(No blame is there upon the blind…) [24:61].
Said ibn ‘Abbas: “When Allah, glorious and exalted is He, revealed (O ye who believe! Squander not your wealth among yourselves in vanity…) [4:29], the Muslims felt vexed to eat with the sick, the old, the blind and the lame. They said: ‘Food is the best part of one’s wealth, and Allah, exalted is He, has warned against squandering wealth in vanity. The blind cannot see where wholesome food is, the lame cannot compete over food and the sick cannot eat properly’. As a response, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and al-Dahhak said: “The lame and the blind used to feel vexed at eating with healthy people because the latter found them despicable and disliked eating with them. The people of Medina did not allow the blind, lame or sick person to share their food because they considered them dirty. For this reason, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
Said Mujahid: “This verse was revealed to grant dispensation for the sick and the elderly to eat from the houses which Allah, exalted is He, has named in this verse. This is because some Companions of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, used to go to the houses of their fathers and mothers or the houses of some of those who were named in this verse, when they did not have food to give to them. The elderly and the sick were uncomfortable about eating that food because it was given to them by other than the rightful owners of that food. They used to say: ‘Verily, they take us to houses which are not theirs’, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Farisi informed us> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Fadl al-Tajir> Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Hafiz> Muhammad ibn Yahya> Isma‘il ibn Abi Uways> Malik> Ibn Shihab> Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab who used to say about this verse: “It was revealed about some people who used to leave the keys of their houses, upon travelling with the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, with the blind, the lame and the sick as well as with their next of kin. They also used to enjoin them to eat from their houses if they needed to, but those with whom the keys were entrusted did not eat from these houses, saying: ‘We fear they will not be pleased if we do’, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
(No sin shall it be for you whether ye eat together or apart…) [24:61].
Qatadah and al-Dahhak said: “This verse was revealed about a branch of the Kinanah tribe called Banu Layth ibn ‘Amr who felt uncomfortable about eating alone. One of them would sit with food in front of him from morning until evening — the camels with their udders full of milk and things ready — in discomfort to eat alone. If by the evening there was no one to eat with, he would then eat alone. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
Said ‘Ikrimah: “This verse was revealed about some people from the Helpers who did not eat except with their guests, whenever they had guests. Allah, exalted is He, gave them dispensation to eat as they wished, together or apart”.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou