Kinds and Significance of the Traditions Indicating the Meccan or Medinite Origin of the Verses in the Interpretation of the Holy Quran

One of the fields that has occupied the attention of the students of Quranic studies and tradition is the Meccan or Medinite origin of the verses and Suras of the holy Quran. This science is dependent on two things: employing reliable interpretative traditions and knowing the style and context of the Suras of the holy Quran. Evidently one of the purposes of knowing the Meccan and Medinite origin of the verses, besides other things, is to reach a more realistic understanding of the Quran and know better the abrogating and abrogated verses. Moreover, one of the important reasons of the study of the Meccan or Medinite traditions on the verses of the Quran is the existence of conflicting traditions, which early and recent scholars have followed two ways to determine. Earlier scholars have chosen the criterion of the priority of the traditions, but modern scholars have mainly tried to establish a relationship between the meanings of the Quran and historical facts, and in respect of content determine the verses of Meccan and Medinite origin. The author of this article maintains that though such traditions are in conflict with each other, the problem may be solved by considering the standards of content and style of the verses and also using reliable traditions.