This honorable Surah (chapter 9) was one of the last Surahs to be revealed to
the Messenger of Allah . Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara' said, "The last Ayah
to be revealed was,
[يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ
قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِى الْكَلَـلَةِ]
(They ask you for a legal verdict. Say: "Allah directs (thus) about
Al-Kalalah.'') [4:176], while the last Surah to be revealed was Bara'ah.'' The
Basmalah was not mentioned in the beginning of this Surah because the Companions
did not write it in the complete copy of the Qur'an (Mushaf) they collected,
following the Commander of the faithful, `Uthman bin `Affan, may Allah be
pleased with him. The first part of this honorable Surah was revealed to the
Messenger of Allah when he returned from the battle of Tabuk, during the Hajj
season, which the Prophet thought about attending. But he remembered that the
idolaters would still attend that Hajj, as was usual in past years, and that
they perform Tawaf around the House while naked. He disliked to associate with
them and sent Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, to lead Hajj
that year and show the people their rituals, commanding him to inform the
idolaters that they would not be allowed to participate in Hajj after that
season. He commanded him to proclaim,
[بَرَآءَةٌ مِّنَ
اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ]
(Freedom from (all) obligations (is declared) from Allah and His Messenger
()...), to the people. When Abu Bakr had left, the Messenger sent `Ali bin Abu
Talib to be the one to deliver this news to the idolators on behalf of the
Messenger , for he was the Messenger's cousin. We will mention this story
later.
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