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

Chapter 59: Surah al-Hashr
Hazim> Abu Hurayrah who related that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace,
entrusted one of the folk of the Platform (al-Suffah) to a man from the Helpers. The latter took the former
to his family and asked his wife: “Do we have anything [to feed him]” She said: “We do not have
anything except the children’s food”. He said: “Put them to sleep and then bring me the food. And when
you put the food down, turn the lamp off ”. She did as her husband requested. The Helper offered what
he had to his guest. The following morning he took him back to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him
and give him peace. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: “Indeed, the dwellers of the
heavens are amazed at what you two have done”. This verse was then revealed (… but prefer (the fugitives)
above themselves though poverty become their lot…). 5 This was narrated by Bukhari> Musaddid> ‘Abd
Allah ibn Dawud, and also by Muslim> Abu Kurayb> Waki‘, and both Ibn Dawud and Waki‘ related it
from Fudayl ibn Ghazwan.
Abu ‘Abd Allah ibn Ishaq al-Muzakki informed us> Abu’l-Hasan Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Sulayti>
Abu’l-‘Abbas ibn ‘Isa ibn Muhammad al-Marwazi> al-Mustajir ibn al-Salt> al-Qasim ibn al-Hakam al-
‘Urani> ‘Ubayd Allah ibn al-Walid> Muharib ibn Dithar> ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar who said: “One of the
Companions of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was gifted a sheep’s head.
The man said [to himself]: ‘My brother so-and-so is more in need of it than I’, and he sent it to him.
This sheep’s head was sent from one person to another — it was handled by seven households — until it
returned to the first man who was gifted it in the first place. This verse (… but prefer (the fugitives) above
themselves though poverty become their lot…), up to the end, was revealed about this”. 6
5
Tabari, :42-43; Qurtubi, :24; Durr, :106.
6
Durr, :107.
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