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

(If a woman feareth ill treatment…) [4:128].
Asbab al-Nuzul
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Harith informed us> ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ja‘far>
Abu Yahya> Sahl> ‘Abd al-Rahim ibn Sulayman> Hisham> ‘Urwah> ‘A’ishah who said concerning the
words of Allah, exalted is He, (If a woman feareth ill treatment from her husband…): “This was revealed
regarding the case of a woman who does not bear children for her husband and, because of this, he wants
to divorce her; or it could be about a women who has friends and children whom she does not like to be
separated from and so she tells her husband who intends to divorce her: ‘Do not divorce me; keep me
with you and, in exchange, I forgo all the rights due to me’. And so this verse was revealed”. 64 This was narrated
by Bukhari> Muhammad ibn Muqatil> Ibn al-Mubarak, and also by Muslim from Abu Kurayb>
Abu Usamah, and both Ibn al-Mubarak and Abu Usamah related it from Hisham.
Abu Bakr al-Hiri informed us> Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub>> al-Rabi‘> al-Shafi‘i> Ibn ‘Uyaynah> al-Zuhri>
Ibn al-Musayyab who related that the daughter of Muhammad ibn Maslamah was married to Rafi‘ ibn
Khadij but he wanted to divorce her because of something he disliked in her, it was either arrogance
or something else. She said to him: “Do not divorce me, and you are free to apportion for me whatever
you like”. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse (If a woman feareth ill treatment from her husband…).
(O ye who believe! Be ye staunch in justice…) [4:135].
Asbat related that al-Suddi said: “This was revealed about the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him
peace. A poor man and a rich man went to him to settle a dispute. He was inclined to judge in favour of
the poor man because he thought that a poor man cannot wrong a rich person. But Allah, exalted is He,
wanted to establish justice regarding the poor and rich alike. He said: (O ye who believe! Be ye staunch in
justice) up to His words (whether (the case be of) a rich man or a poor man, for Allah is nearer unto both
(than ye are)…)”. 65
(O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His messenger…) [4:136].
Said al-Kalbi: “This was revealed about ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam, Asad and Usayd the sons of Ka‘b, Tha‘labah
ibn Qays and a group of believers from the people of the Book. These people said: ‘O Messenger of Allah,
we believe in you and in your Scripture, just as we believe in Moses, the Torah and Ezra, but we disbelieve
in other messengers and Scriptures other than these’. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
(Allah loveth not the utterance of harsh speech…) [4:148].
Said Mujahid: “One man sought hospitality with some people. However, because they did not show him
proper hospitality, he complained about them. And so this verse was revealed, giving him dispensation
to complain”. 66
(The people of the Scripture ask of thee that thou shouldst cause an (actual) Book to descend upon
them from heaven…) [4:153].
This was revealed about the Jews. They said to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace: “If you
are truly a prophet, bring us an actual Book from heaven as Moses did”, and so this verse was revealed.
64
Tabari, :307.
65
Durr, :715; Tabari, :321.
66
Tabari, :2.
88