Circumstances of Revelation
Place: The introduction labels the sūrah Meccan, but Al-Mizan notes that the theme of the opening verses, on the defrauders in measure and weight, is more compatible with Medinan sūrahs, while the rest of the verses could be either Meccan or Medinan. → Introduction
The occasion: Imam al-Bāqir said the sūrah was revealed to the Prophet when he migrated to Medina; the people of Medina were then the most unscrupulous in measuring, and afterwards they began to measure properly. → Narrations
Verses 29–31: Muqātil and al-Kalbī report that and when they passed them by they would wink at each other () was revealed about ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib: the hypocrites mocked him and a group of Muslims on their way to the Prophet, and the verse came down before they reached him. Ibn ʿAbbās says the guilty () are the hypocrites of Quraysh and the faithful are ʿAlī and his companions. → 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.