Total Audios: 66
Name Al-Hajj Classification Madina Position Juz 17 No. of Rukus 10 No. of verses 78 No. of Sajdahs 2 (verse 18 and 77)
This Surah takes its name from v. 27.
As this Surah contains the characteristics of both the Makki and the Madani Surahs, the commentators have differed as to its period of revelation, but in the light of its style and themes we are of the opinion that a part of it (vv. 1-24) was sent down in the last stage of the Makki life of the Holy Prophet a little before migration and the rest (vv. 25-78) during the first stage of his Madani life. That is why this Surah combines the characteristics of both the Makki and the Madani Surahs.
The sudden change of the style from v. 25 shows that probably vv. 25-78 were sent down in the month of Zul-Hijjah in the very first year after Hijrah. This is indicated by vv. 25-41 and confirmed by the occasion of the revelation of vv. 39-40. It appears that the month of Zul-Hijjah must have brought to the immigrants nostalgic memories of their homes in Makkah and naturally they must have thought of their Sacred City and of their Hajj congregation there, and grieved to think that the mushrik Quraish had debarred them from visiting the Sacred Mosque.
Therefore, they might even have been praying for and expecting Divine permission to wage war against those tyrants who had expelled them from their homes, and deprived them of visiting the House of Allah, and made it difficult for them to follow the way of Islam. It was at this juncture that these verses were revealed and the purpose for which Masjid-al- Haram was built.
It has been made plain that Hajj(pilgrimage) had been enjoined for the worship of One Allah, but ironically it had been dedicated to the rituals of shirk and the worshipers of One Allah debarred from it.
Therefore, permission for waging war against those tyrants has been given to oust them from Makkah and to establish the righteous way of life and eradicating evil. According to Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Urwah bin Zubair, Zaid bin Aslam, Muqatil bin Hayyan, Qatadah and other great commentators, v. 39 is the first verse that grants the Muslims permission to wage war. Collections of Hadith and books on the life of the Holy Prophet confirm that after this permission actual preparations for war were started and the first expedition was sent to the coast of the Red Sea in Safar A.H. 2, which is known as the Expedition of Waddan or Al- Abwa.