Bayḍāʾ, for I have heard him speak of Islam.’
He—meaning the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him—remained silent. I have never feared that stones might rain down on me from the sky more than I did that day, until he finally said, ‘Except Suhayl ibn Bayḍāʾ.’
Then Allah revealed: ‘It is not for a Prophet to have captives until he has thoroughly subdued the land. You desire the fleeting gains of this world, whereas Allah desires the Hereafter; and Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. Had it not been for a decree from Allah that had already preceded, a severe punishment would have afflicted you for what you took’ (Q 8:67–68).
Al-Tirmidhī and al-Ḥākim narrated this report through the chain of Abū Muʿāwiyah; al-Ḥākim declared its isnād sound, although the two Shaykhs did not include it. Ibn Mardawayh also transmitted it, through ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar and Abū Hurayrah, and a similar wording is related from Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī.
Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Ḥākim in his Mustadrak, likewise reported—through ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Mūsā, Israel, Ibrāhīm ibn Muhājir, and Mujāhid—from Ibn ʿUmar, who said:
When the prisoners were taken on the Day of Badr, al-ʿAbbās was among them. A man from the Anṣār had captured him, and the Anṣār had threatened to kill him. News of this reached the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said, ‘I have not slept all night on account of my uncle al-ʿAbbās; the Anṣār claim they will kill him.’
ʿUmar asked, ‘Shall I go to them?’—‘Yes,’ he replied. ʿUmar went to the Anṣār and said, ‘Release al-ʿAbbās.’ They said, ‘By Allah, we will not release him.’ He said, ‘What if it pleases the Messenger of Allah?’ They answered, ‘If it pleases him, then take him.’ So ʿUmar took al-ʿAbbās; and when he had him in his custody he said, ‘O al-ʿAbbās, embrace Islam—for by Allah, your accepting Islam is dearer to me than the Islam of al-Khaṭṭāb himself, and that is only because I have seen how much the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, desires your submission to Allah.’
(1) The eminent scholar Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Shakir (may Allah have mercy on him), in his commentary on Musnad Imam Ahmad (ed. vol. 5, pp. 227–228), states:
“The correct identity is Sahl ibn Bayda’, who was the full brother of Suhail. Ibn Sa‘d relates that he embraced Islam in Mecca and concealed his faith. Thus Quraysh took him with them in the mobilization to Badr, where he fought alongside the polytheists and was captured on that day. ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud testified on his behalf—he had seen him praying in Mecca—and secured his release. By God, whoever narrated this incident concerning Suhail ibn Bayda’ erred: in fact, Suhail ibn Bayda’ had embraced Islam before ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud, did not conceal his faith, emigrated to Medina, and fought at Badr as a Muslim alongside the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). There is no doubt about this. The narrator confused him with his brother, for Suhail is more renowned than Sahl, and the event concerns Sahl.”
See: Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat al-Kubra (vol. 4, p. 213) and Ibn Hajar, al-Iṣabah (vol. 3, p. 194).
(2) The foregoing commentary applies here. See p. 95.
(3) Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (no. 1714) and by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (vol. 3, pp. 21–22); its isnad is weak.
(4) Recorded by the author in his Tafsir (vol. 4, p. 33) from the report of ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar, and by al-Suyuti in al-Durr al-Manthur (vol. 3, p. 203) from the report of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him).
(5) Recorded by the author in his Tafsir (vol. 4, p. 33).
(6) Cited by al-Suyuti in al-Durr al-Manthur (vol. 3, p. 202), attributed to Ibn Mardawayh. Al-Hakim also transmitted it in al-Mustadrak (vol. 2, p. 329) in a similar wording, declaring its isnad sound though he did not include it in his Mustadrak. Al-Dhahabi commented: “It meets Muslim’s criteria.” Its chain includes Ibrahim ibn Muhajir ibn Jabir al-Bujali al-Kufi. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar remarked: “Trustworthy, with lenient memorization; his reports are to be accepted in the mutaabi‘at, for his coverage suffices, although he did not narrate consecutively.”