Interpretation of the Äfäq (Horizons) and Anfos (Souls) Verse in the Historical Context

To find out the true implication of the Quranic verses, we need to study them in the historical context in which they were revealed. Due to the negligence of this significant point, interpretations offered for many verses are far different from their true implications. The äfäq and anfos verse is one of Quranic verses which has been misinterpreted more than any other verse during the recent periods. Äfäq has been mainly taken as the world of nature or macrocosm and anfos as the world of man including his soul and body or microcosm, while the real implication is that here God wants to refer to the victory of the Prophet (p. b. u. h.) and Muslims in Mecca and its outskirts over the polytheists and in so doing He wants to indicate to them that the promises of the Quran are true and they have been revealed by God.