Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
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Chapter 25: Surah <strong>al</strong>-Furqan<br />
Abi Mu‘ayt, then, rebuked him for doing so, and so this verse was reve<strong>al</strong>ed about it”. 2<br />
Said <strong>al</strong>-Sha‘bi: “ ‘Uqbah [ibn Abi Mu‘ayt] was a friend of Umayyah ibn Kh<strong>al</strong>af. When ‘Uqbah embraced<br />
Islam, Umayyah said to him: ‘I do not want to ever see you if you follow Muhammad’. ‘Uqbah disbelieved<br />
again and renounced Islam to please his friend, and so <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse”. 3<br />
Other commentators of the Qur’an said: “Ubayy ibn Kh<strong>al</strong>af and ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt were <strong>al</strong>lies. It<br />
was the habit of ‘Uqbah, upon returning from a travel, to invite the nobles of his people to eat with him.<br />
‘Uqbah <strong>al</strong>so used to keep the company of the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace.<br />
He returned one day from one of his travels, made some food and invited people and the Messenger<br />
of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, to eat. When the food was placed before the invitees, the<br />
Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, said to him: ‘I will not eat your food until you<br />
bear witness that there is no deity except <strong>Al</strong>lah and that I am the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah’. ‘Uqbah said: ‘I bear<br />
witness that there is no deity except <strong>Al</strong>lah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah’, upon which<br />
the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, ate from his food. Ubayy was absent on that<br />
occasion. But when he was informed of what had happened, he said to ‘Uqbah: ‘You have renounced<br />
the religion of your forefathers’ ‘Uqbah said: ‘By <strong>Al</strong>lah, I did not. I had a man in my house who refused<br />
to eat my food unless I bore witness to him and I was ashamed to let him leave my house without him<br />
eating, and so I bore witness to him and he ate my food’. Ubayy said to him: ‘I will never be happy with<br />
you until you go to him, spit on his face and step on his neck’. ‘Uqbah did just that, and the Messenger of<br />
<strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, said to him: ‘If I ever meet out of Mecca, I will behead you’.<br />
‘Uqbah was later killed while in captivity at Badr. As for Ubayy ibn Kh<strong>al</strong>af, the Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him<br />
and give him peace, killed him in a duel at Uhud. And so <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed about ‘Uqbah<br />
and Ubayy this verse”. 4<br />
Said <strong>al</strong>-Dahhak: “When ‘Uqbah spat on the face of the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him<br />
peace, his spit split into two and flew back on ‘Uqbah’s face. This caused both his cheeks to burn and the<br />
scars resulting from this burning remained visible until he died”. 5<br />
(And those who cry not unto any other god <strong>al</strong>ong with <strong>Al</strong>lah…) [25:68-70].<br />
Abu Ishaq <strong>al</strong>-Tha‘<strong>al</strong>ibi informed us> <strong>al</strong>-Hasan ibn Ahmad <strong>al</strong>-Makhladi> <strong>al</strong>-Mu’ammil ibn <strong>al</strong>-Hasan ibn<br />
‘Isa> <strong>al</strong>-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn <strong>al</strong>-Sabbah <strong>al</strong>-Za‘farani> Hajjaj> Ibn Jurayj> Ya‘la ibn Muslim> Sa‘id<br />
ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “Some idolaters who had committed many murders and fornicated<br />
numerous times went to the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘What<br />
you say and c<strong>al</strong>l for is good, if only you could inform us whether there is any expiation for the things we<br />
have committed’. As a response, this verse was reve<strong>al</strong>ed (And those who cry not unto any other god <strong>al</strong>ong<br />
with <strong>Al</strong>lah) up to His words (<strong>Al</strong>lah is ever Forgiving, Merciful) [25:70]”. 6 This was narrated by Muslim><br />
Ibrahim ibn Dinar> Hajjaj.<br />
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Yahya <strong>al</strong>-Muzakki informed us> his father> Muhammad ibn Ishaq <strong>al</strong>-<br />
Thaqafi> Ibrahim <strong>al</strong>-Hanz<strong>al</strong>i and Muhammad ibn <strong>al</strong>-Sabbah> Jarir> Mansur and <strong>al</strong>-A‘mash> Abu Wa’il><br />
‘Amr ibn Shurahbil> Abu Maysarah> ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn Mas‘ud who said: “I asked the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah,<br />
<strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace: ‘What is the greatest sin’ He said: ‘It is to ascribe an equ<strong>al</strong> to <strong>Al</strong>lah<br />
when it is Him Who has created you’. I asked: ‘What comes after that’ he said: ‘It is to kill your child for<br />
fear that he might compete with you over food’. I asked: ‘What comes after that’ he said: ‘It is to commit<br />
adultery with the wife of your neighbour’. <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, then reve<strong>al</strong>ed these verses to confirm his<br />
answers (And those who cry not unto any other god <strong>al</strong>ong with <strong>Al</strong>lah, nor take the life which <strong>Al</strong>lah hath<br />
2<br />
Tabari, :8; Durr, :251.<br />
3<br />
Tabari, :8.<br />
4<br />
Durr, :251.<br />
5<br />
Qurtubi, :26.<br />
6<br />
Tabari, :41; Qurtubi, :76; Durr, :276.<br />
173
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