Ayat 29
وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُوْلَةً اِلٰى عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُوْمًا مَّحْسُوْرًا ٢٩
English Sahih Internasional
29. And do not make your hand [as] chained to your neck or extend it completely and [thereby] become blamed and insolvent.
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck…) [17:29]. Abu’l-Hasan Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Imran informed us> Abu ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Faqih> Abu ‘Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Isma‘il al-Mahamili> Zakariyya ibn Yahya al-Darir> Sulayman ibn Sulayman al-Juhani> Qays ibn al-Rabi‘> Abu Ishaq> Abu’l-Ahwas> ‘Abd Allah who said: “A boy came to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘My mother asks you to give her this and that’. He said to him: ‘We do not have anything today’. The boy said: ‘She is asking you to give her your gown’. He took off his gown, gave it to him and remained in his house denuded. Allah, glorified and exalted is He, then revealed (And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor open it with a complete opening…)”. Said Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah: “As the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was sitting with his Companions, a boy came to him and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, my mother asks you for a gown’. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, did not have any gown except the one he was wearing, and so he said to the boy: ‘Things turn up from time to time, so come back to us another time’. He went to his mother and informed her but she said to him: ‘Tell him that my mother asks you for the gown you are wearing’. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, went inside his house, took off his gown and gave it to the boy and remained there naked. When Bilal called for the prayer, people waited for the Prophet, Allah bless him and give, to emerge and lead them in prayer but he did not come out. The Companions became worried. One of them entered in on him and found him naked. Allah, glorious and exalted is He, then revealed (And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor open it with a complete opening)”.
Ayat 53
وَقُلْ لِّعِبَادِيْ يَقُوْلُوا الَّتِيْ هِيَ اَحْسَنُۗ اِنَّ الشَّيْطٰنَ يَنْزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْۗ اِنَّ الشَّيْطٰنَ كَانَ لِلْاِنْسَانِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِيْنًا ٥٣
English Sahih Internasional
53. And tell My servants to say that which is best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed Satan is ever, to mankind, a clear enemy.
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(Tell My bondmen to speak that which is kindlier…)[17:53]. This was revealed about ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be well pleased with him. An Arab man insulted him, and so Allah, exalted is He, commanded him to pardon him. Said al-Kalbi: “The idolaters were in the habit of harming, verbally and physically, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace. When the latter complained to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
Ayat 59
وَمَا مَنَعَنَآ اَنْ نُّرْسِلَ بِالْاٰيٰتِ اِلَّآ اَنْ كَذَّبَ بِهَا الْاَوَّلُوْنَۗ وَاٰتَيْنَا ثَمُوْدَ النَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً فَظَلَمُوْا بِهَاۗ وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِالْاٰيٰتِ اِلَّا تَخْوِيْفًا ٥٩
English Sahih Internasional
59. And nothing has prevented Us from sending signs except that the former peoples denied them. And We gave Thamud the she-camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her. And We send not the signs except as a warning.
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(Naught hindereth Us from sending portents…) [17:59]. Sa‘id ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ja‘far informed us> Zahir ibn Ahmad> Abu’l-Qasim al-Baghawi> ‘Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah> Jarir ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid> alA‘mash> Ja‘far ibn Iyas> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “The people of Mecca asked the Prophet,
Allah bless him and give him peace, to turn al-Safa hill into gold and remove the mountains [surrounding Mecca] for them so that they can engage in agriculture. It was said to him: ‘If you wish to wait for them until We may select people from them [to believe in you], or you can give them what they have asked for. But if they disbelieve after that, We will destroy them like We destroyed those before them’. He said: ‘No, I would rather wait’. And so Allah, glorious and majestic is He, revealed this verse (Naught hindereth Us from sending portents save that the folk of old denied them…)”.
Ayat 60
وَاِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ اَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِۗ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِيْٓ اَرَيْنٰكَ اِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُوْنَةَ فِى الْقُرْاٰنِ ۗ وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْۙ فَمَا يَزِيْدُهُمْ اِلَّا طُغْيَانًا كَبِيْرًا ࣖ ٦٠
English Sahih Internasional
60. And [remember, O Muhammad], when We told you, "Indeed, your Lord has encompassed the people." And We did not make the sight which We showed you except as a trial for the people, as was the accursed tree [mentioned] in the Qur'an. And We threaten them, but it increases them not except in great transgression.
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(…and (likewise) the Accursed Tree in the Qur’an…) [17:60]. Isma‘il ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ahmad al-Wa‘iz informed us> Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Faqih> Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Qattan> Ishaq ibn ‘Abd
Allah ibn Zurayr> Hafs ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman> Muhammad ibn Ishaq> Hakim ibn ‘Abbad ibn Hunayf> ‘Ikrimah> Ibn ‘Abbas that he said: “When the tree of al-Zaqqum was mentioned in the Qur’an [37:62; 44:43 and 56:52], the Quraysh were threatened with it. Abu Jahl said: ‘Do you know what this Zaqqum, with which Muhammad threatens you, is?’ They said: ‘No!’ He said: ‘Meat and broth with cream. By Allah, if he let us put our hands on it we will devour it!’ Allah, glorious and exalted is He, revealed (…and (likewise) the Accursed Tree in the Qur’an…) saying: this tree is repulsive (We warn them, but it increaseth them in naught save gross impiety)”.
Ayat 73
وَاِنْ كَادُوْا لَيَفْتِنُوْنَكَ عَنِ الَّذِيْٓ اَوْحَيْنَآ اِلَيْكَ لِتَفْتَرِيَ عَلَيْنَا غَيْرَهٗۖ وَاِذًا لَّاتَّخَذُوْكَ خَلِيْلًا ٧٣
English Sahih Internasional
73. And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you in order to [make] you invent about Us something else; and then they would have taken you as a friend.
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(And they indeed strove hard to beguile thee (Muhammad) away from that wherewith We have inspired thee…) [17:73]. ‘Ata’ reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “This was revealed about the delegation of Thaqif. They went to see the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and asked for unacceptable things. They said: ‘Allow us to worship al-Lat for one year and make our valley inviolable — its trees, birds and wild animals — just as you have made Mecca inviolable’. They persisted and insisted but the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, rejected all their demands. They said: ‘We want the Arabs to know our merit over them. If you dislike what we say and you are afraid that the Arabs say, you have given them that which you did not give us, simply say that Allah has commanded you to do so’. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, did not answer them and this raised their hope. But ‘Umar shouted in their faces: ‘Do you not see that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, did not answer you because he does not like what you have come for?’ The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was on the verge of giving them what they wanted. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. Said Sa‘id ibn Jubayr: “The idolaters said to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace: ‘We will not leave you alone until you come close to our idols, even if you only have to touch them with your fingers’. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said in reply: ‘And what harm is there in me doing so, if Allah knows that I dislike it’. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse (And they indeed strove hard to beguile thee (Muhammad) away from that wherewith We have inspired thee) up to His words (… accepted thee as a friend)”. Said Qatadah: “It was mentioned to us that one night the Quraysh met the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, alone and their meeting lasted until morning. They talked to him, treated him as if he was one of their greats and chiefs and were agreeable to him. They said: ‘You have brought something that no human being has brought before; you are our master and the son of our master’, and they kept talking to him until he almost agreed to some of the things they wanted. But Allah, exalted is He, protected him. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed this verse”.
Ayat 76
وَاِنْ كَادُوْا لَيَسْتَفِزُّوْنَكَ مِنَ الْاَرْضِ لِيُخْرِجُوْكَ مِنْهَا وَاِذًا لَّا يَلْبَثُوْنَ خِلٰفَكَ اِلَّا قَلِيْلًا ٧٦
English Sahih Internasional
76. And indeed, they were about to drive you from the land to evict you therefrom. And then [when they do], they will not remain [there] after you, except for a little.
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(And they indeed wished to scare thee from the land…) [17:76]. Said Ibn ‘Abbas: “The Jews resentfully envied the settling of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, in Medina, and so they said: ‘The Prophets were only sent in Syria; if you are truly a prophet, you should go over there. And if you go there, we will believe and have faith in you’. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, liked what he heard from them, since he was keen that they embrace Islam. He left Medina but when he had traversed a day’s journey, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghunm said: “The Jews went to see the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘If you are truthful about being a prophet of Allah, then you should go to Syria, for the latter is the land of Resurrection and Mustering [on the Day of Judgement] as it is the land of prophets’. He believed what they said. And when he went for the Battle of Tabuk, he had the intention of going to Syria. But when he reached Tabuk, Allah, exalted is He, revealed (And they indeed wished to scare thee from the land)”. Mujahid, Qatadah and al-Hasan said: “The people of Mecca were on the verge of driving the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, out of Mecca, when Allah, exalted is He, commanded him to leave. He revealed this verse to inform him of what the people of Mecca intended to do”.
Ayat 80
وَقُلْ رَّبِّ اَدْخِلْنِيْ مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَّاَخْرِجْنِيْ مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ وَّاجْعَلْ لِّيْ مِنْ لَّدُنْكَ سُلْطٰنًا نَّصِيْرًا ٨٠
English Sahih Internasional
80. And say, "My Lord, cause me to enter a sound entrance and to exit a sound exit and grant me from Yourself a supporting authority."
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(And say: My Lord! Cause me to come in with a firm incoming…) [17:80]. Said al-Hasan: “When the unbelievers of Quraysh wanted to fetter the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and expel him from Mecca, Allah, exalted is He, wanted the survival of the people of Mecca and commanded His Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, to migrate to Medina. And He then revealed (And say: My Lord! Cause me to come in with a firm incoming and to go out with a firm outgoing…)”.
Ayat 85
وَيَسْـَٔلُوْنَكَ عَنِ الرُّوْحِۗ قُلِ الرُّوْحُ مِنْ اَمْرِ رَبِّيْ وَمَآ اُوْتِيْتُمْ مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ اِلَّا قَلِيْلًا ٨٥
English Sahih Internasional
85. And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(They are asking thee concerning the Spirit…) [17:85]. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Nahwi informed us> Muhammad ibn Bishr ibn al-'Abbas>> Abu Labid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Bishr> Suwayd> Sa'id> 'Ali ibn Mushir> al-A'mash> Ibrahim> 'Alqamah> 'Abd Allah who said: “I was with the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, at a plantation. He was leaning on a leafless palm branch when some Jews came by us. Some of them said: 'Ask him about the Spirit'. Others said: 'Do not ask him lest he faces you with what you dislike'. A group of them went to him and asked him: 'O Abu'l-Qasim, what do you say about the Spirit?' He kept quiet. He then stood up and held his forehead with his hand and I knew that revelation was coming to him. Allah, exalted is He, revealed (They are asking thee concerning the Spirit. Say: The Spirit is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little)”. This was narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, both from 'Umar ibn Hafs ibn Ghiyath from his father from al-A'mash. 'Ikrimah also reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: “The Quraysh said to the Jews: 'Tell us something about which we should ask this man'. They said: 'Ask him about the Spirit', and so this verse was revealed”. The commentators of the Qur'an said: “The Jews gathered and said to the Quraysh when they asked them about Muhammad and his case: 'Ask Muhammad about the Spirit and about the youths who were lost long ago in the past and about a man who reached to the east and west of the earth. If he answers all these questions, he is not a prophet; if he does not answer any of the questions, he is not a prophet; but if he answers some questions and refrains from answering some others, he is a true prophet'. When they asked him, Allah, exalted is He, revealed regarding the youths (Or deemest thou the people of the Cave and the Inscription are a wonder among Our portents?) [18:9] up to the end of the story. And He revealed about the man who reached to the east and west of the earth (They will ask thee of Dhu'l-Qarnayn. Say: I shall recite unto you a remembrance of Him) [18:83]. And He revealed about the Spirit (They are asking thee concerning the Spirit…).
Ayat 90
وَقَالُوْا لَنْ نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتّٰى تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الْاَرْضِ يَنْۢبُوْعًاۙ ٩٠
English Sahih Internasional
90. And they say, "We will not believe you until you break open for us from the ground a spring.
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(And they say: We will not put faith in thee till thou cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us)
[17:90]. 'Ikrimah reported that Ibn 'Abbas related that 'Utbah, Shaybah, Abu Sufyan, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, Abu'l-Bukhturi, al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, Abu Jahl, 'Abd Allah ibn Ubayy ibn Umayyah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and the chiefs of Quraysh gathered in front of the Ka'bah and said to each other: “Send for Muhammad, speak to him, and argue with him so that others do not blame you about him”. They sent to him with a message that the nobles of your people have gathered and want to speak with you. He came promptly, thinking that they had changed their mind about him, for he was keen to see them guided and was pained for their stubbornness. When he sat with them, they said: 'O Muhammad, by Allah we do not know of any man among the Arabs who has introduced to his people what you have introduced. You have insulted our forefathers, censored our religion, accused us of ignorance, slandered our idols, divided the community and you have not left anything revolting except that you have placed it between us and you. Now, if you have brought all this to seek wealth, we will collect from our wealth so that you become the richest among us; if you seek status, we will make you our chief; if you seek kingship, we will make you our king; and if the jinn that appears to you has completely overwhelmed you, we will spend our money to get you the right medicine to cure you or discharge our duty toward you'. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said to them: 'I do not have what you accuse me of. I did not bring you what I brought to seek wealth, status or kingship. Rather, it is Allah, glorious and majestic is He, Who has sent me to you as a Messenger. He has revealed to me a Scripture and commanded me to be a carrier of good tiding as well as a warner. I have conveyed to you the message of my Lord and advised you well. If you accept that which I have brought you, it is your share in this world and in the next. And if you reject it, I will be patient with the judgment of Allah until He judges between me and you'. They said: 'O Muhammad, if you do not accept our offer, then you know that, compared to other people, we have a more restricted land, a tougher life and much less wealth. So ask your Lord, Who has sent you with that which He has sent you, to remove from us these mountains which have restricted our land and expand our country and run through it rivers like the rivers of Syria and Iraq. And let Him resurrect our dead forefathers, and among those resurrected, let Him resurrect Qusayy ibn Kilab, for he was a truthful old man, so that we ask them about whether what you say is true or false. If you do what we ask for, we will believe you and, by the same token, know your status with Allah, and that He has sent you as a Messenger, as you claim'. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: 'I was not sent to bring what you have asked for. Rather, I came to you from Allah, glorious is He, with that which He has sent me, and I have conveyed to you what I have been sent with to you. If you accept it, it is your share in this world and in the next; but if you reject it, I will be patient with Allah's judgement'. They said: 'If you do not do what we have asked for, then ask your Lord to send an angel to confirm your message, and ask Him to provide you with gardens, treasures and palaces of gold and silver which will suffice you from your needs, for you stand in the market place as we do, and strive to earn a living as we do, in order that we appreciate your merit and position with your Lord, if you are truly a messenger, as you claim to be'. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: 'I will not do it, nor am I someone to ask his Lord for such things, nor was I sent to you with this; He has rather sent me as a bringer of good tidings and as a warner'. They said: 'In that case, cause the heaven to fall piecemeal down on us, since you claim that your Lord can do so if He wills'. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: 'That is up to Allah, He will do it if He wills'. One of them said: 'We will not believe in you until you bring Allah and the angels as warrants. 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Umayyah al-Makhzumi - the son of 'Atikah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib, the maternal aunt of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace - said: 'I will never believe in you until you get a ladder and climb up to heaven while I am watching you, and bring an unfolded Scripture with you and a group of angels to testify about what you say'. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, left to his family very sad for failing to get his people to follow him as well as for the antagonism they displayed toward him. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (And they say: We will not put faith in thee till thou cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us…). Sa'id ibn Ahmad ibn Ja'far informed us> Abu 'Ali ibn Abi Bakr al-Faqih> Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn alJunayd> Ziyad ibn Ayyub> Hushaym> 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr> Sa'id ibn Jubayr who said: “I said to him [to 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr]: 'The words of Allah (And they say: We will not put faith in thee till thou cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us) was it revealed about 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Umayyah?' He said: 'This is what they claim' ”.
Ayat 110
قُلِ ادْعُوا اللّٰهَ اَوِ ادْعُوا الرَّحْمٰنَۗ اَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُوْا فَلَهُ الْاَسْمَاۤءُ الْحُسْنٰىۚ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذٰلِكَ سَبِيْلًا ١١٠
English Sahih Internasional
110. Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names." And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way.
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(Say (unto mankind): Cry unto Allah, or cry unto the Beneficent…) [17:110]. Said Ibn ‘Abbas: “One night in Mecca, The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, stood up for the night vigil prayer. He kept saying in his prostration: ‘O Beneficent, O Merciful!’ And so the idolaters said: ‘Muhammad used to call unto one Allah; now he is calling unto two gods: Allah and the Beneficent. We do not know of anyone by the name of the Beneficent except the beneficent of al-Yamamah (meaning Musaylimah the liar)’, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. Said Maymun ibn Mihran: “At the beginning of revelation, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give peace, used to write ‘In Thy name, O Allah’ until this verse was revealed (Lo! It is from Solomon, and lo, it is: In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful) [27:30], after which he always wrote ‘In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful’. The Arab idolaters then commented:
‘We know this Merciful but who is the Beneficent?’ As a response, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
Said al-Dahhak: “The people of the Book said to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace: ‘You mention very little the Beneficent and yet Allah mentions this name in the Torah in abundance’. Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse as a response to them”. (And thou (Muhammad), be not loud-voiced in thy worship nor yet silent therein, but follow a way between) [17:110]. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya informed us> his father> Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Thaqafi> ‘Abd Allah ibn Muti‘ and Ahmad ibn Mani‘> Hushaym> Abu Bishr> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said regarding the words of Allah, exalted is He (And thou (Muhammad), be not loud-voiced in thy worship nor yet silent therein…):
“This verse was revealed while the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was in hiding in Mecca. Whenever the unbelievers heard the Qur’an being recited, they reviled it and reviled the person who had brought it. Hence, Allah, glorious and majestic is He, said to His Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace (And thou (Muhammad), be not loud-voiced in thy worship) i.e. upon reciting the Qur’an in prayer, lest the idolaters hear it and revile the Qur’an, (nor yet silent therein) such that your Companions do not hear you, (but follow a way between)”. This was narrated by Bukhari from Musaddid and by Muslim from ‘Amr al-Naqid, and both Musaddid and ‘Amr related it from Hushaym. ‘A’ishah, may Allah be well pleased with her said: “This verse was revealed about the testification in prayer (tashahhud). One Bedouin used to raise his voice upon saying: ‘Greetings and good salutation to Allah’, and so this verse was revealed”. ‘Abd Allah ibn Shaddad said: “After the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, concluded the prayer, the Bedouins of Banu Tamim were in the habit of supplicating loudly, saying: ‘O Allah, provide us with wealth and offspring’, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. Sa‘id ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ja‘far informed us> Abu ‘Ali al-Faqih> ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Mubashshir al-Wasiti> Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Harb> Abu Marwan> Yahya ibn Abi Zakariyya al-Ghassani> Hisham ibn ‘Urwah> his father> ‘A’ishah, may Allah be well pleased with her, who said regarding the words of Allah, exalted is He (And thou (Muhammad), be not loud-voiced in thy worship nor yet silent therein…): “It was revealed about making supplications”.