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

Chapter 11: Surah Hud
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
(Lo! now they fold up their breasts that they may hide (their thoughts) from Him…) [11:5].
This verse was revealed about al-Akhnas ibn Shurayq who was good looking and sweet talking. When he
met the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, he pleased him but he always kept in his
heart that which displeased him. Al-Kalbi said: “He used to sit with the Prophet, Allah bless him and give
him peace, and display things that pleased the Prophet while hiding in his heart the opposite of what he
displayed. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Lo! now they fold up their breasts that they may hide
(their thoughts)) their thoughts of enmity to Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace”. 1
(Establish worship at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night. Lo! good deeds annul
ill deeds…) [11:114].
Master Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi informed us> Abu ‘Amr ibn Matar> Ibrahim ibn ‘Ali> Yahya ibn Yahya>
Abu’l-Ahwas> Simak> Ibrahim> ‘Alqamah> al-Aswad> ‘Abd Allah who said: “A man came to the Prophet,
Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have fondled a woman at the
end of Medina. However, I have touched her without making love to her; here I am, sentence me to
whatever judgment you see fit!’ ‘Umar exclaimed: ‘Allah had concealed your sin if only you had kept it
concealed’. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, did not answer him. The man left. Another
man went after him, called him back and recited to him this verse. One man asked: ‘O Messenger of
Allah, is this for him specifically’ He said: ‘No, it is for all people’ ”. 2 This was narrated by Muslim from
Yahya ibn Yahya and by Bukhari from Yazid ibn Zuray‘.
‘Amr ibn Abi ‘Amr informed us> Muhammad ibn Makki> Muhammad ibn Yusuf> Muhammad ibn
Isma‘il> Bishr ibn Yazid ibn Zuray‘> Sulayman al-Taymi> Abu ‘Uthman al-Nahdi> Ibn Mas‘ud who
reported that a man kissed a woman after which he went to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him
peace, and informed him of what he did. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed this verse (Establish worship
at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night…) up to the end of the verse. The man
asked: “Does this apply specifically to me” He said: “It applies to whoever practises it from among my
community”. 3
Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Fadl informed us> Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al-Umawi> al-‘Abbas al-Duri>
Ahmad ibn Hanbal al-Marwazi> Muhammad ibn al-Mubarak> Suwayd> ‘Uthman ibn Mawhab> Musa
ibn Talhah> Abu’l-Yusr ibn ‘Amr who said: “A woman whose husband was sent with an army by the
Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, came to me and said: ‘I want to buy one silver coin worth
of dates’. I liked the woman and so I said: ‘I have in the house dates which are much better than these,
so come with me’. I touched her and kissed her. I then went to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him
and give him peace, and related to him what happened. He said to me: ‘You have betrayed a man who
is fighting for the sake of Allah in relation to his wife with the like of this’. And he put his head down on
me. I thought I was of the dwellers of hellfire and that Allah would never forgive me. But then Allah,
exalted is He, revealed (Establish worship at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night…).
The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, sent for me and recited it to me”. 4
1
Cf. Qurtubi, :5.
2
Tabari, :134; Qurtubi, :111; Durr, :482-485.
3
Tabari, :137.
4
Qurtubi, :279.