3. Context Al Wahidi - Introduction Asbab Al-Nuzul - Al Wahidi PDF

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Summary

The Qur’an is the heart and soul of Islam. It is the ultimate and uncontested authority in the
worldview of Islam which decides truth from falsehood and right from wrong.1
Everything that is Islamic has
its origin in or takes inspiration from the Qur’an, whether it is a question o...

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Asbāb al-Nuzūl By: Alī ibn Ahmad al-Wāhidī

TRANSLATED BY

Mokrane Guezzou Edited and with a brief Introduction by Yousef Meri

The Complete Text 

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© 2008 Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought Amman, Jordan

Series Editor’s Introduction and Foreword The Great Tafsirs of the Holy Qur’an project (www.altafsir.com) of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan (www.aalalbayt.org) is pleased to make available for the first time ever in English translation one of the most significant works in the branch of the Qur’anic sciences ( ‘ulum al-Qur’an) known as “asbab al-nuzul” — the occasions, reasons, and contexts for the Revelation of the Holy Qur’an. The present work by ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi, (d. 468/1075) Asbab al-Nuzul is the earliest and best-known representative work of this genre. For most of the Qur’an, the exact occasions and contexts of Revelation were not preserved in the historical record. However, for those that have been, the original context of the revelation of a particular verse of the Qur’an will aid the reader in better understanding the historical context of the revelation and the issues that confronted the Prophet Muhammad and the nascent Muslim community. Such issues as the relations between Muhammad and the Jews and Christians are highlighted herein. The reader will also discover details about the relationship of Muhammad to various individuals such as from among the Companions and Followers, groups and tribes such as the Aws and Khazraj, and also to the Ummah which give insight into his prophetic mission, his personal qualities and attributes — such as his exemplary humility and generosity, his relationship to his enemies, his conduct of war, how he dealt with false allegations of infidelity against his favourite wife ‘A’ishah, to cite but a few examples. Muslims and non-Muslims are often not aware of the occasions of the revelation of the verses when they quote verses from the Qur’an. Thus, this leads to a situation whereby verses are quoted out of context, and misapplied in order to justify violent and inhuman acts in the name of Islam. It is often suggested by those who have little or no understanding of Qur’anic exegesis that what is required is a reinterpretation of the Qur’an to meet the demands of the 21st century. Rather, it is knowledge of the history of the Qur’an’s interpretation coupled with an understanding of contemporary social and political issues which contribute to a better-informed understanding. In other words, the most pressing need as with any religious tradition or scripture, is to understand the fundamental sources particular to that tradition. Asbab al-Nuzul along with other works that appear in the Great Tafsirs series will elucidate the meanings of the Qur’anic verses. Notwithstanding the translator Mokrane Guezzou’s scholarly critical assessment of Asbab al-Nuzul, he concludes with a positive affirmation of al-Wahidi’s work and its importance to Islamic learning. Moreover, the single volume length makes this an indispensable reference for students and scholars of Islamic and religious studies, and for those who have a particular interest in the Qur’anic sciences. Mokrane Guezzou also undertook the translation of the second volume of the series, Ibn Abbas’s (attrib.)

Tanwir al-Miqbas fi Tafsir Ibn ‘Abbas .

Forthcoming titles in this series include Sahl al-Tustari’s Tafsir, Osman Bakar’s Scientific Commentary on the Qur’an , Kashani’s Ta’wilat, Baydawi’s Tafsir, Qushayri’s Lata’if al-Isharat , Nasafi’s Tafsir, Tabari’s Tafsir, and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi’s Great Tafsir (Mafatih al-Ghayb) . Yousef Waleed Meri Series Editor Amman, Jordan 24 Jumada I 1428/ 10 June 2007

Introduction The Qur’an is the heart and soul of Islam. It is the ultimate and uncontested authority in the worldview of Islam which decides truth from falsehood and right from wrong.1 Everything that is Islamic has its origin in or takes inspiration from the Qur’an, whether it is a question of norms of daily life, tenets of faith, law or spirituality. The firm idea that the Qur’an is Islam’s normative text is not a belated conclusion that Muslim apologetics had awoken to or accredited their sacred Book with late in history. This is echoed time and again in the Glorious Qur’an itself: ( The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur ’an, a guidance for mankind, and a clear proof of the guidance and the Criterion (of right and wrong)…) [II:185], (And We reveal of the Qur ’an that which is healing and a mercy for believers …) [XXVII:82], ( Lo! This Qur’an guideth unto that which is straightest …) [XXVII:9]. This same firm conviction is also reiterated in many traditions of the Prophet of Islam, God’s blessings and peace be upon him. In one of these traditions he is reported to have said at the farewell pilgrimage ( Hajjat al-Wada‘), at the end of his sermon: “I have left with you two things which, if you were to adhere to them, you will never err: the Book of Allah and my practice”.2 In another tradition, Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib also reported that the Prophet said: “[…] The Book of Allah contains the narrations of nations that have come before you and the news of nations that will come after you as it is the ultimate judgment between you […]. Whoever seeks guidance in other than it, Allah will send him astray. It is God’s firm Rope, the Wise Remembrance and the Straight Path […]. Its wonders are endless”. And because the Qur’an is the highest code for Muslims in everything relating to their spiritual, religious, ethical, social and legal matters, they have been strongly prompted to study and teach it. In fact, when carried out with sincere intention, studying the Word of God and teaching it to others is considered one of the greatest acts of worship in Islam. “The best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others”, declared the Messenger of God, God’s blessings and peace be upon him.3 The prophetic Companions were in the habit of memorising small passages from the Qur’an at a time, ten verses at a time as reported by the prophetic Companion ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud. Once the practice of all the guidance and injunctions contained in these small passages which they memorised were perfected, they went back to the Prophet to learn more. They also taught what they had learnt by helping others to memorise what they knew and also, and most importantly one may add, through their practical example which reflected directly what they had learnt from the Qur’an. The Qur’an lent itself easily to the prophetic Companions. They understood its comprehensive content in all its details with relative ease because it was revealed in their mother tongue. Moreover, for as long as the Messenger of God, God’s blessings and peace be upon him, was in their midst, the Qur’an continued to be easily understood by Muslims. The prophetic Companions confined themselves, at this stage, to simply receiving and understanding what was communicated to them. They listened to the Prophet and followed him. And whenever something seemed problematic to them, they questioned him to clarify the matter. They were therefore completely dependent on the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, for their understanding of the Qur’an. After the death of the Prophet, the prophetic Companions moved from a phase of dependency vis-à-vis the Prophet in everything relating to the understanding of the texts of the Qur’an and the prophetic Practice to a phase of dependency on their own ability to fathom the scope and implications of the same texts.4 However, it quickly became clear that the prophetic Companions differed in their understanding of the purports and implications of some passages of the Qur’an and certain traditions from the prophetic Practice. It is true that such disagreements between the prophetic Companions existed in the Prophet’s lifetime. But the Prophet was the supreme authority who resolved their difference of opinion. With the disappearance of this supreme authority, difference of opinion among the prophetic Companions was left open and even accepted as legitimate. It was accepted as legitimate because the prophetic Companions followed, in their understanding of the Qur’an, a clear and well- defined methodology which they inherited from the Prophet as well as from their long acquaintance with the Qur’anic text whose revelation in instalments they personally witnessed. 1 2 3 4

One of the names of the Qur’an is al-Furqan, the Distinguisher or Criterion. Narrated by Imam Malik in his Muwatta ’. Narrated by Bukhari and Tirmidhi. Cf. Mustafa Ahmad al-Zarqa, al-Fiqh al-Islamiyy wa-Madarisuh, Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 1995, pp. 38-39.

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The necessity and extreme importance of codifying the knowledge and methodological tools required for a proper understanding and interpretation of the Qur’an, and also of some other disciplines, was greatly felt when the prophetic Companions dispersed in different parts of the Muslim world. Other social, political and theological factors also played a major role in channelling the efforts of Muslim scholarship to codify the knowledge inherited from the Prophet and his Companions. Less than three decades after the death of the Prophet, different ethnic groups came under the fold of Islam. Muslims also came into contact with the preIslamic religions of Byzantium and Persia. Political dissent and schisms among Muslims impacted on how some Muslims approached their religion at the intellectual, theological and practical levels. And matters were further complicated by the emergence of the Kharijites, the Shi‘ites and the Mu‘tazilites within the House of Islam. Against this backdrop, the sciences of the Qur’an ( ‘Ulum al-Qur’an ) emerged as a separate discipline, just as Islamic law, theology, Hadith and other specialised branches of knowledge did emerge as independent disciplines. A quick glance at the contents of any major classical work on the sciences of the Qur’an5 will reveal that Muslim scholars have left nothing to chance and did exert a great deal of effort to cover every possible aspect that the commentator of the Qur’an might need in his or her objective appreciation of the Qur’an; aspects without which a comprehensive understanding and interpretation of the Book of Islam is extremely difficult, and even impossible. These sciences deal, among others, with the knowledge of the first and the last passages of the Qur’an to be revealed; the portions of the Qur’an revealed in Mecca and those revealed in Medina; the passages of the Qur’an revealed while the Prophet was travelling; those passages which were revealed at night and those which were revealed during the day; the sections of the Qur’an which were revealed in summer and those which were revealed in winter; how the Qur’an was sent down; the different names of the Qur’an and Surahs; the collection and ordering of the Qur’an; the names of the prophetic Companions who memorised the Qur’an and the names of those who transmitted it; the different types of recitation ( al-Qira’at), those which are accepted and those which are not; the proper pronunciation and recitation of the Qur’an; the different Arabic dialects used in the Qur’an; the foreign vocabulary of the Qur’an; homonyms and key-words which the commentator of the Qur’an needs to know; the clear and obscure verses ( al-Ayat al-Muhkamat /al-Ayat al-Mutashabihat); the passages of the Qur’an which are of general applicability and those which are of particular applicability; the abrogating and abrogated passages of the Qur’an (al-Nasikh /al-Mansukh); the passages which require details and explanation in order to be properly understood and those passages which do not require further elaboration; the passages whose purport is applied without restriction and those which are applied with restriction; the inimitability of the Qur’an, etc. It is not our intention here to give a detailed list of all the topics covered in works on the sciences of the Qur’an. If we have listed quite a few of these topics above, it is only in order to show the seriousness with which Muslim scholars have approached their Holy Book and their thorough and comprehensive way of exploring it.6 One of these sciences of the Qur’an is the Asbab al-Nuzul, i.e. the occasions, reasons or causes of revelation. The Qur’an, as is well known, was revealed in instalments over a period of nearly twenty three years. Muslim scholars agree that the revelations of the Qur’an can be divided into two broad types. One type includes passages of the Qur’an which were revealed in response to specific events, incidents or questions put forward to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. The second type includes passages of the Qur’an which were not direct responses to any historical or social development in the life of the Muslim community.7 A thorough understanding and full appreciation of the scope of the first type of Qur’anic passages, therefore, depend on knowing the circumstances, facts and details of the events which occasioned them. Such knowledge is an invaluable tool for grasping the meanings of this type of Qur’anic verses. Knowledge of the occasions about which particular Qur’anic passages were revealed also helps in understanding the motif or wisdom behind the legislation of certain legal rulings. Delimiting the scope and extent of the legal applicability of certain Qur’anic passages is also another factor which highlights the 5 See, for example, the contents of Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti’s al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Qur’an (Dar al-Nadwah al-Jadidah, Beirut, n.d) which is considered one of the best books on the sciences of the Qur’an; and for an English translation of these contents, see: Al-Tabari, The Commentary on the Qur’an, volume 1, (tr. J. Cooper), Oxford University Press, 1987, pp. XXXVII-XXXIX. 6 The importance and necessity of the different sciences of the Qur’an cannot be emphasised enough. However, from the point of view of personal spiritual discipline alone, a Muslim does not need to know all the detailed knowledge that these sciences provide. This is because from this particular point of view, all that matters is how to regain the sense of eternity — which is the aim of any genuine spiritual discipline — and partake in the realm of the ‘eternal now’ which is the realm of the Qur’an. All that a Muslim is required to do, in this regard, is to approach the Word of God with awe and utter indigence and make the Qur’an his point of focus on the Divine. 7 Cf. Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti’s al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Qur’an (hereafter Itqan), Dar al-Nadwah al-Jadidah, Beirut, n.d., p. 28.

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importance of knowing their occasions. This is amply illustrated, for instance, by one of the narrations which Imam al-Wahidi (d. 468/1075) cites in his Asbab al-Nuzul upon treating the occasions of verse III:187. He mentioned that Marwan ibn al-Hakam, then governor of Medina, was alarmed by the saying of Allah, exalted is He, (Think not that those who exult in what they have given ), for he thought that everyone exults in what he gives and likes to be praised for what he has not done. Ibn ‘Abbas explained to him that his understanding was out of context. He informed him that one day the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, summoned the Jews and asked them about a certain matter. They concealed from him the correct answer and instead informed him about something else. They then expected him to praise them for informing him about that which he asked them and exulted in their act of concealing the matter from him. The above verse was revealed about them. From this example it becomes clear that if the wording of a given Qur’anic passage is of general applicability and there is proof that it is, in fact, of particular applicability, knowledge of its occasion will help explain the different possible scenarios upon which this given passage can be applied and any other scenario upon which it cannot be applied can then be excluded.8 Knowledge of the occasions of revelations is acquired through sound and authentic transmissions from the Prophetic Companions. Mere guessing and personal opinion are strictly forbidden in this domain. Apart from a few instances whose occasions were mentioned in the Qur’an itself, knowledge of most of the occasions is related from the prophetic Companions. The latter knew these occasions either because some Qur’anic passages were revealed in connection to something that occurred to them personally, or because some revelations were revealed regarding incidents they witnessed or because they had access to other corroborating facts and indications that only someone in their position could have access to.9 Muslim scholarship has produced a relatively abundant body of literature on Asbab al-Nuzul . It may not be as extensive as the literature dealing with some other sciences of the Qur’an such as the abrogating and abrogated genre, the different readings and recitations of the Qur’an, or even the stylistic, grammatical and linguistic aspects of the Qur’an. But considering the nature of the material itself and its restricted mode of communication, the body of writings on this genre remains quite substantial.10 The earliest known work on Asbab al-Nuzul , as mentioned by Ibn al-Nadim (d. 380/990) in his al-Fihrist, is attributed to ‘Ali ibn alMadini (d. 234/848), the Shaykh of Imam al-Bukhari; his book is entitled Kitab al-Tanzil .11 This work is unfortunately no longer extant. The earliest extant and most famous work in the genre is undoubtedly Asbab al-Nuzul of Abu’l-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi about which more is said below. Another well-known and popular work in this genre is Lubab al-Nuqul fi Asbab al-Nuzul of Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911/1505). This work might be considered a slight improvement on the classic contribution of al-Wahidi. It contains a few additional narrated materials not included in al-Wahidi’s work. Lubab al-Nuqul fi Asbab al-Nuzul may also claim an added advantage over Asbab al-Nuzul of al-Wahidi in that the contents of the latter have been thoroughly edited by al-Suyuti. However, even though Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti wrote his book more than four centuries after the death of al-Wahidi, and despite being more expert in Hadith than his predecessor, his Lubab al-Nuqul contains drawbacks, some of which he had himself pointed out in the work of al-Wahidi.12 The extent and scope of usefulness of the occasions of revelation have been a matter of contention among Muslim scholars. Some scholars overstressed their importance so much that they gave the impression that every passage of the Qur’an must have an occasion, while others seemed inclined to play down their usefulness and importance altogether. In the introduction to his Asbab al-Nuzul , Imam al-Wahidi wrote: “… As a result, we have ended up benefiting the beginners in the sciences of the Book, by expounding the occasions for which it was revealed. This is because it is the best that one ought to know and the most appropriate thing to which one should direct one’s attention, since it is not possible to know the interpretation of a given verse or the meaning it alludes to without knowing its story and the occasion of its

8 9

Itqan, op. cit., pp. 28-29.

Cf. Al-Wahidi’s introduction to his Asbab al-Nuzul; Itqan, op. cit., p. 31. See, the introduction of al-Sayyid Ahmad Saqr to his edition of al-Wahidi’s Asbab al-Nuzul, Damascus: Mu’assasat ‘Ulum al-Qur’an, 1987, pp. 23-28; A. Rippin, “The Exegetical Genre Asbab al-Nuzul: A Bibliographical and Terminological Survey”, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 1985, vol. 48, pp. 1-15. This survey is not comprehensive but covers some of the main writings in the field. 11 A. Rippin, ibid., p. 3. The author also mentions in footnote no. 21 that W. Ahlwardt in his Handschriften Verzeichnisse (I, 185) gives the title of al-Madini’s work as Asbab al-Nuzul. But Andrew Rippin casts doubt on the existence of this work. The fact that the book is no longer extant is not a sufficient proof for its non-existence. 12 For a critical assessment of al-Suyuti’s Lubab al-Nuqul fi Asbab al-Nuzul, see: the introduction of al-Sayyid Ahm...