Determination of the date of Motaffefin Surah: Case Study of being Meccan or Medinian of Motaffefin Surah and its Role in Interpretation of the Quran)

Motaffefin is the Quranic surah that scientists and commentators have different ideas about the time of the revelation and about being Meccan or Medinian. In this case, the difference caused by the contents of chapters and descending order of traditions. More reports indicate descending order of the surah as Mecca. The famous commentators regard it as Meccan; however, some narrations of Revelation indicate the surah as being Medinian which is open to debate. To take features and traits of the surah in terms of being Meccan and Medinian,being Meccan of the surah deems more possible. However, in this study by collecting various narratives and sayings and then analyzing and criticizing them, more evidence was collected in favor of regarding the surah as Meccan. In addition, the researchers endeavored to find the exact date of its revelation. According to the evidence and arguments in the present discussion, it has been concluded that this chapter came into existence in the final year of mission before the migration of the Prophet, as the last surah after Ankabut surah. The study also makes the benefits of considering this surah as Meccan clear in which it makes the readers familiar with the audience of the surah; either unbelievers and idolaters of Mecca or Medina’s Muslims. This in turn will be really effective in our understanding of the verses and distinguishing between the friend and foe.