[And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he recited] meaning: recited, according to the interpretation of Qatada. Qatada said: While the Messenger of Allah was praying at the Maqam (Station of Ibrahim), he became drowsy, and Satan cast a word onto his tongue. He spoke it, and the polytheists seized upon it against him. He was reciting: "Have you considered al-Lat and al-Uzza, and Manat, the third, the other one?" Then Satan cast onto his tongue while he was drowsy: "Indeed, their intercession is to be hoped for, and they are the high-ranking cranes (al-gharaniq al-ula)." The polytheists memorized it, and Satan informed them that the Prophet of God had recited it, so their tongues slipped with it. Then Allah revealed: [And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he recited] to the end of the verse.
Muhammad said: It was said that "tamanna" (to wish/desire) bears the meaning of "tala" (to recite), and some of them cited as evidence:
﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ وَلا نَبِيٍّ إِلا إِذَا تمنى﴾ أَيْ: تَلَا؛ فِي تَفْسِيرِ قَتَادَةَ. قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: بَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ يُصَلِّي عِنْدَ الْمَقَامِ إِذْ نَعِسَ، فَأَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى لِسَانِهِ كَلِمَةً؛ فَتَكَلَّمَ بِهَا فَتَعَلَّقَهَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ عَلَيْهِ؛ فَإِنَّهُ قَرَأَ ﴿أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّى وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الأُخْرَى﴾ فَأَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى لِسَانِهِ وَنَعِسَ: (فَإِنَّ شَفَاعَتَهَا هِيَ الْمُرْتَجَى وَإِنَّهَا لِمَنَ الْغَرَانِيقِ الْعُلَى) فَحَفِظَهَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ، وَأَخْبَرَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَدْ قَرَأَهَا فَزَلَّتْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ بِهَا، وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ: ﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ وَلا نَبِيٍّ إِلا إِذَا تمنى﴾ الْآيَة.
قَالَ مُحَمَّد: قِيلَ: إِن (تَمَنَّى) بِمَعْنَى تَلَا وَأَنْشَدَ [بَعْضُهُمْ]:
