It is narrated from Ibn Umar that he said: These verses were revealed concerning Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'ah, al-Walid ibn al-Walid, and a group of Muslims who had embraced Islam but were then persecuted and tortured, causing them to renounce their faith. We used to say, “Allah will never accept from such people either repentance or ransom: people who embraced Islam and then abandoned their religion because of the torture inflicted upon them.” So Allah Most High revealed these verses. Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote them down in his own hand and sent them to Ayyash ibn Rabi'ah, al-Walid ibn al-Walid, and those others. They then returned to Islam and emigrated. (1)

Muqatil ibn Hayyan narrated from Nafi', from Ibn Umar, who said: We, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to believe—or say—that every one of our good deeds would be accepted, until the verse was revealed: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and do not invalidate your deeds” (Muhammad 33). When this verse was revealed, we said, “What is it that invalidates our deeds?” We said, “Major sins and grave indecencies.” He said: Whenever we saw someone commit any of these, we would say, “He is ruined.” Then this verse was revealed, so we ceased making such pronouncements. Thereafter, whenever we saw anyone commit something of that kind, we feared for him; but if he had committed none of it, we hoped for him. By transgression is meant committing major sins. (2)

It is narrated from Ibn Mas'ud that he entered the mosque and found a storyteller delivering an account in which he mentioned the Fire and the chains. Ibn Mas'ud stood over him and said, “O admonisher, why do you make people despair?” Then he recited: “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy.” (3)

Abu Bakr ibn Abi al-Haytham al-Turabi informed us; Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Hamawi informed us; Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Khuzaym al-Shashi informed us; [Abdullah] (4) ibn Humayd narrated to us; Hayyan ibn Hilal, Sulayman ibn Harb, and Hajjaj ibn Minhal said: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Thabit, from Shahr ibn Hawshab, from Asma bint Yazid, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins,” and He does not mind. (5)

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abdullah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Abi Adi narrated to us, from Shu'bah, from Qatadah, from Abu al-Siddiq al-Naji, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Among the Children of Israel was a man who killed ninety-nine