Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
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Chapter 7: Surah <strong>al</strong>-A‘raf<br />
In the name of <strong>Al</strong>lah, the Beneficent, the Merciful<br />
(O Children of Adam! Look to your adornment at every place of worship…) [7:31].<br />
Sa‘id ibn Muhammad <strong>al</strong>-‘Adl informed us> Abu ‘Amr ibn Hamdan> <strong>al</strong>-Hasan ibn Sufyan> <strong>al</strong>-Hasan ibn<br />
Hammad <strong>al</strong>-Warraq> Abu Yahya <strong>al</strong>-Himmani> Nasr ibn <strong>al</strong>-Hasan <strong>al</strong>-Haddad> ‘Ikrimah> Ibn ‘Abbas<br />
who said: “Some of the Bedouins used to circumambulate the Sacred House completely naked to the extent<br />
that their women circumambulated the House completely naked except for straps — like the straps<br />
placed on the faces of donkeys to protect them from flies — placed around their lower parts, reciting:<br />
‘Today some or <strong>al</strong>l of it will show/And whatever appears of it, I do not make it lawful’. <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is<br />
He, therefore, reve<strong>al</strong>ed to His Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace: (O Children of Adam! Look<br />
to your adornment at every place of worship…) and so, they were commanded to wear clothes”.<br />
‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-Rahman ibn Ahmad <strong>al</strong>-‘Attar informed us> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah <strong>al</strong>-Hafiz> Muhammad<br />
ibn Ya‘qub <strong>al</strong>-Ma‘qili> Ibrahim ibn Marzuq> Abu Dawud <strong>al</strong>-Tay<strong>al</strong>isi> Shu‘bah> S<strong>al</strong>amah ibn Kuhayl><br />
Muslim <strong>al</strong>-Batin> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “In the pre-<strong>Islamic</strong> period, women used to go<br />
round the Sacred House completely naked, except for a rag around their private parts, reciting:<br />
Today some or <strong>al</strong>l of it will show<br />
And whatever appears of it, I do not make it lawful.<br />
And so this verse (Look to your adornment at every place of worship…) was reve<strong>al</strong>ed; as was reve<strong>al</strong>ed (Say:<br />
Who hath forbidden the adornment of <strong>Al</strong>lah which He hath brought forth for His bondmen…) [7:32-33]”. 1<br />
Narrated by Muslim from Bundar from Ghundar from Shu‘bah.<br />
<strong>Al</strong>-Hasan ibn Muhammad <strong>al</strong>-Farisi informed us> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn Hamdun> Ahmad<br />
ibn <strong>al</strong>-Hasan <strong>al</strong>-Hafiz> Muhammad ibn Yahya> Isma‘il ibn Uways> his brother> Sulayman ibn Bil<strong>al</strong>><br />
Muhammad ibn Abi ‘Atiq> Ibn Shihab> Abu S<strong>al</strong>amah ibn ‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-Rahman who said: “It was the norm<br />
according to the religion which they followed that, when they went to pilgrimage and returned from<br />
Mina, none of them was <strong>al</strong>lowed to go round the House with the clothes which they wore. And so, whoever<br />
wanted to go round the House had to undress and put his clothes aside until after circumambulation.<br />
This act was supposed to display more piety from the person who did it. <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, then<br />
reve<strong>al</strong>ed about them (O Children of Adam! Look to your adornment at every place of worship…) up to His<br />
words (for people who have knowledge) [7:32]. This was reve<strong>al</strong>ed about those who go round the Sacred<br />
House naked”.<br />
Said <strong>al</strong>-K<strong>al</strong>bi: “During the days of pilgrimage, people of the pre-<strong>Islamic</strong> period ate very little and refrained<br />
from fats as a sign of their glorification of pilgrimage. <strong>The</strong> Muslims said: ‘O Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah,<br />
we have a better right to do that’, and as a result, <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed (and eat) meat and fats<br />
(and drink)”.<br />
(Recite unto them the t<strong>al</strong>e of him to whom We gave Our revelations, but he sloughed them<br />
off…) [7:175].<br />
Ibn Mas‘ud said: “This verse was reve<strong>al</strong>ed about B<strong>al</strong>‘am ibn Abrah, one of the Children of Israel”, while<br />
1<br />
Durr, :439; Tabari, :159-160.
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