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

Chapter 13: Surah al-Ra‘d
(… while they are disbelievers in the Beneficent…) [13:30].
The commentators of the Qur’an said: “This verse was revealed at the treaty of Hudaybiyyah when they
were about to write the document of the treaty. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him
peace, said to ‘Al: ‘Write in the Name of Allah, the Beneficent (al-Rahman), the Merciful’. Sahl ibn ‘Amr
and the idolaters said: ‘We do not know anyone by the name of the beneficent (al-Rahman) except the
ruler of al-Yamamah’, meaning Musaylimah the liar, ‘rather, write: in Your Name, O Allah!’ This is how
the people of the pre-Islamic period used to write. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed about them this
verse”. 2
Said ibn ‘Abbas, according to the report of al-Dahhak: “This was revealed about the unbelievers of
Quraysh when the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said to them (… Adore the Beneficent!
They say; And what is the Beneficent Are we to adore whatever thou (Muhammad) biddest us)
[25:60], and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse. He said (Say) to them, the Beneficent Whom you
deny (He is my Lord; there is no god save Him…)”.
(Had it been possible for a Lecture to cause the mountains to move…) [13:31].
Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Nahwi informed me> Abu ‘Amr Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Hiri>
Abu Ya‘la> Muhammad ibn Isma‘il ibn Salamah al-Ansari> Khalaf ibn Tamim> ‘Abd al-Jabbar ibn ‘Umar
al-Ayli> ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Ata’> his grandmother Umm ‘Ata’, the client of al-Zubayr> al-Zubayr ibn al-
‘Awwam who said: “The Quraysh said to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace: ‘You claim that
you are a prophet who receives revelation, and that Solomon was given the gift of wind and mountains,
Moses the sea and Jesus brought the dead back to life. Pray Allah to move for us these mountains, and
cause rivers to spring out from this land so that we can use it as plantations, and eat from them. Alternately,
pray that Allah brings our dead ancestors to life so that we speak with them; or pray that Allah
turns this rock beneath you into gold so that we can do without the winter and summer trips. Don’t you
claim that you are like these prophets’ We were around him, when the revelation came to him. After
he regained his normal composure, he said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, He has given me all
what you have asked, and if I wished it will all happen. However, He has made me choose between the
gate of mercy, such that your believers will come to believe or to leave you to what you have chosen for
yourselves such that you go astray from the gate of mercy, and your believers will not believe. I have
chosen the gate of mercy and that your believers will come to believe. Allah also informed me that if He
were to give what you asked for and you disbelieved after that, He would punish you with a chastisement
the like of which He has never inflicted on anyone of His creation’. It was revealed (Naught hindreth Us
from sending portents save that the folk of old denied them. And We gave Thamud the she-camel- a
clear portent- but they did wrong in respect of her…) [17:59]. He read the next three verses and then the
revelation came (Had it been possible for a Lecture to cause the mountains to move, or the earth to be
torn asunder…)”. 3
(And verily We sent messengers (to mankind) before thee, and We appointed for them wives and
offspring…) [13:38].
Said al-Kalbi: “The Jews insulted the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, saying:
‘This man has no aspiration except for women and marriage. If he was really a prophet, as he claims to
be, the matter of prophethood would have preoccupied him from women’, and so Allah, exalted is He,
revealed this verse”. 4
2
Tabari, :150; Qurtubi, :317; Durr, :650-651.
3
Tabari, :151-153; Qurtubi, :318; Durr, :652.
4
Qurtubi, : 327.
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