Revealed in: Madinah
Number of ayat: 287
Number of words: 6,221
Number of letters: 25,500
It is the biggest surah of the Quran.
Some of the scholars said that it contains a thousand news incidents, a thousand commands and a thousand prohibitions.
The style of this Surah is also unique, because the ayat tend to be longer and the subject is also a little bit different.
This surah is also unique, because a portion of this surah is neither Makki nor Madani. The last 2 ayat of this surah did not come down to Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) but it was given to him when he traveled up to seven heavens (journey of Al-Isra wal-Mi’raj).
What does a Madani surah mean?
Surah Al-Baqarah is a Madani Surah. It means it was revealed after Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) migrated to Madina i.e. it was in the latter half of the mission of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
Most of the Quran was revealed in Makkah. So, Surah Baqarah was in the last 30 to 35 percent of the revelation.
From Outlaws to Peace – The Madina Transition:
When Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) received revelation in Makkah, he was part of the minority community that were oppressed, and they were considered outlaws, rebels and threat to the society. But, when Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) moved to Madina, a new community was formed, and they were in a state of peace within the confines of Madina. However, it was still somewhat of an emergency state due to frequent battles with the people of Makkah.
New Alliances and the Revelation of Surah Al-Baqarah:
In Madina, Muslims made new allies among Jews and Christians, with some converting to Islam. Together, they defended the city. This marked a new way of life for the Muslims.
In this time one of the earlier surahs that started coming down to the Muslims was Surah Al-Baqarah.
Within a year and a half of the Hijra (migration of Muslims from Makkah to Madina), the first major battle of Islam – battle of Badr – took place. A lot of the ayat later in this surah are the mental preparation for the battle of Badr. This is a pretty good indication that the revelation of this surah began in the early Madani era.
Then there are ayat of this surah which belong to the later Madani era. This is a clear indication that the whole surah was not revealed at once. The whole surah was revealed over several years after the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) migrated to Madina.
Some scholars argue that the last revelation that came down to the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was part of Surah Al-Baqarah.
Understanding the Audience: Madina vs. Makkah:
The audience of Madina is different. It was not just Muslims but also Jews and Christians. This audience had a background in revelation. They knew about Torah and Injeel. They had traditions like our Khutbahs. They would go to synagogues and churches and listen to the scholars of their religions.
Also, they were very familiar with the language. So, unlike today, when the Quran was recited it was like a radio broadcast. Almost immediately, everyone understood what was being said.
This audience was different from the people of Makkah. The people of Makkah were idol worshippers, they had no background in revelation, and they had almost forgotten the religion of Ibrahim (alaihissalam). They kept the Kaaba but had forgotten what it meant; they kept the ritual of sacrifice but forgot what it meant.