Transliteration:( 'Abdan iza sallaa )
12. Reason for its Revelation:
This verse was revealed concerning Abu Jahl. He had stopped the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم from offering Salaah in the Sacred Mosque of Allah and had told his friends that if he ever sees the Holy Prophet performing Salaah here he would crush his neck (Allah forbid). While the Holy Prophet was offering his Salaah there, these reprobates came there with this evil intention but soon fled backward.
When people asked them what had happened, they replied that between them and the Holy Prophet there was a trench of fire and dangerous birds. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said that had Abu Jahl come near to him the angels would have cut him to shreds. In these verses "he who forbids" refers to Abu Jahl and "bondsman" denotes the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم because through Salaah one expresses his servitude.
the servant is in the service of his master then his opposition is the opposition of the state. It is for this reason that the word "bondsman" is being used here. Thus, this verse expresses the highest greatness of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and the severest anger at Abu Jahl.
From this, emerge a few issues:
1. This verse was revealed after the command for Salaah; i.e. after the occurrence of Me'raaj that is, thirteen years after the previous verses because it is quite apparent by Salaah is meant the Salaah prescribed by Shariah, which became obligatory on the night of Me'raaj.
2. When the idols had been in the Holy Kabah the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم was performing Salaah at this very building and performed Salaah facing it. Thus, even if forbidden things are found on the mazaars of the Saints, these places would remain sacred.
3. To stop the believers from performing their Salaah is the work of Abu Jahl.
Religious Issue:
It is permissible to stop a person from Salaah under some circumstances: Namaaz offered during undesirable times, Salaah in a usurped place, the husband can stop the wife from offering Tahajjud and Nafl Salaah, the master can stop the servant, and the employer can stop the specific person from offering Nawafil when this would hinder their service. But the jurists have stated that the one who commences to offer Salaah during undesirable times, then don't stop him from his Salaah, but instead explain to him the true issue afterwards in order not to come to be adversely affected by this verse.
4. Stopping a Muslim from entering the th Mosque is like stopping his Salaah. Because Abu Jahl had stopped the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم from entering the Haram Shareef, and not from Salaah itself, yet Allah Almighty had declared this as stopping from Salaah.
Religious Issue:
A few of the people can be stopped from entering the mosque: a child who has not reached the age of intelligence; a mentally disturbed person who has no control over urination and stool; one from whose mouth emanates the odour of raw garlic, onions and tobacco; one who has sores on the body giving off a bad odour; that irreligious person whose coming to the mosque can cause mischief. Observe, after the conquest of Makkah, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم had stopped the polytheists from performing Tawaaf and Hajj.
The tafsir of Surah Alaq verse 10 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Alaq ayat 6 which provides the complete commentary from verse 6 through 19.
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