Al-Wahidi (d. 468/1075), ɗaya daga cikin manyan malaman zamanin farko a wannan fanni, ya rubuta cewa: "Sanin tafsirin ayoyi ba zai yiwu ba sai da shiga cikin labaransu da bayanin dalilan saukarsu." [Asbab al-Nuzul, na al-Wahidi al-Naisaburi. Alƙahira, 1968, shafi na 4] Sanin asbab al-nuzul yana taimaka wa mutum ya fahimci yanayin da wani wahayi ya sauka a cikinsa, wanda hakan ke haskaka ma'anoninsa da kuma ba da shiriya wajen bayani (tafsir) da aiwatar da ayar da ake magana a kanta ga wasu yanayi.
Wahidi (d. 468/1075), one of the best classical scholars in this field wrote: 'The knowledge about Tafsir of the ayat is not possible without occupying oneself with their stories and explanation of (the reasons) for their revelation.' [Asbab alnuzul, by al-Wahidi al-Nisaburi. Cairo, 1968, p 4] Knowledge about the asbab al-nuzul helps one to understand the circumstances in which a particular revelation occurred, which sheds light on its implications and gives guidance to the explanation (tafsir) and application of the aya in question for other situations.
Musamman ma, sanin asbab al-nuzul yana taimakawa wajen fahimtar:
In particular, knowledge about the asbab al-nuzul helps one to understand:
Ma'anar kai tsaye da nan take ta aya, kamar yadda za a iya gani a cikin mahallinta na asali.
The direct and immediate meaning and implication of an aya, as it can be seen within its original context.
Dalilin kai tsaye da ke bayan hukuncin shari'a.
The imminent reason underlying a legal ruling.
Manufin ma'anar asali na ayar.
The original intent of the aya.
Ko ma'anar aya ta keɓanta ce ko kuwa tana da aikace-aikace na gaba ɗaya, kuma idan haka ne, a ƙarƙashin wane yanayi za a yi amfani da ita.
Whether the meaning of an aya is specific or of general application, and if so, under which circumstances it is to be applied.
Yanayin tarihi a lokacin Annabi da ci gaban al'ummar Musulmi ta farko.
The historical situation at the time of the Prophet and the development of the early Muslim community.
Ga Allah ne gabas da yamma: duk inda kuka juya, akwai fuskar Allah, domin Allah yana ko'ina, yana sane da komai.
Note: Per the instructions, the Qur'an verse text is a translation of the English rendering; it is given without ﷺ since no Prophet is mentioned here.
'To God belong the East and the West: whithersoever ye turn, there is the presence of God, for God is all-pervading, allknowing' (2:115).
Ba tare da sanin sabab (dalili) ba, mutum zai iya cikin sauƙi ya yanke hukunci cewa wannan wahayin yana halatta wa Musulmi ya fuskanci kowace alkibla yayin yin salla, alhali kuwa an sani sarai cewa fuskantar Alƙibla na ɗaya daga cikin sharuɗɗan da salla ba ta inganta ba tare da su ba. Yanayin da wannan wahayin ya faru ya bayyana ma'anarsa:
Without knowing the sabab (reason), one might easily conclude that this revelation permits the Muslim to face any direction when performing prayer, while it is well known that to face Qiblah is one of the conditions without which prayer becomes invalid. The circumstances in which this revelation occurred explains its implications:
Bisa ga abin da Wahidi ya ruwaito [op. cit. shafi 20-21], wasu Musulmi sun yi tafiya a cikin duhun dare, kuma ba su san inda alkibla take ba. Daga baya sai suka gane cewa sun yi sallah ta wata hanya ba daidai ba. Sun tambayi Annabi ﷺ game da haka, sai ya yi shiru har sai da aka saukar da ayar da ke sama.
[Bisa ruwaitar Jabir ɗan 'Abdullah.] Wahidi ya kuma ba mu labarin wasu yanayi daban-daban da aka ce ayar ta yi aiki a kansu.
According to Wahidi [op. cit. pp. 20-21] a group of Muslims traveled on a dark night and they did not know where the qibla was, so they later realized that they had prayed in the wrong direction. They asked the Prophet about it and he kept silent until the above verse was revealed. ' [Based on a report from Jabir b. 'Abdullah. Wahidi also informs us about some other situations when the aya reportedly applied:
- Mutum na iya yin salla ta nafila a kan raƙumin hawansa, duk inda ya juya shi (bisa ga hadisin Ibn 'Umar).
- That one may pray voluntary prayer on one's riding camel, in whichever direction it may turn (based on Ibn 'Umar).
Cewa Sahabban Manzon Allah ﷺ sun tambaya dalil da ya sa aka umarce su da yin sallar janaza ga Negus na Habasha, wanda ya yi sallah zuwa wata alƙibla daban da tasu, (daga Ibn 'Abbas da 'Ata').
- That the Companions of the Prophet asked why they were ordered to pray for the dead Negus of Abyssinia, who had prayed towards a different qibla than their own (based on Ibn 'Abbas and 'Ata').
Cewa Yahudawa sun tambaya, me yasa aka canza alkiblar Musulmai daga Baitul Maqdis (bisa ruwayar Ibn Abi Talha).
- That the Jews asked, why the qibla of the Muslims had been changed from bait al-maqdis (based on Ibn Abi Talha).
Duba Wahidi, op.cit., shafi na 21. Duk wannan yana goyon bayan ra'ayin (wanda musamman K. Murad ya jawo hankalina zuwa gare shi) na Suyuti, bisa ga Zarkashi (Suyuti, Lubab an nuzul, Tunis, 1981, shafi na 7), cewa idan sahabbai na Annabi ﷺ suka yi magana game da wata aya ta Alkur'ani, suna cewa 'An saukar da ita game da ...' (nazalat fi kadha), ba sa takaita kansu ga ba da labarin wani dalili guda daya na saukar aya, a'a suna komawa ga 'yanayin' da aka yi amfani da wasu ayoyi na musamman a kansu a lokacin rayuwar Annabi ﷺ, alhali kuwa lokacin farko da aka saukar da ayar ya iya kasancewa tun a baya. A cikin wannan akwai manyan hanyoyi na fahimta da tafsirin sakon Alkur'ani. Idan aka yi la'akari da wannan dalilin saukar, ba za a iya kaiwa ga kuskuren cewa ba komai ba ne inda mutum zai juya a sallah. Malamai sun ce duk da haka, wannan aya tana yafe kuskuren wadanda ba da son ransu ba, cikin yanayi mai wahala, suka kasa lura da alkibla ta gaskiya.
See Wahidi, op.cit., p.21. All this supports the view (to which in particular K. Murad drew my attention) of Suyuti based on Zarkashi (Suyuti, Lubab an nuzul, Tunis, 1981, p.7.) that when the suhaba of the Prophet spoke about an aya of the Qur'an, saying 'It was revealed concerning ...'(nazalat fi kadha) they do not restrict themselves to narrating a single 'cause' for the revelation of an aya but rather refer to the 'situations' to which particular verses where found applicable during the lifetime of the Prophet while the occasion of the first revelation of the aya may have been much earlier. In this lie great avenues for understanding and tafsir of the Qur'anic message.] Taking into account this reason for the revelation one cannot come to the wrong conclusion that it is unimportant where to turn in prayer. The scholars say however that this verse excuses the mistake of those who un-willingly and under adverse circumstances fail to observe the correct qibla.