Al-Burūj
This sūrah was revealed in Mecca and consists of 22 verses. It comprises of warning and glad tiding. It harshly criticizes those who persecuted the believing men and women for their faith in God, which is what the polytheists in Mecca used to do to those who had believed in the Prophet. They persecuted the believers to force them to revert to their former polytheism. Some of those believers persevered patiently and did not turn back on Islam, regardless of what it entailed for them. Others reneged and returned—that was the case of the weak believers, as described elsewhere: Among the people there are those who say, “We have faith in Allah,” but if such a one is tormented in Allah’s cause, he takes persecution by the people for Allah’s punishment (); And among the people are those who worship Allah on the [very] fringe: if good fortune befalls him, he is content with it; but if an ordeal visits him he makes a turnabout ().
As a prelude to this main theme, God first alludes to the story of the People of the Ditch, which itself encourages the believers to be steadfast and patient in God’s way. Later, He makes reference to the story of the hosts—namely, Pharaoh and Thamūd—which gives assurance to the Prophet about God’s promise of support, and threatens the polytheists. The sūrah is Meccan as its content shows.
This is the ʿAllāmah's introduction to the sūrah, from the opening of the commentary.