The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 498
CH. 27 AN-NAML PT. 19 thee and of those that are with قَالُوا اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَ بِمَنْ مَّعَكَ قَالَ They said, “We auger evil of. 48 ظَبِرُكُمْ عِنْدَ اللهِ بَلْ أَنْتُمُ قَوْم thee. He said, “The cause تُفْتَنُونَ وَكَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُوْنَ. of your evil fortune is with Allah. Nay, but you are a people who are on trial. '2847 49. And there were in the city a party of nine persons "who made mischief in the land, and would not reform. 2848 a26:153. disbelievers that instead of benefiting by the respite that is granted to them, they become all the more arrogant, and misconstruing the delay as an argument against their Prophet, demand the speedy coming of the threatened Divine punishment. 2847. Important Words: For band see 3:50; 7:132; 17:14 & 27:18. 2848. Important Words: bo (party) is derived from (rahata) which means, he took large bits; he devoured greedily. means, the people assembled. by means, a man's people or tribe consisting of his near relations or kinsfolk; a number of men less than ten among whom there is no woman; or a number of men from three to ten or from seven to ten (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: By implication the reference in the verse is to the enemies of the Holy Prophet, prominent among whom were nine persons. Eight of them were killed in the Battle of Badr and the ninth, the notorious Abū Lahab, died at Mecca on hearing of the news of the defeat at Badr. The eight were: Abū Jahl, Muțim bin 'Adiyy, Shaibah bin Rabi'ah, 'Utbah bin Rabi'ah, Walīd bin 'Utbah,' Ummayah bin Khalf, Naḍar bin Harith and 'Aqbah bin Abi Mu'aiț. All these nine men conspired to murder the Holy Prophet. The actual plan to select one man from every tribe of the Quraish and then make a concerted murderous attack upon the Holy Prophet so that no particular tribe might be held responsible for his murder came from Abū Jahl, the leader of this wicked junta. 2412 The present Surah was revealed towards the middle of the Meccan period and the plot against the Holy Prophet matured just before his departure for Medina. Thus mention of such a plot in the account of Prophet Ṣāliḥ implied a prophetic reference to a similar plot against the Holy Prophet at a later date. A reference to the plot against the Holy Prophet has also been made in 8:31. See next verse.