1342 - My father narrated to us, Muhammad ibn 'Amr Zunayj narrated to us, Salamah ibn al-Fadl narrated to us, he said: Muhammad ibn Ishaq said, the mawla (freed slave) of the family of Zayd narrated to me, from 'Ikrimah, or Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas: "Except that We might distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn back on their heels," meaning: as a trial and a test. And al-Hasan, 'Ata', and Qatadah narrated similarly.

His saying: "And indeed, it was difficult."

1343 - Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sabbah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid: "And indeed, it was difficult, except for those whom Allah has guided," he says: that which they were commanded regarding the turning toward the Ka'bah from Bayt al-Maqdis. And it was narrated from Abu al-'Aliyah, Qatadah, and Muqatil ibn Hayyan similarly.

1344 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih (the scribe of al-Layth) narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas: he said: Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, said: "And indeed, it was difficult, except for those whom Allah has guided," meaning: the turning of it [the direction of prayer] for the people of doubt and suspicion.

His saying: "Except for those whom Allah has guided."

1345 - My father narrated to us, Muhammad ibn 'Amr Zunayj narrated to us, Salamah ibn al-Fadl narrated to us, he said: Muhammad ibn Ishaq said, Muhammad narrated to me, from 'Ikrimah, or Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas: "And indeed, it was difficult, except for those whom Allah has guided," meaning: those whom Allah has made steadfast. And it was narrated from Qatadah that he said: those whom Allah has protected.

1346 - My father narrated to us, he said: I read to Abu Ma'mar al-Minqari, 'Abd al-Warith narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Dhakwan narrated to us, from Mujalid ibn Sa'id, he said: Al-Hajjaj said to al-Hasan: "Inform me of your opinion regarding Abu Turab [Ali ibn Abi Talib]." Al-Hasan said: "I heard Allah saying: 'And indeed, it was difficult, except for those whom Allah has guided,' and Ali is among those whom Allah has guided."

His saying: "And Allah would never let your faith go to waste."

[The First Interpretation]

1347 - Yunus ibn Habib narrated to us, Abu Dawud narrated to us, Sharik and Hudayj narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Bara' ibn 'Azib, he said: A group of people died who used to pray toward Bayt al-Maqdis, and they said: [the following text continues in the next section].