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

Chapter 3: Surah Al ‘Imran
Said Zayd ibn Aslam: “Shas ibn Qays, the Jew, was an old man who grew up in the pre-Islamic period. He
was a great disbeliever. His hate for the Muslims was extreme and his resentful envy toward them was intense.
One day, he passed by a group of Companions of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give
him peace, from the Aws and the Khazraj who were gathered in an assembly and talking, and was infuriated
to see their unity, friendliness and reconciliation when they were enemies in the pre-Islamic period.
He said: ‘The people of Banu Qaylah have united in this land. By Allah, we have no abode with them if
they are united’. And so he instructed a youth who was with him, saying: ‘Go and sit with them and then
remind them of the event of Bu‘ath and what happened before it and recite to them some of the poetry
which they used to compose against each other’. Bu‘ath was the day when the Aws fought against the
Khazraj and the former emerged triumphant against the latter. The young man did as he was told which
caused people to dispute with and boast to each other to the extent that two men from the two tribes —
Aws ibn Qaydhi of the Banu Harithah clan of Aws and Jabbar ibn Sakhr of the Banu Salamah clan of the
Khazraj — exchanged words and one of them said to the other: ‘If you wish, by Allah, we will do it all
over again’. Both camps got very angry and said: ‘It’s done! War is declared, and let us meet at al-Zahirah’,
a volcanic area toward which they headed. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace,
heard of this and went straight to them accompanied by a group of Emigrants who were with him. When
he got there, he said: ‘O Muslims! You fight because of the call of pagan ignorance, even though I am
still in your midst, and Allah has honoured you with Islam by means of which he severed from you the
whole matter of pagan ignorance and united your hearts. Will you then revert to that which you used to
do when you were disbelievers Allah! Allah!’ People realised straightaway that what they were about to
do was of Satan’s incitement and of the plotting of their enemies. They dropped their weapons, wept and
embraced each other, and then left the scene with the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him
peace, submissive and compliant. Allah, glorious and majestic is He, then revealed (O ye who believe!)
meaning the Aws and the Khazraj (If ye obey a party of those who have received the Scripture) i.e. Shas and
his followers (they will make you disbelievers after your belief)”.
Said Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah: “No one who had ever shown himself to us was more disliked than the Messenger
of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace. He gestured to us with his hand and we stopped and
Allah, exalted is He, reconciled us. Then no one was more beloved to us than the Messenger of Allah,
Allah bless him and give him peace. Never have I seen a day whose start was so ugly and monstrous and
whose end was as good as that particular day”.
(How can ye disbelieve….) [3:101].
Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Hiri informed us> Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub> al-‘Abbas al-Duri> Abu Nu‘aym al-
Fadl ibn Dukayn> Qays ibn al-Rabi‘> al-Agharr> Khalifah ibn Husayn> Abu Nasr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said:
“The Aws and the Khazraj had a feud in the pre-Islamic period. One day, they mentioned to each other
what had happened in that period and this led them to brandish their swords at each others. Upon being
informed of what was happening, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, went to
them and this verse was revealed (How can ye disbelieve, when it is ye unto whom Allah’s revelations are
recited, and His messenger is in your midst) up to His saying (And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable
of Allah, and do not separate) [3:103]”. 32
Al-Sharif Isma‘il ibn al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Naqib informed us> his grandfather
Muhammad ibn al-Husayn> Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Hafiz> Hatim ibn Yunus al-Jurjani>
Ibrahim ibn Abi al-Layth> al-Ashja‘i> Sufyan> Khalifah ibn Husayn> Abu Nasr> Ibn ‘Abbas who
said: “The Aws and the Khazraj were one day talking and became angry with each other to the extent
that war nearly broke out between them. They had taken arms and marched toward each other. Then the
verse (How can ye disbelieve, when it is ye unto whom Allah’s revelations are recited) up to His saying (He
did save you from it…)”.
32
Durr, :279; Qurtubi, :156.
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