Reports on the excuse of the oppressed and weak

Allah, exalted be His praise, says: "Except the weak among the men, women and children who are unable to devise a plan and cannot find a way (out) - for those, it is hoped that Allah will pardon them, and Allah is ever Pardoning, Forgiving." [Surah al-Nisa: 98-99]
Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "It is said that the word 'asa' (it is hoped) from Allah Almighty is certain (and binding)."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: Every 'asa' (it may be) used in the Noble Qur'an is used in the sense of something certain (wajib).

Ibn Abi Mulaykah (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) recited this noble verse: "Except the weak among the men, women and children who are unable to devise a plan and cannot find a way" [Surah al-Nisa: 98], and said: My mother and I were among those whom Allah Almighty excused.

Ubaydullah bin Abi Yazid (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) saying: My mother and I were among "the weak" [Surah al-Nisa: 98]; my mother was among the women and I was among the children.

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When we gathered for the emigration, Ayyash bin Abi Rabi'ah, Hisham bin al-As and I agreed among ourselves that we would gather early in the morning at al-Tanadub, near Adat Bani Ghifar, and emigrate to Madinah from there; whoever did not reach there in the morning and was held back, his two companions would set out on the journey. He says: Ayyash bin Abi Rabi'ah and I reached that place, and Hisham bin al-As was detained, put to severe torment, and he was overcome by those torments and trials. When we reached Madinah, we used to say: Allah will not accept the repentance of these people, because they are people who recognised Allah, believed in Him and affirmed His messengers, then turned away from it because of the hardships and afflictions of this world. And they used to say (the same) about themselves. So Allah Almighty revealed these verses concerning them: "Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah" [Surah al-Zumar: 53], up to this statement: "Is there not in Hell a residence for the arrogant?" [Surah al-Zumar: 60] - "O Prophet! Tell My servants who have wronged and transgressed against themselves not to despair of the mercy of Allah; indeed Allah Almighty forgives all sins." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I wrote them down with my own hand in a letter and sent it to Hisham. Then Hisham bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When this letter reached me, I took it and went out to Dhu Tuwa, and I kept (reading) it from top to bottom and praying to Allah: "O Allah! Grant me understanding of it." Then I realised that these had been revealed about us, because we used to say (exactly this) about ourselves. He says: After that I returned, mounted my camel and joined the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Eventually Sayyiduna Hisham (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred at Ajnadayn during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and in his army.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that this verse: "Then indeed your Lord, to those who emigrated after they had been put to trial, then strove and were patient - indeed your Lord, after that, is Forgiving and Merciful" [Surah al-Nahl: 110], was revealed concerning those companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who were made targets of oppression and persecution in Makkah.

Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Ayyash bin Abi Rabi'ah (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted Islam and emigrated to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Then his maternal half-brother Abu Jahl bin Hisham came to him along with another man, and they said to him: Your mother adjures you by her kinship and her right that you return to her. So Sayyiduna Ayyash bin Abi Rabi'ah (may Allah be pleased with him) went back with them, and they tied him up, brought him to Makkah and subjected him to all kinds of torment.

Ikrimah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Some people in Makkah had professed Islam. When the people set out for Badr, they made them go out too and took them along, and these people who had accepted Islam were killed. So these verses were revealed about them: "Indeed, those whose souls the angels take while they are wronging themselves", up to "and evil it is as a destination" [Surah al-Nisa: 97] - when the angels take the souls of the wrongdoers, they ask: Among whom were you? And: "Except the weak among the men, women and children who are unable to devise a plan (hilah) and cannot find a way (sabil)" [Surah al-Nisa: 98]. 'Hilah' means "rising to go towards it", and 'sabil' means "a road to Madinah". So the Muslims of Madinah wrote letters to the Muslims of Makkah. When the letters were written to them, some of these new Muslims of Makkah set out, but the polytheists caught them and subjected them to all kinds of afflictions (until they gave in to them). So Allah Almighty revealed this verse concerning them: "Except one who is compelled while his heart is content with faith" [Surah al-Nahl: 106] - the one who was coerced while his heart was full of faith commits no sin by uttering a word of disbelief.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said 'Sami' Allahu liman hamidah' (Allah hears the one who praises Him), before prostrating he would supplicate for these people: "O Allah! Rescue Ayyash bin Abi Rabi'ah; O Allah! Rescue Salamah bin Hisham; O Allah! Rescue al-Walid bin al-Walid; O Allah! Rescue the weak among the believers; O Allah! Make Your grip severe upon the tribe of Mudar; O Allah! Send upon them a famine like the famine You sent upon the people of Yusuf."