Yana da wuya a iya tantance lokacin da aka saukar da wannan surar, kuma wannan ya shafi farkonta da kuma surar gaba ɗaya. Haka kuma ba zai yiwu a tabbatar da cewa an saukar da farkonta da farko, sannan sauran suka biyo baya bayan wani lokaci ba. Ba za mu iya ma cewa wannan shi ne mafi yiwuwa ba, domin farko da ƙarshen surar suna magana ne a kan batu guda, watau zargin da kafirai suka yi wa Manzon Allah ﷺ cikin rashin ladabi, suna kiransa mahaukaci.

It is practically impossible to date the revelation of this surah, and this applies to its opening as well as to the surah as a whole. Nor is it possible to say for certain that its opening was revealed first and the rest after the lapse of some time. We cannot even say that this was more probable, because the opening and the ending of the surah tackle the same point, namely, the unbelievers’ rude claims about the Prophet, denouncing him as a madman.

Akwai rahotanni masu yawa da ke nuna cewa wannan ita ce sura ta biyu da aka saukar bayan Sura 96. Inda bugu-bugu daban-daban na Alkur'ani suka ambaci tsarin saukar da suratai, dukansu suna nuna cewa wannan ita ce sura ta biyu. Duk da haka, salon wannan sura, yadda take magana a kan jigon da take tattaunawa da kuma inda take kai ga karshe, suna nuna wani abu daban. A zahiri, wadannan abubuwa kusan suna tabbatar da cewa an saukar da ita ne wani lokaci bayan kiran Musulunci ya zama a bayyane. Sananne ne cewa tsawon shekara uku Annabi ﷺ ya isar da sakonsa ga mutane a asirce, daya bayan daya. Don haka, mafi yiwuwar wannan sura an saukar da ita ne a lokacin, lokacin da Quraishawa suke kin sabon sakon Musulunci da tsananin kudiri, suna amfani da dukkan hanyoyi don hana shi, ciki har da yada zarge-zarge na batanci a kan Annabi ﷺ.

There are many reports that suggest that this was the second surah to be revealed after Surah 96. Where different editions of the Qur’an mention an order of revelation, they all suggest that this is the second surah. Yet the style of the surah, the way it tackles its subject matter and its drift point to something else. In fact, these aspects almost confirm that it was revealed sometime after the call to Islam went public. It is well known that for three years the Prophet addressed his message to people privately, on an individual basis. In other words, this surah was most probably revealed during that time, when the Quraysh was determinedly opposed to the new message of Islam, resorting to all means to prevent it, including levelling defamatory allegations against the Prophet.

Ta hanyar mayar da martani, Alkur'ani ya fara yin Allah-wadai da irin waɗannan dabaru, yana kore zarge-zargen da ba su da tushe, yana kuma yin barazana da gargaɗi irin waɗanda wannan sura ta ƙunsa.

Byway of response, the Qur’an began to denounce such tactics, repelling unfounded allegations and issuing threats and warnings of the type this surah includes.

Kamar yadda muka faɗa, an yi tsammanin cewa an saukar da farkon surar ne kawai a farkon lokaci, jim kaɗan bayan saukar farkon Suratul Alaq (Sura ta 96).

As we have said, it has been suggested that only the opening of the surah was revealed early on, soon after the first revelation of Surah 96.

Har ila yau, an ce ƙin yarda da duk wata hauka da ake danganta wa Annabi ﷺ, wadda ke cikin farkon surar, "ba kai ba ne, ta alherin Ubangijinka, mahaukaci ba?", don kwantar da fargabarsa ne kan ko irin waɗannan wahayi alamomin hauka ne. Wannan ma ba shi da yuwuwa, domin rahotannin da ke ambaton duk wata fargaba da Annabi ﷺ zai iya yi suna da matuƙar rauni daga fuskar ingancinsu. Bugu da ƙari, yadda aka gina surar a matsayin cikakkiyar ɗaya yana nuna a fili cewa wannan ƙin yarda an yi shi ne don ƙaryata zargin da aka ambata a ƙarshenta: "Kafirai sun kusan kashe ka da idanunsu lokacin da suka ji wannan tunatarwa. Suna cewa, 'Lallai shi mahaukaci ne?'" (Aya ta 51). Wannan zargi ne aka ƙaryata a farkon surar. Ana fahimtar wannan a fili idan aka karanta dukkan surar aka kuma gane yadda take da alaƙa mai ƙarfi daga farko zuwa ƙarshe.

It is further suggested that the negation of any madness attributed to the Prophet, which occurs in the opening, “you are not, by your Lord's grace, a madman? was in order to calm his own fears about whether such revelations were signs of madness. This is again unlikely, because the reports mentioning any such fears the Prophet may have had are exceedingly lacking in authenticity. Moreover, the way the surah is built as a single whole makes it clear that this negation is meant to refute the allegation mentioned at its conclusion: “ The unbelievers well-nigh trip you up with their eyes when they hear this reminder. They say, 'He is surely mad?' (Verse 51) It is this allegation that is negated at the surah's very outset. This is clearly understood when we read all the surah and appreciate how closely interlinked it is throughout.

Wasu rahotanni kuma sun nuna cewa wasu ayoyi, musamman ayoyi na 17-23 da na 42-52, an saukar da su ne a Madina. Ayar farko tana ambaton jarrabawar da masu lambun suka sha, ta biyu kuma tana magana ne a kan Annabi Yunus. Sai dai mu, ba mu yarda da haka ba.

Some reports also suggest that certain passages, specifically verses 17-23 and 42-52, were revealed in MadTnah. The first of these passages mentions the test endured by the owners of the garden, and the second refers to the Prophet Jonah. Again, we believe this not to be the case.

Maimakon haka, muna ba da shawarar cewa dukkan surar an saukar da ita ne a Makka, domin salonta yana kama sosai da na surorin Makkah. Lallai, wannan shi ne ya fi yiwuwa, la'akari da salon surar, siffofinta, da haɗin kanta gaba ɗaya.

Instead, we suggest that the whole surah was revealed in Makkah, because its style is very much Makkan. Indeed, this is more likely, considering the style, the features and the overall unity of the surah.

Matsayinmu a nan, saboda haka, shi ne cewa wannan surar ba ita ce ta biyu da aka saukar ba, sai dai saukarta ta faru ne bayan wani lokaci mai tsawo tun farkon aikin Annabi. Tabbas ta faru ne bayan umarnin Allah da aka bai wa Annabi ﷺ na "ka yi gargaɗi ga dangin kusa da kai" (26: 214), kuma bayan saukar wani muhimmin sashe na Alƙur'ani da ke magana game da al'ummomin da suka gabata. Wasu kafirai sun bayyana irin waɗannan labarai da "tatsuniyoyin mutanen da suka gabata".

Our own stance, therefore, is that the surah was not the second to be revealed, but rather that its revelation took place after the lapse of some considerable time after the start of the Prophets mission. It was certainly after the divine instruction was given to the Prophet to “warn your nearest kindred? (26: 214), and after the revelation of a substantial portion of the Qur’an speaking about earlier communities. Such reports have been described by some unbelievers as ‘fables of the ancients’.

A bayyana a fili cewa an saukar da ita ne a lokacin da Quraishawa suka riga suka sami kira zuwa karɓar Musulunci, kuma a lokacin ne suka fara tsayayya da kiran. Hakika, adawarsu ta ƙara tsananta har suka yi gaggawar yada zarge-zarge marasa tushe game da Annabi ﷺ da manufarsa. Irin wannan adawa ce ta sa surar ta yi tsawatarwa mai ƙarfi ga kafirai, kuma ta yi gargaɗi mai tsanani a farkonta da kuma ƙarshenta. Wannan lokacin saukarwar kuma ana tabbatar da shi ta hoton ƙarshe da surar ta zana: "Kafirai sun kusa su yi maka kallon ƙiyayya da idanunsu, idan sun ji wannan Tunatarwa, suna cewa: Lallai shi mahaukaci ne." (Aya ta 51) Wannan hoto ne na jawabi a fili da ake kira manyan taro na mutane su karɓi saƙon. Irin waɗannan taruka tabbas ba su faru ba a farkon shekarun saƙon Musulunci. Hakika, jawabi na farko irin wannan an yi shi ne shekara uku bayan Annabi ﷺ ya fara karɓar wahayin Alƙur'ani.

It was clearly revealed then at a time when the Quraysh had already been called upon to accept Islam and whence it started its resistance to the call. Indeed, so determined had it become in its opposition at this point that it did not hesitate to level false allegations against the Prophet and his mission. It is such opposition that necessitated the very strong denunciation the surah makes of the unbelievers and the strong warnings it issues both early on and towards its end. Such timing of its revelation is also confirmed by the last image it portrays: “ The unbelievers well-nigh trip you up with their eyes when they hear this reminder. They say 'He is surely mad'" (Verse 51) This is an image of a public address calling on large groups of people to accept the message. Such gatherings most certainly did not take place during the early years of the Islamic message. Indeed, the first such public address was only made three years after the Prophet began to receive Quranic revelations.

Surar ta yi magana a kan wasu daga cikin tayin da kafirai suka yi wa Annabi, suna gabatar da sulhu a kan babban batun da ake takaddama a kansa, wato batun imani. Ta ce: "Suna son ka yi sulhu da su, don su ma su yi sulhu." (Aya ta 9) Babu shakka, irin wannan tayin ba zai taso ba a lokacin da ake yada saƙon a asirce kawai, ana gabatar da shi ga wasu mutane kaɗan. A irin wannan yanayi, ba za a ji cewa yana wakiltar wata barazana ba. Ya fi yiwuwa irin waɗannan tayi sun fara ne daga baya, lokacin da saƙon ya fara yaɗuwa a fili, kuma kafirai suka fahimci girman tasirinsa.

The surah refers to some of the offers the unbelievers made to the Prophet, suggesting a compromise over the central issue in dispute, namely that of faith. It says: "They would love that you compromise with them, so that they will also compromise." (Verse 9) Needless to say, such an offer would not have been made at a time when the message was only advocated in private, presented to a few individuals. In such circumstances, it would not have been felt to represent any danger. It is more likely that such offers would only have been made later, when the message advocated itself in public and when the unbelievers realized its far-reaching significance.

Mun ga yadda alamomi da dama ke tabbatar da cewa wannan surah ba a saukar da ita a farkon kwanakin saƙon Musulunci ba, kuma aƙalla shekaru uku sun wuce kafin saukarta. Ba abu ne mai yiwuwa ba cewa babu wani wahayin Alƙur'ani da aka sauka a cikin waɗannan shekaru uku. Akasin haka, ya fi yiwuwa cewa surori da ayoyi da yawa sun sauka a cikin lokacin tsakanin, suna gabatar da imanin Musulunci ba tare da tsananin Allah wadai da kafirai ba kamar yadda muke gani a cikin wannan surah. Duk da haka, duk da wannan duka, ba za a iya cewa wannan surah, da kuma Surori 73 da 74, an saukar da su a ƙarshen zamanin Musulunci ba.

We see how several indications confirm that the surah was not revealed in the very early days of the Islamic message, and that at least three years had passed before its revelation. It is highly unlikely that no Qur’anic revelations were made during these three years. On the contrary, it is much more likely that many surahs and passages were revealed in the intervening period, presenting the Islamic faith without strongly denouncing the unbelievers in the way we find in this surah. Having said all this, however, one can still not say that this surah, as well as Surahs 73 and 74, were revealed late into the Islamic period.

Bishiyar addinin Musulunci, a cikakkiyar sigarta, tsaftatacciya kuma tsarkakakkiya, tana ta girma a doron kasa. Ta yi nisa da yanayin jahiliyya da ya mamaye ba kawai Larabawan Tsibirin Larabawa ba, har ma a duniya baki daya. Lallai akwai babban gibi tsakaninta da nau'in addinin Ibrahimiyya da ya karkace kuma ya yi rauni, wanda aka gauraya da camfe-camfen gida, wanda masu bautar gumaka na Larabawa suke riko da shi. Abin da Muhammadu ﷺ ya yi kira zuwa gare shi shi ne addini bayyananne, madaidaici, mai sauki, amma kuma cikakke kuma mai zurfi, wanda ya yi daidai da tsantsar addinin asali da Ibrahim ya yi wa'azi da shi, amma a matakin kamala da ya dace da kasancewarsa sakon karshe zuwa ga bil'adama, yana yi musu magana a matakin balagarsu, kuma yana ci gaba da kasancewa cikakke har zuwa karshen zamani. Misali, batun mabambantan alloli wadanda ke sanya abokan tarayya ga Allah: a wannan fannin, Larabawa suna bautar mala'iku, gumaka, aljanu da ruhohi. Imaninsu gauraye ne na tunani-tunani marasa inganci da fanko. Ku kwatanta wadannan da kyakkyawan hoton da Alkur'ani ya zana game da Allah da ikonSa mai girma wanda ke kula da kowace halitta. Tazarar da ke tsakanin su biyu tana da girma matuka.

The tree of the Islamic faith, in its real, clean and pure form, was being planted on earth. It was totally unfamiliar to the prevailing state of ignorance, or jahiliyyah, not only in the Arabian Peninsula but throughout the globe. Indeed there was a great gulf between it and the deviant and colourless form of the Abrahamic faith, mixed with local superstitions, which the Arab idolaters upheld. What Muhammad (peace be upon him) advocated was a clear, straightforward, simple, yet comprehensive and profound faith that was fully in line with the original pure faith preached by Abraham, but to a standard of perfection that fits its being the last message to mankind, addressing them in their stage of maturity and remaining intact to the end of time. Take, for example, the notion of multiple deities that assigns partners to God: in this respect, the Arabs worshipped angels, statues, the jinn and spirits. Their beliefs were a medley of corrupt and hollow notions. Compare these with the noble picture the Qur’an paints of God and His majestic power that takes care of every creature. The gulf between the two is immense.

Haka kuma, tazarar da ke tsakanin tsarin azuzuwa da ya yi rinjaye a Larabawa, da yanayin addininsu na malamai, da mallakar gata ta hanyar keɓe wasu mutane, kamar rikon Ka'aba, a gefe guda, da daidaiton dukkan mutane da Musulunci ya yi wa'azi a kai, da kuma dangantakar kai tsaye ta kowane mutum da Allah kamar yadda Alkur'ani ya bayyana, a ɗaya gefen, tana da girma sosai. Haka nan, ɗabi'ar da Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya yi kira zuwa gare ta ta bambanta sosai da dabi'un da suka yi rinjaye a cikin al'ummar jahiliyyar Larabawa.

Similarly wide is the gulf between the class system that prevailed in Arabia, the clerical nature of its religion and the monopoly of privileges, such as custodianship of the Ka(bah, on the one hand and the equality of all people preached by Islam and every individual’s direct relation with God as explained in the Qur’an on the other. Likewise, the morality advocated by the Prophet Muhammad was a world apart from the values that prevailed in Arabia’s jahiliyyah society.