Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...

Asbab al-Nuzul
(Those of the believers who sit still, other than those who have a (disabling) hurt, are not on an
equality with those who strive in the way of Allah…) [4:95].
Abu ‘Uthman Sa‘id ibn Muhammad al-‘Adl informed us> his grandfather> Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-
Sarraj> Muhammad ibn Humayd al-Razi> Salamah ibn al-Fadl> Muhammad ibn Ishaq> al-Zuhri> Sahl
ibn Sa‘d> Marwan ibn al-Hakam> Zayd ibn Thabit who said: “I was with the Prophet, Allah bless him
and give him peace, when the verse (Those of the believers who sit still are not on an equality with those
who strive in the way of Allah) and did not mention (other than those who have a (disabling) hurt). Ibn
Umm Maktum said: ‘How is this so when I am blind and unable to see’ The Prophet, Allah bless him
and give him peace, was overwhelmed with revelation in this assembly and he leaned on my thigh. By
Him in whose Hand is my soul, his weight grew so much on my thigh that I feared he would crush it.
Then he was relieved, upon which he said: ‘Write: (Those of the believers who sit still, other than those who
have a (disabling) hurt, are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of Allah)’, and I wrote it
down”. 52 This was narrated by Bukhari> Isma‘il ibn ‘Abd Allah> Ibrahim ibn Sa‘d> Salih> al-Zuhri.
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya informed us> Muhammad ibn Ja‘far ibn Matar>
Abu Khalifah> Abu’l-Walid> Shu‘bah> Abu Ishaq> al-Bara’ who said: “When the verse (Those of the believers
who sit still are not on an equality…), the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace,
called Zayd who went to him with a shoulder blade and wrote on it this verse. But Ibn Umm Maktum
complained about the fact that he is blind, and so the verse (Those of the believers who sit still, other than
those who have a (disabling) hurt, are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of Allah) was
revealed”. 53 This was narrated by Bukhari from Abu’l-Walid and by Muslim from Bundar from Ghundar,
and both Abu’l-Walid and Ghundar related it from Shu‘bah.
Isma‘il ibn Abi al-Qasim al-Nasrabadhi informed us> Isma‘il ibn Najid> Muhammad ibn ‘Abdus> ‘Ali
ibn al-Ja‘d> Zuhayr> Abu Ishaq> al-Bara’ that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him
peace, said: “Call Zayd for me and ask him to bring with him a shoulder blade and an inkwell”, or he
said: “a slate”. When he came, he said to him: “Write for me (Those of the believers who sit still are not on
an equality)” I think he said: (with those who strive in the way of Allah). Ibn Umm Maktum said: “O Messenger
of Allah, but I have hurt in my eyes, and before he left it was revealed (other than those who have
a (disabling) hurt)”. 54 This was narrated by Bukhari> Muhammad ibn Yusuf> Isra’il> Abu Ishaq.
(Lo! as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they wrong themselves…) [4:97].
This verse was revealed about some people in Mecca who professed Islam but did not migrate; they
showed faith outwardly but were hypocrites inwardly. At the Battle of Badr, they joined the idolaters in
their fight against the Muslims and were killed therein. The angels struck their faces and backs and said
to them that which Allah, exalted is He, has mentioned in this verse.
Abu Bakr al-Harithi informed us> Abu’l-Shaykh al-Hafiz> Abu Yahya> Sahl ibn ‘Uthman> ‘Abd al-
Rahim ibn Sulayman> Ash‘ath ibn Sawad> ‘Ikrimah> Ibn ‘Abbas who said with regard to the verse (Lo!
as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they wrong themselves…) which he recited to the end:
“They were Muslims who were in Mecca. They went out with the idolaters to fight and were killed with
them, and so this verse was revealed”.
(… and whoso forsaketh his home, a fugitive unto Allah and His messenger…) [4:100].
Said Ibn ‘Abbas, according to the report of ‘Ata’: “‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf was used to inform the [Muslims
from among the] people of Mecca about anything that was revealed about them in the Qur’an. And
52
Durr, :640.
53
Durr, :639-640.
54
Tabari, :230.
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