Editing Al-Fil (section)

==Period of revelation==
Surahs in the [[Qur'an]] are not arranged in the [[List of suras in the Quran|chronological order of revelation]].<ref name="robinson2003">{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Neal|title=Discovering the Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text|year=2003|publisher=Georgetown University Press|isbn=978-1-58901-024-6|pages=25–97|url=http://www.youquran.com/DISCOVERING-QURAN-Robinson.PDF}}</ref> Muhammad told [[Companions of the Prophet|his followers]] the placement in Quranic order of every [[Wahy]] revealed along with the original text of the Quran.<ref>[[Israr Ahmed]] – Bayan-ul-Quran – Introduction</ref> [[Wm Theodore de Bary]], an [[East Asian]] studies expert, describes that "The final process of collection and codification of the Quran text was guided by one over-arching principle: God's words must not in any way be distorted or sullied by human intervention. For this reason, no serious attempt, apparently, was made to edit the numerous revelations, organize them into thematic units, or present them in chronological order&nbsp;...".<ref>''Approaches to the Asian Classics'', Irene Bloom, [[Wm Theodore de Bary]], Columbia University Press, 1990, p. 65 {{ISBN|0-231-07005-5}}, 9780231070058</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8cXp43fuVa8C|title=Eastern Canons|isbn=9780231070058|last1=Bary|first1=William Theodore De|last2=Bloom|first2=Irene|year=1990}}</ref> ''Al-Fil'' is a [[Makkan sura|Meccan sura]]<ref>[[List of suras in the Quran|Quran Verses in Chronological Order]]</ref> and Meccan suras are chronologically earlier [[sura]]s that were revealed to [[Muhammad]] at [[Mecca]] before the [[Hijra (Islam)|hijrah]] to [[Medina]] in 622 [[Common Era|CE]]. They are typically shorter, with relatively short ''[[ayat]]'', and mostly come near the end of the Qur'an's 114 surahs.{{Source needed|date=June 2024}} Most of the surahs containing ''[[muqatta'at]]'' are Meccan. Henceforth apart from traditions, this surah qualifies to be Meccan typically.  Most of the ''[[Tafsir|mufassirun]]''<ref name="ReferenceA">[[Abul A'la Maududi]]-[[Tafhim-ul-Quran]]</ref> say that this is [[Ijma|unanimously]]<ref name="Tafsir Ibn Kathir">[[Tafsir]] [[Ibn Kathir]]</ref> a [[Meccan sura]]; and if it is studied against its [[Asbab al-nuzul|historical background]] it appears that it must have been sent down in the very earliest stage at [[Makkah]].<ref>[http://www.bombaxo.com/chronsurs.html Chronological Order of Quranic Surahs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113191410/http://www.bombaxo.com/chronsurs.html |date=2018-01-13 }}, by Kevin P. Edgecomb.</ref>