Allah (s.w.t.) Admonished al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

There is a story behind when Allah (s.w.t.) Revealed the verse, about the aftermath of the Isra’ wa al-Mi’raj: 

سُوۡرَةُ بنیٓ اسرآئیل / الإسرَاء

... وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلرُّءۡيَا ٱلَّتِىٓ أَرَيۡنَـٰكَ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةً۬ لِّلنَّاسِ ... (٦٠) 

… We Granted the Vision which We Showed you, but as a trial for men … (Surah al-Isra’:60) 

Shaykh Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham al-Baswri (r.a.) narrated that when the fair was due, a number of the Quraysh came to al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, who was a man of some standing, and he addressed them in those words: “The time of the fair has come round again and representatives of the Arabs will come to you, and they will have heard about this fellow of yours, so agree upon one opinion without dispute so that none will give the lie to the other.” 

They replied, “You give us your opinion about him.” 

He said, “No, you speak, and I will listen.” 

They said, “He is a kahin.”  A kahin is a seer or giver of oracles. 

He replied, “By Allah, he is not that, for he has not the unintelligent murmuring and rhymed speech of the kahin.” 

“Then he is possessed,” they said. 

“No, he is not that,” he said, “we have seen possessed ones, and here is no choking, spasmodic movements and whispering.” 

“Then he is a poet,” they said. 

“No, he is no poet, for we know poetry in all its forms and meters.” 

“Then he is a sorcerer.” 

“No, we have seen sorcerers and their sorcery, and here is no blowing and no knots.” 

“Then what are we to say, O Abu ‘Abd ash-Shams?” they asked. 

He replied, “By Allah, his speech is sweet, his root is a palm-tree whose branches are fruitful, and everything you have said would be known to be false.  The nearest thing to the truth is your saying that he is a sorcerer, who has brought a message by which he separates a man from his father, or from his brother, or from his wife, or from his family.” 

At this point, they left him, and began to sit on the paths which men take when they come to the fair.  They warned everyone who passed them about the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) doings. Allah (s.w.t.) Revealed concerning al-Walid: 

سُوۡرَةُ المدَّثِّر

ذَرۡنِى وَمَنۡ خَلَقۡتُ وَحِيدً۬ا (١١) وَجَعَلۡتُ لَهُ ۥ مَالاً۬ مَّمۡدُودً۬ا (١٢) وَبَنِينَ شُہُودً۬ا (١٣) وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُ ۥ تَمۡهِيدً۬ا (١٤) ثُمَّ يَطۡمَعُ أَنۡ أَزِيدَ (١٥) كَلَّآ‌ۖ إِنَّهُ ۥ كَانَ لِأَيَـٰتِنَا عَنِيدً۬ا (١٦) سَأُرۡهِقُهُ ۥ صَعُودًا (١٧) إِنَّهُ ۥ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ (١٨) فَقُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ (١٩) ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ (٢٠) ثُمَّ نَظَرَ (٢١) ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ (٢٢) ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ (٢٣) فَقَالَ إِنۡ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٌ۬ يُؤۡثَرُ (٢٤) إِنۡ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوۡلُ ٱلۡبَشَرِ (٢٥) سَأُصۡلِيهِ سَقَرَ (٢٦) 

Leave Me Alone (to deal) with the (creature) whom I Created (bare and) alone! - To whom I Granted resources in abundance, and sons to be by his side! - To whom I Made (life) smooth and comfortable!  Yet is he greedy - that I should add (yet more) - By no means!  For to Our Signs, he has been refractory!  Soon will I Visit him with a mount of calamities!  For he thought, and he plotted - And, woe to him!  How he plotted! - Yea, woe to him!  How he plotted! -Then he looked round; then he frowned, and he scowled; then he turned back, and was haughty; then said he, “This is nothing but magic, derived from of old”; “This is nothing but the word of a mortal!”  Soon will We Cast him into Hellfire! (Surah al-Muddatsir:11-26)