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

Chapter 9: Surah al-Anfal
(And as for those who chose a place of worship out of opposition and disbelief, and in order to
cause dissent among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against Allah and His
messenger aforetime, they will surely swear: We purposed naught save good. Allah beareth witness
that they verily are liars. Never stand (to pray) there…) [9:107-108].
The commentators of the Qur’an said: “The Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf built a mosque at Quba’ and sent for the
Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, to come to them. He went there and prayed in
that mosque. Their brothers from the Banu Ghunm ibn ‘Awf envied them resentfully and said: ‘Let us
built a mosque and send for the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, to pray in it as
he prayed in the mosque of our brothers, and let Abu ‘Amir al-Rahib (the monk) also pray in it when he
comes back from Syria’. This Abu ‘Amir had embraced Christianity and became a monk in the pre-Islamic
period. But when the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, moved to Medina, Abu
‘Amir rejected the religion of Islam and showed enmity toward it. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give
him peace, called him then Abu ‘Amir al-Fasiq (the corrupt) [instead of Abu ‘Amir al-Rahib (the monk)].
Abu ‘Amir left to Syria and then sent a letter to the hypocrites in which he wrote: ‘Prepare yourselves and
make ready whatever you can of force and weapons. Built a mosque for me, for I am going to the Caesar 35
to request him to send with me Byzantine soldiers so that I drive out Muhammad and his Companions’.
And so, they built for him a mosque by the Quba’ mosque. Those who built this mosque were 12 men:
Khidham ibn Khalid (this mosque of opposition 36 was an extension of his house), Tha‘labah ibn Hatib, 37
Mu‘attib ibn Qushayr, Abu Habibah ibn al-Az‘ar, ‘Abbad ibn Hunayf, Jariyah ibn ‘Amir, his two sons Majma‘
and Zayd, Nabtal ibn Harith, Bahzaj ibn ‘Uthman, Bijad ibn ‘Uthman and Wadi‘ah ibn Thabit. When
they finished building this mosque, they went to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him
peace, and said: ‘We have built a mosque for the sick and the needy and also for use in rainy and wintry
nights, and we would like you to come and pray in it’. He called for his gown, intending to wear it and go
with them when the Qur’an was revealed to him and Allah, glorious and majestic is He, informed him
about the mosque of opposition and what they were about to do. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him
and give him peace, called Malik ibn al-Dukhshum, Ma‘n ibn ‘Adiyy, ‘Amir ibn al-Sakan and Wahshiyy,
the killer of Hamzah and said to them: ‘Go to this mosque whose builders have transgressed, destroy it
and burn it down’. Malik proceeded with enflamed palm leaves, entered the mosque while its people were
inside it, burnt it down and destroyed it. Its people dispersed [to avoid being burnt]. Then the Messenger
of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, commanded that that place be used as a garbage spot where
carrion, dirt and refuse are thrown”. 38 Abu ‘Amir died in Syria alone, a stranger.
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya informed us> Abu’l-‘Abbas ibn Isma‘il ibn ‘Abd
Allah ibn Mikal> ‘Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Musa al-Ahwazi> Isma‘il ibn Zakariyya> Dawud ibn al-
Zibriqan> Sakhr ibn Juwayriyah> ‘A’ishah bint Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas> Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas who said: “The
hypocrites built a mosque so that it stands comparable to the mosque of Quba’ which was close to it and
wanted Abu ‘Amir al-Rahib to be their Imam once he came back [from Syria]. When they finished building
it, they went to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘O Messenger
of Allah, we have built a mosque, so come and pray in it so that we take it as a place of prayer’. He grabbed
his gown, intending to leave with them, when this verse (Never stand (to pray) there…) was revealed”.
(Lo! Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be
theirs…) [9:111].
Muhammad ibn Ka‘b al-Qurazi said: “When the Helpers — seventy in number — swore allegiance to the
Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, at al-‘Aqabah in Mecca, ‘Abd Allah ibn Rawahah
said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, stipulate anything you wish with regard to your Lord and to yourself ’.
He said: ‘As for my Lord, I stipulate that you worship Him and not associate anything with him; and I
35
This is the title of the Byzantine Emperor.
36
On Masjid al-Dirar, see: Ibn Hisam, Sira, :128-129.
37
This person is not the same prophetic Companion who took part in the Battle of Badr.
38
Durr, :284-286.
129