Verse 7:175 came down, Ibn Mas'ud says, about Bal'am son of Ibrahah, a man of the Children of Israel. Al-Fahl grades this sound as Ibn Mas'ud's own words. Ibn Abbas and other commentators name him Bal'am son of Ba'ura. Al-Walibi says Bal'am knew Allah's greatest name. When Moses came, his people pressed him until he prayed against Moses, and he was stripped of what he had. Abdullah ibn Amr and Zayd ibn Aslam say instead that it came down about Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt. He had read the scriptures and hoped to be the expected messenger, then envied and rejected the Prophet. Ikrimah reports from Ibn Abbas that it was a man granted three answered prayers, all wasted on his wife al-Basus.

Al-Wahidi reports from Ibn Abbas that verse 7:187 came down after two Jews, Jabal ibn Abi Qushayr and Shamwal ibn Zayd, challenged the Prophet to tell them when the Hour would come if he was truly a prophet. Qatadah says instead that Quraysh asked him to tell them privately, as his kin, when it would be. Abu Musa also reports that the Prophet, asked about the Hour, said only Allah knows it, and then described its signs; al-Fahl grades that chain weak. For verse 7:188, al-Kalbi says the people of Makkah asked why his Lord did not tell him about cheap prices and coming droughts so he could profit.

For verses 7:189-191, al-Wahidi cites Mujahid. Adam and his wife kept losing their children in infancy. Satan, whose name had been al-Harith, told them to name their next child Abd al-Harith, and they did. Mujahid says this is what verse 7:190 means by "they associated partners" with Allah. In his footnote, al-Fahl notes a similar report traced back to the Prophet through Samurah. He judges that version unsound because of several defects in its chain.

Verse 7:204 has several reports. Al-Wahidi reports from Abu Hurayrah that it came down about people raising their voices while praying behind the Prophet. Al-Fahl grades this chain fair. Ibn Abbas says the Companions recited loudly behind the Prophet in the obligatory prayer and confused his recitation. Qatadah says people used to talk during prayer when it was first made obligatory, asking each other how much they had prayed. Al-Zuhri says it was about a young man of the Ansar who recited along with the Prophet. Said ibn Jubayr, Mujahid, Ata, Amr ibn Dinar and others say it concerns listening in silence to the imam's Friday sermon.

Verse 8:1 came down after the Battle of Badr. Al-Wahidi reports from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas that he brought the Prophet a sword taken from a man he had killed. He was told to put it with the undivided spoils, but after the surah came down he was given it back; al-Fahl grades the chain weak (broken). From Ibn Abbas, he reports that young men who had fought claimed their promised shares, while older men who had stayed under the banners objected; al-Fahl rates this hadith sound. From Ubadah ibn al-Samit, he reports that three groups argued over the spoils: the pursuers, the Prophet's guards, and those who seized the camp. The Prophet then divided the spoils equally. Al-Fahl grades this chain weak.

For verse 8:17, al-Wahidi reports from the father of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib that it came down when the Prophet speared Ubayy ibn Khalaf at Uhud, and Ubayy died before reaching Mecca. Al-Fahl grades this chain weak. Abd al-Rahman ibn Jubayr links the verse to an arrow the Prophet shot at Khaybar that killed Kinanah ibn Abi al-Huqayq. But most exegetes tie it to the handful of pebbles the Prophet threw at the idolaters at Badr, as Hakim ibn Hizam also recounts (graded fair). Verse 8:19 came down, according to Abdullah ibn Tha'labah, about Abu Jahl praying that Allah destroy whichever side cut ties of kinship more (a sound chain). Al-Suddi, al-Kalbi and Ikrimah say the Meccans asked Allah to judge between them or give victory to the better side.

Al-Wahidi reports that verse 8:27 came down about Abu Lubabah ibn Abd al-Mundhir al-Ansari. The Prophet besieged the Jews of Qurayzah, who asked for Abu Lubabah because his family and property were among them. When they asked whether to accept Sa'd ibn Mu'adh's judgement, he pointed to his throat to warn them of slaughter, and at once knew he had betrayed Allah and His Messenger. He tied himself to a pillar of the mosque until Allah accepted his repentance, and the Prophet untied him. Al-Fahl lists versions of the report in other collections and calls one of them mursal.

The exegetes say verse 8:32 came down about al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, who asked Allah to rain stones on them if what the Prophet said was true. Al-Wahidi also reports from Anas, through al-Bukhari and Muslim, that Abu Jahl said this and that verse 8:33 was revealed in response. Ibn Umar says verse 8:35 was about pagans who circled the Kaaba clapping and whistling, and al-Fahl grades that chain weak. For verse 8:36, Muqatil and al-Kalbi name twelve men of Quraysh who fed the army at Badr. Said ibn Jubayr and Ibn Abza name Abu Sufyan, who hired two thousand fighters for Uhud, and al-Hakam ibn Utaybah says Abu Sufyan spent forty ounces of gold there. Ibn Ishaq says Quraysh used the caravan's wealth to seek revenge after Badr.