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

Chapter 17: Surah al-Isra’
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
(And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck…) [17:29].
Abu’l-Hasan Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Imran informed us> Abu ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Faqih>
Abu ‘Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Isma‘il al-Mahamili> Zakariyya ibn Yahya al-Darir> Sulayman ibn Sulayman
al-Juhani> Qays ibn al-Rabi‘> Abu Ishaq> Abu’l-Ahwas> ‘Abd Allah who said: “A boy came to the
Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘My mother asks you to give her this
and that’. He said to him: ‘We do not have anything today’. The boy said: ‘She is asking you to give her
your gown’. He took off his gown, gave it to him and remained in his house denuded. Allah, glorified
and exalted is He, then revealed (And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor open it with a complete
opening…)”. 1
Said Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah: “As the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was sitting
with his Companions, a boy came to him and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, my mother asks you for a
gown’. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, did not have any gown except the one
he was wearing, and so he said to the boy: ‘Things turn up from time to time, so come back to us another
time’. He went to his mother and informed her but she said to him: ‘Tell him that my mother asks you
for the gown you are wearing’. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, went inside
his house, took off his gown and gave it to the boy and remained there naked. When Bilal called for the
prayer, people waited for the Prophet, Allah bless him and give, to emerge and lead them in prayer but
he did not come out. The Companions became worried. One of them entered in on him and found him
naked. Allah, glorious and exalted is He, then revealed (And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor
open it with a complete opening)”.
(Tell My bondmen to speak that which is kindlier…)[17:53].
This was revealed about ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be well pleased with him. An Arab man insulted
him, and so Allah, exalted is He, commanded him to pardon him. 2
Said al-Kalbi: “The idolaters were in the habit of harming, verbally and physically, the Companions of the
Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace. When the latter complained to the Messenger
of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
(Naught hindereth Us from sending portents…) [17:59].
Sa‘id ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ja‘far informed us> Zahir ibn Ahmad> Abu’l-Qasim al-Baghawi>
‘Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah> Jarir ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid> al-A‘mash> Ja‘far ibn Iyas> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr> Ibn
‘Abbas who said: “The people of Mecca asked the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, to turn
al-Safa hill into gold and remove the mountains [surrounding Mecca] for them so that they can engage
in agriculture. It was said to him: ‘If you wish to wait for them until We may select people from them
[to believe in you], or you can give them what they have asked for. But if they disbelieve after that, We
will destroy them like We destroyed those before them’. He said: ‘No, I would rather wait’. And so Allah,
1
Durr, :276; Qurtubi, :250.
2
Qurtubi, :276.