Surah al-Shu'ara

It is narrated from Ibrahim bin al-Muhajir (may Allah have mercy on him) concerning this saying of Allah Almighty: "in the cities, gatherers" [Surah al-Shu'ara: 36], that he said in explaining it: "It refers to the police and those government soldiers who are appointed to gather people."
According to the hadith scholars, the chain of this report is weak because of the poor memory of the narrator Qays bin al-Rabi' in it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "When the Children of Israel entered Egypt, their total number was only seventy-three (73) souls, and when they left it (in migration), their number had grown to six hundred thousand. It was then that Pharaoh said (belittling them despite their great number): 'Indeed, these are but a small band' [Surah al-Shu'ara: 54]."
The chain of this report is weak, because one of its narrators is unnamed (unknown); moreover, the narrator called al-Mas'udi suffered from ikhtilat (deterioration of memory) in the last part of his life.

It is narrated from Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) concerning this saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "And your movement among those who prostrate" [Surah al-Shu'ara: 219], that he said: "During the prayer, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to see behind him just as he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw in front of him."
Al-Humaydi recorded this hadith in his Musnad, and its content is also established in the other Sahih collections.

It is narrated from Ubaydullah bin Ka'b bin Malik that when this noble verse was revealed: "And the poets, it is the deviators who follow them" [Surah al-Shu'ara: 224], the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said (making clear the importance of believing poets): "Indeed, the believer strives (for the religion) with both his hand and his tongue. By the One in whose hand is my soul! (These verses of yours against the disbelievers) are as cutting as if you were attacking them with arrows."
Abu Ya'la narrated this hadith in his Musnad. In its chain, the narrator Salih bin Abi al-Akhdar has been criticised on account of his memory; however, there are corroborating reports for it in sahih narrations.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zubayr bin al-Awwam (may Allah be pleased with him) that when this saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, was revealed: "And warn your nearest kindred" [Surah al-Shu'ara: 214], the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) climbed Mount Abu Qubays and called out in a loud voice: "O family of Abd Manaf! I am a warner to you (of the punishment of Allah)." So Quraysh came to him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) cautioned them (of an evil end) and warned them (of the punishment of Allah). They said (by way of objection): "You claim that you are a Prophet to whom revelation comes, and indeed the wind and the mountains were made subservient to Sulayman (peace be upon him), the sea was made subservient to Musa (peace be upon him), and Isa (peace be upon him) used to bring the dead back to life. So supplicate to Allah Almighty to move these mountains away from us and make rivers gush forth for us, so that we may use them as crossings, and then we may farm and eat. Otherwise, supplicate to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, to bring our dead back to life so that we may speak to them and they may speak to us. And if not that, then supplicate to Allah Almighty to turn this rock on which you are standing into gold, so that we may carve from it, and it would free us from need of the trading journeys of winter and summer; for you claim that you are just like those prophets." While we were still around him (peace and blessings be upon him), the signs of revelation appeared upon him (peace and blessings be upon him). When that state passed, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the One in whose hand is my soul! Allah Almighty had granted me all that you asked for, and had I wished, it would have happened. But Allah, Majestic is His glory, gave me a choice between two things: either that you enter through the door of mercy and those of you who would believe come to faith, or that He leave you to what you chose for yourselves, so that you stray from the door of mercy and even those of you who would believe do not believe. So I chose the door of mercy, so that those of you who would believe come to faith. Furthermore, Allah Almighty informed me that if He were to grant you these demands and you then disbelieved, He would punish you with a severe punishment such as He has not given to anyone among the worlds." So these verses were revealed: "And nothing has prevented Us from sending signs except that the former peoples denied them" [Surah al-Isra: 59], up to the next three verses, and this verse was revealed: "And if there were a Qur'an by which the mountains were moved" [Surah al-Ra'd: 31].
The narrator Abd al-Jabbar bin Umar al-Ayli in the chain of this hadith is da'if (weak); however, there are corroborating reports of this incident in other books of hadith.