His saying: "And when they are alone with one another"

780 - Muhammad ibn Hammad al-Tehrani narrated to me, Hafs ibn 'Umar al-'Adani informed us, al-Hakam ibn Aban narrated to us from 'Ikrimah: A woman from the Jews committed an indecent act, so they came to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) seeking a judgment from him, hoping for a concession. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) summoned their scholar, who was Ibn Suriya, and said to him: "Judge." He said, "So they stoned her." 'Ikrimah said: "Tajbiyah" (stoning/shaming) is that they place her on a donkey and face her toward the tail of the donkey—and he mentioned a discussion therein—so the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to him: "Is it by the judgment of Allah that you have judged, or by what was sent down upon Moses?"

He said: "No, but our women were beautiful, and our men were hasty toward them, so we changed the judgment." And regarding this, it was revealed: "And when they are alone with one another." 'Ikrimah said: They had changed the judgment six hundred years ago.

His saying: "Do you tell them about what Allah has revealed to you, so that they may argue with you about it before your Lord? Do you not then understand?"

[The first interpretation]

781 - 'Isam ibn Rawwad narrated to us, Adam narrated to us, from Abu Ja'far al-Razi, from al-Rabi', from Abu al-'Aliyah, regarding the saying of Allah: "Do you tell them about what Allah has revealed to you in your Book regarding the description of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)?"

[The second interpretation]

782 - Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sabbah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid: His saying: "What Allah has revealed to you so that they may argue with you about it before your Lord." He said: The Jews of Qurayza said this when Muhammad insulted them by saying they were brothers of the monkeys and the swine, so they said: "Who told you this?" when he sent 'Ali to them, and they annoyed Muhammad. He said: "O brothers of the monkeys and the swine."

[The third interpretation]

783 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, 'Amr ibn Hammad ibn Talhah narrated to us, Asbat ibn Nasr narrated to us, from al-Suddi: "They said, 'Do you tell them about what Allah has revealed to you of punishment, so that they may argue with you about it before your Lord?'" These were people from the Jews who believed, then turned to hypocrisy. They used to tell the believers among the Arabs about what they had been punished with, so some of them said: "Do you tell them about what Allah has revealed to you of punishment?" They replied: "We are more honored by Allah than you, and more beloved to Allah than you."