(Whoso obeyeth Allah and the messenger…) [4:69]. Said al-Kalbi: “This verse was revealed about Thawban, the client of Allah’s Messenger, Allah bless him and give him peace. Thawban loved the Prophet dearly such that he could not bear not seeing him for long periods. One day Thawban showed up with his complexion changed, he had lost weight and the signs of sadness were evident on his face. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said to him: ‘O Thawban, what has made your complexion change?’ He said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I am not suffering from any harm or pain, except that when I do not see you, I miss you and feel intense longing for you which does not cease until I meet you. Then I remember the Afterlife and I fear that I will not see you there. I know that you will be raised high up with the Prophets whereas if I enter the Garden, I will be in a rank much lower than yours, and if I do not enter the Garden, it will be certain that I will never see you’. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. Isma‘il ibn Abi Nasr informed us> Ibrahim al-Nasrabadhi> ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Ali al-Jawhari> ‘Abd Allah ibn Mahmud al-Sa‘di> Musa ibn Yahya> ‘Ubaydah> Mansur> Muslim ibn Subayh> Masruq who reported that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: “We should not part your company in this world, for if you were to leave us, you will be raised above us”, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Whoso obeyeth Allah and the messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah hath shown favour, of the prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous…). Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim informed us> Shu‘ayb> Makki> Abu’l-Azhar> Rawh> Sa‘id> Shu‘bah> Qatadah who said: “It was mentioned to us that some men said to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace: ‘O Prophet of Allah, we now see you in this world. But in the Afterlife you shall be raised above us because of your merit and we will not see you then', and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. Abu Nu‘aym al-Hafiz informed, among that which he gave me authorisation to relate from him>Sulayman ibn Ahmad al-Lakhmi> Ahmad ibn ‘Amr al-Khallal> ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Imran al-‘Abidi> Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad> Mansur> Ibrahim> al-Aswad> ‘A’ishah who said: “A man came to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you are more beloved to me than my own person, wife and children.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou
