and likewise their explanations of:

“By the even and the odd,”

and

“By the witness and what is witnessed,”

and other passages, and of His words:

“And in yourselves—will you not then see?”

and similar passages. Much of their commentary consists of illustrative examples.

This also includes their statement, “This verse was revealed concerning so-and-so.” They thereby give as an example the person concerning whom it was revealed—the one concerning whom it was first revealed and who occasioned its revelation. They do not mean that the verse applies exclusively to that person. Examples include the verse on mutual imprecation, the verse on accusations of unchastity, the verse on waging war, and others like them. No Muslim says that these apply exclusively to those who occasioned their revelation. Although some scholars say that general wording is restricted to the occasion that prompted it, they mean the kind of case that occasioned it, not that it is restricted to a single individual belonging to that category.

No Muslim says that the verse on zihār applies only to Aws ibn al-Sāmit, that the verse on mutual imprecation applies only to Āsim ibn Adī or Hilāl ibn Umayyah, or that the condemnation of disbelievers applies only to the disbelievers of Quraysh. Neither a Muslim nor any rational person would say such things. For it is necessarily known from the religion of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he was sent to all humans and jinn, and through the Quran Allah Most High has addressed all