Chapters on Tafsir

Abdullah bin Salam said: “A group of us Companions of the Messenger of Allah sat talking, and we said: ‘If we knew which deed was most beloved to Alllah then we would do it.’ So Allah, Most High, revealed: Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah. And He is Almighty, the All-Wise. O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do?” Abdullah bin Salam said: “So the Messenger of Allah recited it to us.” Abu Salamah (one of the narrators) said: “So Ibn Salam recited it to us.” Yahya (one of the narrators) said: “So Abu Salamah narrated it to us.” Ibn Kathir said: “So Al-Awza’i recited it to us.” Abdullah said: “So Ibn Kathir recited it to us.”

Abu Hurairah said: “We were with the Messenger of Allah when Surat Al-Jumuah was revealed, so he recited it until he reached: And other among them who have not yet joined them, A man said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Who are these people who have not yet joined us?’ But he did not say anything to him.” He said: “Salman [Al-Farsi] was among us.” He said: “So the Messenger of Allah placed his hand upon Salman and said: ‘By the One in whose Hand is my soul! If faith were on Pleiades then men among these people would reach it.”’

Jabir said: “The Prophet was standing and delivering a Khutbah for us on one Friday, when a caravan arrived in Al-Madinah. So the Companions of the Messenger of Allah rushed off until only twelve men remained. Among them were Abu Bakr and Umar. And This Ayah was revealed: And when they see some merchandise or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it.”

Zaid bin Aslam said: “I was with my uncle when I heard Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul saying to his companions: Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allah until they desert from him. If we return to Al-Madinah then the more honorable will expel the meaner among them. So I mentioned that to my uncle, then my uncle mentioned it to the Prophet. So the Prophet called for me to narrated it to him. Then the Messenger of Allah sent message to Abdullah bin Ubayy and his companions but they took an oath that they had not said it. So he did not believe me and he trusted what they said. I was struck with distress the likes of which I had not suffered before. So I just at in my house, and my uncle said to me: ‘You only wanted the Messenger of Allah to not believe you and hate you.’ Then Allah [Most High] revealed: ‘When the hypocrites come to you’ So the Messenger of Allah sent for me, and he recites it and said: ‘Indeed Allah has verified the truth of what you said.’”

Zaid bin Arqam said: “We were participating in a battle along with the Messenger of Allah, and there were some people from the Bedouins with us. So we all rushed toward some water and the Bedouins raced us to it. One of the Bedouins beat his companions to it and he (tried to obstruct) the pond, he placed rocks around it and he put a leather sheet over it until his companions came.” He said: “A man among the Ansar reached the Bedouin and he dropped the reigns of his camel to drink, but the Bedouin would not allow him. So he started removing the barriers around the water, but the Bedouin raised a stick beating the Ansari man on the head, and smashed it. He went to Abdullah bin Ubayy, the head of the hypocrite, to inform him – he was in fact one of his companions. So Abdullah bin Ubayy became enraged, the he said: ‘Do not spend anything on whoever is with Muhammad until they depart.’ Meaning the Bedouins. They were preparing food for the Messenger of Allah. So Abdullah said: ‘When they depart from Muhammad, then bring Muhammad some food, and let him and whoever is with him eat it.’ Then he said to his companions: ‘If we return to Al-Madinah, indeed the more honorable will expel therefrom the meaner.’” Zaid said: “And I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah, and I had heard Abdullah bin Ubayy, so I informed my uncle who went to tell the Messenger of Allah. He sent a message to him (Abdullah) but he took an oath and denied it.” He said: “So the Messenger of Allah accepted what he said and did not believe me. So my uncle came to me and said: ‘You only wanted the Messenger of Allah to hate you, and the Muslims to say that you lied.’” He said: “I suffered such worry as has not been suffered by anyone else.” He said: “(Later) while I was on the move with the Messenger of Allah on a journey, my mind was relieved of worry, since the Messenger of Allah came to me and rubbed my ear and smiled in my face. I would never be happier than with that as long as the world remained. Then Abu Bakr caught up to me, and said: ‘What did the Messenger of Allah say to you?’ I said: ‘He did not say anything to me, he only rubbed my ear and smiled in my face.’ He said: ‘Receive the good news!’ Then Umar caught up with me and I said the same to him as I had said to Abu Bakr. In the morning the Messenger of Allah recited Surat Al-Munafiqin.”

Al-Hakam bin Utaibah said: “I heard Muhammad bin Ka’b Al-Qurazi – forty years ago – narrating from Zaid bin Arqam [may Allah be pleased with him] that during the battle of Tabuk, Abdullah bin Ubayy said: “If we return to Al-Madinah, indeed the more honorable will expel therefrom the meaner.” He said: ‘So I went to the Prophet and mentioned that to him, but he (Abdullah) took an oath that he did not say it. My people blamed me for that, they said: “What did you expect to accomplish from this?’ So I went to my house and slept full of grief. Then the Prophet came to me’ or ‘I went to him, and he said: “Indeed Allah has verified the truth of what you said.” He said: ‘So this Ayah was revealed: there are the ones who say: “Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allah until they desert from him.”

Sufyan narrated from Amr bin Dinar that he heard Jabir bin Abdullah sayin: “We were in a battle” – Sufyan said: “They say in was the battle of Banu Mustaliq” – “Aman from the Muhajirin kicked a man from the Ansar. The man from the Muhajirin said: ‘O Muhajirin!’ the man from the Ansar said: ‘O Ansar!’ The Prophet heard that and said: ‘What is this evil call of Jahliyyah?’ They said: ‘A man from the Muhajirin kicked a man from the Ansar.’ So the Prophet said: ‘Leave that, for it is offensive.’ Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul heard that and said: ‘Did they really do that? By Allah! If we return to Al-Madinah indeed the more honorable will expel therefrom the meaner.’ Umar said: ‘Allow me to chop off the head of this hypocrite O Messenger of Allah!’ The Prophet said: ‘Leave him, I do not want the people to say that Muhammad kills his Companios.’” Someone other than Amr said: “So his son, Abdullah bin Abdullah, said: ‘By Allah! You shall not return until you say that you are the mean and that the Messenger of Allah is the honorable.’ So he did so.”

Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim narrated: From Ibn Abbas [may Allah be pleased with him] who said: “Whoever has wealth, required him to perform Hajj to the House of his Lord, or upon which Zakat is obligatory, but he does not do it, then he shall ask to return (the world) upon his death.” A man said: “Oh Ibn Abbas! Have Taqwa of Allah! It is only the disbelievers who will be asked to return.” He said: “For that, I shall recite to you from the Qur’an: You who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosever does that, then they are with the losers. And spend of that which We have provided you before death comes to one of you, and says: “My Lord! If only You would give me respite for a little while, then I should give Sadaqah” up to His saying: “And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” He said: “So what makes Zakat obligatory?” He said: “When wealth reaches two hundred or above.” He said: “What makes Hajj obligatory?” He said: “Provisions and a camel.”

(Another chain) from Ad-Dahhak : from Ibn Abbas, from the Prophet with similar.

Ikrimah narrated that : Ibn Abbas was asked by a man about this Ayah: O you who believe! Verity, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you; therefore beware of them! He said: “These are men who submitted (to Islam) in Makkah, and they wanted to come to the Prophet but their wives and children refused to allow them to come to the Messenger of Allah. So when they came to the Messenger of Allah, they saw that the people had gained such understanding in the religion that they wanted to punish them (their families). So Allah revealed the Ayah: O you who believe! Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you; therefore beware of them!”

Ibn Abbas said: “I was ever determined to ask Umar about the two women, among the wives of the Prophet, about whom Allah [the Mighty and Sublime] said: If you two turn in repentance, your hearts are indeed so inclined… until once when Umar performed Hajj, and I performed Hajj along with him. I poured water for his Wudu from a water holder, and I said: ‘O Commander of the Believers! Who are the two women among the wives of the Prophet, about whom Allah said: If your two turn in repentance, you hearts are indeed so inclined?’ He said to me: ‘I am astonished at you O Ibn Abbas!’” – Az-Zubair (one of the narrators) said: “By Allah! He disliked what he asked him, but he did not withhold it from him.” – “He said to me: ‘It was Aishah and Hafsah.’” He said: “Then he began narrating the Hadith to me. He said: ‘We, the people of the Quraish, used to have the upper hand over our women. So when we arrived in Al-Madinah, we found a people whose women had the upper hand over them. Our women began acquiring the habits of their women. One day I became angry with my wife when she started talking back to to me, she said: “What bothers you about that? By Allah! The wives of the Prophet talk back to him, and one of them may stay away from him a whole day until the night?’” “He said: ‘I said to myself: “Whoever among them has done that, then she has thwarted herself and lost.’” “He said: ‘My house was in Al-Awali among those of Banu Umayyah, and I had a neighbor among the Ansar, and he and I would take turns visiting the Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘One day I would visit him and bring the news of the Revealation, and other than that, and one day he would visit him and bring the same. We heard stories that Ghassan were preparing their horses to attack us. He said: ‘One day he came to me in the evening and knocked on my door, so I went out to him. He said: “A horrible thing has happened.” I said: “Ghassan has come?” He said: “Worse than that. The Messenger of Allah has divorced his wives.’” He said: ‘I said to myself: “Hafsah has thwarted herself and is a loser! I though this would happen some day.’” He said: ‘After we prayed Subh, I put on my clothes, then went to visit Hafsah. There I found her crying. I said: “Has the Messenger of Allah divorced (all of you)?” She said: “I do not know. He has secluded himself in the upper room.’” He said: ‘So I wen, and came upon a black slave, I said: “Seek permission for Umar.’” He said: ‘So he entered then came out to me. He said: “I mentioned you to him, but he did not say anything.’” He said: ‘So I went to the Masjid. There I found a group of people sitting around the Minhar weeping, so I sat down with them. Then it became too much for me, so I went to the slave and said: “Seek permission for Umar.” He went in, then he came out to me and said: “I mentioned you to him, but he did not say anything.’” He said: ‘So I went to the Masjid again, and sat there until I could not take it any more, and I went back to the slave and said: “Seek permission for Umar.” He went in, then he came out to me and said: “I mentioned you to him but he did not say anything.’” He said: ‘So I turned to leave, when the slave called me back. He said: “Enter for he has given you permission.’” He said: ‘So I entered, and found the Prophet reclining upon a woven mat, and I saw the marks it left on his side. I said: “O Messenger of Allah! Have you divorced your women?” He said: “No.” I said: “Allahu Akbar! IF you only saw us O Messenger of Allah! We the people of the Quraish used to have the upper hand over our women, but when we came to Al-Madinah we found a people whose women had the upper hand over them. Our women began acquiring the habits of their women. One day I became angry with my wife, so when she started talking back to me I rebuked her and she said: ‘What bothers you about that? By Allah! The wives of the Prophet talk back to him, and one of them may stay away from him a whole day until the night?’” He said: “I said to Hafsah: ‘Do you talk back to the Messenger of Allah?’ She said: ‘Yes, and one of us may stay away from him all day until the night.’” He said: “I said: ‘Whoever among them has done that, then she has thwarted herself and lost. So any of you feel so secure against Allah becoming angry with you because of the anger of the Messenger of Allah, then she will be ruined?’ He said: ‘So the Prophet smiled.’ He said: ‘So I said to Hafsah: “Do not talk back to the Messenger of Allah, and don’t ask him for anything. Ask me for whatever you want. And do not be tempted by the behavior of your companions, for she is more beautiful than you, and more loved by the Messenger of Allah.’” He said: ‘So he smiled again, I said: “O Messenger of Allah! May I speak candidily?” He said: “Yes.’” He said: ‘I raised my head and did not see in the house except for three hides. So I said: “O Messenger of Allah! Supplicate to Allah to make your followers prosperous. For verily, He has made the Persians and the Romans prosper, and they do not worship Him.” He then sat up and said: “Do you have some doubts O Ibn Al-Khattab? They are a people whose good has been hastened for them in this world’s life.’” He said: ‘He swore that he would not enter upon his women for a month. So Allah censured him for that, and he made the atonement of an oath.’” Az-Zuhri said: “Urwah informed me that Aishah said: “When twenty-nine days passed, the Prophet entered upon me first, and he said: “O Aishah! I am about to mention something to you, but do not be hasty in reply until you consult your parents.’” She said: ‘Then he recited this Ayah: “O Prophet! Say to your wives.” She said: ‘I knew by Allah! That my parents would not tell me to part with him.’ She said: ‘I said: “Is it about this that I should consult with my parents? Indeed I want Allah and His Messenger and the abode of the Hereafter.” Ma’mar (one of the narrators) said: “Ayyub informed me that Aishah said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Do not inform your wives that I chose you.’ So the Prophet said: ‘Allah send me only as one who conveys (Muballigh), He did not send me as one causing hardship.’”

Abdul-Wahid bin Sulaim said: “I arrived in Makkah and met Ata bin Abi Rabah. I said: ‘O Abu Muhammad! Some people with us speak about Al-Qadar.’ Ata said: ‘I met Al-Walid bin Ubadah bin As-Samit and he said: “My father narrated to me, he said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “Verily the first of what Allah created was the Pen. He said to it: “Write.” So it wrote what will be forever.’”

Al-Ahnaf bin Wais narrated : from Al-Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib who claimed that he was sitting in Al-Batha with a group, and the Messenger of Allah was sitting amongst them, when a cloud passed over them. They looked at it, and the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Di you know what its name it?’ They said: ‘Yes. This is As-Sahab (cloud).’ The Messenger of Allah saidl: ‘Al-Muzn (rain cloud)?’ They said: ‘Yes. This is As-Sahab (cloud).’ Then the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Do you know how much distance there is between the heavens and the earth?’ They said: ‘No, by Allah we do not know.’ He said: ‘The distance between every two of them is either seventy-one, or two, or three, years, and the heaven that is above that one is like that.’ Until he enumerated Seven heavens like that. Then he said: ‘Above the seventh heaven is a sea, Between its highest part and its lowest is just as there is between one heaven to another heaven. Then above their backs is the Throne. Between its lowest and highest parts is the same as what is between one heaven to another heaven, and Allah is above that.’”

Abdur-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Sa’d Ar-Razi [and he is Ad-Dashtaki] narrated : that his father informed him, that his father – may Allah have mercy upon him – informed him, he said: “I saw a man in Bukhara upon a mule wearing a black Imamah, saying: ‘It was given to me by the Messenger of Allah.’”

Abu Sa’eed narrated : from the Prophet regarding Allah’s saying: Like Al-Muhl – he said: “Like boiling oil, such that when it is brought close to one’s face the skin of his face will fall off into it.”

Ibn Abbas [may Allah be pleased with them] said: the Messenger of Allah did not recite for the jinns nor did he see them. The Messenger of Allah went out with a group of his Companions towards the Ukaz market. Something had been intervening between the Shayatin and the news from the heavens, and shooting stars has been sent upon them, so the Shayatin returned to their people and they said to them: ‘What is wrong with you?’ They replied: ‘Something has been intervening between us and the news of the heavens except that something has happened. So travel east and west in the earth and look for what is it that intervenes between you an between the news of the heavens.’” He said: “So they went traveling east and west on the earth, seeking whatever it was that had been intervening between them and the news of the heavens. A group of those who were traveling towards Tihamah headed in the direction of the Messenger of Allah, while he was at Nakhlah, enroute to the Ukaz market. He was performing Salat Al-Fajr with his Companions. When they heard the Quran they listened to it, and they said: ‘By Allah! This is what has been intervening between us and the news of the heavens.’” He said: “Then they returned to their people and said: ‘O our people! Verily we heard a wonderful Recitation! It guides to the Right Path, and we have believed therein, and we shall never join anything with our Lord.’ So Allah, Blessed is He and Most High, revealed to His Prophet: Say: ‘It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened.’ So the saying of the jinns was only revealed to him.”

Ibn Abbas said: “The jinns used to ascent through the heavens, trying to listen about the Revealation. So when they heard a statement, they would add nine to it. The statement that they heard would be true, while what they added was false. So it was with the advent of the Messenger of Allah that they were prevented from their places. So they mentioned that to Iblis – and the stars were not shot at them before that. So Iblis said to them: ‘This is naught but an event that has occurred in the earth.’ So he sent out his armies, and they found the Messenger of Allah standing in Salat between two mountains” – I think he said “in Makkah” – “So they (returned) to meet with him (Iblis), and informed him. He said: ‘This is the event that has happened on the earth.’”

Jabir bin Abdullah [may Allah be pleased with him] said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah – and he was narrating about the pause in Revelation – so he said in his narration: “I was walking, when I heard a voice from the heavens. So I raised my head, and there was an angel, the one that had come to me at Hira, sitting upon a chair between the heavens and the earth. I fled from him out of fear, and I returned and said: ‘Wrap me up! Wrap me up! So they covered me.” Then Allah, Most High revealed: ‘O you who are wrapped up! Arise and warm.’ Up to His saying: ‘And keep away from the Rujz!’ before the Salat was made obligatory.”

Abu Sa’eed narrated that: The Messenger of Allah said: “As-Sa’ud is a mountain of fire, a disbeliever will be rised upon it for seventy autumns, and them similarly he will fall down it, forever.”

Jabir [bin Abdullah] said: “Some people from the Jews said to some people among the Companions of the Prophet: ‘Does your Prophet know how many keepers are there in Jahannam?’ They said: ‘We do not know until we ask our Prophet and said: ‘O Muhammad! Your Companions were defeated today.’ He said: ‘In what were they defeated?’ He said: ‘Some Jews asked them if their Prophet knew how many keepers are there in Jahannam.’ He said: ‘So what did they say?’ He said: ‘They said: “We do not know until we ask our Prophet.” He said: ‘Are a people defeated who are asked about something that they do not know, merely because they said, “We do not know until we ask our Prophet?” Rather, there (people) did ask their Prophet, they said: “Show us Allah plainly.” I should ask the enemies of Allah about the Darmak.’ So when they came to him they said: ‘O Abul-Qasim! How many keepers are there in Jahannum?’ He said: ‘This and that many.’ One time ten, and one time nine. They said: ‘Yes.’ He said to them: ‘What is the dirt of Paradise?’” He said: “They were silent for a while, then they said: ‘Is it bread O Abul-Qasim?’ So the Prophet said: ‘The bread is made of Ad-Darmak.’”

Anas bin Malik narrated that: The Messenger of Allah said regarding this Ayah: “He is the One deserving of the Taqwa, and He is the One Who forgives. – he said: ‘Allah, Blessed is He and Most High, said: “I am the most worthy to have Taqwa of, so whoever has Taqwa of Me, not having any god besides Me, then I am most worthy that I forgive him.”

Ibn Abbas said: “When the Quran was being revealed to the Messenger of Allah, he would move his tongue in attempt to memorize it. So Allah, Blessed is He and Most High, revealed: Move not your tongue concerning it to make haste therewith.” He said: “So he would move his two lips.” And Sufyan (a sub-narrator) would move his two lips.

Thuwair narrated: “I heard Ibn Umar say: ‘The Messenger of Allah said, “Indeed the least of the people of Paradise in rank, is the one who shall look at his gardens, his wives, his servants, and his beds from the distance of a thousand years, and the noblest of them with Allah is the one who shall look at His Face morning and night.” Then the Messenger of Allah recited: Some faces on that day shall be radiant. They shall be looked at their Lord.

Aishah narrated: “He frowned and turned away” was revealed about Ibn Umm Maktum the blind man. He came to the Messenger of Allah saying: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Guide me.’ At that time, there was a revered man from the idolaters with the Messenger of Allah. So the Messenger of Allah turned away from him and faced the other man, saying: ‘Do you think that there is something wrong with what I am saying?’ He said: ‘No.’ So it was about that that it was revealed.”

Ibn Abbas narrated that : the Prophet said: “You will be gathered barefoot, naked and uncircumcised.” “A woman said: “Will we see” or “look at each other’s nakedness?” He said: “O so-and-so! Every man among them on that Day will have enough to make him careless of others.”

Ibn Umar narrated that: The Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever wishes to look at the Day of Resurrection, as if he is seeing it with this eye, then let him recite: ‘When the sun Kuwwirat’ and ‘When the heaven is cleft sunder (Infatarat) and ‘When the heaven is split asunder.’”