(They question thee (O Muhammad) with regard to warfare in the sacred month…) [2:217]. Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Shirazi informed us> Abu'l-Fadl Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Khimayruwayh al-Harawi> Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali ibn Muhammad al-Khuza'i> Abu'l-Yaman> al-Hakam ibn Nafi'> Shu'ayb ibn Abi Hamzah> al-Zuhri who said: “'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr informed us that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, sent a military expedition and appointed 'Abd Allah ibn Jahsh al-Asdi as its leader. This expedition proceeded until they reached Nakhlah where they found 'Amr ibn al-Hadrami leading a trade caravan for the Quraysh. That day was the last day of the sacred month. The Muslims were divided in their opinion. Some of them said: 'We know for certain that today belongs to the sacred month, we are of the view that you should not violate it because of greed'. The opinion of those who desired the stuff of this world gained the upper hand; they attacked Ibn al-Hadrami, killed him and seized his camels. Ibn al-Hadrami was the first person to be killed in a fight between the Muslims and the disbelievers. The disbelievers of the Quraysh heard about the incident and sent a delegation to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. They said to him: 'Do you allow fighting in the sacred month?' As a response, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse (They question thee (O Muhammad) with regard to warfare in the sacred month…)”. Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Harithi informed us> 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ja'far> 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Razi> Sahl ibn 'Uthman> Yahya ibn Abi Za'idah> Muhammad ibn Ishaq> al-Zuhri that he said: “The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, sent 'Abd Allah ibn Jahsh with a group of Emigrants [in a military expedition]. One of the men who accompanied him, 'Abd Allah ibn Waqid al-Laythi, killed one of the disbelievers, 'Amr ibn al-Hadrami, in the last day of Rajab; they also captured two prisoners and seized the camels of the disbelievers. When the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, found out, he told them: 'I did not command you to fight in the sacred month'. But the Quraysh said: 'Muhammad has violated the sacred month'. It was then that was revealed (They question thee (O Muhammad) with regard to warfare in the sacred month) up to His saying (for persecution is worse than killing…), i.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou
