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CHAPTER VI. ENTITLED SUEAT AL ANAM (CATTLE). Revealed at Makkah. INTRODUCTION. This chapter owes its title to the frequent mention of certain cattle in connection with the idolatrous rites of the people of Makkah. It relates to the controversy of Muhammad with the inhabitants of his native city during the period immediately preceding his flight to Madina. This is evident from the tone of the revelations. Everywhere the Quraish are spoken of as hopelessly infidel, as given over to unbelief, abandoned of God, and doomed to perdition. Having rejected the signs of the Quran, they will not hear though an angel were to speak audibly to them, though a written book were to descend to them from heaven, or though the Prophet were to ascend into the heavens or delve into the earth to bring them a sign to their own liking. Other passages contain commands addressed to the Prophet to withdraw from the idolaters and to have no fellowship with them. From all this it is clear that Muhammad had matured his plan of leaving Makkah and of retiring to Madina. Probable Date of the Revelations. From what has been said above, and relying especially upon the command of ver. 106, to retire from the idolaters, which all authorities agree in referring to the Hijra, we may fairly conclude that most of the revelations of this chapter were rehearsed in public for the first time during the year immediately preceding that event. There aro, however, a few verses which belong to the number of Madina revelations. These are vers. 92-94 and 151-153. Noeldeke thinks the latter three are referred to Madina without good reason. The requirements of ver. 152 certainly fit in best with the circumstances of Islam after theHijra. Their date may be considered as doubtful. This is, in our opinion, true also...
