Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh))

I asked Ibn `Abbas about Surat Al-Tauba, and he said, "Surat Al-Tauba? It is exposure (of all the evils of the infidels and the hypocrites). And it continued revealing (that the oft-repeated expression): '...and of them ...and of them.' till they started thinking that none would be left unmentioned therein." I said, "What about) Surat Al-Anfal?" He replied, "Surat Al-Anfal was revealed in connection with the Badr Battle." I said, "(What about) Surat Al-Hashr?" He replied, "It was revealed in connection with Bani an-Nadir."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has cursed the lady who uses false hair.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent me along with AzZubair and Al-Miqdad and said, "Proceed till you reach a place called Raudat-Khakh where there is a lady travelling in a howda on a camel. She has a letter. Take the letter from her." So we set out, and our horses ran at full pace till we reached Raudat Khakh, and behold, we saw the lady and said (to her), "Take out the letter!" She said, "I have no letter with me." We said, "Either you take out the letter or we will strip you of your clothes." So she took the letter out of her hair braid. We brought the letter to the Prophet (ﷺ) and behold, it was addressed by Hatib bin Abi Balta'a to some pagans at Mecca, informing them of some of the affairs of the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What is this, O Hatib?" Hatib replied, "Do not be hasty with me, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I am an Ansari man and do not belong to them (Quraish infidels) while the emigrants who were with you had their relatives who used to protect their families and properties at Mecca. So, to compensate for not having blood relation with them.' I intended to do them some favor so that they might protect my relatives (at Mecca), and I did not do this out of disbelief or an inclination to desert my religion." The Prophet then said (to his companions), "He (Hatib) has told you the truth." `Umar said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allow me to chop his head off?" The Apostle said, "He is one of those who witnessed (fought in) the Battle of Badr, and what do you know, perhaps Allah looked upon the people of Badr (Badr warriors) and said, 'Do what you want as I have forgiven you.' " (`Amr, a sub-narrator, said,: This Verse was revealed about him (Hatib): 'O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends or protectors.' (60.1)Narrated `Ali: Sufyan was asked whether (the Verse): 'Take not My enemies and your enemies...' was revealed in connection with Hatib. Sufyan replied, "This occurs only in the narration of the people. I memorized the Hadith from `Amr, not overlooking even a single letter thereof, and I do not know of anybody who remembered it by heart other than myself."

Aisha the wife of the Prophet, said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to examine the believing women who migrated to him in accordance with this Verse: 'O Prophet! When believing women come to you to take the oath of allegiance to you... Verily! Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.' (60.12) `Aisha said, "And if any of the believing women accepted the condition (assigned in the above-mentioned Verse), Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) would say to her. "I have accepted your pledge of allegiance." "He would only say that, for, by Allah, his hand never touched, any lady during that pledge of allegiance. He did not receive their pledge except by saying, "I have accepted your pledge of allegiance for that."

While we were with the Prophet, he said, "Will you swear to me the pledge of allegiance that you will not worship any thing besides Allah, will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, and will not steal?" Then he recited the Verse concerning the women. (Sufyan, the subnarrator, often said that the Prophet: added, "Whoever among you fulfills his pledge, will receive his reward from Allah, and whoever commits any of those sins and receives the legal punishment (in this life), his punishment will be an expiation for that sin; and whoever commits any of those sins and Allah screens him, then it is up to Allah to punish or forgive them."

I witnessed the `Id-al-Fitr prayer with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman; and all of them offered it before delivering the sermon... and then delivered the sermon. Once the Prophet (after completing the prayer and the sermon) came down, as if I am now looking at him waving at the men with his hand to sit down, and walked through them till he, along with Bilal, reached (the rows of) the women. Then he recited: 'O Prophet! When believing women come to you to take the oath of allegiance that they will not worship anything other than Allah, will not steal, will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, will not kill their children, and will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (by making illegal children belonging to their husbands)'....(60.12) Having finished, he said, 'Do you agree to that?" One lady, other than whom none replied the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" (The, sub-narrator, Al-Hasan did not know who the lady was.) Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said to them: "Will you give alms?" Thereupon Bilal spread out his garment and the women started throwing big rings and small rings into Bilal's garment. (See Hadith No. 95 vol.2)

The Prophet (ﷺ) said. Then some men from these people would attain it."

A caravan of merchandise arrived at Medina on a Friday while we were with the Prophet (ﷺ) All the people left (the Prophet (ﷺ) and headed for the caravan) except twelve persons. Then Allah revealed:-- 'But when they see some bargain or some amusement they disperse headlong to it.' ..(62.11)

I was with my uncle and I heard `Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul, saying, "Don't spend on those who are with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that they may disperse and go away from him." He also said, "If we return to Medina, surely, the more honorable will expel the meaner." So I informed my uncle of that and then my uncle informed Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) thereof. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent for `Abdullah bin Ubai and his companions. They swore that they did not say anything of that sort Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) deemed their statement true and rejected mine. Thereof I became as distressed as I have never been before, and stayed at home. Then Allah revealed (Surat Al-Munafiqin): 'When the hypocrites come to you.....(63.1) They are the ones who say: Spend nothing on those who are with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ..(63.7) Verily the more honorable will expel therefrom the meaner..' (63.7-8) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent for me and recited that Sura for me and said, "Allah has confirmed your statement."

We were in a Ghazwa (Sufyan once said, in an army) and a man from the emigrants kicked an Ansari man (on the buttocks with his foot). The Ansari man said, "O the Ansar! (Help!)" and the emigrant said. "O the emigrants! (Help!) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) heard that and said, "What is this call for, which is characteristic of the period of ignorance?" They said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! A man from the emigrants kicked one of the Ansar (on the buttocks with his foot)." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Leave it (that call) as is a detestable thing." `Abdullah bin Ubai heard that and said, 'Have the (the emigrants) done so? By Allah, if we return Medina, surely, the more honorable will expel therefrom the meaner." When this statement reached the Prophet. `Umar got up an, said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Let me chop off the head of this hypocrite (`Abdullah bin Ubai)!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said "Leave him, lest the people say that Muhammad kills his companions." The Ansar were then more in number than the emigrants when the latter came to Medina, but later on the emigrant increased.

`Abdullah bin Al-Fadl told me that Anas bin Malik said, "I was much grieve over those who had been killed in the Battle of Al-Harra. When Zaid bin Arqarr heard of my intense grief (over the killed Ansar), he wrote a letter to me saying that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, O Allah! Forgive the Ansar and the Ansar children. The subnarrator, Ibn Al-Fadl, is not sure whether the Prophet (ﷺ) also said, And their grand-children." Some of those who were present, asked Anas (about Zaid). He said, "He (Zaid) is the one about whom Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'He is the one whose sound hearing Allah testified.'

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to drink honey in the house of Zainab, the daughter of Jahsh, and would stay there with her. So Hafsa and I agreed secretly that, if he come to either of us, she would say to him. "It seems you have eaten Maghafir (a kind of bad-smelling resin), for I smell in you the smell of Maghafir," (We did so) and he replied. "No, but I was drinking honey in the house of Zainab, the daughter of Jahsh, and I shall never take it again. I have taken an oath as to that, and you should not tell anybody about it."

For the whole year I had the desire to ask `Umar bin Al-Khattab regarding the explanation of a Verse (in Surat Al-Tahrim) but I could not ask him because I respected him very much. When he went to perform the Hajj, I too went along with him. On our return, while we were still on the way home. `Umar went aside to answer the call of nature by the Arak trees. I waited till he finished and then I proceeded with him and asked him. "O chief of the Believers! Who were the two wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) who aided one another against him?" He said, "They were Hafsa and `Aisha." Then I said to him, "By Allah, I wanted to ask you about this a year ago, but I could not do so owing to my respect for you." `Umar said, "Do not refrain from asking me. If you think that I have knowledge (about a certain matter), ask me; and if I know (something about it), I will tell you." Then `Umar added, "By Allah, in the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance we did not pay attention to women until Allah revealed regarding them what He revealed regarding them and assigned for them what He has assigned. Once while I was thinking over a certain matter, my wife said, "I recommend that you do so-and-so." I said to her, "What have you got to do with the is matter? Why do you poke your nose in a matter which I want to see fulfilled.?" She said, How strange you are, O son of Al-Khattab! You don't want to be argued with whereas your daughter, Hafsa surely, argues with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) so much that he remains angry for a full day!" `Umar then reported; how he at once put on his outer garment and went to Hafsa and said to her, "O my daughter! Do you argue with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) so that he remains angry the whole day?" H. afsa said, "By Allah, we argue with him." `Umar said, "Know that I warn you of Allah's punishment and the anger of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . . . O my daughter! Don't be betrayed by the one who is proud of her beauty because of the love of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) for her (i.e. `Aisha)." `Umar addled, "Then I went out to Um Salama's house who was one of my relatives, and I talked to her. She said, O son of Al-Khattab! It is rather astonishing that you interfere in everything; you even want to interfere between Allah's Apostle and his wives!' By Allah, by her talk she influenced me so much that I lost some of my anger. I left her (and went home). At that time I had a friend from the Ansar who used to bring news (from the Prophet) in case of my absence, and I used to bring him the news if he was absent. In those days we were afraid of one of the kings of Ghassan tribe. We heard that he intended to move and attack us, so fear filled our hearts because of that. (One day) my Ansari friend unexpectedly knocked at my door, and said, "Open Open!' I said, 'Has the king of Ghassan come?' He said, 'No, but something worse; Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has isolated himself from his wives.' I said, 'Let the nose of `Aisha and Hafsa be stuck to dust (i.e. humiliated)!' Then I put on my clothes and went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)'s residence, and behold, he was staying in an upper room of his to which he ascended by a ladder, and a black slave of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was (sitting) on the first step. I said to him, 'Say (to the Prophet (ﷺ) ) `Umar bin Al-Khattab is here.' Then the Prophet (ﷺ) admitted me and I narrated the story to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). When I reached the story of Um Salama, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) smiled while he was lying on a mat made of palm tree leaves with nothing between him and the mat. Underneath his head there was a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibres, and leaves of a saut tree were piled at his feet, and above his head hung a few water skins. On seeing the marks of the mat imprinted on his side, I wept. He said.' 'Why are you weeping?' I replied, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Caesar and Khosrau are leading the life (i.e. Luxurious life) while you, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) though you are, is living in destitute". The Prophet (ﷺ) then replied. 'Won't you be satisfied that they enjoy this world and we the Hereafter?' "

I intended to ask `Umar about those two ladies who back each other against 'Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . For one year I was seeking the opportunity to ask this question, but in vain, until once when I accompanied him for Hajj. While we were in Zahran, `Umar went to answer the call of nature and told me to follow him with some water for ablution. So I followed him with a container of water and started pouring water for him. I found it a good opportunity to ask him, so I said, "O chief of the Believers! Who were those two ladies who had backed each other (against the Prophet)?" Before I could complete my question, he replied, "They were `Aisha and Hafsa."

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying. "May I tell you of the people of Paradise? Every weak and poor obscure person whom the people look down upon but his oath is fulfilled by Allah when he takes an oath to do something. And may I inform you of the people of the Hell-Fire? They are all those violent, arrogant and stubborn people."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I was in a seclusion in the cave of Hira........."(similar to the narration related by `Ali bin Al-Mubarak, 444 above).

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) describing the period of pause of the Divine Inspiration. He said in his talk, "While I was walking, I heard voices from the sky. I looked up, and behold ! I saw the same Angel who came to me in the cave of Hira' sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was too much afraid of him (so I returned to my house) and said, 'Fold me up in garments!' They wrapped me up. Then Allah revealed: 'O you wrapped...and desert the idols before the prayer became compulsory.' Rujz means idols.

(Similarly--as no. 452 above.)