\nNarrated Muhammad bin `Abdur-Rahman Abu Al-Aswad:\n \n\nThe people of Medina were forced to prepare an army (to fight against the people of Sham during the \ncaliphate of `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair at Mecca), and I was enlisted in it; Then I met `Ikrima, the freed \nslave of Ibn `Abbas, and informed him (about it), and he forbade me strongly to do so (i.e. to enlist in \nthat army), and then said, "Ibn `Abbas informed me that some Muslim people were with the pagans, \nincreasing the number of the pagans against Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). An arrow used to be shot which would \nhit one of them (the Muslims in the company of the pagans) and kill him, or he would be struck and \nkilled (with a sword)." Then Allah revealed:-- \n"Verily! as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (by staying \namong the disbelievers)" (4.97) Abu Aswad added, "Except the weak ones among men, women,..." \n(4.98)\n

\nNarrated Muhammad bin `Abdur-Rahman Abu Al-Aswad:\n \n\nThe people of Medina were forced to prepare an army (to fight against the people of Sham during the \ncaliphate of `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair at Mecca), and I was enlisted in it; Then I met `Ikrima, the freed \nslave of Ibn `Abbas, and informed him (about it), and he forbade me strongly to do so (i.e. to enlist in \nthat army), and then said, "Ibn `Abbas informed me that some Muslim people were with the pagans, \nincreasing the number of the pagans against Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). An arrow used to be shot which would \nhit one of them (the Muslims in the company of the pagans) and kill him, or he would be struck and \nkilled (with a sword)." Then Allah revealed:-- \n"Verily! as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (by staying \namong the disbelievers)" (4.97) Abu Aswad added, "Except the weak ones among men, women,..." \n(4.98)\n

\nحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْمُقْرِئُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَيْوَةُ، وَغَيْرُهُ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَبُو الأَسْوَدِ، قَالَ قُطِعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ بَعْثٌ فَاكْتُتِبْتُ فِيهِ، فَلَقِيتُ عِكْرِمَةَ مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ، فَنَهَانِي عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَشَدَّ النَّهْىِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ نَاسًا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَانُوا مَعَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ يُكَثِّرُونَ سَوَادَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَأْتِي السَّهْمُ فَيُرْمَى بِهِ، فَيُصِيبُ أَحَدَهُمْ فَيَقْتُلُهُ أَوْ يُضْرَبُ فَيُقْتَلُ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ‏{‏إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ‏}‏ الآيَةَ‏.‏ رَوَاهُ اللَّيْثُ عَنْ أَبِي الأَسْوَدِ‏.‏