“Say, ‘Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel—then indeed he has brought it down upon your heart by Allah’s permission, confirming what came before it, and as guidance and glad tidings for the believers. (97) Whoever is an enemy to Allah, His angels, His messengers, Gabriel, and Michael—then indeed Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers. (98) And We have certainly sent down to you clear verses, and none reject them except the defiantly disobedient. (99)’”

His saying, exalted is He: “Say, ‘Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel...’” Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A rabbi from among the Jews, called Abdullah ibn Surayya, said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “Which angel came down (1) from heaven?” He replied, “Gabriel.” He said, “That is our enemy among the angels. Had it been Michael, we would have believed in you. Gabriel brings down punishment, fighting, and hardship, and he has opposed us on several occasions. Among the gravest of these against us was that Allah, Most High, revealed to our Prophet (2) that Jerusalem would be destroyed at the hands of a man called Nebuchadnezzar, and informed us of the time when it would be destroyed. When that time came, we sent a strong man from among the Children of Israel to seek him out and kill him. He went forth until he found him in Babylon, a poor young boy, and seized him in order to kill him. But Gabriel defended him. Nebuchadnezzar then grew up and became powerful; he invaded us and destroyed Jerusalem. This is why we regard him as an enemy.” So Allah, Most High, revealed this verse. (3)

Muqatil said: The Jews said, “Gabriel is our enemy because he was commanded to place prophethood among us, but instead he placed it among others.”

Qatadah, Ikrimah, and al-Suddi said: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, had land in the upper part of Madinah, and his route to it passed by the Jewish schools. Whenever he went to his land, he would visit them and listen to their words. (4) They said to him, “Among Muhammad’s companions, none is dearer to us than you. They pass by us and harm us, whereas you do not harm us, and we have hopes concerning you.” Umar said, “By Allah, I do not come to you out of affection for you, nor do I question you because I have any doubt about my religion. Rather, I enter among you so that I may increase in insight concerning the matter of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and see his descriptions in your Scripture, while you conceal them.” (5)

They said, “Who is Muhammad’s angelic companion, the one who comes to him?” He replied, “Gabriel.” They said, “That is our enemy: he informs Muhammad of our secrets, and he is responsible for every punishment, earth-swallowing calamity, drought, and hardship. But whenever Michael comes, he brings fertility and spoils of war.” (6) Umar said to them, “You recognize Gabriel yet deny Muhammad?” They said, “Yes.” He said, “Then tell me about the rank of Gabriel and Michael in relation to—”