Ashrat al-Saah - al-Wabil - Yusuf al-Wabil - (346)

before his death’; he said: ‘Before the death of Jesus, son of Mary.’” (1).

Ibn Kathīr said: “This chain of transmission is authentic.” (2).

Then, after citing the various opinions concerning the meaning of this verse, Ibn Jarīr said: “The soundest opinion is that of those who said its interpretation is: There is none among the People of the Book but will surely believe in Jesus before Jesus’ death.” (3).

He also narrated through his chain of transmission that al-Hasan al-Basrī said: “Before Jesus’ death. By Allah, he is now alive with Allah; but when he descends, they will all believe in him.” (4).

Ibn Kathīr said: “There can be no doubt that what Ibn Jarīr said is correct, for this is the intent of the sequence of verses: to establish the falsity of the Jews’ claim that they killed and crucified Jesus, and of the ignorant Christians’ acceptance of that claim. Allah stated that this was not what happened; rather, it was made to appear so to them. They therefore killed the one made to resemble him without realizing it. Jesus was then raised to Him, and he remains alive and will descend before the Day of Resurrection, as indicated by the mass-transmitted hadiths.” (5).

He mentioned that it was reported from Ibn Abbās and others that they understood the pronoun in the words “before his death” as referring to each person among the People of the Book. He said: “If that were sound, it would not contradict this,

(1) *Tafsīr al-Tabarī*, 6/18. (2) *Al-Nihāya: al-Fitan wa-l-Malāhim*, 1/131. Ibn Abbās’s report was also graded authentic by Ibn Hajar in *al-Fath*, 6/492. (3) *Tafsīr al-Tabarī*, 6/21. (4) *Tafsīr al-Tabarī*, 1/18. (5) *Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr*, 2/415.

قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ﴾؛ قال: قبل موت عيسى بن مريم" (١). قال ابن كثير: "وهذا إسنادٌ صحيحٌ" (٢). ثمَّ قال ابن جرير بعد سياقه للأقوال في معنى هذه الآية: "وأولى الأقوال بالصحة قول مَنْ قال: تأويل ذلك: وان من أهل الكتاب إِلَّا ليؤمِنَنَّ بعيسى قبل موت عيسى" (٣). وروى بسنده عن الحسن البصري أنّه قال: "قبل موت عيسى، والله إنّه الآن حيٌّ عند الله، ولكن إذا نزل آمنوا به أجمعون" (٤). وقال ابن كثير: "ولا شك أن هذا الّذي قاله ابن جرير هو الصّحيح؛ لأنّه المقصود من سياق الآي في تقرير بطلان ما ادَّعته اليهود من قتل عيسى وصلبه وتسليم مَنْ سلَّم لهم من النصارى الجهلة ذلك، فأخبر الله أنّه لم يكن الأمر كذلك، وإنّما شُبَّهَ لهم، فقتلوا الشبيه وهم لا يتبيَّنون ذلك، ثمَّ إنّه رُفع إليه، وإنه باقٍ حيٌّ، وإنه سينزل قبل يوم القيامة؛ كما دلَّت على ذلك الأحاديث المتواترة" (٥). وذَكَرَ أنّه روي عن ابن عبّاس وغيره أنّه أعاد الضمير في قوله: ﴿قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ﴾ على أهل الكتاب، وقال: "إن ذلك لو صح لما كان منافيًا لهذا،

(١) "تفسير الطّبريّ" (٦/ ١٨). (٢) "النهاية/ الفتن والملاحم" (١/ ١٣١). وأثر ابن عبّاس صححه أيضًا ابن حجر في "الفتح" (٦/ ٤٩٢). (٣) "تفسير الطّبريّ" (٦/ ٢١). (٤) "تفسير الطّبريّ" (١/ ١٨). (٥) "تفسير ابن كثير" (٢/ ٤١٥).