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

Chapter 19: Surah Maryam
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
(We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy Lord…) [19:64].
Isma‘il ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Hamawayh informed us> Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ma‘mar al-
Shami> Ishaq ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Rus‘ani> his grandfather> al-Mughirah> ‘Umar ibn Dharr>
his father> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him
peace, said [to Gabriel, peace be upon him]: ‘O Gabriel, what prevents you from visiting us more often
than you do’ And so this verse was revealed (We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy
Lord. Unto Him belongeth all that is before us and all that is behind us and all that is between those two,
and thy Lord was never forgetful). This was a response to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless
him and give him peace”. 1 This was narrated by Bukhari from Abi Nu‘aym from ‘Umar ibn Dharr.
Mujahid said: “The angel [Gabriel] took quite a while to come to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless
him and give him peace. When he finally came to him he said: ‘Did I take too long to come to you’
The Prophet said he did, upon which the angel said: ‘Why should I not delay my coming when you [the
community of the believers] do not polish your teeth by using small sticks (siwak), do not cut your nails
and do not clean the joints of your fingers’. And then he added (We (angels) come not down save by commandment
of thy Lord…)”. 2
‘Ikrimah, al-Dahhak, Qatadah, Muqatil and al-Kalbi said: “Gabriel, peace be upon him, failed to come
to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, when his people asked him about the people of the
Cave, Dhu’l-Qarnayn and the Spirit. He did not know what to answer them and was hoping that Gabriel,
peace be upon him, would come to him with an answer. When his coming was delayed, the Messenger of
Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was very aggrieved. When Gabriel, peace be upon him, finally
came, the Prophet said to him: ‘You delayed your coming so much that I had some misgivings, and I have
missed you’. Gabriel, peace be upon him, said: ‘I have missed you more but I am only a slave who obeys
orders. When I am sent, I come; and when I am kept back, I remain where I am kept’. Allah, exalted is
He, then revealed (We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy Lord…)”. 3
(And man saith: When I am dead, shall I forsooth be brought forth alive) [19:66].
Al-Kalbi said: “This verse was revealed about Ubayy ibn Khalaf when he held with his hand decaying
bones and said: ‘Muhammad made a claim to you that we will be resurrected after we die!’ ”.
(Hast thou seen him who disbelieveth in Our revelations…) [19:77].
Abu Ishaq al-Tha‘alibi informed us> ‘Abd Allah ibn Humayd> Makki ibn ‘Abdan> ‘Abd Allah ibn
Hashim> Abu Mu‘awiyah> al-A‘mash> Abu’l-Duha> Masruq> Khabbab ibn al-Aratt who said: “I had a
debt with al-‘As ibn Wa’il and I went to settle it with him. He said: ‘By Allah, I will not pay you until you
disbelieve in Muhammad’. I said: ‘No, by Allah, I will not disbelieve in Muhammad until you die and be
resurrected’. He said: ‘In that case, when I die and am resurrected I will have children and wealth and I
1
Tabari, :103; Qurtubi, :128; Durr, :529-530.
2
Qurtubi, :128; Durr, :530.
3
Qurtubi, :128; Durr, :530.