حَدَّثَنَا أَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ، قَالَ قَالَ الزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ الْعَوَّامِ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ وَنَحْنُ مُتَوَافِرُونَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ {وَاتَّقُوا فِتْنَةً لَا تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْكُمْ خَاصَّةً} فَجَعَلْنَا نَقُولُ مَا هَذِهِ الْفِتْنَةُ وَمَا نَشْعُرُ أَنَّهَا تَقَعُ حَيْثُ وَقَعَتْ.
Az-Zubair bin al-’Awwam (رضي الله عنه) said: This verse was revealed when we were present with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) : `And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong (but it may afflict all the good and the bad people)`. (al-Anfal [8:25]). We started saying: “What is this fitnah? And we never thought that it would happen as it did.”