Walaqad ataynaka sabAAan mina almathanee walqur-ana alAAatheem (surah Hijr: 87)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(15:87) We have given you seven verses that are worthy of recitation over and over again, *49 and We have also bestowed on you the glorious Qur'an. *50

Wa laqad aatainaaka sab`am mnal masaanee wal Qur-aanal `azeem

*49) These seven verses which are recited over and over again in every prescribed salat are the verses of Al-Fatihah. Though some of the commentators are of the view that this `Al-Mathani, " refers to the seven Surahs which contain two hundred or more verses, that is, II-VII and (VIII-IX) or X. But the majority of the early commentators opine that it refers to AI-Fatihah. Imam Bukhari has cited two authentic Traditions in support of the view that it refers to Al-Fatihah.
*50) The mention of the precious gift of the Glorious Qur'an has been made also to console the Holy Prophet and his followers that they should not even look at the worldly wealth of their opponents because that was nothing as compared with this precious wealth. In order to grasp the full significance of this, one should keep in view the fact that at that time the Holy Prophet and his Companions were suffering badly from poverty. The trading activities of the Holy Prophet had almost come to an end during the period in which he had been engaged in his Mission. Besides this, he had almost used up the whole wealth of Hadrat Khaijah. As regards his Companions, some of the young men had been turned out of their homes and reduced to poverty. The economic boycott had mined the business of those who were engaged in trade. There were others who were mere slaves or proteges of the Quraish and had no economic position whatever. In addition to their sad economic plight, all the Muslims, along with the Holy Prophet, were suffering persecution from the people of Makkah and its surroundings, In short, they were so much persecuted, ridiculed and insulted that no one of them was safe from physical and mental torture. On the other side, the Quraish, their opponents and persecutors, enjoyed all the good things of this world, and lived lives of happiness and luxury.. This is the background of the reassurance given to the Believers, as if to say, "Why should you feel disheartened at this? We have given you "wcalth" which surpasses all kinds of worldly riches. Therefore, your opponents should cnvy your knowledge and high morals; you need not cnvy their ill-canned wcalth and their wicked enjoyments, for when they will go before their Lord, they themselves will find that they had not brought such wcalth as carries any value there. "