(And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah) [3:135].
'Ata' reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: “This was revealed about Nabhan, the seller of dates. A beautiful woman came to buy dates from him. He hugged and kissed her but then he regretted his action. He went to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and mentioned what he did. This verse was then revealed”.
And he said, according to the narration of al-Kalbi: “The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, tied two men, one from the Helpers and one from Thaqif, with the bond of brotherhood and they were inseparable. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, went out one day to one of his military expeditions and the man from Thaqif accompanied him, leaving his wife and business under the care of the Helper who used to look after the family of the man from Thaqif. One day he saw the wife of his friend who had just finished having a bath, with her hair spread, and he fell for her. He entered in on her without asking permission and leaned to kiss her but she put her hand on her face such that he kissed the outside of her hand. But then he regretted what he had done, felt the shame of his action and retreated. Upon his retreat, his friend's wife exclaimed: 'Glory be to Allah! You have betrayed your trust, disobeyed your Lord and failed to get what you desired!' Regretting his action, the man went wandering in the mountains, to repent to Allah, exalted is He, from his action. When the man from Thaqif returned to his family, she informed him of what had happened. He went out looking for his friend until somebody told him where to find him. He found him in prostration, saying: 'My Lord, my sin! My sin! I have betrayed my brother!' His friend said: 'O so-and-so come let us go to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and ask him about your sin, haply Allah will ease your situation and relent on you'. And so he went back with him until they reached Medina one day, at the time of 'Asr prayer and Gabriel, peace be upon him, brought down the news of the acceptance of his repentance. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, recited to him (And those who, when they do an evil thing) up to His saying (a bountiful reward for workers!). When he finished 'Umar [ibn al-Khattab] asked: ''O Messenger of Allah! This applies specifically to him or is it to all people?' The Messenger said: 'No, it applies to all' ”.
Abu 'Amr Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Marwazi informed me> Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Haddadi> Muhammad ibn Yahya> Ishaq ibn Ibrahim> Rawh> Muhammad> his father> 'Ata' who reported that the Muslims asked the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace: “Are the Children of Israel more honoured in the sight of Allah than us? When one of them committed a sin, he found the following morning, written on his door step, what he should do to expiate his sin, 'cut off your nose', 'cut off your ear', 'do this or do that'. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, did not respond. But then this verse was revealed (And those who, when they do an evil thing) upon which the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: 'Shall I not inform you of that which is better than all of that', and he recited this verse”.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou