(Tell those who believe to forgive those who hope not for the days of Allah…) [45:14].
‘Ata’ related that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “It is to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab specifically that this verse refers. By ‘those who hope not for the days of Allah’ the verse refers to ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy. What happened is that, upon the expedition of Banu’l-Mustaliq, the Muslims stopped by a well called al-Muraysi‘. ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy sent his slave to get some water but he took too long. When he came back he asked him: ‘What has delayed you?’ He said: ‘The slave of ‘Umar stood at the aperture of the well and did not let anyone draw water until he filled up the water skins of the Prophet, Abu Bakr and his own master’. ‘Abd Allah exclaimed: ‘Our example and the example of these people is as the saying goes: Fatten your dog, it will bite you’. When ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be well pleased with him, heard this, he seized his sword, intending to go and kill ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy, but then Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
Abu Ishaq al-Tha‘alibi informed us> al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah> Musa ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali> al-Hasan ibn ‘Alawayh> Isma‘il ibn ‘Isa al-‘Attar> Muhammad ibn Ziyad al-Yashkuri> Maymun ibn Mihran> Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “When the verse (Who is he that will lend Allah a goodly loan…) [57:11] was revealed, a Jewish man in Medina by the name of Finhas said: ‘Muhammad's Lord is in need!’ When ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab heard this, he got his sword and went looking for him [to kill him]. Gabriel, peace be upon him, went to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said to him: ‘Your Lord says to you (Tell those who believe to forgive those who hope not for the days of Allah…)’. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: ‘Certainly, by Him Who has sent you with the truth, anger will not show on my face!’ ”
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou