the fertile land and what they could benefit from. They called whomsoever they found among the people to guidance. The people said to them: "We see you have only left your companions and come to us." So they felt a sense of distress about that in themselves, and they all came from the desert until they entered upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). So Allah the Almighty said: "Why then, from every group of them, does not a faction go forth?" Some went out and some stayed behind, seeking good in order to gain understanding and hear what is among the people and what was revealed after them.

10122 - Muhammad ibn Sa'd informed us in what he wrote to me, my father told us, my uncle al-Husayn told us, from his father, from his grandfather, from Ibn Abbas regarding His saying: "Why then, from every group of them, does not a faction go forth, to gain understanding in religion and warn their people?" He said: A band would set out from every tribe of the Arabs and come to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). They would ask him about what they wanted concerning the matters of their religion and would gain understanding in their religion. They would say to the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "What do you command us to do? Inform us of what we should say to our clans when we return to them?" He said: So the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would command them to obey Allah and obey His Messenger, and he would send them to their people to perform prayer and pay zakah. When they came to their people, they would call out: "Whoever accepts Islam is one of us," and they would warn them, to the extent that a man would even separate from his father and mother.

10123 - Abd Allah ibn Sulayman ibn al-Ash'ath told us, al-Husayn ibn Ali told us, Amir ibn al-Furat told us, from Asbat, from al-Suddi regarding His saying: "Why then, from every group of them, does not a faction go forth, to gain understanding in religion and warn their people when they return to them?" He said: The Bedouins of Hudhayl arrived, and they were afflicted by hunger and sought help with the dates of Medina. They showed Islam and entered. Utbah ibn Mas'ud, the brother of Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, said to him: "Do you realize that a thousand households from among us have arrived, all of whom have accepted Islam?" Abd Allah said: "By Allah, I wish that not one of them had remained." They were boasting over the believers and saying: "We accepted Islam willingly without fighting, whereas you fought, so we are better than you." They harmed the believers, so Allah revealed regarding them, informing them of their state. He said: "And it is not for the believers to go forth altogether," meaning: all of them. "Why then, from every group of them, does not a faction go forth?" meaning: from every clan of them a group. So they came to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and heard his speech, then they returned and informed them of the news. Thus, you did not come based on clear insight, but you only came because of food.

[His saying, the Almighty: "A faction (ta'ifah)."]

[The First View]

10124 - My father told us, Abu Salih told us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih told us, from Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn Abbas regarding His saying: "A faction (ta'ifah)," he means: a group (usbah).