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

Asbab al-Nuzul
you in order that ye may take heed)’. ‘Uthman said: ‘It was at that point that faith became firm in my heart
and I loved Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace’ ”. 7
(And when We put a revelation in place of (another) revelation…) [16:101-102].
This verse was revealed when the idolaters said: “Muhammad is mocking his Companions; one day he
commands them to do something and the next day he forbids them from doing it, or brings instead
something which is easier. He is nothing but a calumniator who says things of his own invention”, and so
Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse and the verse after it.
(And We know well that they say: Only a man teacheth him. The speech of him at whom they
falsely hint is outlandish…) [16:103].
Abu Nasr Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Muzakki> Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Hamdan al-Zahid> ‘Abd
Allah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz> Abu Hisham al-Rifa‘i> Ibn Fudayl> Husayn> ‘Abd Allah ibn
Muslim who said: “We owned two Christian youths from the people of ‘Ayn Tamr, one called Yasar
and the other Jabr. Their trade was making swords but they also could read the Scriptures in their own
tongue. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, used to pass by them and listen to
their reading. As a result, the idolaters used to say: ‘He is being taught by them!’ To give them the lie,
Allah, exalted is He, revealed (The speech of him at whom they falsely hint is outlandish, and this is clear
Arabic speech)”. 8
(Whoso disbelieveth in Allah after his belief…) [16:106].
Said Ibn ‘Abbas: “This verse was revealed about ‘Ammar ibn Yasir. The idolaters had taken him away
along with his father Yasir, his mother Sumayyah, Suhayb [al-Rumi], Bilal [ibn Rabah], Khabbab [ibn al-
Aratt] and Salim [the client of Hudhayfah] and tortured them. As for Sumayyah, she was tied up between
two camels and stabbed with a spear in her female organ. She was told: ‘You embraced Islam for the men’,
and was then killed. Her husband Yasir was also killed. They were the first two persons who were killed
in Islam. As for ‘Ammar, he was coerced to let them hear what they wanted to hear. The Messenger of
Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was told that ‘Ammar has renounced faith, but he said: ‘Never,
‘Ammar is filled with faith from his head to his toes; faith is admixed with his flesh and blood!’ ‘Ammar
then went to see the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, crying. The Messenger of
Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, wiped his tears with his own hand and said: ‘if they return to
you, let them hear again what you told them’. Then, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. 9
Mujahid said: “This verse was revealed about some Meccans who accepted faith. The Muslims of Medina
wrote to them urging them to migrate and told them that they did not consider them part of them unless
they migrated. And so they left Mecca intending to migrate to Medina. The Quraysh caught up with them
on the way and coerced them to renounce their faith. It is about them that this verse was revealed”. 10
(Then lo! thy Lord - for those who became fugitives after they had been persecuted …) [16:110].
Said Qatadah: “It was related to us that when Allah, exalted is He, revealed before this verse that the
people of Mecca who had embraced Islam would not be considered Muslim until they migrated to Me-
7
Durr, :159.
8
Tabari, :178; Qurtubi, :178.
9
Qurtubi, :180; Tabari, :181-182; Durr, :170-171.
10
Tabari, :182; Qurtubi, :181; Durr, :171.
142