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Ibrahim (Abraham)
Name
The Surah takes its name from v. 35 in which mention has been made of
Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). But it does not mean that it contains the life
story of Prophet Abraham. The name is merely a symbol lid the names of
many other surahs, i. e., the Surah in which Abraham's mention has been
made.
Period of Revelation
It appears from the tone of the Surah that it belongs to that group of
the Surahs which were revealed during the last stage of the Makkan period.
For instance, v. 13 ("The disbelievers warned their Messengers, 'you shall
have to return to our community or we will assuredly expel you from our
land'") clearly indicates that the persecution of the Muslims was at its
worst at the time of the revelation of this Surah, and the people of Makkah
were bent on expelling the Believers from there like the disbelievers
of the former Prophets. That is why in v. 14 they have been warned, "We
will destroy these evil doers," and the Believers have been comforted
as were the believers before them, "and after them settle you in the land"
Likewise the stern warning contained in the concluding portion (vv. 43-52
also confirms that the Surah relates to the last stage of the Makkan Period.
Central Theme and Purpose
This Surah is an admonition and a warning to the disbelievers who were
rejecting the Message of the Holy Prophet and devising cunning schemes
to defeat his Mission. But warning, reproof, censure and reproach dominate
admonition. This is because a good deal of admonition had already been
made in the preceding Surahs, but in spite of this their obduracy, enmity,
antagonism, mischief, persecution etc. had rather increased.
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