Abdur-Razzaq recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that Allah's statement,
(And recite to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat, but he threw them away) "Is about Bal`am bin Ba`ura' a man from the Children of Israel.'' Shu`bah and several other narrators narrated this statement from Mansur who got it from Ibn Mas`ud. Sa`id bin Abi `Arubah narrated that Qatadah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "He is Sayfi, son of Ar-Rahib.'' Qatadah commented that Ka`b said, "He was a man from Al-Balqla' (a province of Jordan) who knew Allah's Greatest Name. He used to live in Bayt Al-Maqdis with the tyrants.'' Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "He is Bal`am bin Ba`ura', a man from Yemen whom Allah had given the knowledge of His Ayat, but he abandoned them.'' Malik bin Dinar said, "He was one of the scholars of the Children of Israel whose supplication was acceptable. They used to seek his lead in suplication in times of difficulty. Allah's Prophet Musa sent him to the King of Madyan to call him to Allah. That king appeased him and gave him land and gifts, and he reverted from the religion of Musa and followed the king's religion.'' `Imran bin `Uyaynah narrated that `Husayn said that `Imran bin Al-Harith said that Ibn `Abbas said, "He is Bal`am son of Ba`ura'.'' Similar was said by Mujahid and `Ikrimah. Therefore, it is well-known that this honorable Ayah was revealed about a man from the Children of Israel in ancient times, according to Ibn Mas`ud and several others among the Salaf. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "He is a man from the city of the tyrants (Jerusalem) whose name was Bal`am and who knew Allah's Greatest Name.'' `Ali bin Abi Talhah also reported that Ibn `Abbas that he said, "When Musa and those with him went to the city of the tyrants (Jerusalem), the cousins of Bal`am and his people came to him and said, `Musa is a strong man, and he has many soldiers. If he gains the upper hand over us, we will be destroyed. Therefore, supplicate to Allah that He prevents Musa and those with him from prevailing over us.' Bal`am said, `If I supplicate to Allah that He turns back Musa and those with him, I will lose in this life and the Hereafter.' They kept luring him until he supplicated against Musa and his people, and Allah took away what he bestowed on him (of knowledge). Hence Allah's statement,
(but he threw them away; so Shaytan followed him up).''' Allah said next,
(And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to
the earth and followed his own vain desires.) Allah said,
(And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith) from the filth
of this earthly life through the Ayat that We gave him knowledge of,
(but he clung to the earth), he became interested in the adornment of this life
and its delights. He indulged in the lusts of life and its joys and was deceived
by it, just as life deceived others like him, without sound comprehension or a good
mind. Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar narrated from Salim, from Abu An-Nadr that when
Musa entered the land of Bani Canaan in the area of Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), the
people of Bal`am came to him, saying, "This is Musa, son of `Imran with the Children
of Israel. He wants to drive us out from our land, kill us and replace us with the
Children of Israel. We are your people and have no other dwelling area. You are
a person whose supplication is acceptable (to Allah), so go out and supplicate to
Allah against them.'' He said, "Woe to you! Here is Allah's Prophet (Musa) with
whom the angels and believers are! How can I supplicate against them when I know
from Allah what I know'' They said, "We have no other dwelling area.'' So they kept
luring and begging him until he was tempted by the trial and went on his donkey
towards Mount Husban, which was behind the Israelite military barracks. When he
proceeded on the Mount for a while, the donkey sat down and refused to proceed.
He got off the donkey and struck it until it stood up again and he rode it. The
donkey did the same after a little while, and he struck it again until it stood
up... So he proceeded and tried to supplicate against Musa and his people. However,
Allah made his tongue mention his people with evil and the Children of Israel with
good instead of his people, who protested, "O Bal`am! What are you doing You are
supplicating for them and against us!'' He said, "It is against my will. This is
a matter that Allah has decided.'' He then said to them, as his tongue was made
to loll out of his mouth, "Now I have lost this life and the Hereafter.'' This Ayah
was revealed about the story of Bal`am son of Ba`ura'
(And recite to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat, but he threw them
away.), until,
(perhaps they may reflect.) Allah said next,
(So his parable is the parable of a dog: if you drive him away, he pants, or if
you leave him alone, he (still) pants.) Scholars of Tafsir have conflicting opinions
regarding the meaning of this Ayah. Some scholars said that it refers to the end
of Bal`am's tongue which flickered out of his mouth, as in the story narrated from
Ibn Ishaq, from Salim, from Abu An-Nadr. Therefore, his example is the example of
the dog, its tongue pants regardless of whether it is driven away or not. It was
also said that the meaning here is a parable of this man -- and his like -- concerning
their misguidance, persisting the wrong path and not being able to benefit from
faith or comprehend what they are being called to. So his example is that of a dog
which pants whether it was driven away or left alone. The person described here
does not benefit from the advice or the call to faith, just as if the advice and
call never occurred. Allah said in another Ayah,
(It is the same to them (disbelievers) whether you warn them or do not warn them,
they will not believe.)[2:6] and,
(Whether you ask forgiveness for them (hypocrites) or ask not forgiveness for them
-- (and even) if you ask seventy times for their forgiveness -- Allah will not forgive
them.) [9:80] and similar Ayat. It was also said that the meaning here, is that
the heart of the disbeliever, the hypocrite and the wicked is weak and devoid of
guidance. Therefore, it keeps faltering. Similar was narrated from Al-Hasan Al-Basri.
(So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect) Allah said next to His Prophet
Muhammad ,
(So relate the stories, perhaps they may) the Children of Israel, who have knowledge
ot the story of Bal`am and what happened to him when Allah allowed him to stray
and expelled him from His mercy. Allah favored him by teaching him His Greatest
Name, by which, if He is asked, He will grant, and if He is called upon, He answers.
But Bal`am used it in disobedience to Allah and invoked Him against His own party
of the people of faith, followers of His servant and Messenger during that time,
Musa, the son of `Imran, peace be upon him, whom Allah spoke to directly,
(perhaps they may reflect.) and avoid Bal`am's behavior, for Allah has given the
Jews knowledge and made them superior to the bedouins surrounding them. He gave
them the description of Muhammad which would allow them to recognize him, as they
recognize their own children. They, among people, have the most right to follow,
aid and support Muhammad , in obedience to their Prophets who informed them of him
and commanded them to follow him. Therefore, whoever among them defies the knowledge
in their Books or hides it from the servants, Allah will place disgrace on him in
this life, followed by humiliation in the Hereafter. Allah said,
(Evil is the parable of the people who rejected Our Ayat.) Allah says, evil is the
example of the people who deny Our Ayat in that they are equated with dogs that
have no interest but to collect food and satisfy lusts.' Therefore, whoever goes
out of the area of knowledge and guidance, and seeks satisfaction for his lusts
and vain desires, is just like a dog; what an evil example. The Sahih recorded that
the Messenger of Allah said,
«لَيْسَ لَنَا مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ، الْعَائِدُ فِي هِبَتِهِ كَالْكَلْبِ يَعُودُ فِي
قَيْئِه»
(The evil example is not suitable for us: he who goes back on his gift is just like
the dog that eats its vomit.) Allah's statement,
(and they used to wrong themselves.) means, Allah did not wrong them, but they wronged
themselves by rejecting guidance, not obeying the Lord, being content with this
life that will soon end, all the while seeking to fulfill desires and obey lusts.
(178. Whomsoever Allah guides, he is the guided one, and whomsoever He sends astray,
-- then those! They are the losers.) Allah says, whomever He leads aright, then
none can lead him to misguidance, and whomever He leads astray, will have acquired
failure, loss and sure misguidance. Verily, whatever Allah wills occurs; and whatever
He does not will, does not occur. A Hadith narrated from `Abdullah bin Mas`ud reads,
«إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ للهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَهْدِيهِ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ
وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ
يَهْدِ اللهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ
أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا
عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه»
(All praise is due to Allah, Whom we praise and seek help, guidance and forgiveness
from. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils within ourselves and from the burden
of our evil deeds. He whom Allah guides, will never be misled; and he whom He misguides,
will never have one who will guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy
of worship except Allah without partners and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.)
The complete Hadith was collected by Imam Ahmad and the collectors of Sunan and
others.