Al-An'am is the sixth chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, with 165 verses (āyāt). Coming in order in the Quran after Al-Fatiha, Al-Baqarah, Al 'Imran, An-Nisa', and Al-Ma'idah, this surah dwells on such themes as the clear signs of Allah's Dominion and Power, rejecting polytheism and unbelief, the establishment of Tawhid, the Revelation, Messengership, and Resurrection. It is a "Meccan surah", and it is believed to have been revealed in its entirety during the final year of the Meccan period of Islam. This explains the timing and contextual background of the believed revelation. The surah also reports the story of Ibrahim, who calls others to stop worshiping celestial bodies and turn towards Allah.
Bifolium from the Nurse's Qur'an (Mushaf al-Hadina) with fragment of the Surah Al-An'am. Kairouan, Zirid dynasty, 1020. Metropolitan Museum of Art
Al-Ma'idah is the fifth chapter of the Quran, containing 120 verses. Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation, it is a Medinan chapter, which means it is believed to have been revealed in Medina rather than Mecca.
A page from an 8th century Qur'an. The black line between the red lines is the beginning of Surah Al-Mā'idah
Cain burying Abel (c. 1570-1580 CE)
