(And those who malign believing men and believing women undeservedly…) [33:58].
'Ata' reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: “Once, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be well pleased with him, saw a girl from the Helpers with her beauty uncovered. He disliked seeing her beauty and hit her. She complained to her family about him and, as a result, they went out to him in order to hurt him. Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse about this incident”.
Muqatil said: “This verse was revealed about 'Ali ibn Abi Talib who used to be harmed and maligned by a group of hypocrites”.
Al-Dahhak and al-Suddi said: “This verse was revealed about those adulterers who used to roam the streets of Medina and follow the women who come out at night to relieve themselves. When they saw a woman, they approached her and winked at her. If the woman did not say anything, they followed her; but if she rebuked them, they left her alone. Actually, these adulterers were only after slave girls. But at that time, freewomen were not distinguishable from slave-girls. All women used to go out wearing a chemise and a headscarf. The women complained to their husbands who mentioned the matter to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
The proof for the soundness of the above opinion is the saying of Allah, exalted is He (O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them…) [33:59].
Sa'id ibn Muhammad al-Mu'adhdhin informed us> Abu 'Ali al-Faqih> Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn al-Junayd> Ziyad ibn Ayyub> Hushaym> Husayn> Abu Malik who said: “The believing women were in the habit of going out at night to relieve themselves, but the hypocrites used to approach and malign them. This verse was revealed about this”.
Said al-Suddi: “The houses of Medina used to be narrow. [For this reason,] women used to wait until nightfall in order to go out to relieve themselves. The corrupt of Medina also used to go out at night. Whenever they saw a woman with a cover, they said: 'This is a freewoman', and they left her alone. But whenever they saw a woman without cover, they said: 'This is a slave', and tempted her to commit adultery. Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse about this matter”.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou