A Study of the Number and Chronology of Bara'ah Verses

The Bara'ah verses are the first verses of surah al-Taubah which was conveyed by Imam Ali (as) in Hajj, the ninth year of hijrah. The questions proposed in this study are: how many are these verses, and how many descent units they contain, and at what date each descent unit has been revealed. There is a disagreement about the number of these verses, but this study shows the possibility of twenty-eight verses is more likely. Regarding the date of the revelation of the verses, it is well-known that it was in the ninth year, after Tabuk War; but with this assumption, the insertion of the verses of the surah is contrary to the natural order of descent of Qur'an; Because the second part of the surah had been revealed before and around the events of Tabuk War. In this article, in addition to the famous comment, the possible views that show the revelation of the Bara'ah verses before the battle of Tabuk are considered and it is shown that the revelation of these verses in two descent units before the Tabuk War, at the same time as Conquering Mecca in the month of Ramadan in the eighth year, and after the war of Hunayn in Shawal of the same year, is more likely; in this case, the verses of surah al-Taubah have been arranged in the natural order of revelation.