Compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَرَأَيْتِ قَوْلَهُ {حَتَّى إِذَا اسْتَيْأَسَ الرُّسُلُ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ كُذِّبُوا} أَوْ كُذِبُوا. قَالَتْ بَلْ كَذَّبَهُمْ قَوْمُهُمْ. فَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدِ اسْتَيْقَنُوا أَنَّ قَوْمَهُمْ كَذَّبُوهُمْ وَمَا هُوَ بِالظَّنِّ. فَقَالَتْ يَا عُرَيَّةُ، لَقَدِ اسْتَيْقَنُوا بِذَلِكَ. قُلْتُ فَلَعَلَّهَا أَوْ كُذِبُوا. قَالَتْ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ، لَمْ تَكُنِ الرُّسُلُ تَظُنُّ ذَلِكَ بِرَبِّهَا وَأَمَّا هَذِهِ الآيَةُ قَالَتْ هُمْ أَتْبَاعُ الرُّسُلِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَصَدَّقُوهُمْ، وَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْبَلاَءُ، وَاسْتَأْخَرَ عَنْهُمُ النَّصْرُ حَتَّى إِذَا اسْتَيْأَسَتْ مِمَّنْ كَذَّبَهُمْ مِنْ قَوْمِهِمْ، وَظَنُّوا أَنَّ أَتْبَاعَهُمْ كَذَّبُوهُمْ جَاءَهُمْ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ. قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ {اسْتَيْأَسُوا} افْتَعَلُوا مِنْ يَئِسْتُ. {مِنْهُ} مِنْ يُوسُفَ. {لاَ تَيْأَسُوا مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ} مَعْنَاهُ الرَّجَاءُ.
I asked `Aisha the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) about the meaning of the following Verse: -- "(Respite will be granted) 'Until when the apostles give up hope (of their people) and thought that they were denied (by their people)..............."(12.110) `Aisha replied, "Really, their nations did not believe them." I said, "By Allah! They were definite that their nations treated them as liars and it was not a matter of suspecting." `Aisha said, "O 'Uraiya (i.e. `Urwa)! No doubt, they were quite sure about it." I said, "May the Verse be read in such a way as to mean that the apostles thought that Allah did not help them?" Aisha said, "Allah forbid! (Impossible) The Apostles did not suspect their Lord of such a thing. But this Verse is concerned with the Apostles' followers who had faith in their Lord and believed in their apostles and their period of trials was long and Allah's Help was delayed till the apostles gave up hope for the conversion of the disbelievers amongst their nation and suspected that even their followers were shaken in their belief, Allah's Help then came to them."