(And such of your slaves as seek a writing (of emancipation), write it for them…) [24:33]. This verse was revealed about a slave of Huwaytib ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzza who was called Subayh. The latter asked his master for a writing of emancipation but he refused. When Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse, Huwaytib agreed to write a letter of emancipation in exchange for a hundred pieces of gold. Out of this sum, he offered him twenty pieces of gold which he paid. But he was killed in war at the Battle of Hunayn. (Force not your slave-girls to whoredom that ye may seek enjoyment of the life of the world, if they would preserve their chastity) [24:33]. Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Qadi informed us> the chamberlain of Ahmad al-Tusi> Muhammad ibn Hamdan> Abu Mu‘awiyah> al-A‘mash> Abu Sufyan> Jabir who said: “‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy used to say to a slave-girl of his: ‘Go and earn something for us from whoring’, and so Allah, glorious and majestic is He, revealed (Force not your slave-girls to whoredom) up to His words (Allah will be Forgiving, Merciful!)”. Narrated by Muslim from Abu Kurayb from Abu Mu‘awiyah. Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Farisi informed us> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Hamdun> Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Hafiz> Muhammad ibn Yahya> Isma‘il ibn Abi Uways> Malik> Ibn Shihab> ‘Umar ibn Thabit who related that the verse (Force not your slave-girls to whoredom) was revealed about Mu‘adhah, the slave-girl of ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul. And through this chain of transmission> Muhammad ibn Yahya> ‘Ayyash ibn al-Walid> ‘Abd al-A‘la> Muhammad ibn Ishaq> al-Zuhri> ‘Umar ibn Thabit who said: “Mu‘adhah was Muslim as well as being the slave-girl of ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul. The latter used to force her to whoredom, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Force not your slave-girls to whoredom) up to the end of the verse”. Sa‘id ibn Muhammad al-Mu’adhdhin informed> Abu ‘Ali al-Faqih> Abu’l-Qasim al-Baghawi> Dawud ibn ‘Amr> Mansur ibn Abi al-Aswad> al-A‘mash> Abu Nadrah> Jabir who said: “‘Abd ibn Ubayy used to have a slave-girl by the name of Musaykah whom he forced to whoredom. And so, Allah, glorious and majestic is He, revealed (Force not your slave-girls to whoredom) up to the end of the verse”. The commentators of the Qur’an said: “This verse was revealed about Mu‘adhah and Musaykah, two slave-girls of ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy, whom he used to force to whoredom and tax them for it.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou
