Bayan ul Quran - English, by Dr. Israr Ahmed (رحمه الله)

064 - At-Taghabun ( Mutual Loss & Gain ) - سورة التغابن

Themes and purpose:

This Madinan surah asserts Allah’s sovereignty and proves the certainty of the Resurrection through universal glorification. Its core purpose is to define the principles of spiritual loss and gain (al-taghābun), warning believers against the corrosive influence of their disbelieving spouses and children, and commanding them to prioritize faith, piety, and spending over family and wealth.
Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed to address the social dilemma faced by believers who wished to make migration but were obstructed by their own spouses and children in Makkah. It was revealed to clarify that this opposition was a trial.

063 - Al-Munafiqoon ( The Hypocrites ) - سورة المنافقونThemes and purpose:

This Madinan surah is dedicated entirely to exposing the nature and threat of hypocrisy. Its core purpose is to warn the believers against internal division and treachery, specifically detailing the speeches, false oaths, and seditious plots of ʿAbd Allah ibn Ubayy. It concludes by urging the faithful to prioritize spending and remembrance before the arrival of death.
Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed following a specific seditious incident during the Battle of Banū al-Muṣṭaliq (around 5 AH), where the leader of the hypocrites, ʿAbd Allah ibn Ubayy, threatened to expel the Prophet (ﷺ) from Madinah. The surah confirms the truthfulness of the young companion Zayd ibn Arqam, who reported the plot, while exposing Ibn Ubayy's false oath [4].

062 - Al-Jumu'ah ( Friday ) - سورة الجمعة

Themes and purpose:

This Madinan surah affirms the universal mission of the Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) to the Arabs and all subsequent peoples. It confirms the obligation of Friday Prayer (ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah), emphasizes the superiority of the final Revelation and its people, and condemns those Believers who, when tested, prioritize fleeting commerce over the command of Allah.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan by consensus.

Context: It was revealed late in the Madinan period, likely around the 6th year AH (the year of Khaybar), as indicated by the conversion of Abū Hurayrah at Khaybar. The surah was revealed when a group of Muslims ran away from the Friday sermon when a trade caravan arrived from the Levant. This event served as a major test of faith, prompting the surah’s final command to seek Allah's provision after the prayer.

061 - As-Saff ( The Row ) - سورة الصف

Themes and purpose:

This Madinan surah is a rebuke and an exhortation, commanding unity and commitment to striving in Allah’s way. It begins with a direct condemnation of those who make promises they do not fulfill. The surah affirms the truthfulness of the prophets (highlighting Moses and Jesus), promises Muslims victory and divine aid, and emphasizes that faith requires integrity and sacrifice.
Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan according to the majority, though some identified it as Makkan or mixed.

Context: The surah was revealed after the Muslims had promised to fight in defence of the faith, but wavered when the command came, likely after the Battle of Uḥud.

060 - Al-Mumtahanah ( The Woman to be examined ) - سورة الممتحنة

Themes and purpose:

This Madinan surah establishes the fundamental principle of loyalty and disavowal (al-walā’ wa-al-barā’), strictly prohibiting alliance with enemies of the faith. It defines the legal and ethical framework for dealing with polytheists, providing a key legal procedure for testing the sincerity of believing women refugees (al-mumtaḥanah), and offering a model for proper conduct through the example of Abraham.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed around the 6th year post-Emigration, during and immediately after the negotiation of the Treaty of al-Ḥudaybiyyah. Specifically, the opening of the surah was revealed concerning the Companion Ḥāṭib ibn Abī Baltaʿah, who attempted to send a letter to the Makkans warning them of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) advance. The surah was most likely revealed in order, though some scholars suggest that ayah 10 (about testing believing women) was revealed earlier.

059 - Al-Hashr ( The Gathering ) - سورة الحشر

Themes and purpose:

This Madinan surah analyzes the military victory over the Jewish tribe of Banū al-Naḍīr. Its core purpose is to prove Allah’s absolute power and authority, establish the division of the spoils among the poor, and contrast the loyalty of the believers with the deceitful treachery of the hypocrites who allied with the Madinan Jews.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed immediately following the expulsion of the Jewish tribe of Banū al-Naḍīr from their stronghold near Madinah in the 4th year AH.

058 - Al-Mujadilah ( She That Disputeth ) - سورة المجادلة

Ayahs: 22 - Revelation Place: Medina

Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Madinan surah primarily concerns the establishment of Islamic law by abolishing the unjust pre-Islamic practice of ẓihār (likening one's wife to one's mother). The surah then focuses on purging the community of internal dangers by exposing the secret plots, false oaths, and disloyalty of the hypocrites and Jews of Madinah.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan, though some parts have been claimed as Makkan.

Context: The surah was revealed to resolve the specific legal case of the woman Khawlah bint Thaʿlabah, who came to the Prophet (ﷺ) arguing against her husband, Aws ibn al-Ṣāmit, who had pronounced ẓihār upon her.

057 - Al-Hadid ( The Iron ) - سورة الحديد

Ayahs: 29 - Revelation Place: Medina

Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This surah affirms Allah’s absolute majesty, power, and knowledge. It commands faith and spending, contrasting the believers' light with the hypocrites' darkness on Judgment Day. It warns against hard-heartedness and explains that Allah sent messengers with the Book, the Balance, and "iron" to establish justice for humanity.

Context of Revelation:

Era: The majority consider it a Madinan surah, but there is strong evidence that its beginning is Makkan, as ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb read it before his conversion (Year 4 of Prophethood).

Context: The surah addresses believers in different states: some struggling with hard hearts (the Makkan context) [16], and others dealing with the rewards of struggle and spending after the Conquest [10].

056 - Al-Waqi'ah ( The Event ) - سورة الواقعة

055 - Ar-Rahman ( The Most Graciouse ) - سورة الرحمن