Volume 6, Book 60, Number 120:
Narrated Muhammad bin Abdur-Rahman Abu Al-Aswad:
The people of Medina were forced to prepare an army (to fight against the people of Sham during
the caliphate of ‘Abdullah bin Az-Zubair at Mecca), and I was enlisted in it; Then I met ‘Ikrima, the
freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, and informed him (about it), and he forbade me strongly to do so (i.e. to en –
list in that army), and then said, “Ibn ‘Abbas informed me that some Muslim people were with the
pagans, increasing the number of the pagans against Allah’s Apostle. An arrow used to be shot which
would hit one of them (the Muslims in the company of the pagans) and kill him, or he would be
struck and killed (with a sword).” Then Allah revealed:–
“Verily! as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (by stay –
ing among the disbelievers)” (4.97) Abu Aswad added, “Except the weak ones among men, women,…”
(4.98)