11038 - My father told us, Sulayman ibn Harb dictated to us, Hammad ibn Salamah told us, from Humayd, from Abu Nadrah, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah that he saw something from an Ethiopian woman that he disliked, so he rebuked it. He said to them: "Do you know if there are those among you who dislike this?" They said: "Yes." He said: "Then praise be to God. Indeed, Abraham, peace be upon him, when the angels came and he argued with them regarding the people of Lot, they were four villages, and in each village were one hundred thousand combatants. He said to them: 'Tell me, if there were a hundred among them who disliked this, would you destroy them?' They said: 'No.' He said: 'Then ninety?' They said: 'No.' This continued until it reached ten. He said: 'Tell me, if there were ten among them who disliked this, would you destroy them?' They said: 'We are more knowing of who is therein; we shall surely save him and his family, except his wife; she was of those who remained behind.'

11039 - Hajjaj told us, Shababah told us, Warqa' told us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, and regarding His saying: "He argued with Us," meaning: He disputed with Us.

11040 - My father told us, Yahya ibn 'Abd al-Hamid told us, Ya'qub ibn 'Abd Allah told us, from Ja'far ibn Abi al-Mughirah, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, regarding His saying: "He argued with Us concerning the people of Lot," he said: When Gabriel came to Abraham, peace be upon him, and informed him that he was going to destroy the people of Lot, he said: "Will you destroy a village that has four hundred believers?" He said: "No." He said: "Then three hundred believers?" He said: "No." He said: "Eighty believers?" He said: "No." He said: "Fifty." He said: "Then forty believers?" He said: "Then fourteen believers?" He said: "No." Abraham thought that there were fourteen, including Lot's wife, while there were thirteen believers in it. So God destroyed them, and Gabriel knew that, and that is His saying: "He argued with Us concerning the people of Lot."

His saying, the Exalted: "Indeed, Abraham was forbearing."

11041 - Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn 'Umar al-Wasiti mentioned it, Muhammad ibn al-Husayn told me, Yahya ibn Ishaq told us, Ja'far ibn Sulayman told us, from 'Umar ibn Malik, from Abu al-Jawza', from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "Indeed, Abraham was forbearing, compassionate, returning [to God]," he said: It was part of his forbearance that when a man from his people would offend him, he would say to him: "May God guide you."

11042 - 'Ali ibn al-Husayn told us, Sa'id ibn 'Abd Allah al-Tallas told us, 'Abd al-Wahhab told us, from a man he named, from al-Hasan regarding His saying: "Indeed, Abraham was forbearing," he said: The forbearing is the merciful.