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

Chapter 29: Surah al-‘Ankabut
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
(Alif. Lam. Mim. Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, We believe, and
will not be tested with affliction) [29:1-2].
Said al-Sha‘bi: “These verses were revealed about some people in Mecca who embraced Islam. The Companions
of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, in Medina wrote to them saying that their
faith and embracing of Islam will not be accepted from them until they emigrate from Mecca. For this
reason, they left Mecca with the intention of joining Medina. However, the idolaters caught up with them
and harmed them. These verses were, therefore, revealed about them. The Muslims of Medina then wrote
back and said to them that such-and-such verses were revealed about you. Those Muslims in Mecca
said: ‘We will leave and fight whoever follows us’. They left Mecca and were pursued by the idolaters.
Fighting ensued between them; some were killed and some escaped safe. Allah, exalted is He, therefore
revealed about them (Then lo! Thy Lord—for those who become fugitive after they had been persecuted…)
[16:110]”. 1
Said Muqatil: “This verse was revealed about Mihja‘, the client of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, who was the first
Muslim to be killed at the Battle of Badr. ‘Amr ibn al-Hadrami struck him with a bow which killed him.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said on that day: ‘The master of all martyrs is Mihja‘.
He will be the first one of this community to be called to the gate of heaven’. His wife and parents were
distraught because of his death, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed about them these verses, explaining
that they had to suffer trials and hardship for the sake of Allah, exalted is He”. 2
(We have enjoined on man kindness to parents…) [29:8].
The commentators of the Qur’an said: “This was revealed about Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas. When the latter
embraced Islam, his mother Hamnah said to him: ‘O Sa‘d, I heard that you have renounced your old
religion. By Allah, I will not take shelter under any roof to protect me from the sun and wind, nor will I
eat or drink, until you disbelieve in Muhammad and revert to your old religion’. Sa‘d was the dearest of
her sons to her, but he refused to do as she wanted. For three days, his mother did not eat, drink or take
shelter under the shade until it was feared that she may perish. At that point, Sa‘d went to the Prophet,
Allah bless him and give him peace, and complained to him. Allah, exalted is He, revealed as a response
this verse as well as the verse in Surah Luqman [31:14] and the verse in Surah al-Ahqaf [46:15]”. 3
Abu Sa‘id informed us> Abu Bakr al-Ghazi> Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Hamdan> Abu Ya‘la> Abu
Khaythamah> al-Hasan ibn Musa> Zuhayr> Simak ibn Harb> Mus‘ab ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas> his
father who said: “This verse was revealed about me. Umm Sa‘d [his mother] swore that she will never
speak to me, eat or drink, until I disbelieve in Islam. She did this for three days until she passed out from
exhaustion. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed (We have enjoined on man kindness to parents…)”. This
was narrated by Muslim from Abu Khaythamah.
1
Tabari, :129; Qurtubi, :324; Durr, :449.
2
Qurtubi, :324. It was also said that these verses were revealed about ‘Ammar ibn Yasir. Cf. Durr, :450.
3
Tabari, :131; Qurtubi, :328; Durr, :452.