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

Chapter 16: Surah al-Nahl
(And those who became fugitives for the cause of Allah after they had been oppressed…) [16:41].
This verse was revealed about the Companions of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, in
Mecca: Bilal, Suhayb, Khabbab, ‘Ammar, and Abu Jandal ibn Suhayl. The idolaters seized them in Mecca,
tortured and harmed them. Later, Allah, exalted is He, made them settle down in Medina. 4
(And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men whom We inspired…) [16:43].
This verse was revealed about the idolaters of Mecca who denied the prophethood of Muhammad, Allah
bless him and give him peace. They said: “Allah is too great to have a human being as His messenger;
could He not have sent an angel” 5
(Allah coineth a similitude: (on the one hand) a (mere) chattel slave, who hath control of nothing,
and (on the other hand) one on whom we have bestowed a fair provision from Us, and he spendeth
thereof secretly and openly. Are they equal Praise be to Allah! But most of them know not. And
Allah coineth a similitude: Two men, one of them dumb, having control of nothing, and he is a
burden on his owner; whithersoever he directeth him to go, he bringeth no good. Is he equal with
one who enjoineth justice and followeth a straight path (of conduct)) [16:75-76].
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya informed us> Abu Bakr ibn al-Anbari> Ja‘far ibn
Muhammad ibn Shakir> ‘Affan> Wuhayb> ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Uthman ibn Khuthaym> Ibrahim> ‘Ikrimah>
Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “This verse (Allah coineth a similitude: (on the one hand) a (mere) chattel slave…)
about Hisham ibn ‘Amr who used to spend his wealth openly and in secret and his client Abu’l-Jawza’
who used to bid him to stop doing so. As for the verse (And Allah coineth a similitude: Two men, one of
them dumb, having control of nothing), the dumb who has control of nothing is Usayd ibn Abi al-‘Is and
the one who (enjoineth justice and followeth a straight path…) is ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan”. 6
(Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness…) [16:90].
Abu Ishaq Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim informed us> Shu‘ayb ibn Muhammad al-Bayhaqi>
Makki ibn ‘Abdan> Abu’l-Azhar> Rawh ibn ‘Ubadah> ‘Abd al-Hamid ibn Buhram> Shahr ibn Hawshab>
‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas who said: “While the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him
peace, was sitting in his House’s courtyard in Mecca, ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un passed by and smiled at him.
The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: ‘Will you not sit down’ He sat down
facing toward him. As the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace was talking to ‘Uthman, his eyes
turned toward heaven, he looked upward for a while and then brought his gaze down and looked down
at the ground on his right hand side. Then, he looked away from his companion ‘Uthman toward where
he gazed, moving his head as if trying to understand what he was being told. He then looked up again
toward heaven, as he did the first time, and kept looking up until his gaze was completely focused on
heaven. Then he was back with ‘Uthman as he was initially. ‘Uthman said: ‘O Muhammad, I used to come
to see you and sit with you and I have never seen you do what you did this morning’. The Prophet, Allah
bless him and give him peace, said: ‘And what did you see me do’ He said: ‘I saw you raising your eyes
toward heaven, you looked down on your right, and then you moved away from me and moved your
head as if trying to understand something which was being said to you’. The Prophet said: ‘Did you catch
all that’ when ‘Uthman said he did, the Prophet said: ‘Gabriel came to me earlier on while you were
sitting’. ‘Uthman asked: ‘And what did he tell you’ He said: ‘He told me (Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and
kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth
4
Cf. Tabari, :107.
5
Tabari, :109; Qurtubi, :107; Durr, :132.
6
Durr, :151.
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