About the Surah

The reason for descending the verse

The Persian defeated the Byzantines. The Prophet of Allah and his Companions heard this while in Makkah and felt sad about it. The Prophetof Allah (s.a.w) disliked that the Magians, who did not have a revealed Scripture, have the upper hand over the Byzantines who were people of the Book. The disbelievers of Makkah, on the other hand, were exultant and spiteful. When they met the Companions of the Prophet, they said to them, ‘You are people of the Book and the Christians are people of the Book. We are without a revealed Scripture and our brothers the Persians have defeated your brothers the Byzantines. If you ever fight us, we will defeat you too’. Therefore, Allah (exalted is He) revealed. (Al-Wahidi,Reasons of Revelation)