—the Larger Work.” Works of biography, proofs of prophethood, and Quranic exegesis are replete with such accounts.

Abū al-Āliya and others said:

“When the Jews sought victory through Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, over the Arab polytheists, they would say: ‘O Allah, send this Prophet whom we find mentioned in our scriptures, so that we may overcome the polytheists and kill them.’

“But when Allah sent Muhammad and they saw that he was not from among them, they disbelieved in him out of envy of the Arabs, although they knew that he was Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah Most High then revealed these verses:

‘But when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers.’”

Muhammad ibn Ishāq narrated from Āsim ibn Umar ibn Qatāda al-Ansārī, from men of his people, who said:

“Among the things that led us to Islam—along with Allah’s mercy and guidance—was what we used to hear from Jewish men. We were polytheists and idol worshippers, whereas they were People of the Scripture, possessing knowledge that we did not have. Hostilities between us and them were constant.

“Whenever we inflicted something upon them that they disliked, they would tell us: ‘The time of a Prophet who is about to be sent has drawn near. With him, we shall slaughter you as Ād and Iram were slaughtered.’ We often heard this from them.

“When Allah sent Muhammad as a Messenger from Him, we responded to him when he called us to Allah, and recognized him as the one they had threatened us with. We hastened to him ahead of them and believed in him, whereas they disbelieved in him. These verses in al-Baqara were revealed concerning us and them:

‘And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming that which was with them—although previously they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved—but when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers.’”

Ibn Abī Hātim and others who collected the statements of the early Quranic commentators mentioned only this account. It contains no report from any of the early generations of asking Allah by invoking him. Rather, they mentioned announcing his coming or asking Allah to send him. Thus, Ibn Abī Hātim narrated from Abū Razīn, from al-Dahhāk,