Circumstances of Revelation
Place: Mecca, as the sūrah's theme clearly shows. → Introduction
Verses 1–5: Al-Mizan: the tone of warning shows that those asking one another were the polytheists of Mecca, who did not believe in prophethood and the hereafter, not the believers. The great news is the resurrection, a primary theme of the Meccan sūrahs, especially the earliest ones revealed at the outset of the Prophet's mission. Some narrations interpret the great news as Imam ʿAlī; Al-Mizan: this is an esoteric layer of the verse. → Commentary on verse 1 · Commentary on verse 2 · Narrations
A summary prepared from Tafsīr al-Mīzān: where and when the sūrah was revealed, and the occasions reported for its verses, with the ʿAllāmah's view of them. Each point links to the full discussion.