Yaḥyā ibn Bukayr narrated to us; al-Layth narrated to us; from ‘Uqayl; from Ibn Shihāb (al- Zuhrī) who said:

'Urwah informed me that he asked 'Āʾishah (may Allāh be content with her), the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, about the verse: “Until, when the Messengers lost hope of apparent means and thought that they had been denied (kudhibū/kuddhibū)…” (Qur’ān 12:110) She said: “Rather, it means that their people denied them.” I said: “By Allāh, they were certain that their people had denied them; it was not merely a thought.” She said: “O 'Urayyah (a diminutive of 'Urwah), indeed they were certain of that.” I said: “Then perhaps it means ‘or they thought they had been lied to (kudhibū)’?” She said: “Allāh forbid! The Messengers would never think that about their Lord.” Then she explained the verse, saying: “These were the followers of the Messengers who believed in their Lord and believed them. The trial became prolonged for them, and help was delayed for them. Until, when the Messengers despaired (in apparent means) of their people who had denied them, and they thought that their followers might have denied them, then the help of Allāh came to them.”

Then Abū ‘Abdullāh (Imam al-Bukhārī) said: “Istay’asu (اســـــــــتـيـأســـــــــوا)” means “they despaired,” derived from ya’istu (I despaired). “Minhu (مــــــنه)” means “from Yūsuf (upon whom be peace).” “Do not despair of the mercy (rawḥ) of Allāh” means hope.