Tafsir al-Uthaymin Juz Amma - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (276)

Tafsir al-Uthaymin Juz AmmaIbn al-'Uthaymin

Commentary on Sūrat al-Bayyina

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

“Those who disbelieved among the People of the Book and the polytheists would not desist until the clear proof came to them: a Messenger from Allah, reciting purified pages containing upright writings. Nor did those who were given the Book become divided until after the clear proof had come to them. Yet they were commanded only to worship Allah, devoting their religion sincerely to Him, inclining to true faith, establishing prayer, and giving zakat. That is the upright religion.”

The basmala has already been discussed.

Allah—Mighty and Majestic is He—says: “Those who disbelieved among the People of the Book and the polytheists would not desist.” This means that neither the disbelievers among “the People of the Book”—namely, the Jews and Christians—nor the polytheists would desist. They were called the People of the Book because their scriptures remained in existence until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent, despite the distortion, alteration, and changes they contained. Even so, they are the People of the Book: the Jews have the Torah, and the Christians have the Gospel.

As for “the polytheists,” they are the idol worshippers of every people, whether from among the Children of Israel or others. These people would not “desist”—that is, abandon the polytheism and disbelief they followed and break away from it—“until the clear proof came to them.”

A clear proof is anything by which the truth in a matter becomes evident. Thus, anything that makes the truth clear is called a proof. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) therefore said, “The burden of proof lies with the claimant.” (1) Whatever establishes the truth is a proof, and the nature of the proof varies according to each matter.

What, then, is the clear proof Allah mentions here? The clear proof is what He then states: “a Messenger from Allah.” This Messenger is the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, son of

(1) Recorded by al-Tirmidhī in the Chapters on Legal Rulings, “The Burden of Proof Is upon the Claimant” (1341).

تفسير سورة البينة ﴿بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ﴾ ﴿لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَبِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ * رَسُولٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ يَتْلُو صُحُفاً مُّطَهَّرَةً * فِيهَا كُتُبٌ قَيِّمَةٌ * وَمَا تَفَرَّقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَبَ إِلَاّ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ * وَمَآ أُمِرُواْ إِلَاّ لِيَعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَآءَ وَيُقِيمُواْ الصَّلَوةَ وَيُؤْتُواْ الزَّكَوةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ القَيِّمَةِ﴾ . البسملة تقدم الكلام عليها. يقول الله ﷿: ﴿لم يكن الذين كفروا من أهل الكتاب والمشركين منفكين﴾ يعني ما كان الكفار من ﴿أهل الكتاب﴾ وهم اليهود والنصارى، سموا بذلك لأن صحفهم بقيت إلى أن بعث النبي ﷺ مع ما فيها من التحريف والتبديل والتغيير، ولكن هم أهل الكتاب، فاليهود لهم التوراة، والنصارى لهم الإنجيل ﴿والمشركين﴾ المشركون هم عبدة الأوثان من كل جنس من بني إسرائيل ومن غيرهم، لم يكن هؤلاء ﴿منفكين﴾ أي تاركين لما هم عليه من الشرك والكفر ومنفكين عنه ﴿حتى تأتيهم البينة﴾ والبينة ما يبين به الحق في كل شيء، فكل شيء يبين به الحق فإنه يسمى بينة، ولهذا قال النبي ﵊: «البينة على المدعي» (١) ، فكل ما بان به الحق فهو بينة، ويكون في كل شيء بحسبه، فما هي البينة التي ذكرها الله هنا؟ البينة قال ﴿رسول من الله﴾ وهذا الرسول هو النبي ﷺ محمد رسول الله ابن

(١) أخرجه الترمزي أبواب الأحكام، باب ما جاء في أن البينة على المدعي (١٣٤١) .