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 />
(Think not that those who exult in what they have given…) [3:188].<br />
Abu ‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-Rahman Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ja‘far informed us> Abu’l-Haytham <strong>al</strong>-Marwazi><br />
Muhammad ibn Yusuf> Muhammad ibn Isma‘il <strong>al</strong>-Bukhari> Sa‘id ibn Abi Maryam> Muhammad ibn<br />
Ja‘far> Zayd ibn Aslam> ‘Ata’ ibn Yasar> Abu Sa‘id <strong>al</strong>-Khudri who related that a group of hypocrites were<br />
in the habit of failing to join the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, whenever he set<br />
off for a military expedition. But then they would come and apologize to him the moment he came back,<br />
swearing to him [about their sincerity] and wishing to be praised for that which they had not done. And<br />
so this verse (Think not that those who exult in what they have given…). This was narrated by Muslim><br />
<strong>al</strong>-Hasan ibn ‘<strong>Al</strong>i <strong>al</strong>-H<strong>al</strong>wani> Ibn Abi Maryam.<br />
Abu ‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-Rahman <strong>al</strong>-Shadhyani informed us> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn Muhammad ibn Zakariyya><br />
Muhammad ibn ‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-Rahman <strong>al</strong>-Daghuli> Muhammad ibn Jahm> Ja‘far ibn ‘Awf> Hisham<br />
ibn Sa‘id> Zayd ibn Aslam who related that Marwan ibn <strong>al</strong>-Hakam was one day, whilst he was the governor<br />
of Medina, with Abu Sa‘id <strong>al</strong>-Khudri, Zayd ibn Thabit and Rafi‘ ibn Khudayj. He asked: “O Abu<br />
Sa‘id, regarding the saying of <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, (Think not that those who exult in what they have given)<br />
and, by <strong>Al</strong>lah, we do exult in what we give and like to be praised for what we have not done!” Abu Sa‘id<br />
replied: “This was not reve<strong>al</strong>ed about that. Rather, a group of people at the time of the Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah<br />
bless him and give him peace, were in the habit of failing to join him and his Companions in military<br />
expeditions. Whenever a setback or something disliked befell the Muslims, they exulted in their failure<br />
to join them; but when something good happened to the Muslims, they liked to be praised for what they<br />
had not done”.<br />
Sa‘id ibn Muhammad <strong>al</strong>-Zahid informed us> Abu Sa‘id ibn Hamdun> Abu Hamid <strong>al</strong>-Sharqi> Abu’l-<br />
Azhar> ‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-Razzaq> Ibn Jurayj> Ibn Abi M<strong>al</strong>ikah> ‘<strong>Al</strong>qamah ibn Waqqas who informed him that<br />
Marwan said to his chamberlain, Rafi‘: “Go to Ibn ‘Abbas and say to him: ‘If everyone who exults in what<br />
he does and likes to be praised for what he has not done will be chastised, then we will <strong>al</strong>l be chastised’.<br />
Ibn ‘Abbas replied: ‘From whence did you get such an understanding <strong>The</strong> Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and<br />
give him peace, summoned the Jews in one occasion and asked them about something which they conce<strong>al</strong>ed<br />
and informed him about something different. <strong>The</strong>y expected him to praise them for informing<br />
him about that which he asked them and exulted in their act of conce<strong>al</strong>ing that matter’. Ibn ‘Abbas then<br />
recited (And (remember) when <strong>Al</strong>lah laid a charge on those who had received the Scripture (He said) Ye<br />
are to expound it to mankind…) [<strong>Al</strong> ‘Imran, 3:187]”. This was narrated by Bukhari> Ibrahim ibn Musa><br />
Hisham and <strong>al</strong>so by Muslim> Zuhayr ibn Harb> Hajjaj; both Hajjaj and Hisham narrated it from Ibn<br />
Jurayj.<br />
Said <strong>al</strong>-Dahhak: “<strong>The</strong> Jews of Medina wrote to the Jews of Iraq and Yemen as well as to <strong>al</strong>l the Jews of the<br />
earth whom they could contact: ‘Muhammad is not <strong>Al</strong>lah’s Prophet, therefore hold fast to your religion<br />
and be unanimous about this’. Hence, they were unanimous in their disbelief in Muhammad, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless<br />
him and give him peace, and the Qur’an and they exulted in this fact. <strong>The</strong>y said: ‘’Praise be to <strong>Al</strong>lah Who<br />
has united us and made it so we did not differ or leave our religion’. <strong>The</strong>y <strong>al</strong>so said: ‘We are the people of<br />
fasting and prayer as well as the friends of <strong>Al</strong>lah’. This is why <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, said (who exult in what<br />
they have given) i.e. in what they did (and love to be praised for what they have not done) i.e. for that which<br />
they had mentioned of fasting, prayer and worship”.<br />
(Lo! In the creation of the heavens and the earth…) [3:190].<br />
Abu Ishaq <strong>al</strong>-Muqri’ informed us> ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn Hamid> Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya <strong>al</strong>-<br />
’Anbari> Ahmad ibn Najdah> Yahya ibn ‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-Hamid <strong>al</strong>-Humani> Ya‘qub <strong>al</strong>-Qummi Ja‘far ibn Abi<br />
<strong>al</strong>-Mughirah> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “<strong>The</strong> people of Quraysh went to the Jews and said:<br />
‘What are the signs that Moses brought to you’ <strong>The</strong>y replied: ‘His staff and white hand for people to see’.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n they went to the Christians and said: ‘How was Jesus in your midst’ <strong>The</strong>y said: ‘He restored eyesight<br />
to the blind, he<strong>al</strong>ed the leper and brought the dead back to life’. <strong>The</strong> people of Quraysh then went to<br />
the Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘Ask your Lord to turn the hill of <strong>al</strong>-Safa into<br />
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