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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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The Graceful Commentary

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upon the book *Introductory Profiles

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of the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*

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by Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Umar Nasif,

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may Allah preserve him.

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Surah al-Baqarah.

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah,

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and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.

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Today's lesson in the graceful commentary

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upon the book introducing the surahs of the Noble Qur'an

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focuses on Surah al-Baqarah,

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the longest surah in the Qur'an.

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Because of this, I will dedicate to it

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two or three segments.

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In this particular segment,

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I shall confine myself

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to three reflective pauses.

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The first pause concerns the occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul).

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I mentioned here

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that Surah al-Baqarah has

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sixty-eight occasions of revelation,

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whereas I mentioned regarding al-Fatihah

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that no occasion of revelation was recorded for it.

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One of the esteemed scholars raised an objection

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whom I met after the book was printed,

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asking, "What was the methodology adopted here?"

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The truth is that I did indicate

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the methodology,

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yet the matter perhaps required further elaboration.

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So I say:

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I relied upon a single book regarding the occasions of revelation,

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which is *Al-Sahih min Asbab al-Nuzul*

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by 'Isam al-Humaydan.

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Such is the title of the book:

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*Al-Sahih min Asbab al-Nuzul*

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by 'Isam al-Humaydan.

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The methodology was to cite his tally,

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and then I might offer a critique,

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noting that a narration is mursal,

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weak,

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or the like.

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This critique was mostly drawn from the book

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*Al-Muharrar fi Asbab al-Nuzul*

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by Dr. Khalid al-Muzayni.

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Furthermore, you may find an analytical comment;

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for instance, here I mentioned sixty-eight occasions in al-Baqarah,

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and then clarified that some pertain to the opening of the surah,

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while others pertain to other themes—

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offering a kind of thematic overview of the occasions of revelation.

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This was an analytical effort on my part,

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aimed at enlightening the reader

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about the significant events associated with the surah,

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which in turn grants insight—or rather aids—

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in understanding the chronology of revelation as well.

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I ought to have followed this uniform methodology

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throughout the entire book; however, the reality

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is that the book was published without my maintaining this consistently,

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except in the earliest surahs and a few others.

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I ask Allah to assist me in a subsequent edition

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to apply this very same method across all surahs,

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discussing the core themes

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around which those occasions revolved,

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even though this naturally varies from one surah to another.

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And Allah is the One whose help is sought.

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There remains the question: why did I choose this particular book?

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The fact is that this work,

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within the scope of my reading—and books on occasions of revelation are very numerous—

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is among the finest written on this subject,

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for two primary reasons,

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or rather for a single reason that branches into two considerations.

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Some books were overly lenient, including fabricated narrations

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without critical refinement;

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they cited the fabricated, the extremely weak, and the weak,

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recording every single report that was transmitted concerning occasions of revelation.

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On the other hand, some works strictly applied the rigorous standards of hadith scholars

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used for hadiths of legal rulings and the like.

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The author took a balanced middle path;

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for the early hadith scholars did not treat hadiths of legal rulings

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—meaning the early authorities—

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in the same manner they treated occasions of revelation,

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reports of Tafsir, and the like.

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The author adopted a praiseworthy middle course according to

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my understanding and assessment,

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positioning himself between those who record any narration indiscriminately

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and those who are overly rigid, treating

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occasions of revelation as though they were hadiths on legal rulings.

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For that reason, I selected this book,

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*Al-Sahih min Asbab al-Nuzul*.

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It was printed long ago, so it may not be readily available in bookstores,

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though it might be found online,

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having been published in the year 1420 AH.

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That was the first edition, which is the one in my possession,

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and I do not know whether it was reprinted thereafter.

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The second pause: the importance of devoting oneself to Surah al-Baqarah.

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This is because it is the longest surah in the Qur'an,

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encompasses numerous legal rulings,

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and is called the pinnacle of the Qur'an.

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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, called out—

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when he commanded al-'Abbas to summon the Companions at the Battle of Hunayn—

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"O companions of Surah al-Baqarah!"

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It is also reported that the rallying cry of the Muslims at the Battle of al-Yamamah was:

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"O companions of Surah al-Baqarah!"

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From some of this, Ibn 'Ashur deduced

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that the Companions devoted themselves to this surah with tremendous dedication.

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It has been established through a good chain of transmission

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that Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father,

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spent four years learning this surah.

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Therefore, a person should eagerly cherish this surah,

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dedicating to it of his time and effort

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a great deal, learning it and acting in accordance with it.

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The third pause concerns the structural sections of the surah.

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The opening of the surah spans twenty verses,

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discussing the righteous, the disbelievers, and the hypocrites.

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Then the first main section begins with the words of the Exalted:

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"O mankind, worship your Lord."

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I wish to speak about this section

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and conclude this reflection of mine with it.

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This section commands the worship of Allah leading to piety (taqwa).

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I will not delve into all that was mentioned in the book;

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you may refer back to it and review the detailed commentary.

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However, I wish to point out that this section, as it were,

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prepares the ground from its very beginning for the change of the Qiblah,

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which occurs towards the end of this section, approximately,

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and is linked to it, even though these are relatively few verses.

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Five occasions of revelation are connected with it, as noted

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and recorded among the occasions of revelation for this surah,

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which demonstrates the momentous nature of this event—

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the event of the changing of the Qiblah.

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This is a matter that I believe still warrants further study;

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I have not encountered an in-depth treatment

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discussing the distinctiveness of this Ummah

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and why it was uniquely designated with this Qiblah.

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There may well be subtle indications that I have not come across,

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for everything preceding it serves as a preparation for it.

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Bear in mind from the opening of the surah

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that it will lead you to see that the Qiblah of the Muslims

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is distinct from the Qiblah of others.

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Thereafter, at the conclusion of this section, comes

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the preparation of the Muslims

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through seeking help through patience and prayer,

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so that they may embrace the legal rulings

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that will be presented to them in the second section.

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At the close of this section, there is also

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the warning against concealing what Allah has revealed

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of clear proofs and guidance.

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This is what I wished to state:

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reflect upon the matter of the change of the Qiblah;

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prior to it, there is a critique dissuading reliance upon the state of the People of the Book,

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an exposition of the flaws in their conduct

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after Allah had favored them above the worlds,

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and an exposition of the leadership (imamah) of Ibrahim, peace be upon him.

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All of this is intimately connected with the Qiblah,

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and upon deep reflection, this will become manifest to you, by Allah's leave.

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One may also consult the extensive commentary in this regard.

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I will suffice with this much.

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May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad,

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and upon all his family and companions,

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and all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.