Meccan and Medinan, from Concept to Terminology

When researching on the Meccan and Medinan verses, knowledge about the criteria and definitions of the arbitrators is important and effective. For the first time, Zarkeshi brought up the claim of difference in definitions of Meccand and Medinan and from among the three definitions of time- place- and addressee-oriented, he himself chose the former one. The studies indicate that the sahaba and tabi’in (companions and their successors), whose opinions are relied on in recognition of Meccan and Medinan [verses] have paid attention to all three criteria, but they have preferred the criterion of time in their arbitrations. Of the definitions left behind by the earlier Qur’an researchers, only the definition based on time is seen and in their arbitrations sometimes the superiority of the place criterion and most of the time the time criterion is noticed. More recent Qur’an researchers have added the content-oriented definition to the previous definitions and have mostly preferred time-oriented definition; and in terms of arbitration, a great number of them have arbitrated according to place but mostly have arbitrated according to time.