The Majestic Quran

2. Al-Baqarah The Cow This, the longest chapter in the Quran, was revealed in Madinah after the migration of the Prophet r in 622 ce (Common Era). It was completed in two years, by now two-thirds of the Quran had been revealed in Makkah, under a tense social and political environment. In Madinah, settling down in a new city with Arabs and Jews, Muslims faced new challenges. There were two main Arab tribes: the Aus and the Khazraj, both with a long history of rivalry and bloodshed, and three main Jewish tribes. The Jewish tribes had moved to Madinah after they were expelled from Jerusalem by the Romans, and were literate, skilled and affluent compared to the Arabs. The Jews also believed that they were “chosen people”. The first action of The Prophet r , to develop trust in his new home city, was to make a treaty with the Jewish and Arab tribes. The treaty stated all the communities were one community and would protect each other, they were guaranteed freedom to practise their religions. The Main Themes of the Chapter The chapter opens by describing the inhabitants of Madinah and dividing them into three groups: the pious believers, the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Imam Razi, in The Great Commentary, states: The believer is the one whose heart and conscience are religiously clear and good; the disbeliever is one who