(Then let him call upon his henchmen! We will call the guards of hell) [96:17-19]. This was revealed about Abu Jahl. Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi informed us> Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Yazid al-Khuzi> Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Sufyan> Abu Sa‘id al-Ashajj> Abu Khalid ibn Abi Hind> ‘Ikrimah> Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, was praying when Abu Jahl came to him and said: ‘Did we not warn you against this?’ The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, went to him and spoke to him harshly. Abu Jahl retaliated by saying: ‘Indeed, you know very well that there is no one in Mecca who has more guards than me’, and as a response Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Then let him call upon his henchmen! We will call the guards of hell)” Ibn ‘Abbas commented: “By Allah, if he had called Allah, glorious and majestic is He, would have sent on him the guards of hell”.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou
