(Then hasten onward from the place whence the multitude hasteneth onward) [2:199].
Al-Tamimi informed through the chain of transmission mentioned above from Yahya ibn Hisham ibn ‘Urwa> his father> ‘A’ishah that she said: “The Arabs used to hasten onward from ‘Arafat while the Quraysh and those who followed their religion used to hasten onward from Jam‘ in the Sacred Precinct. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed (Then hasten onward from the place whence the multitude hasteneth onward)”.
Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ja‘far al-Muzakki informed us> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Zakariyya> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sarkhasi> Abu Bakr ibn Khaythamah> Hamid ibn Yahya> Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah> ‘Amr ibn Dinar> Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut‘im> his father that he said: “I lost one of my camels on the day of ‘Arafah and I went to look for it when I saw the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, standing with people at ‘Arafah. I said: “He is from the Hums, what is he doing here?” Abu Sufyan said: “the Ahmas [sing of Hums] is someone who is very strict about and observant of his religion”. This is because the Quraysh used to be called the Hums but the devil led them astray by whispering to them: ‘If you exalt other than your Sacred Precinct, other people will belittle your Sacred Precinct’. And so they did not hasten onward from the Sacred Precinct but rather stand at al-Muzdalifah. Upon the advent of Islam, Allah, glorious and majestic is He, revealed: (Then hasten onward from the place whence the multitude hasteneth onward), i.e. from ‘Arafah. This was narrated by Muslim> ‘Amr al-Naqid> Ibn ‘Uyaynah.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou