(Alif. Lam. Mim. Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, We believe, and will not be tested with affliction?) [29:1-2]. Said al-Sha‘bi: “These verses were revealed about some people in Mecca who embraced Islam. The Companions of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, in Medina wrote to them saying that their faith and embracing of Islam will not be accepted from them until they emigrate from Mecca. For this reason, they left Mecca with the intention of joining Medina. However, the idolaters caught up with them and harmed them. These verses were, therefore, revealed about them. The Muslims of Medina then wrote back and said to them that such-and-such verses were revealed about you. Those Muslims in Mecca said: ‘We will leave and fight whoever follows us’. They left Mecca and were pursued by the idolaters. Fighting ensued between them; some were killed and some escaped safe. Allah, exalted is He, therefore revealed about them (Then lo! Thy Lord—for those who become fugitive after they had been persecuted…) [16:110]”. Said Muqatil: “This verse was revealed about Mihja‘, the client of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, who was the first Muslim to be killed at the Battle of Badr. ‘Amr ibn al-Hadrami struck him with a bow which killed him. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said on that day: ‘The master of all martyrs is Mihja‘. He will be the first one of this community to be called to the gate of heaven’. His wife and parents were distraught because of his death, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed about them these verses, explaining that they had to suffer trials and hardship for the sake of Allah, exalted is He”.

(We have enjoined on man kindness to parents…) [29:8]. The commentators of the Qur’an said: “This was revealed about Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas. When the latter embraced Islam, his mother Hamnah said to him: ‘O Sa‘d, I heard that you have renounced your old religion. By Allah, I will not take shelter under any roof to protect me from the sun and wind, nor will I eat or drink, until you disbelieve in Muhammad and revert to your old religion’. Sa‘d was the dearest of her sons to her, but he refused to do as she wanted. For three days, his mother did not eat, drink or take shelter under the shade until it was feared that she may perish. At that point, Sa‘d went to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and complained to him. Allah, exalted is He, revealed as a response this verse as well as the verse in Surah Luqman [31:14] and the verse in Surah al-Ahqaf [46:15]”. Abu Sa‘id informed us> Abu Bakr al-Ghazi> Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Hamdan> Abu Ya‘la> Abu Khaythamah> al-Hasan ibn Musa> Zuhayr> Simak ibn Harb> Mus‘ab ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas> his father who said: “This verse was revealed about me. Umm Sa‘d [his mother] swore that she will never speak to me, eat or drink, until I disbelieve in Islam. She did this for three days until she passed out from exhaustion. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed (We have enjoined on man kindness to parents…)”. This was narrated by Muslim from Abu Khaythamah.

(Of mankind is he who saith: We believe in Allah…) [29:10]. Said Mujahid: “This verse was revealed about some people who declared faith with their tongues. However, when Allah tested them with trials or calamities regarding their own persons, they succumbed”. Said al-Dahhak: “This verse was revealed about some Meccan hypocrites who displayed faith but showed their belief in idolatry whenever they were harmed”. ‘Ikrimah also reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “This verse was revealed about the believers who were expelled to Badr by the idolaters and so they renounced their faith. It is about these people that the verse (Lo! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they wrong themselves…) [4:97] was revealed”.

(And how many an animal there is that beareth not its own provision!) [29:60]. Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tamimi informed us> Abu Muhammad ibn Hayyan> Ahmad ibn Ja‘far al-Jamal> ‘Abd al-Wahid ibn Muhammad al-Bajali> Yazid ibn Harun> Hajjaj ibn Minhal> al-Zuhri (who is ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Ata’)> ‘Ata’> Ibn ‘Umar who said: “We went out with the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and walked with him until he entered one of the fields of the Helpers and started picking dates and eating them. He said: ‘O Ibn ‘Umar, why do you not eat?’ I said: ‘I do not feel like it, O Messenger of Allah!’ He said: ‘As for me, I do feel like it; this is the fourth morning in which I did not taste any food. And if I wish, I can pray to my Lord to grant me the like of the kingdoms of Chosroes and the Caesar. What will you do then, O Ibn ‘Umar, when you live among people who store their provision for a year and when certainty is weakened?’ By Allah, we did not leave [our place] until this verse was revealed (And how many an animal there is that beareth not its own provision! Allah provideth for it and for you. He is the Hearer, the Knower)”.