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

Asbab al-Nuzul
Abu Bakr al-Harithi informed us> Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Hayyan> Abu Yahya al-Razi> Sahl al-
‘Askari> Yahya> ‘Uthman ibn al-Aswad> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr who said: “The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless
him and give him peace, recited (Have ye thought upon al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, and Manat, the third, the
other) upon which the devil projected on his tongue: ‘These are the mighty cranes and their intercession
is hoped for’. The idolaters were pleased. They said: ‘He has mentioned our idols’. Then Gabriel, peace be
upon him, came to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘Read back to
me the speech of Allah’. When he read it to him, Gabriel said: ‘As for this I did not bring; this is from the
devil’. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Never sent We a messenger or a prophet before thee but when
He recited (the message) Satan proposed (opposition) in respec of that which he recited thereof. But Allah
abolisheth that which Satan proposeth. Then Allah establisheth His revelations…)”. 10
10
Tabari, :188-189; Durr, :66-67.
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