But, after Abū-Bakr had left Medina towards Mecca, Angel...

But, after Abū-Bakr had left Medina towards Mecca, Angel Gobriel appeared to the Holy Prophet (S) and brought a Message from Allah denoting that the recital of those verses of the Qur’ān should be conveyed either by the Holy Prophet himself or by the one who is of him. As soon as the divine command was received, the Prophet (S) called Hadrat Ali (as) and instructed him to do it.

He said: “I am his and he is mine.” It was so that, in the midst of the way, Ali (as) took away the verses from him and went into Mecca where he recited them unto the pagans. The details of the recitation of the verses of this Surah by Ali (as) are recorded in the books of the Sunnites, too.

Some Prophet’s companions such as: Abū-Bakr himself, Ali (as), Ibn-‘Abbās, ‘Anas-ibn-Mālik and Jābir-ibn-‘Abdillah’Ansāri have narrated them and quoted them inside a lot of Islamic sources.[^1] Some of the Sunnite writers have tried to pretend this fact as an ordindary matter so that it would not be counted as a kind of privilege for Hadrat Ali (as).

They have considered the mission of recitation of the verses given to Ali (as) as a manner of complying with his request, not as a privilege for him; while for complying with any one’s request, a safe mission might be given to him, not the recitation of the verses of declaration of Barā’at (immunity) from pagans, in the region of infidelity and by a person who had killed many of the idolaters in different wars and where a lot of the people were carrying his hatred in their hearts.

When Allah commanded Moses (as) to go toward Pharaoh in order to invite him to Unity, he (as) said: “My Lord! Verily I killed one of them, so I fear lest they should slay me;” .[^2] Then he asked Him to send his brother Aaron with him as an aider. But, Ali (as), who had killed a large number of the chiefs of pagans, went alone towards them and recited the verses of immunity unto them with the utmost calmness. This event happened in a sensitive place, i.e.

Muna, where the site of the last lapidation was located near-by. The subjects which were revealed and were announced unto pagans by Ali (as) were as follows: 1- Acquittal declared, and treaties cancelled. 2- The prohibition of pagans participating in Hajj from the following year. 3- The prohibition of circumambulation around the Ka‘bah in the state of nakedness. 4- The prohibition of pagans entering the Sacred Mosque.