ulum-al-quran

Sura al-ikhlas (112) firstly responds to the mushrikun in Makka before the hijra, and secondly to the ahl al-kitab
encountered in Madina after the hijra. [Itqan, I, p.35; Wahidi, op.cit., pp.262-3.]
Another example is Sura 9: 113:
This aya was revealed firstly in connection with the death of the Prophet's uncle Abu Talib, where
Muhammad said 'I will keep on asking (Allah for) forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden to do so'.
Then there was revealed: it is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe that they should
pray for forgiveness for pagans, even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to
them that they are the companions of the Fire. [Bukhari, VI, No. 197.]
The other occasion reported is when the Companions and in particular 'Umar b. al-Khattab found the Prophet shedding
tears when he visited the graveyard. The Prophet explained that he had visited his mother's grave and that he had asked
his Lord's permission to visit it which had been granted to him and that he had also asked his Lord's permission to pray
for her forgiveness which had not been granted to him and the above aya had been revealed. [Wahidi, op. cit., p. 152.]
Several Revelations and One Sabab
A well-known example for several revelations, which are connected with one particular circumstance, are three verses
which according to reliable reports, came down in response to the question of Umm Salama, whether or why only the
men had been referred to in the Qur'an, as being rewarded. According to Al-Hakim and Tirmidhi the verses 3:195, 4: 32
and 33:35 were revealed in response to this question:
'And their Lord has accepted of them and answered them: Never will I suffer to be lost the
work of any of you be he male or female: Ye are members, one of another: those who have
left their homes, or have been driven out therefrom, or suffered harm in My cause, or fought
or been slain - verily I will blot out from them their iniquities and admit them into gardens
with rivers flowing beneath; a reward from the presence of God and from His presence is the
best of rewards' (3: 195).
'And in no wise covet those things in which God has bestowed His gifts more freely on some
of you than on others; to men is allotted what they earn and to women what they earn: but
ask God of His bounty for God has full knowledge of all things' (4: 32).
'For Muslim men and women - for believing men and women - for devout men and women,
for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and
women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and
women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women
who engage much in God's praise - for them has God prepared forgiveness and great reward'
(33:35). [Salih, op cit., p. 148]
Several Views on Sabab al-Nuzul
It also occurs that the Companions of the Prophet when mentioning a revelation, differed in their views about its sabab
al-nuzul. This is due to the fact that as already shown above there have been various asbab for one particular revelation,
and each of the persons reporting the circumstances had been present only on one of the various occasions.
Otherwise several views about the same revelation have to be judged on their merits according to the rules of 'ulum al-
,hadith, and one of them will be found to be stronger than the others.
There are two reports concerning the revelation of Sura 17: 85:
According to Ibn 'Abbas, as reported in Tirmidhi, the Quraish asked the Jews to give them something
they could ask the Prophet about and they were advised to ask about the Spirit (al-ruh). Then the aya
17:85 was revealed.
From Ibn Mas'ud, as reported in Bukhari, it is related that he said: While I was in the company of the
Prophet on a farm, and he was reclining on a palm leaf stalk, some Jews passed by. Some of them said
to the others: Ask him about the Spirit. Some of them said: What urges you to ask him about it. Others
said: (Don't) lest he should give you a reply which you dislike, but they said, Ask him. So they asked him
about the Spirit. The Prophet kept quiet and did not give them any answer. I knew that he was being
divinely inspired so I stayed at my place. When the divine inspiration had been revealed, the Prophet said