Cases of distortion in our literary legacy: Reason for revelation for Q. 9:84

{And never (O Muhammad) pray for one of them who dieth, nor stand by his grave. Lo! they disbelieved in Allah and His messenger, and they died while they were evil-doers} (Q. 9:84 Pickthall translation).

Although there is agreement regarding the reason for revelation of this verse, there are some differences regarding the details. Sayyid Imam Abu Fath ad-Daylami, upon him be peace, relates in his Al-Burhān:

The reason for revelation of this verse is that when ‘Abdullah b. Ubayy Salūl died, his son came to the Prophet, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him and his progeny, ؐasking him to pray over him. Then, Gabriel, upon him be peace, descended from Allah with this command to not pray over any of the hypocrites, nor stand over any of their graves.

This account presents the reason for revelation as one in which the Prophet, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him and his progeny, was asked to pray over the head of the hypocrites, 'Abdullah b. Ubayy Salūl, by the latter's son. Afterwards, the Prophet was instructed not to do so by the command of Allah. 

The Generality relates a very different string of events leading up to the revelation of this verse. An  online translation  of Asbāb an-Nuzūl of al-Wahidi, translated by Mokrane Guezzou, relates the account as the following:

“When 'Abd Allah ibn Ubayy died, his son went to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: 'Give me your gown to use as a shroud for my father, perform the prayer of the dead on him and seek forgiveness for him'. The Prophet gave him his gown and then said: 'Inform me [when you are ready to bury him] so that I may perform the prayer of the dead on him'. When he was informed and He was about to perform the prayer, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab pulled him and said: 'Did Allah not forbid praying on the hypocrites?' The Prophet said: 'I have been given the choice to seek forgiveness for them or not to seek it', and so he performed the prayer of the dead on him. Then this verse was revealed (And never (O Muhammad) pray for one of them who dieth, nor stand by his grave) upon which he stopped praying on them”. This was narrated by Bukhari from Musaddid and by Muslim from Abu Qudamah 'Ubayd Allah ibn Sa'id, and both Musaddid and 'Ubayd Allah ibn Sa'id related it from Yahya ibn Sa'id.

Here, the account is somewhat different, emphasizing the prominent role that the Companion, 'Umar played in the narrative. Here are the following points that are to be noted from this account:

• The son of the chief hypocrite asked the Prophet for his gown for shrouding as well as asked him to pray over his father and seek forgiveness for him.
• The Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, complied with the request, giving the son his gown and asking him to inform him of the burial so he can pray over him.
•  When the Prophet was about to pray over him, he was pulled aside by 'Umar, who reminded him that Allah forbade the praying over hypocrites. 
• The Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, mentioned that he was given a choice to seek forgiveness. 
• Then, the Prophet was said to have performed the prayer over the hypocrite regardless.
• Then, the verse was said to have been revealed to prevent the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, from praying over the hypocrites. 

We say that there are flaws and holes in this account. First, we are told that the son of 'Abdullah b. Ubayy came to the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, with the request for him to seek forgiveness for his father. However, the Qur´an clearly establishes the futility of seeking forgiveness for the hypocrite (Q. 4:61-64; 9:80; 63:5-6). Second, we are told that 'Umar corrected the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, regarding the right course of action in respect to the hypocrites. To that, we respond by saying that it is not the role of the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, to be taught the Qur´an; rather, it is his role to teach the Qur´an (Q. 62:2; 2:129, 151). Therefore, how is it possible for the Prophet to be taught the very Book that was revealed to him? Third, we are told that the second caliph reminded the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, that Allah forbade the praying over hypocrites. However, we are not told which previous Qur´anic verse forbade the praying over the hypocrites. As far as we know, this is the only verse in which the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, was forbidden from praying over the hypocrites, and this prohibition was said to have been revealed after this event supposedly occurred. Fourth, the account mentioned that despite 'Umar's attempt to remind the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, of Allah's prohibition from praying over a hypocrite--albeit from an unknown source--the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, did it anyway. This would present the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, as intentionally defying the command of Allah--something that is theologically untenable and problematic at the least! Fifth, the prohibition from praying over the hypocrites would said to have been revealed after the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, supposedly did so. This would lead one to rightfully ask: Why wasn't such prohibition revealed prior to the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, supposedly performing the prayer? Didn't the All-Knowing know that the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, was going to do it? Wouldn't it have made more sense to reveal the verse before he supposedly did it?

The second account related in the Asbāb an-Nuzūl is the following:

Ibn 'Abbas who said: “I heard 'Umar ibn al-Khattab saying: 'When 'Abd Allah ibn Ubayy died, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was called to pray on him. When he stood up in front of the body to perform the prayer, I moved around until I stood close to his chest and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, will you pray on the enemy of Allah 'Abd Allah ibn Ubayy who said such-and-such on such a day and such-and-such on such a day', and he counted all the things he had said, all while the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, kept smiling. 'When I went on for too long, he said: Move away, O 'Umar, I was offered to choose one of two things and I have made my choice; it was said to me (Ask forgiveness for them (O Muhammad), or ask not forgiveness for them; though thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times Allah will not forgive them…) [9:80]. If I knew that Allah will forgive them if I were to add more than seventy one times, I will do so'. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, then walked with him and stood there until he prayed on the dead and finished with him. I was amazed that I dared to speak with the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, in that way. And Allah and His Messenger know better'. 'Umar said: “Then, by Allah, only a short while later, Allah revealed (And never (O Muhammad) pray for one of them who dieth, nor stand by his grave…), after which the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, never prayed on any hypocrite nor did he stand on the grave of any one of them until Allah, exalted is He, took him away to Him”.

If we were to compare the first account to the second account, we notice some of the following:

• The second account gives no details regarding the identity of the one who requested the prayer over 'Abdullah b. Ubayy. 
• The second account, similar to the first account, mentions that 'Umar inquired to the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, as to the reason he was praying over him.
• Unlike the first account, the second account records 'Umar as justifying the abstention by saying that the reason that he shouldn't pray over him is because 'Abdullah b. Ubayy said many damaging things, while the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, was said to have smiled all the while. 
• The Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, justified his choice of seeking forgiveness by citing the verse (Q. 9:80). 
• Similar to the first account, the second account has it where the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, performed the prayer of the dead over 'Abdullah b. Ubayy. 
• Then, the verse was said to have been revealed prohibiting the prayer over the hypocrites. 

It should be obvious that the differences between the accounts testify to the possibility of distortion despite the fact that both accounts appear in the same book. First, in the second account, 'Umar does not justify his objection by stating that Allah already prohibited the prayer over the hypocrite. Perhaps, the narrator knew that no such prohibition existed and instead decided to portray 'Umar as justifying his position based on the things 'Abdullah b. Ubayy said. Second, the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, was said to have justified his seeking forgiveness for the chief hypocrite based upon the verse (Q. 9:80). Such justification using the Qur´anic verse does not appear in the first account; instead, we are told in the first account that he, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, was given the choice. A closer look at the verse reveals that such justification is unproven and unfounded. The verse says: {Whether thou ask for their forgiveness, or not, (their sin is unforgivable): if thou ask seventy times for their forgiveness, Allah will not forgive them: because they have rejected Allah and His Messenger. and Allah guideth not those who are perversely rebellious} (Q. 9:80 Yusuf Ali translation). The verse very clearly demonstrates the futility of seeking forgiveness for them; it does not give the Prophet the choice. The second part of the verse says: {Allah will not forgive them}. This is explicit! Furthermore, the narrator's attribution to the Prophet that relates him as saying 'If I knew that Allah will forgive them if I were to add more than seventy-one times, I will do so' clearly demonstrates an ignorance regarding the meaning and import of the verse! How can such be attributed to the Teacher of the Book, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny!

Such inconsistencies point to the possibility of distortion regarding the revelation of this verse. And Allah knows best!