Page 42 - Ulum Al Quran An Introduction To The Sciences Of The Quran

Juz' 18 is overwhelmingly Madinan. It has (only) 117 (Madinan) ayat.
There are however exceptions in both cases.

 The form of address. Often the address: 'O ye who believe', and 'O people of the book' indicates a
Madinan origin, while the addresses 'O Mankind' and 'O People' are usually of Makkan origin.

 The theme. Among the Makkan themes are tawhid, shirk, day of resurrection, moral corruption, stories of
the Prophets. These topics are also found in Madinan suras, but usually only touched upon briefly.
Madinan themes which are not found in Makkan revelations are of social and legal implications,
concerning marriage, divorce, inheritance, punishment, etc.

 There are 19 suras with so-called huruf tahajji (such as alif , lam , mim , etc . ) . All these suras are
Makkan, except Sura al-baqara (2) and Al 'Imran (3).

 All ayat with the word kalla are Makkan.

 All suras containing sajda are Makkan.

 Most of the suras of the group mufassal, beginning with Sura qaf (50) in the latter part of the Qur'an are
Makkan .

 All references to the munafiqun are from Madina (except Sura al-'ankabut (29). Its verse 11 is Makkan.

Summary

The knowledge of Makkan and Madinan revelations is one of the important branches of ''ulum al-Qur’an. It is not merely
of historical interest, but particularly important for the understanding and interpretation of the respective verses.
Many suras of the Qur'an do contain material from both periods of revelation, and in some cases there exists difference of
opinion among scholars concerning the classification of a particular passage. However, on the whole, it is a well-
established distinction, fully employed in the science of tafsir and best derived from the internal evidence of the text of
the Qur'an itself.

ASBAB AL-NUZUL
The Qur'an has been revealed for guidance, for all times and situations to come. However, various ayat were revealed at
a particular time in history and in particular circumstances. The Arabic word sabab (pl. asbab) means reason, cause and
'marifa asbab al-nuzul' is the knowledge about the reasons of the revelations, i.e. the knowledge about the particular
events and circumstances in history that are related to the revelation of particular passages from the Qur'an.

Its Importance
Wahidi (d. 468/1075), one of the best classical scholars in this field wrote: 'The knowledge about Tafsir of the ayat is not
possible without occupying oneself with their stories and explanation of (the reasons) for their revelation.' [Asbab al-
nuzul, by al-Wahidi al-Nisaburi. Cairo, 1968, p 4]

Knowledge about the asbab al-nuzul helps one to understand the circumstances in which a particular revelation occurred,
which sheds light on its implications and gives guidance to the explanation (tafsir) and application of the aya in question
for other situations.

In particular, knowledge about the asbab al-nuzul helps one to understand:

 The direct and immediate meaning and implication of an aya, as it can be seen within its original context.

 The imminent reason underlying a legal ruling.

 The original intent of the aya.

 Whether the meaning of an aya is specific or of general application, and if so, under which circumstances
it is to be applied.