29. This marks the beginning of the second discourse. The period of its revelation
is about 9 A.H., when a delegation from the Christian republic of Najran visited
the Prophet. Najran lies between the Hijaz and Yaman, and comprised, at that
time, seventy-three towns and villages. Its population can be gauged from the
fact that an estimated one hundred and twenty thousand men could bear arms.
The entire population was Christian and was under the hegemony of three Christian
chiefs. The first of these, 'aqib, was the head of the community. The second,
sayyid, looked after the collective and political affairs of the people. The
third, usquf (bishop), was their religious leader. (See Ibn Hisham, vol. 1,
p. 573; Ibn Ishaq, Life of Muhammad, tr. A. Guillaume, pp. 270 f. - Ed.)
When the Prophet annexed Makka, the whole of Arabia became convinced that the
future of the area was bound up with him, and deputations from all parts of
the peninsula began to visit him. In this connection the three chiefs of Najran
came to Madina accompanied by sixty people. As they were not prepared to go
to war, the alternatives before them were either to embrace Islam or to live
as dhimmis (protected non-Muslim subjects of the Islamic state). It was on this
occasion that God revealed this discourse; it served as an invitation to the
people of Najran to accept Islam.
30. 'Imran was the father of Moses and Aaron, and has been mentioned in the Bible as Amram.
31. The real error of the Christians lies in considering Jesus to be the son of God and a partner in His godhead, rather than His servant and Messenger. If this misunderstanding was removed it would become quite easy for them to advance towards Islam. Hence at the very outset of the discourse it is mentioned that Adam, Noah and the Prophets in the house of Abraham and 'Imran were all human beings. Even though many Prophets were born in the same family, one from the other, none of them was God. Their merit lay in the fact that God had chosen them to preach His religion and reform the world.