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

Chapter 44: Surah al-Dukhan
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
(… Taste! Lo! thou wast forsooth the mighty, the noble!) [44:49].
Qatadah said: “This verse was revealed about the enemy of Allah, Abu Jahl, who protested: ‘Is Muhammad
threatening me By Allah, I am the mightiest man between its two mountains [Mecca’s two mountains]’,
and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. 1
Abu Bakr al-Harithi informed us> ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Hayyan> Abu Yahya al-Razi> Sahl ibn
‘Uthman> Asbat> Abu Bakr al-Hudhali> ‘Ikrimah who said: “One day, the Prophet, Allah bless him and
give him peace, met Abu Jahl. The latter said to him: ‘You know that I am of the most powerful people on
earth, and that I am the mighty, the noble!’ Allah, exalted is He, killed him at the Battle of Badr, humiliated
him and reviled him, using his own words. This verse was revealed about him (Taste! Lo! thou wast
forsooth the mighty, the noble!)”. 2
1
Tabari, :134; Qurtubi, :151; Durr, :419
2
Qurtubi, :151; Durr, :419.