Tafseer of The Women · An-Nisaa · 4:106
And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of His word: وَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا ("And ask Allah for forgiveness; truly, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful") (4:106).
"Wa-staghfiri Allāh" ("And ask Allah for forgiveness"), O Muḥammad, and ask Him to remit for you the punishment of your sin, in your disputing on behalf of the traitor who treacherously misappropriated another's property. "Inna Allāha kāna ghafūran raḥīman" ("truly, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful"), He says: truly, Allah continually remits the sins of His believing servants, by withholding their punishment for them when they ask Him for forgiveness for it, "raḥīman" ("Merciful") toward them. (1)
So do that, O Muḥammad, and Allah will forgive you what has occurred of your disputing on behalf of this traitor.
* * *
And it has been said that the Prophet ﷺ had not disputed on behalf of the traitor, but rather that he had resolved upon it, whereupon Allah commanded him to ask for forgiveness for what he had resolved upon of that.
* * *
And it has been mentioned that the traitors on whose behalf Allah, exalted is His praise, reproached His Prophet ﷺ for his disputing for them, were the Banū Ubayriq.
* * *
And the exegetes differed concerning the treachery that issued from him and with which Allah described him.
Some of them said: it was a theft that he committed.
* Mention of who said that:
10409 - Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, on the authority of ʿĪsā, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid concerning Allah's word: إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you") up to His word: وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاةِ اللَّهِ ("And whoever does that seeking Allah's good pleasure") — what lies between that was about Ibn Ubayriq, (2) and his iron coat of mail, belonging to the Jews, which he had stolen, (3) and his supporters among the believers said to the Prophet: "Excuse him among the people with your tongue," and they cast the coat of mail upon an innocent man of the Jews.
10410 - Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, in similar fashion. (4)
10411 - Al-Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad ibn Abī Shuʿayb Abū Muslim al-Ḥarrānī related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Salama related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related to us, on the authority of ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar ibn Qatāda, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather Qatāda ibn al-Nuʿmān, who said: There was among us a family called the Banū Ubayriq: Bishr, and Bashīr, and Mubashshir. And Bashīr was a hypocrite (munāfiq), who composed poetry with which he lampooned the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and which he would then ascribe to some of the Arabs, and would say: "So-and-so said thus," and "So-and-so said so." And when the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard that poem, they would say: "By Allah, none speaks this poem but the depraved one!" Then he said: (5)
"Or whenever the men compose a qaṣīda each time, they become enraged and say: the son of al-Ubayriq composed it!" (6)
He said: And they were a family of poverty and need, both in the time of ignorance (jāhiliyya) and in Islam. And the people — their food in Medina was only dates and barley. And when a man had affluence and a caravan (ḍāfiṭa) arrived from Syria with fine white flour (darmak), the man would buy of it and keep it for himself alone. (8) As for the household, their food was only dates and barley. Then a caravan arrived from Syria, and my uncle Rifāʿa ibn Zayd bought a load of fine white flour, and placed it in an upper chamber (mashruba) of his, and in the upper chamber was weaponry of his: two coats of mail with their two swords and what goes with them. It was stolen from him in the night: (10) the upper chamber was broken into, and the food and the weaponry were taken away. When morning came, my uncle Rifāʿa came to me and said: "O son of my brother, know that this night something has been taken from us: (11) our upper chamber has been broken into, and our weaponry and our food have been carried off!" He said: Then we searched around in the quarter (12) and made inquiries, and it was said to us: "We saw the Banū Ubayriq light a fire this night, and we think it can only have been over some of your food."
He said: And the Banū Ubayriq had said, while we were inquiring in the quarter: "By Allah, we think your man is none other than Labīd ibn Sahl!" — a man of ours of virtue and Islam. (13) When Labīd heard that, he drew his sword and came to the Banū Ubayriq and said: (14) "By Allah, either this sword shall strike you, or you make this theft public!" They said: "Get away from us, O man, for by Allah, you are not the one who did it!" We inquired in the quarter until we no longer doubted that they were the perpetrators. Then my uncle said: "O son of my brother, if only you would go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and tell him of it!"
Qatāda said: Then I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him of it, and I said: "O Messenger of Allah, truly, a family of ours, people of coarseness of nature, (15) have set upon my uncle Rifāʿa and broken into an upper chamber of his, and taken his weaponry and food. Let them then return our weaponry to us; as for the food, we have no need of it." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "I will look into that matter." (17) When the Banū Ubayriq heard that, they went to a man of theirs called "Usayr ibn ʿUrwa," and spoke to him about it. And people of the quarter gathered around him, and they went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "O Messenger of Allah, truly, Qatāda ibn al-Nuʿmān and his uncle have set upon a family of ours, people of Islam and virtue, and accuse them of theft without proof or certainty." (18)
Qatāda said: Then I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and spoke to him, and he said: "You have set upon a family of whom Islam and virtue are mentioned, and you accuse them of theft without proof or certainty!" He said: Then I turned back, and I truly wished that I had given up part of my property and not spoken to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about it. Then I went to my uncle Rifāʿa, and he said: "O son of my brother, what have you done?" Then I informed him of what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said to me, and he said: "Allah is the One whose help is sought!"
And it was not long before the Qurʾān was sent down: إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you; and do not be an advocate for the traitors"), that is to say: the Banū Ubayriq. "Wa-staghfiri Allāh" ("And ask Allah for forgiveness"), that is to say: for what you said against Qatāda. إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا * وَلا تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ("Truly, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And do not plead for those who betray themselves"), that is to say: the Banū Ubayriq. إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ خَوَّانًا أَثِيمًا * يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ("Truly, Allah does not love whoever is an arch-traitor, a sinner. They hide themselves from the people") up to His word: ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا ("and then asks Allah for forgiveness, he will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful"), that is to say: truly, if they ask Allah for forgiveness, He will forgive them. وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ إِثْمًا فَإِنَّمَا يَكْسِبُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا * وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ خَطِيئَةً أَوْ إِثْمًا ثُمَّ يَرْمِ بِهِ بَرِيئًا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلَ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا ("And whoever commits a sin commits it only to his own detriment, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. And whoever commits a fault or a sin and then accuses an innocent person of it, he has loaded upon himself a slander and a manifest sin") — their word concerning Labīd. وَلَوْلا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَهَمَّتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُضِلُّوكَ ("And were it not for Allah's favor over you and His mercy, a party of them would have resolved to lead you astray"), that is to say: Usayr and his supporters. وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَضُرُّونَكَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَأَنْـزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ ("But they lead astray only themselves, and they harm you in nothing, and Allah has sent down to you the Book and the wisdom") up to His word: فَسَوْفَ نُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا ("then We shall give him a mighty reward").
When the Qurʾān was sent down, the weaponry was brought to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he returned it to Rifāʿa. Qatāda said: When I brought my uncle the weaponry — and he was an old man who had grown advanced in age in the time of ignorance, (19) and I regarded his Islam as flawed (20) — when I brought him the weaponry, he said: "O son of my brother, it is for the sake of Allah." He said: Then I knew that his Islam was sincere. And when the Qurʾān was sent down, Bashīr joined the polytheists (mushrikīn), and he took up lodging with Sulāfa, daughter of Saʿd ibn Shuhayd, (21) and Allah sent down concerning him: وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ("And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him, and follows a way other than that of the believers") up to His word: وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالا بَعِيدًا ("And whoever associates partners with Allah has strayed far astray"). And when he took up lodging with Sulāfa, Ḥassān ibn Thābit assailed her with some lines of verse, (22)
whereupon she took his saddle-gear and placed it on her head, then went out and cast it into the Abṭaḥ, (23) and afterward said: "Have you made me a gift of the poetry of Ḥassān! You have never come bringing me anything good!" (24)
10412 - Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you"), he says: by what Allah has sent down to you and has made clear to you. وَلا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا ("and do not be an advocate for the traitors"), and he read on up to His word: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ خَوَّانًا أَثِيمًا ("Truly, Allah does not love whoever is an arch-traitor, a sinner"). It has been mentioned to us that these verses were sent down in the affair of Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq, and concerning what the Prophet of Allah ﷺ had resolved upon regarding excusing him. And Allah made the affair of Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq clear, and admonished His Prophet and warned him against being an advocate for the traitors.
And Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq was a man of the Anṣār, and indeed a member of the Banū Ẓafar; he stole a coat of mail from his uncle which was deposited with him as a pledge, and then cast it upon a Jew who used to frequent them, (25) who was called "Zayd ibn al-Samīn." (26) Then the Jew came to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, complaining imploringly, (27) and when his people, the Banū Ẓafar, saw that, they came to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ to excuse their companion, and the Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, had already resolved upon excusing him, until Allah sent down concerning his affair what He sent down, and He said: وَلا تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ("And do not plead for those who betray themselves") up to His word: هَا أَنْتُمْ هَؤُلاءِ جَادَلْتُمْ عَنْهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فَمَنْ يُجَادِلُ اللَّهَ عَنْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ("Here you are, you have pleaded for them in the life of this world, but who will plead with Allah for them on the Day of Resurrection"), by which He means their people. وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ خَطِيئَةً أَوْ إِثْمًا ثُمَّ يَرْمِ بِهِ بَرِيئًا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلَ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا ("And whoever commits a fault or a sin and then accuses an innocent person of it, he has loaded upon himself a slander and a manifest sin"), and Ṭuʿma had with it accused an innocent person. And when Allah made the affair of Ṭuʿma clear, he behaved hypocritically and joined the polytheists in Mecca, and Allah sent down concerning his affair:
وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا ("And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him, and follows a way other than that of the believers, We let him follow what he has chosen, and We make him burn in Hell (jahannam), and that is an evil destination").
10413 - Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, his word: إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you; and do not be an advocate for the traitors"), and that was because a group of the Anṣār went out to battle with the Prophet ﷺ on one of his expeditions, and a coat of mail belonging to one of them was stolen. A man of the Anṣār was suspected of it, (28) and the owner of the coat of mail came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "Truly, Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq stole my coat of mail." Then he was brought to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And when the thief saw that, he went and cast it into the house of an innocent man, and said to a group of his clansmen: "I have hidden the coat of mail and cast it into the house of so-and-so, and it will be found with him." Then they went by night to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ (29) and said: "O Prophet of Allah, truly, our companion is innocent, and the one who stole the coat of mail is so-and-so, and we have acquired complete knowledge of that. So excuse our companion before the people and plead for him, for if Allah does not protect him through you, he is ruined!" (30) Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and absolved him and excused him before the people. Then Allah sent down: إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you; and do not be an advocate for the traitors"), He says: judge among them by what Allah has sent down to you in the Book. وَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا * وَلا تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ("And ask Allah for forgiveness; truly, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And do not plead for those who betray themselves"), the verses. Then He said to those who had come by night to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him: يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلا يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ ("They hide themselves from the people, but they do not hide themselves from Allah") up to His word: أَمْ مَنْ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيلا ("or who will be their guardian"), by which He means: those who had come secretly to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to plead for the traitor. Then He said: وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا ("And whoever does evil or wrongs himself and then asks Allah for forgiveness, he will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful"), by which He means: those who had come secretly with falsehood to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. (31) Then He said: وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ خَطِيئَةً أَوْ إِثْمًا ثُمَّ يَرْمِ بِهِ بَرِيئًا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلَ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا ("And whoever commits a fault or a sin and then accuses an innocent person of it, he has loaded upon himself a slander and a manifest sin"), by which He means: the thief and those who plead for the thief.
10414 - Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you"), the verses, he said: There was a man who stole an iron coat of mail in the time of the Prophet ﷺ and cast it upon a Jew. Then the Jew said: "By Allah, I did not steal it, O Abū al-Qāsim, but it was cast upon me!" And the man who had stolen had neighbors who absolved him and cast the blame upon the Jew and said: "O Messenger of Allah, truly, this depraved Jew is a disbeliever in Allah and in what you have brought!" He said: until the Prophet ﷺ inclined against him with some utterance, whereupon Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, reproached him for that and said: إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا * وَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you; and do not be an advocate for the traitors. And ask Allah for forgiveness") for what you said against this Jew. "Inna Allāha kāna ghafūran raḥīman" ("truly, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful"). Then He turned to his neighbors and said: هَا أَنْتُمْ هَؤُلاءِ جَادَلْتُمْ عَنْهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ("Here you are, you have pleaded for them in the life of this world"), and he read on until he reached: أَمْ مَنْ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيلا ("or who will be their guardian"). He said: Then He offered them repentance and said: وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا * وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ إِثْمًا فَإِنَّمَا يَكْسِبُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ ("And whoever does evil or wrongs himself and then asks Allah for forgiveness, he will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful. And whoever commits a sin commits it only to his own detriment"), so what brought you, O people, to involve yourselves with the fault of this man and to speak in his place. وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا * وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ خَطِيئَةً أَوْ إِثْمًا ثُمَّ يَرْمِ بِهِ بَرِيئًا ("And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. And whoever commits a fault or a sin and then accuses an innocent person of it"), even if he were a polytheist (mushrik). فَقَدِ احْتَمَلَ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا ("he has loaded upon himself a slander and a manifest sin"), and he read on until he reached: لا خَيْرَ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنْ نَجْوَاهُمْ ("there is no good in much of their secret counsel"), (32) and he read on until he reached: وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى ("And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him"). He said: He refused to accept the repentance that Allah had offered him, and he departed to the polytheists in Mecca, and broke into a house to rob it, (33) whereupon Allah caused it to collapse upon him and killed him. That, then, is the word of Allah, blessed and exalted is He: (34) وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى ("And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him"), and he read on until he reached: وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا ("and that is an evil destination"). And it is said: it is Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq, and he resided with the Banū Ẓafar.
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And others said: nay, the treachery with which Allah described him, the one whom He described with His word: وَلا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا ("and do not be an advocate for the traitors"), was his denial of a pledge that had been entrusted to him.
* Mention of who said that:
10415 - Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you; and do not be an advocate for the traitors"), he said: as for "what Allah has shown you," that is what Allah has revealed to you. He said: it was sent down concerning Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq. A man of the Jews entrusted him with a coat of mail, and he took it to his house. The Jew had dug a pit for the coat of mail and then buried it. Then Ṭuʿma went to it and dug it up and took it. When the Jew came to demand his coat of mail, he denied it to him. (35) Then he went to some people of the Jews, of his tribe, and said: "Come with me, for I know where the coat of mail is." And when Ṭuʿma learned of them, he took the coat of mail and cast it into the house of Abū Mulayl al-Anṣārī. When the Jews came to demand the coat of mail and could not find it, Ṭuʿma and some people of his folk fell upon him and reviled him, and he said: "Do you accuse me of treachery!" Then they went searching for it in his house, and they caught sight of the house of Abū Mulayl, and there they suddenly saw the coat of mail. And Ṭuʿma said: "Abū Mulayl took it!" And the Anṣār pleaded for Ṭuʿma, and he said to them: "Come with me to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and tell him to stand up for me and to refute the proof of the Jew, (36) for if I am accused of lying, the Jew will lie against the people of Medina!" Then some people of the Anṣār came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, plead for Ṭuʿma and charge the Jew with lying." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ resolved to do that, whereupon Allah sent down concerning him: وَلا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا * وَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ ("and do not be an advocate for the traitors. And ask Allah for forgiveness") for what you intended. إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا * وَلا تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ خَوَّانًا أَثِيمًا ("Truly, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And do not plead for those who betray themselves; truly, Allah does not love whoever is an arch-traitor, a sinner"). Then He mentioned the Anṣār and their pleading for him, and said: يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلا يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ يُبَيِّتُونَ مَا لا يَرْضَى مِنَ الْقَوْلِ ("They hide themselves from the people, but they do not hide themselves from Allah, while He is with them when they devise by night words that displease Him"), he says: they speak words that do not please. (37) هَا أَنْتُمْ هَؤُلاءِ جَادَلْتُمْ عَنْهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فَمَنْ يُجَادِلُ اللَّهَ عَنْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ("Here you are, you have pleaded for them in the life of this world, but who will plead with Allah for them on the Day of Resurrection"). Then He called to repentance and said: وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا ("And whoever does evil or wrongs himself and then asks Allah for forgiveness, he will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful"). Then He mentioned his word when he said: "Abū Mulayl took it," and said: وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ إِثْمًا فَإِنَّمَا يَكْسِبُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ ("And whoever commits a sin commits it only to his own detriment"). وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ خَطِيئَةً أَوْ إِثْمًا ثُمَّ يَرْمِ بِهِ بَرِيئًا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلَ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا ("And whoever commits a fault or a sin and then accuses an innocent person of it, he has loaded upon himself a slander and a manifest sin"). Then He mentioned the Anṣār and their coming to him (38) to stand up for their companion and to plead for him, and said: لَهَمَّتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُضِلُّوكَ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَضُرُّونَكَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَأَنْـزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ ("a party of them would have resolved to lead you astray, but they lead astray only themselves, and they harm you in nothing, and Allah has sent down to you the Book and the wisdom"), he says: the prophethood. Then He mentioned their secret counsel concerning what they wished to falsify in favor of Ṭuʿma, and said: لا خَيْرَ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنْ نَجْوَاهُمْ إِلا مَنْ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوْ مَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ إِصْلاحٍ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ ("There is no good in much of their secret counsel, except in him who enjoins charity or a good deed or reconciliation between the people"). And when Allah disgraced Ṭuʿma in Medina through the Qurʾān, he fled until he reached Mecca, and he disbelieved after his Islam, and took up lodging with al-Ḥajjāj ibn ʿIlāṭ al-Sulamī. Then he broke into the house of al-Ḥajjāj and wished to rob him. But al-Ḥajjāj heard a rustling in his house and a rattling of hides that he possessed, (39) and he looked, and there was Ṭuʿma. Then he said: "My guest and the son of my uncle, and you wished to rob me!" Then he drove him out, and he died as a disbeliever in the lava-plain (ḥarra) of the Banū Sulaym, (40) and Allah sent down concerning him: وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى ("And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him, and follows a way other than that of the believers, We let him follow what he has chosen") up to وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا ("and that is an evil destination").
10416 - Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of ʿIkrima, who said: A man of the Anṣār entrusted Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq with an upper chamber (mashruba) of his in which lay a coat of mail, (41) and he departed and remained absent. When the Anṣārī returned, he opened his upper chamber and did not find the coat of mail, and asked Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq about it, whereupon the latter cast the blame upon a man of the Jews called Zayd ibn al-Samīn. Then the owner of the coat of mail clung to Ṭuʿma over his coat of mail. When his people saw that, they came to the Prophet ﷺ and spoke to him to avert the blame from him, and he resolved upon that, whereupon Allah, blessed and exalted is He, sent down: إِنَّا أَنْـزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا * وَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا * وَلا تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you; and do not be an advocate for the traitors. And ask Allah for forgiveness; truly, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And do not plead for those who betray themselves"), by which He means: Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq and his people. هَا أَنْتُمْ هَؤُلاءِ جَادَلْتُمْ عَنْهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فَمَنْ يُجَادِلُ اللَّهَ عَنْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَمْ مَنْ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيلا ("Here you are, you have pleaded for them in the life of this world, but who will plead with Allah for them on the Day of Resurrection, or who will be their guardian") — Muḥammad ﷺ and the people of Ṭuʿma. وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا ("And whoever does evil or wrongs himself and then asks Allah for forgiveness, he will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful") — Muḥammad and Ṭuʿma and his people. He said: وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ إِثْمًا فَإِنَّمَا يَكْسِبُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ ("And whoever commits a sin commits it only to his own detriment"), the verse — Ṭuʿma. وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ خَطِيئَةً أَوْ إِثْمًا ثُمَّ يَرْمِ بِهِ بَرِيئًا ("And whoever commits a fault or a sin and then accuses an innocent person of it"), by which He means: Zayd ibn al-Samīn. فَقَدِ احْتَمَلَ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا ("he has loaded upon himself a slander and a manifest sin") — Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq. وَلَوْلا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَتُهُ ("And were it not for Allah's favor over you and His mercy") — O Muḥammad. لَهَمَّتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُضِلُّوكَ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَضُرُّونَكَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ("a party of them would have resolved to lead you astray, but they lead astray only themselves, and they harm you in nothing") — the people of Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq. وَأَنْـزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ وَكَانَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيمًا ("and Allah has sent down to you the Book and the wisdom and taught you what you did not know, and Allah's favor over you is great") — O Muḥammad. (42) لا خَيْرَ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنْ نَجْوَاهُمْ إِلا مَنْ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوْ مَعْرُوفٍ ("There is no good in much of their secret counsel, except in him who enjoins charity or a good deed"), until the verse ends — for the people in general. وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ("And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him, and follows a way other than that of the believers"), the verse. He said: When the Qurʾān was sent down concerning Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq, he joined the Quraysh and returned to his [former] religion. Then he set upon an upper chamber of al-Ḥajjāj ibn ʿIlāṭ al-Bahzī and then al-Sulamī, (43) a confederate of the Banū ʿAbd al-Dār, and broke into it, whereupon a stone fell upon him and he became stuck fast. (44) When morning came, they drove him out of Mecca. When he departed, he met a cavalcade of Bahrāʾ of Quḍāʿa, and he stopped them and said: "A traveler on the road who has been stranded!" Then they took him along, until — when night fell upon him — he set upon them and robbed them, and then made off. Then they turned back to search for him and overtook him, and pelted him with stones until he died. Ibn Jurayj said: These verses were all sent down concerning him, up to His word: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ ("Truly, Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, but He forgives what is below that for whom He wills"); they were sent down concerning Ṭuʿma ibn Ubayriq. And they say: he cast the coat of mail into the house of Abū Mulayl ibn ʿAbdallāh al-Khazrajī, and when the Qurʾān was sent down, he joined the Quraysh, and with him befell what befell.
10417 - It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Faraj, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say, he said: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word: لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ ("that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you"), he says: by what has been sent down to you and what He has shown you in His Book. And this verse was sent down concerning a man of the Anṣār to whom a coat of mail was entrusted, and who denied it to its owner. Then some men of the Companions of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ accused him of treachery, and his people became angry on his behalf and came to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ and said: "They have accused our companion of treachery, while he is a trustworthy Muslim. So excuse him, O Prophet of Allah, and restrain [the people] from him!" Then the Prophet of Allah stood up and excused him and absolved him, believing that he was innocent and that lies were being told about him. Then Allah sent down the clarification of that and said: إِنَّا أَنْـزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, that you may judge among the people by what Allah has shown you") up to His word: أَمْ مَنْ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيلا ("or who will be their guardian"). Thus Allah made his treachery clear, whereupon he joined the polytheists of the people of Mecca and apostatized from Islam (irtadda ʿan al-islām), and concerning him was sent down: وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى ("And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him") up to His word: وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا ("and that is an evil destination").
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Abū Jaʿfar said: And the most correct of the two interpretations concerning that, given what the outward meaning of the verse indicates, is the word of him who said: his treachery with which Allah described him in this verse was his denial of what was given to him in trust, because that is the well-known meaning of "the betrayals" (al-khiyānāt) in the language of the Arabs. And directing the interpretation of the Qurʾān toward the most prevalent of the meanings of the language of the Arabs, when a way to it can be found, is preferable to the rest.
