Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi — Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

And He responds to those who have faith and do wholesome deeds, and He increases them in His bounty. This “increase,” according to the commentators among the Folk of the Sunnah, is the vision of the Lord. In the same way, He says in another place, “Those who do what is beautiful shall have the most beautiful and an increase” [10:26]. When the servant reaches the vision of God, he reaches it through God's bounty, not his own obedience, as He says: “and He increases them in His bounty.” Tomorrow, when He bestows His vision on His friends, He will do so by the request of His own beauty, not the request of mortal man. How could an insignificant mortal have the gall to make the request himself? What a marvelous business! Before the vision of others the exaltedness of jealousy requires mask upon mask, but the perfection of beauty requires self-disclosure upon self- disclosure! Though He's always hidden behind the curtain the light of His face is apparent on every horizon. Once when he was overpowered by ecstasy, Abū Bakr Shiblī said, “O God, tomorrow raise up everyone blind so that only Shiblī may see You!” Another time he said, “O God, raise up Shiblī blind, for it would be a shame for someone like me to see You!” The first words were jealousy for beauty against the eyes of others, and the second time was jealousy for that beauty against his own eyes. In the road of the chevaliers, the second step is more complete and more exalted than the first. Jealous for You, I'll pull out my heart and eyes so my eyes will not see You and my heart will know nothing more of You. Evidence that tomorrow's vision of the Lord will be at the request of beauty is in the sound report, “When the folk of the Garden enter the Garden, a call will come to them, 'O folk of the Garden, you have an appointment with God that He desires to fulfill.'” When the folk of paradise come into paradise and they take up residence in their own goodly dwellings, a call will come, “O friends of the Real! You have a promise with the Real. Come and be present, for the Real will realize that promise through His bounty.

Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi — Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

(And if Allah were to enlarge the provision for His slaves they would surely rebel in the earth�) [42:27]. This verse was revealed about some people amongst the folk of the Platform (ahl al-Suffah) who wished to have an expansion of this worldly life and riches. Khabbab ibn al-Aratt said: �This verse was revealed about us. This is because we had looked at the wealth of Banu Qurayzah and Banu�l-Nadir and wished to have the same, and so Allah, glorified and exalted is He, revealed this verse�. He said: Abu �Uthman al-Mu�adhdhin informed me> Abu �Ali al-Faqih> Abu Muhammad ibn Mu�adh> al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan ibn Harb> Ibn al-Mubarak> Haywah> Abu Hani� al-Khawlani> �Amr ibn Hurayth who said: �This verse was revealed about the 'folk of the Platform' (And if Allah were to enlarge the provision for His slaves they would surely rebel in the earth). This is because they said: �If only we had this worldly life�, they desired this worldly life�.

Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi — Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

He it is who sends down the rain after they have despaired and spreads out His mercy. This verse alludes to the servant when the branches of his present moment have wilted, the limpid- ness of his love has turned opaque, the sun of his intimacy has been eclipsed, and the freshness of his covenant has become distant from the courtyards of proximity. At that point it may happen that the Real will gaze upon him with the gaze of mercy and send mercy's rain to his secret core. Then the fresh twigs will return and flowering roses will grow up in the places of witnessing intimacy. If Your forsaking me takes my hand, perhaps my days will return. Your covenant may curve back to life, for covenants may come again to life. Leaves sometimes go dry, then you see them green and moving. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “Since the last of this work is so similar to the first of this work, the road to the Friend is a circle. It comes from Him and goes back to Him. The first of this work is like springtime and blossoms. A man is happy, fresh, and comfortable. Then he sees the downs and ups. Disappointments and dispersions come forth, for in worship there are both togetherness and dispersion, and in the stations there are light and darkness. In the darkness of dispersion the servant sees so much concealment that he says, 'Oh, I tremble because I am worthless. What can I do other than burn until I rise up from this fallenness. What will happen then?'” Who sends down the rain after they have despaired. The clouds of munificence pour down the rain of finding, the billows of bounteousness scatter the pearls of welcome, the rose of union blos- soms in the garden of bestowal, and the last of the work goes back to the first. In joy and coquetry the servant says, “With reports I went forth seeking certainty, fear my resource, hope my compan- ion. The goal was hidden from me and I was striving in the religion. All at once the lightning of self-disclosure flashed from ambush. With thought they see like that, with the Friend like this.”