Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (281)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

the two terms of the genitive construction, and the fact that the first is literally a part of the second. It is as though one had said, “A finger and two fingers of his were lost.” Interpreting the Quran according to a less common usage, when the alternative is more eloquent, is not an easy matter.

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The sixth approach: This is a case in which mentioning one of two things makes mentioning the other unnecessary, because the latter is subordinate to the former and implicit in its meaning. Mentioning the former therefore suffices, since the latter is understood from it.

One example, according to one interpretation, is Allah’s saying:

26:4 “If We will, We can send down to them from heaven a sign before which their necks would remain submissive.”

Here, the predicate referring to the owners of the necks suffices in place of a predicate referring to the necks themselves.

Another example, according to one interpretation, is His saying:

9:62 “Allah and His Messenger have a greater right that they should please Him.”

The meaning is: Allah has a greater right that they should please Him, and so does His Messenger. Referring the pronoun back to Allah suffices, since pleasing Him is itself pleasing His Messenger; there was therefore no need to say, “please them both.”

On this approach, the underlying wording of the verse would be: “Allah is near to those who do good, and Allah’s mercy is near to those who do good.” The predicate appropriate to the omitted subject thus suffices in place of the predicate appropriate to the expressed subject. This is permissible because the meaning is clear.

This is a sound approach, provided it is expressed more aptly than this. Its reasoning is subtle and requires keen understanding. It is one of the secrets of the Quran.

The appropriate way to express it is this: mercy is one of the attributes of the Lord—blessed and exalted is He. An attribute subsists in the one it describes and does not depart from Him, for an attribute does not exist apart from the one it describes. Thus, if mercy is near to those who do good, then the One whose attribute it is—blessed and exalted is He—is all the more entitled to nearness to them. Indeed, the nearness of His mercy follows from His own nearness—blessed and exalted is He—to those who do good.

المضاف بالمضاف إليه، وكونه جزؤه حقيقة، فكأنه قال: ذهبت إصبع وإصبعان من أصابعه. وحمل القرآن على المكثور الذي خلافه أفصح منه: ليس بسهل. فصل المسلك السادس: أن هذا من باب الاستغناء بأحد المذكورين عن الآخر، لكونه تبعا له ومعنى من معانيه. فإذا ذكر أغنى عن ذكره لأنه يفهم منه. ومنه في أحد الوجوه قوله تعالى: ٢٦: ٤ إِنْ نَشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ السَّماءِ آيَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْناقُهُمْ لَها خاضِعِينَ فاستغني عن خبر الأعناق بالخبر عن أصحابها. ومنه في أحد الوجوه قوله تعالى: ٩: ٦٢ وَاللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُرْضُوهُ المعنى: والله أحق أن يرضوه ورسوله كذلك، فاستغنى بإعادة الضمير إلى الله إذ إرضاؤه هو إرضاء رسوله فلم يحتج أن يقول: يرضوهما. فعلى هذا يكون الأصل في الآية: إن الله قريب من المحسنين. وأن رحمة الله قريبة من المحسنين فاستغنى بخبر المحذوف عن خبر الموجود وسوغ ذلك ظهور المعنى. وهذا المسلك مسلك حسن إذا كسى تعبيرا أحسن من هذا. وهو مسلك لطيف المنزع دقيق على الافهام. وهو من أسرار القرآن. والذي ينبغي أن يعبر عنه به: أن الرحمة صفة من صفات الرب ﵎ والصفة قائمة بالموصوف لا تفارقه لأن الصفة لا تفارق موصوفها. فإذا كانت قريبة من المحسنين فالموصوف ﵎ أولى بالقرب منه، بل قرب رحمته تبع لقربه هو ﵎ من المحسنين.