The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (Pickthall)

For classification the Meccan surahs are here subdivided into four groups; Very Early, Early, Middle and Late. Though the historical data and traditions are insufficient for a strict chronological grouping, the very early surahs are, roughly speaking, those revealed before the beginning of the persecution; the early surahs those revealed between the beginning of the persecution and the conversion of Omar; the middle surahs those revealed between the conversion of Omar and the destruction of the deed of ostracism; and the late sdrahs those revealed between the raising of the ban of ostracism and the Hijrah. Classification of Meccan surahs THE GLORIOUS KORAN The Jews and Hypocrites The Qiblah The first expeditions PART II At Al-Madtnah In the first year of his reign at Yathrib the Prophet made a solemn treaty with the Jewish tribes, which secured to them equal rights of citizenship and full religious liberty in return for their support of the new State. But their idea of a Prophet was one who would give them dominion, not one who made the Jews who followed him brothers of every Arab who might happen to believe as they did. When they found that they could not use the Prophet for their own ends, they tried to shake his faith in his Mission and to’ seduce his followers: behaviour in which they were encouraged secretly by some professing Muslims who considered they had reason to resent the Prophet’s coming, since it robbed them of their local influence. In the Madtnah surahs there is frequent mention of these Jews and Hypocrites. Till then the Qiblah (the place toward which the Muslims turn their face in prayer) had been Jerusalem. The Jews imagined that the choice implied a leaning toward Judaism and that the Prophet stood in need of their instruction. He received command to change the Qiblah' from Jerusalem to the Ka'bah at Mecca. The whole first part of surah II relates to this Jewish controversy.