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

Asbab al-Nuzul
and give him peace, in Mecca and said: “O Prophet of Allah, we were mighty when we were idolaters
but now that we are believers we became humiliated”. He said to them: “I am commanded to pardon, do
not fight these people”. But when Allah, exalted is He, made him move to Medina, He commanded him
to fight, they withheld their hands, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Hast thou not seen those unto
whom it was said: Withhold your hands…). 38
(Wheresoever ye may be, death will overtake you…) [4:78].
Said Ibn ‘Abbas, according to the narration of Abu Salih: “When some Muslims were martyred in Uhud,
the hypocrites who failed to join in the fighting said: ‘If our brothers who were killed remained with us,
they would not have died or been killed’. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed this verse”.
(What aileth you that ye are become two parties regarding the hypocrites…) [4:88].
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya informed us> Abu ‘Amr Isma‘il ibn Najid> Yusuf
ibn Ya‘qub al-Qadi> ‘Amr ibn Marzuq> Shu‘bah> ‘Adiyy ibn Thabit> ‘Abd Allah ibn Yazid ibn Thabit
who reported that a group of people initially accompanied the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and
give him peace, to Uhud but then turned back and returned to Medina. The Muslims were divided in
their opinions about them. Some of them were of the opinion that they should be killed while others
thought they should be spared, and so this verse was revealed. 39 This was revealed by Bukhari> Bundar>
Ghundar and also by Muslim> ‘Abd Allah ibn Mu‘adh> his father; and both transmitters (Ghundar and
Ibn Mu‘adh’s father) related it from Shu‘bah.
‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Hamdan al-‘Adl informed us> Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ja‘far ibn Malik> ‘Ubayd Allah
ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal> his father> al-Aswad ibn ‘Amir> Hammad ibn Salamah> Muhammad ibn
Ishaq> Yazid ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Qusayt> Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman> his father who related that
a group of Arabs came to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and embraced
Islam. Then they contracted the illness and fever that was going round in Medina and, as a result, renounced
Islam and left Medina. They were met by a group among the Companions of the Messenger of
Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace who asked them: “Why did you leave Medina” They replied:
“We contracted the illness of Medina and for this reason we disliked remaining there”. 40 The Companions
said: “Do you not have a good example in the person of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give
him peace” Some of the Companions were of the opinion that these Arabs were hypocrites while others
thought they were still Muslims. And because of this difference of opinion, Allah, exalted is He, revealed
(What aileth you that ye are become two parties regarding the hypocrites…).
Mujahid said apropos this verse: “This was revealed about some people who left Mecca to Medina, claiming
to be Emigrants. They then renounced Islam and asked permission from the Prophet, Allah bless
him and give him peace, to go to Mecca to bring some merchandise with which to trade. The believers
were divided in their opinions about this matter. Some thought that these people were hypocrites while
others were of the opinion they were believers. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed their hypocrisy by
means of this verse and commanded that they be executed in His saying (if they turn back (to enmity)
then take them and kill them wherever ye find them…) [4:89]. They took their merchandise intending to
go to Hilal ibn ‘Uwaymir al-Aslami, who had a treaty of alliance with the Prophet, Allah bless him and
give him peace, and it is he who was vexed to fight the believers, and so fighting was suspended by the
saying of Allah, exalted is He, (Except those who seek refuge with a people between whom and you there is
a covenant…) [4:90]”. 41
38
Tabari, :170-171; Durr, :594.
39
Tabari, :192; Durr, :609.
40
Durr, :610.
41
Durr, :610; Tabari, :193.
80