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 54: Surah <strong>al</strong>-Qamar<br />
In the name of <strong>Al</strong>lah, the Beneficent, the Merciful<br />
(<strong>The</strong> hour drew nigh and the moon was rent in twain) [54:1].<br />
Abu Hakim ‘Aqil ibn Muhammad <strong>al</strong>-Jurjani informed us (through verb<strong>al</strong> authorisation)> Abu’l-Faraj<br />
<strong>al</strong>-Qadi> Muhammad ibn Jarir> <strong>al</strong>-Husayn ibn Abi Yahya <strong>al</strong>-Maqdisi> Yahya ibn Hammad> Abu ‘Awanah><br />
<strong>al</strong>-Mughirah> Abu’l-Duha> Masruq> ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah who said: “<strong>The</strong> moon was split at the time of the<br />
Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, so the Quraysh said: ‘This is an act of sorcery<br />
from the son of Abu Kabshah; 1 he has cast a spell on you. Ask, therefore, the travellers whether they saw<br />
the moon split’. <strong>The</strong>y asked some travellers and they confirmed it. <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, then reve<strong>al</strong>ed<br />
(<strong>The</strong> hour drew nigh and the moon was rent in twain. And if they behold a portent they turn away and say:<br />
Prolonged illusion) [54:1-2]”. 2<br />
(Lo! the guilty are in error and madness… Lo! We have created every thing by measure) [54:47-49].<br />
Abu’l-Qasim ‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-Rahman ibn Muhammad <strong>al</strong>-Sarraj informed us (by dictation)> Abu Muhammad<br />
‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn Muhammad ibn Musa <strong>al</strong>-Ka‘bi> Hamdan ibn S<strong>al</strong>ih <strong>al</strong>-Ashajj> ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn ‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-<br />
‘Aziz ibn Abi Rawwad> Sufyan <strong>al</strong>-Thawri> Ziyad ibn Isma‘il <strong>al</strong>-Makhzumi> Muhammad ibn ‘Abbad ibn<br />
Ja‘far> Abu Hurayrah who said: “<strong>The</strong> Quraysh came to dispute the question of Destiny. <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted<br />
is He, therefore reve<strong>al</strong>ed (Lo! the guilty are in error and madness… Lo! We have created every thing by<br />
measure)”. 3 This was narrated by Muslim from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah> Waki‘> Sufyan.<br />
By <strong>Al</strong>lah, I bear witness that Abu’l-Harith Muhammad ibn ‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-Rahim <strong>al</strong>-Hafiz informed us in Jurjan;<br />
he said: “By <strong>Al</strong>lah, I bear witness that Abu Nu‘aym Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim <strong>al</strong>-Bazzaz<br />
informed us; he said: ‘By <strong>Al</strong>lah, I bear witness that I heard ‘<strong>Al</strong>i ibn Jand<strong>al</strong> saying: ‘By <strong>Al</strong>lah, I bear witness<br />
that I heard Abu’l-Hasan Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ubayy in Khurasan say: ‘By <strong>Al</strong>lah, I bear witness<br />
that I heard ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn <strong>al</strong>-Saqr <strong>al</strong>-Hafiz say: ‘By <strong>Al</strong>lah, I bear witness that I heard ‘Ufayr ibn Ma‘dan<br />
say: ‘by <strong>Al</strong>lah, I bear witness that I heard S<strong>al</strong>im ibn ‘Amir say: ‘By <strong>Al</strong>lah, I bear witness that I heard Abu<br />
Umamah <strong>al</strong>-Bahili say: ‘By <strong>Al</strong>lah, I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him<br />
and give him peace, say: ‘This verse was reve<strong>al</strong>ed about the deniers of Destiny (<strong>al</strong>-Qadariyyah): 4 (Lo! the<br />
guilty are in error and madness… Lo! We have created every thing by measure). 5<br />
Abu Bakr ibn <strong>al</strong>-Harith related to us> ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn Muhammad <strong>al</strong>-Asfahani> Jarir ibn Harun> ‘<strong>Al</strong>i <strong>al</strong>-<br />
Tanafisi> ‘Ubayd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn Musa> Bahr <strong>al</strong>-Saqa’> A Shaykh from Quraysh> ‘Ata’ who said: “<strong>The</strong> bishop<br />
of Najran came to the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘O Muhammad,<br />
you claim that sins are created by measure and that the seas and heaven are <strong>al</strong>so created by measure. If<br />
it is true that the seas and heaven are created by measure, sins nevertheless cannot be’. <strong>The</strong> Messenger of<br />
<strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, said: ‘You are <strong>Al</strong>lah’s adversaries!’ And then <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is<br />
1<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a difference of opinion among Muslim scholars about who Abu Kabshah was. One opinion states that Abu Kabshah<br />
was a man from the tribe of Khuza‘ah. This man worshipped Sirius and shunned the idols of Quraysh. According to this view,<br />
the Quraysh c<strong>al</strong>led the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, the son of Abu Kabshah because he opposed the<br />
worship of the idols which the Quraysh worshipped just as Abu Kabshah worshipped Sirius and opposed their worship. Another<br />
opinion is that Abu Kabshah was no other than Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manaf, the Prophet’s grandfather from his mother’s side, and so the<br />
Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, was affiliated to him. A third opinion states that Abu Kabshah was the<br />
husband of the woman who breastfed the Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace.<br />
2<br />
Tabari, :85; Qurtubi, :127; Durr, :670.<br />
3<br />
Tabari, :110; Qurtubi, :147; Durr, :682-683.<br />
4<br />
See the article Kadariyya in ei 2 .<br />
5<br />
Durr, :685.
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