—Exalted is He—:

“And We have certainly given you seven oft-repeated verses and the great Quran.”

It is authentically reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“It is the seven oft-repeated verses and the great Quran that I have been given.”

Sūrat al-Hijr is undoubtedly Meccan. It recounts the words of the polytheists of Mecca and the Prophet’s dealings with them. This indicates that whatever portion of the Quran Allah deferred, postponing its revelation, was preceded by the revelation of something superior to it. The surah “Say, ‘O disbelievers’” is also undoubtedly Meccan, which is the majority view. It has been said that it is Medinan, but this is clearly mistaken.

Likewise, the claim that al-Fātihah was revealed only in Medina is undoubtedly mistaken. Even if we had no sound evidence establishing this, those who held that it was Meccan would possess additional knowledge.

Most scholars hold that the surah “Say, ‘He is Allah, One’” is Meccan. The reported occasions of its revelation include a question posed by the polytheists in Mecca and a question posed by disbelievers among the People of the Book—the Jews—in Medina. There is no contradiction here: Allah first revealed it in Mecca, then revealed it again when the Prophet was asked a similar question.

A number of scholars have mentioned this, explaining that a verse or surah may be revealed twice or more. Thus, the various reported occasions of revelation may all be true. What this means is that whenever an occasion arose to which the passage was relevant, Gabriel would descend and recite it to the Prophet, showing him that it contained the answer appropriate to that occasion, even though the Messenger had already memorized it.