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

Asbab al-Nuzul
(And unto each We have appointed heirs and near kindred …) [4:33].
Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Farisi informed us> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Hamawayh
al-Harawi> ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Khuza‘i> Abu’l-Yaman al-Hakam ibn Nafi‘> Shu‘ayb ibn Abi
Hamzah> al-Zuhri> Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab who said: “The verse (And unto each We have appointed
heirs) was revealed about those who used to adopt men who were not their natural sons and then make
them inherit from them. Allah, exalted is He, revealed about them that something should be apportioned
for them in the bequest while the division of estate He specifically allocated for the heirs who were
immediate family relatives or close relatives. He denied a share of the estate to those who were adopted
and, instead, allowed them to have a portion of the bequest”. 17
(Men are in charge of women…) [4:34].
Said Muqatil: “This verse (Men are in charge of women…) was revealed about Sa‘d ibn al-Rabi‘, who was
one of the leaders of the Helpers (nuqaba’), and his wife Habibah bint Zayd ibn Abi Zuhayr, both of
whom from the Helpers. It happened Sa‘d hit his wife on the face because she rebelled against him. Then
her father went with her to see the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. He said to him: ‘I gave
him my daughter in marriage and he slapped her’. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said:
‘Let her have retaliation against her husband’. As she was leaving with her father to execute retaliation,
the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, called them and said: ‘Come back; Gabriel has come to
me’, and Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him
peace, said: ‘We wanted something while Allah wanted something else, and that which Allah wants is
good’. Retaliation was then suspended”.
Sa‘id ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Zahid informed us> Zahir ibn Ahmad> Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn
Junayd> Ziyad ibn Ayyub> Hushaym> Yunus> al-Hasan who reported that a man slapped his wife and
she complained about him to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. Her family who went with
her said: “O Messenger of Allah! So-and-so has slapped our girl”. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give
him peace, kept saying: “Retaliation! Retaliation! And there is no other judgement to be held”. But then
this verse (Men are in charge of women…) was revealed and the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him
peace, said: “We wanted something and Allah wanted something else”. 18
Abu Bakr al-Harithi informed us> Abu’l-Shaykh al-Hafiz> Abu Yahya al-Razi> Sahl al-‘Askari> ‘Ali
ibn Hashim> Isma‘il> al-Hasan who said: “Around the time when the verse on retaliation was revealed
amongst the Muslims, a man had slapped his wife. She went to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him
peace and said: ‘My husband has slapped me and I want retaliation’. So he said: ‘Let there be retaliation’.
As he was still dealing with her, Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Men are in charge of women, because Allah
hath made the one of them to excel the other…). Upon which the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him
peace, said: ‘We wanted something and my Lord wanted something different. O man, take your wife by
the hand’ ”.
(Who hoard their wealth and enjoin avarice on others…) [4:37].
Most Qur’anic exegetes said: “This was revealed about the Jews when they concealed the description of
Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace, and did not reveal it to people despite the fact that they
had it written in their Scriptures”.
And al-Kalbi said: “This refers to the Jews; they failed to be truthful to those who came to them with
regard to the description of Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace, despite the fact that they
had it written down in their Scriptures”.
17
Tabari, :54-55.
18
Tabari, :58; Durr, :512-513.
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