The Shariah and its Application

the causes of revelation i.e. to understand the background of the verses. A number of traditions have been recorded in the books of Hadith and Tafsir which tell us which verse or verses of the Quran were revealed on which particular occasions. These traditions providing the background are not only conducive to understanding the initial message, but also serve as a reliable guide as regards their correct application in later times in similar situations. Studying the Quran with reference to the traditions of the causes of revelation does not imply that the Quran was a book of an ephemeral nature. What is meant is that the initial nature of a command should be properly understood in order to discover its vaster application, so that it may be correctly applied at a later date. Most of the injunctions in the Quran are brief in nature. For instance, the Quran states: Believers, if an evildoer brings you a piece of news, inquire first into its truth, lest you should wrong others unwittingly and repent of what you have done (49:6). According to the traditions of the causes of revelation this verse was revealed following a particular incident. But the verse neither mentions that incident nor the people involved in it. In order, therefore, to understand the actual meaning and message of the verse, it is essential to study it in the light of that particular incident—the cause of the revelation. In this way, that incident mentioned in detail in traditions gives us the knowledge of the background in the light of which we can properly understand the real nature of the injunction revealed in the concerned verses. When the