>....when was that Surah revealed?

Response: I believe 7 years after the previous sura. It is dealing with life under the new ummat.

What was the situation
>between Prophet Muhammad and the Meccans at that point in
>history?

Response: Same as it always was, not very good. They were having a hard time keeping treaties.

If you don't know, then really you are in no
>position to interepret the Qur'an. If you didn't know, the
>Qur'an is not one big collection of thoughts and sayings
>compiled as a do's and don't manual for Muslims. Some parts
>of the Qur'an were revealed because of a certain issue that
>was of concern at the time. I really don't expect
>non-muslims to understand the Qur'an when they can't even
>understand their own holy books,

Response: That's odd I don't see any verse that limits muslims from not doing this today. I don't see any verse that restricts this to a specific time period or anything. And according to orthodox islam the Qur'anic commands are universal and thus applicable for all times and places.


but I just want to say that
>every english translation you see of the Qur'an isn't going
>to explain the essence of Islam for you or to you. It goes
>so much deeper than that.

Response: Yep, same muslim arguement. I know I know, the real Qu'ran is in arabic. Yeah sure.
>
>Really, the English tranliteration is just that. It isn't
>even the Qur'an in the literal sense. The only Qur'an that
>is the Qur'an is that of the Arabic tongue. The Qur'an has
>some words that there aren't any english equivilant, so when
>you try to interpret the Qur'an and the religion of Islam
>based on you already fallible translation or
>tranliteration, you fail, therefore its not even worth
>trying to fight or discredit Islam or the Qur'an because
>your info is faulty. Ask a Muslim. Ask an Imam. Beware of
>your own judgement and intelligence or that of the media,
>because in the end you will be wrong.

Response: Yep,same ole muslim arugement. By the way feel free to translate it correctly for me.

Well how bout this

" Allah's apostle said, " I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say.'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' and whoever says,'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,'his life and property will be saved by me." Al-Bukhari, vol 4.

ouch