point of view of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, his Mission, the limitations of his powers, the attitude towards his followers and also from the point of view of the disbelievers. 33 - 73

In continuation of the same theme, the story of Prophet Abraham عليه السلام has been related to bring home to the pagan Arabs that the Mission of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, which they were opposing, was the same as that of Prophet Abraham عليه السلام. This line of argument was adopted because they considered themselves to be his followers, especially the Quraysh who were proud of being his descendants as well. 74 - 90

Another proof of his Prophethood is the Book, which has been sent down to him by Allah, for its teachings show the right guidance in regard to creed and practice. 91 - 108

Divine restrictions have been contrasted with the superstitious restrictions of the pagan Arabs in order to show the striking differences between the two and thus prove the Qur-an to be a Revealed Book. 109 - 154

The Jews, who were criticized in vv. 144 - 147 along with the pagan Arabs, have been urged to compare the teachings of the Qur-an with those of the Torah so that they might recognize their similarity and give up their lame excuses against it, and adopt its Guidance to escape the retribution on the Day of Resurrection. 155 - 160

This is the conclusion of the discourse: the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been instructed in a beautiful and forceful manner to proclaim fearlessly the articles of the Islamic Creed and their implications. 161 - 165