(Is he who payeth adoration in the watches of the night…) [39:9]. ‘Ata’ reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “This verse was revealed about Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be well pleased with him”. Ibn ‘Umar was of the opinion that it was revealed about ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan while Muqatil said that it was revealed about ‘Ammar ibn Yasir.

(And those who put away false gods lest they should worship them…) [39:17]. Ibn Zayd said: “This verse was revealed about three people who confessed the oneness of Allah in the pre-Islamic period: Zayd ibn ‘Amr, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Salman al-Farisi”. (… for them there are glad tidings. Therefor give good tidings (O Muhammad) to My bondmen who hear advice and follow the best thereof…) [39:17-18]. ‘Ata’ reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “When Abu Bakr al-Siddiq believed in the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and followed him, ‘Uthman, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Talhah, al-Zubayr, Sa‘id ibn Zayd, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas went to him and asked him [whether he believed in the Prophet]. He informed them about his faith and they believed [with him on the spot]. Allah revealed about them (Therefor give good tidings (O Muhammad) to My bondmen who hear advice) i.e. from Abu Bakr (and follow the best thereof)”.

(Is he whose bosom Allah hath expanded for Al-Islam, so that he followeth a light from his Lord…) [39:22]. This was revealed about Hamzah, ‘Ali, Abu Lahab and his sons. ‘Ali and Hamzah are of those whose bosoms Allah had expanded for the religion of Islam while Abu Lahab and his sons were of those whose hearts were hardened against the remembrance of Allah. It is to the latter that the words of Allah (Then woe unto those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah) are addressed.

(Allah hath (now) revealed the fairest of statements…) [39:23]. ‘Abd al-Qahir ibn Tahir al-Baghdadi informed us> Abu ‘Amr ibn Matar> Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Firyabi> Ishaq ibn Rahwayh> ‘Amr ibn Muhammad al-Qurashi> Khallad al-Saffar> ‘Amr ibn Qays al-Mula’i> ‘Amr ibn Murrah> Mus‘ab ibn Sa‘d [ibn Abi Waqqas] who said: “They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, why do you not relate to us statements’, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Allah hath (now) revealed the fairest of statements…)”.

(Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah…) [39:53]. Said Ibn ‘Abbas: “This was revealed about the people of Mecca who said: ‘Muhammad claims that whoever has worshipped idols and killed souls which Allah has made inviolable will not be forgiven; how are we expected to embrace Islam and migrate when we have in the past worshipped other deities besides Allah and killed souls which Allah has made inviolable?’ And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. Said Ibn ‘Umar: “This verse was revealed about ‘Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi‘ah, al-Walid ibn al-Walid and a group of people who had accepted Islam but later on renounced it after being tortured and tried. We used to say: ‘Allah will never accept the repentance or return of these people; people who renounced their religion because of some torture they faced’. And so this verse was revealed. ‘Umar was a scribe. He wrote the verse and sent it to ‘Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi‘ah, al-Walid ibn al-Walid and those people. They embraced Islam and migrated to Medina”. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Sarraj informed us> Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Kazari> ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz> al-Qasim ibn Salam> Hajjaj> Ibn Jurayj> Ya‘la ibn Muslim> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who related that some idolaters who had killed a great number of people and committed adultery numerous times went to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: “What you say and call people to is fine, if only you inform us that there is an expiation for the wrongs that we have committed. And so this verse was revealed (Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah)”. This was narrated by Bukhari> Ibrahim ibn Musa> Hisham ibn Yusuf> Ibn Jurayj. Abu Ishaq al-Muqri’ informed us> Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Dinawari> Abu Bakr ibn Khurjah> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Sulayman> Muhammad ibn al-‘Ala’> Yunus ibn Bukayr> Muhammad ibn Ishaq> Nafi‘> Ibn ‘Umar> ‘Umar who said: “When we gathered for migration, myself, ‘Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi‘ah and Hisham ibn al-‘As ibn Wa’il set an appointment between us. We said: ‘We shall meet at al-Manasif, Banu Ghifar’s site for entering Ihram. If some of us do not make it, it means they have been stopped and the others should proceed ahead’. ‘Ayyash and I made it but Hisham was stopped and was tortured until he renounced Islam. We then made it to Medina. We used to say: ‘Allah will never accept the repentance of these people: they have known Allah and His Messenger but then renounced their faith because of a worldly affliction that has befallen them’. But Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah) up to His words (Is not the home of the scorners in Hell?) [39:60]”. ‘Umar said: “I wrote these verses with my own hands and sent them to Hisham”. Hisham said: “When I received the verses, I went to Tuwa and prayed ‘O Allah, grant me understanding of these verses’. I knew then that they were revealed about us; I therefore mounted my camel and joined the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace”. It is also related that this verse was revealed about Wahshiyy, the killer of Hamzah, may Allah’s mercy and good pleasure be with him. We have already mentioned this at the end of Surah al-Furqan.

(And they esteem not Allah as He hath the right to be esteemed…) [39:67]. Abu Bakr al-Harithi informed us> Abu’l-Shaykh al-Hafiz> Ibn Abi ‘Asim> Ibn Numayr> Abu Mu‘awiyah> al-A‘mash> ‘Alqamah> ‘Abd Allah who said: “A man from the people of the Book went to see the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said to him: ‘O Abu’l-Qasim, did you not hear that Allah carries all created being on one finger, all the earth on one finger, all trees on one finger, all the soil on one finger and then says: I am the King?’ The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, laughed so much that he molars showed. Allah, exalted is He, revealed (And they esteem not Allah as He hath the right to be esteemed...)”. This means that Allah, exalted is He, is able to hold the earth and all that is in it of created beings, trees and so as one of us is able to carry some things with his fingers. We have only been addressed in our usual speech so that we can understand. Do you not see that Allah, exalted is He, says (when the whole earth is His handful on the Day of Resurrection…), i.e. it is His handful by means of His power.