سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Reading Asbab al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi
Ayahs 101–110 of 286
وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌۭ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌۭ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ كِتَٰبَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
And when a messenger from Allah came to them confirming that which was with them, a party of those who had been given the Scripture threw the Scripture of Allah behind their backs as if they did not know [what it contained].
Explained together with ayah 99
وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَا تَتْلُوا۟ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَٰنَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَٰنُ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ ٱلسِّحْرَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَٰرُوتَ وَمَٰرُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَآ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌۭ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِۦ بَيْنَ ٱلْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَآرِّينَ بِهِۦ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا۟ لَمَنِ ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ مَا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَٰقٍۢ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ
And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic]." And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.
(And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon�) [2:102]. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Qantari informed us> Abu'l-Fadl al-Haddadi> Abu Yazid al-Khalidi> Ishaq ibn Ibrahim> Jarir> Husayn ibn 'Abd al-Rahman> 'Imran ibn al-Harith who said: �Once as we were sitting with Ibn 'Abbas when he said: 'The devils used to eavesdrop on heaven. One of them would bring a word of truth from therein, and when he is trusted for telling the truth, he would add to it seventy lies with which he earns the hearts of people. When Solomon came to know about it, he took it and buried it beneath his throne. When he died, a devil stood in the street and said: 'Shall I guide you to Solomon's guarded treasure, the like of which he does not have?' They said: 'Yes, do'. He said: 'It is under his throne; go and unearth it'. They said: 'This is magic'. Different nations then copied it from them. And thus Allah, exalted is He, revealed Solomon's excuse (And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not.)' �. Said al-Kalbi: �The devils wrote down magic and talismans (niranjiyyat) and attributed them to Asaf ibn Barakhiya. They wrote: 'This is what Asaf ibn Barakhiya has taught the king Solomon' and they buried it in the place where Solomon worshipped without him realizing it. This happened when Solomon was stripped of his kingdom. When Solomon died, they unearthed it from under his place of worship and said to people: 'Solomon left this in your possession so that you learn it'. As for the scholars of the Children of Israel, they said: 'Allah forbid that this be the knowledge of Solomon'. The lowly among people said: 'This is Solomon's knowledge', and therefore sought its knowledge and rejected the scriptures of their prophets. Solomon was later blamed for this and this remained the case until Allah sent Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace. Allah revealed Solomon's excuse was revealed in His own words. He showed his innocence from what he was blamed for (And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon�)�. Sa'id ibn al-'Abbas al-Qurashi informed us in his epistle that al-Fadl ibn Zakariyya informed them> Ahmad ibn Najdah> Sa'id ibn Mansur> 'Itab ibn Bashir> Khusayf who said: �Solomon used to ask any newly grown tree: 'Which disease can you cure?' The tree would say: 'This and that!' When the Carob tree (al-Khurnubah) grew, he asked it: 'What are you for?' it replied: 'I am for the purpose of destroying your sanctuary!' He said: 'Would you really destroy it?' 'Yes', came the reply.
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱتَّقَوْا۟ لَمَثُوبَةٌۭ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ خَيْرٌۭ ۖ لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ
And if they had believed and feared Allah, then the reward from Allah would have been [far] better, if they only knew.
Explained together with ayah 102
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقُولُوا۟ رَٰعِنَا وَقُولُوا۟ ٱنظُرْنَا وَٱسْمَعُوا۟ ۗ وَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ
O you who have believed, say not [to Allah 's Messenger], "Ra'ina" but say, "Unthurna" and listen. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.
(O ye who believe, say not (unto the Prophet): �Listen to us� [ra�ina] �) [2:104]. Said Ibn �Abbas according to the narration of �Ata�: �This is because the Arabs used to employ this expression [ra�ina], so when the Jews heard them using it with the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, they liked it. This same expression in the parlance of the Jews had the connotation of vile abusive language. They said: �Before, we used to abuse Muhammad (s)ecretly. Now, you can abuse him openly because this expression is used in their speech�. Therefore, they used to come to Allah�s Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and say: �O Muhammad! ra�ina�, and the they would laugh. A man from the Helpers � Sa�d ibn �Ubadah who understood well the language of the Jews�understood the reason. He said to them: �O enemies of Allah! May Allah�s curse be on you. By Him in Whose Hand is Muhammad�s soul, I will cut the head of any man of you who utters this expression�. They objected, saying: �But do you not use the same expression with him?� And therefore Allah, exalted is He, revealed: (O ye who believe, say not (unto the Prophet): �Listen to us� [ra�ina]) but say �Look upon us� [unzurna]�).
مَّا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَلَا ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. But Allah selects for His mercy whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.
(Neither those who disbelieve among the people of the Scripture nor the idolaters love�) [2:105]. The commentators of the Qur�an said: �Whenever the Muslims said to their allies from amongst the Jews: �Believe in Muhammad!� They would say: �This to which you are inviting us is not better than what we have; we only wish it was better�. Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse to give them the lie�.
۞ مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ءَايَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍۢ مِّنْهَآ أَوْ مِثْلِهَآ ۗ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌ
We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent?
Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten-We bring better than it or its like. By way of allusion He is saying, “We never make you advance from the locus of servanthood without setting you down in the courtyards of freedom. We never remove from you any of the attributes of mortal nature without making you abide through one of the marks that give witness to the Divinity.” In terms of allusion He is saying, “O paragon of the horizons, O messenger to jinn and men, O quintessence of predetermination, O luminous full moon, O totality of perfection, O kiblah of prosperity, O basis of bounteousness, O displayer of gentleness and majesty, O you whose branch of union is blooming and whose star of exaltedness is always shining, O you whose good fortune has gone beyond the clouds of being and become specific to the marks giving witness to the Lord- hood and the confirmation of the Divinity! Instant by instant the work of your good fortune is advancing. What others have as crowns, you have as sandals. “The sandals that your steed threw from its feet became the crown of sultans-and may it ever be so! [DS 838] “O paragon! Even though the stations beyond which We make you advance are the beautiful deeds of all the friends and the limpid, they are your ugly deeds as long as you remain within them. When you pass beyond them, ask forgiveness for them!” MuṣṬafā said that he asked forgiveness for them seventy times a day: “My heart becomes clouded, so I ask forgiveness from God seventy times a day.” Abū Bakr al-ṣiddīq said, “Would that I could witness that for which God's Messenger asked forgiveness!” Concerning His words, “Whatever verse We abrogate,” it has also been said, “That is, the servant is not transferred from a state without being given what is above and beyond it. 'Whenever We abrogate any trace of worship, We replace it with one of the lights of servanthood. When- ever We abrogate one of the lights of servanthood, We put in its place something of the moons of servitude.'”9 So he continues, being transferred from the lower to the higher, until he falls under one of the attractions of the Real. And “One attraction from the Real is equivalent to all the deeds of jinn and men.
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and [that] you have not besides Allah any protector or any helper?
Explained together with ayah 106
أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْـَٔلُوا۟ رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۗ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ ٱلْكُفْرَ بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ
Or do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before? And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way.
(Or would ye question your messenger�) [2:108]. Said Ibn �Abbas: �This verse was revealed about �Abd Allah ibn Abi Umayyah and a group of people from the Quraysh who had said to the Prophet: �O Muhammad! Turn al-Safa into gold, expand for us the land of Mecca and make rivers gush out throughout it � if you do this, we will believe in you!� Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse as a response to them�. The commentators of the Qur�an also said: �The Jews and other idolaters put their requests to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace; some said: �Bring us an entire book from heaven as did Moses bring the Torah�; some � �Abd Allah ibn Umayyah al-Makhzumi � said: �Bring us a book from heaven which reads: This is from the Lord of the Worlds to Ibn Abi Umayyah: know that I have sent Muhammad to mankind�; others said: �We shall not believe in you until you bring the angels as guarantors�. Hence, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse�.
وَدَّ كَثِيرٌۭ مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ إِيمَٰنِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًۭا مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ فَٱعْفُوا۟ وَٱصْفَحُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves [even] after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allah delivers His command. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.
(Many of the people of the Scripture long to make you disbelievers after your belief�) [2:109]. Said Ibn �Abbas: �This verse was revealed about a group of Jews who said to the Muslims after the Battle of Uhud: �Could you not see what has happened to you? If you were truly following the truth, you would not have been defeated. Revert, therefore, to our religion; it is far better for you� �. Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Farisi informed us>Muhammad ibn �Abd Allah ibn al-Fadl> Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan> Muhammad ibn Yahya> Abu�l-Yaman> Shu�ayb> al-Zuhri> �Abd al-Rahman ibn �Abd Allah ibn Ka�b ibn Malik> his father who reported that Ka�b al-Ashraf the Jew was a poet who used his poetry to satirize the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and incite the disbelievers of Quraysh against him. The idolaters and Jews of Medina also used to seriously harm the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and his Companions upon their arrival to Medina. Allah, exalted is He, commanded his Prophet to endure all that and to forgive them. And it is about them that was revealed (Many of the people of the Scripture long to make you disbelievers after your belief�) up to His saying (Forgive and be indulgent (toward them) until Allah give command�).
وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍۢ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌۭ
And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah of what you do, is Seeing.
Explained together with ayah 109
Commentary: Asbab al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.
