(Thou wilt not find folk who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and His messenger…) [58:22].
Said Ibn Jurayj: “It was related to me that Abu Quhafah insulted the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and as a result Abu Bakr [his son] struck him with such force that he fell to the ground. Abu Bakr mentioned this to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, who exclaimed: ‘Did you really do it?’ Abu Bakr said: ‘Yes!’ ‘In that case do not do it again!’ said the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. Abu Bakr said: ‘By Allah, if a sword were at my reach I would have killed him!’ And so Allah, glorified and exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
It is also related that Ibn Mas‘ud said: “This verse was revealed about Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah who killed his father ‘Abd Allah at the Battle of Uhud”. It was also revealed about Abu Bakr who challenged his own son for a duel at the battle of Badr. He said: “O Messenger of Allah, let me be among the first group [of martyrs]”. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said to him: “Preserve yourself for us, O Abu Bakr! Do you not know that you are to me like my hearing and sight?”
The verse was also revealed about Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr who killed his brother ‘Umayr ibn ‘Umayr at the battle of Uhud. And it was also revealed about ‘Umar [ibn al-Khattab] who killed his maternal uncle al-‘As ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughirah at the battle of Badr. And it was also revealed about ‘Ali, Hamzah and ‘Ubaydah who killed ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi‘ah and al-Walid ibn ‘Utbah respectively at the battle of Badr. Hence His words (even though they be their fathers or their sons or their brethren or their clan).
