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 3: Surah <strong>Al</strong> ‘Imran<br />
you will conquer them. <strong>Al</strong>l this while you are digging this ditch because of fear and are unable to show<br />
yourselves’. <strong>Al</strong>lah then reve<strong>al</strong>ed in the Qur’an (And when the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a<br />
disease, were saying: <strong>Al</strong>lah and His messenger promised us naught but delusion) [33:12], and <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted<br />
is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed about this incident: (Say: O <strong>Al</strong>lah! Owner of Sovereignty!)”.<br />
(Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers…) [3:28].<br />
Said Ibn ‘Abbas: “A group of Jews including <strong>al</strong>-Hajjaj ibn ‘Amr, Kahmas ibn Abi <strong>al</strong>-Huqayq and Qays ibn<br />
Zayd used to keep close company with a group of Helpers to try to make them renounce their religion.<br />
And so a group of people comprising Rifa‘ah ibn <strong>al</strong>-Mundhir, ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn Jubayr and Sa‘id ibn Khaythamah<br />
said to this group of Helpers: ‘Stay away from these Jews and beware of keeping their company<br />
lest they drive you away from your religion’. <strong>The</strong> group of Helpers refused to stop seeing them or keep<br />
their company, and so <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse”. 8<br />
And <strong>al</strong>-K<strong>al</strong>bi said: “This verse was reve<strong>al</strong>ed about the hypocrites: ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn Ubayy and his companions.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y <strong>al</strong>lied themselves with the Jews and the idolaters, supplying them with information, hoping<br />
that they would have the upper hand over the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace.<br />
And so <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse, warning the believers against acting like them”.<br />
Juwaybir reported from <strong>al</strong>-Dahhak that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “This verse was reve<strong>al</strong>ed about ‘Ubadah ibn<br />
<strong>al</strong>-Samit who was among those who took part in Badr and a trusted man. He had <strong>al</strong>lies from among the<br />
Jews. And when the Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, marched to the Battle of the Confederates,<br />
‘Ubadah said: ‘O Prophet of <strong>Al</strong>lah! I have with me five hundred men from the Jews, and I am of the<br />
opinion to take them with me to impress the enemy. Because of this, <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed (Let<br />
not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers)’ ”. 9<br />
(Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love <strong>Al</strong>lah…) [3:31].<br />
Said <strong>al</strong>-Hasan ibn Jurayj: “Some people had claimed at the time of the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless<br />
him and give him peace, that they loved <strong>Al</strong>lah. <strong>The</strong>y said: ‘O Muhammad! Verily, we love our Lord’, and<br />
so <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse”. 10<br />
Juwaybir <strong>al</strong>so reported that <strong>al</strong>-Dahhak related that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “<strong>The</strong> Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and<br />
give him peace, saw the Quraysh in the Sacred Mosque prostrating to their idols which they erected<br />
therein, with eggs of ostriches hanging from them and earrings dangling from their ears. And so he said<br />
to them: ‘O Quraysh! You have contravened the religion of your fathers Abraham and Ishmael, both of<br />
whom were Muslims’. <strong>The</strong>y responded: ‘O Muhammad! We worship them out of love for <strong>Al</strong>lah and so<br />
that they bring us closer to Him’. Upon which <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed (Say, (O Muhammad, to<br />
mankind): If ye love <strong>Al</strong>lah) and you worship your idols to bring you closer to Him, as you claim, then<br />
(follow me; <strong>Al</strong>lah will love you…) for I am His Messenger to you, His proof against you, and I am more<br />
worthy of reverence than your idols”. 11<br />
<strong>Al</strong>-K<strong>al</strong>bi <strong>al</strong>so related from Abu S<strong>al</strong>ih that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “When the Jews said: ‘We are the children of<br />
<strong>Al</strong>lah and His beloved’, <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse. <strong>The</strong>n the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless<br />
him and give him peace, read it to the Jews but they refused to accept it”.<br />
Muhammad ibn Ishaq reported that Muhammad ibn Ja‘far ibn <strong>al</strong>-Zubayr said: “This was reve<strong>al</strong>ed about<br />
the Christians of Najran, for they had said: ‘We venerate and worship Christ out of love and veneration<br />
8<br />
Tabari, :228; Durr, :176.<br />
9<br />
Durr, :177-178; Qurtubi, :58.<br />
10<br />
Tabari, :232.<br />
11<br />
Tabari mentions that this was said to the Christians of the delegation of Najran. Cf. Tabari, :232-233.<br />
47
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