Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (292)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

Consider the wisdom and meanings contained in this parable.

Among them are His words, “We gave him Our signs.” He, glory be to Him, tells us that He Himself gave this man His signs. They are a blessing, and Allah is the One who bestowed this blessing upon us; thus He ascribed them to Himself. Then He said, “But he cast them off,” meaning that he left them behind, just as a snake sheds its skin. He parted from them as skin is stripped from flesh.

He did not say, “We stripped him of them,” because the man himself brought about his separation from them by following his own desires.

Another lesson lies in His words, glory be to Him, “Then Satan caught up with him,” meaning that Satan overtook him, as He said concerning Pharaoh’s people:

26:60 “So they pursued them at sunrise.”

He had been protected and guarded by Allah’s signs, shielded by them against Satan, who could gain nothing from him except through a sudden snatch in a moment of heedlessness. But when he cast off Allah’s signs, Satan seized him as a lion seizes its prey. “Thus he became one of those who went astray”—those who act contrary to their knowledge, who know the truth but act against it, like corrupt scholars.

Another lesson is that He, glory be to Him, said, “Had We willed, We would have raised him through them.” He thus tells us that elevation in His sight does not come merely from being a scholar, for this man was a scholar. Rather, it comes through following the truth, preferring it, and seeking Allah’s pleasure. This man was among the most knowledgeable people of his time, yet Allah did not raise him through his knowledge, nor did He cause him to benefit from it. We seek refuge in Allah from knowledge that brings no benefit.

He, glory be to Him, also tells us that He is the One who, when He wills, raises His servant through the knowledge He has given him. If Allah does not raise him, he remains abased, and no one holds him in any regard. For the Lord, who abases and exalts—glory be to Him—has abased him and has not raised him.

The meaning is: Had We willed, We would have favored and honored him, raising his rank and standing through the signs We gave him.

Ibn ‘Abbās said: “Had We willed, We would have raised him through his knowledge.”

Others said that the pronoun in “We would have raised him” refers to disbelief.

وتأمل ما في هذا المثل من الحكم والمعاني. فمنها قوله: آتَيْناهُ آياتِنا فأخبر سبحانه أنه هو الذي آتاه آياته. فإنها نعمة والله هو الذي أنعم بها علينا. فأضافها إلى نفسه. ثم قال: فَانْسَلَخَ مِنْها أي خرج منها، كما تنسلخ الحية من جلدها. وفارقها فراق الجلد يسلخ عن اللحم. ولم يقل: فسلخناه منها لأنه هو الذي تسبب إلى انسلاخه منها باتباعه هواه. ومنها قوله سبحانه: فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطانُ أي لحقه وأدركه، كما قال في قوم فرعون: ٢٦: ٦٠ فَأَتْبَعُوهُمْ مُشْرِقِينَ وكان محفوظا محروسا بآيات الله محميّ الجانب بها من الشيطان لا ينال منه شيئا إلا على غرّة وخطفة. فلما انسلخ من آيات الله ظفر به الشيطان ظفر الأسد بفريسته فَكانَ مِنَ الْغاوِينَ العاملين بخلاف علمهم، الذين يعرفون الحق ويعملون بخلافة، كعلماء السوء. ومنها: أنه سبحانه قال: وَلَوْ شِئْنا لَرَفَعْناهُ بِها فأخبر سبحانه أن الرفعة عنده ليست بمجرد العالم. فإن هذا كان من العلماء، وإنما هي باتباع الحق وإيثاره، وقصد مرضاة الله. فإن هذا كان من أعلم أهل زمانه. ولم يرفعه الله بعلمه، ولم ينفعه به. نعوذ بالله من علم لا ينفع. وأخبر سبحانه أنه هو الذي يرفع عبده إذا شاء بما آتاه من العلم، وإن لم يرفعه الله فهو موضوع، لا يرفع أحد به رأسا. فإن الرب الخافض الرافع سبحانه خفضه ولم يرفعه. والمعنى: لو شئنا فضلناه وشرفناه ورفعنا قدره ومنزلته بالآيات التي آتيناه. قال ابن عباس: لو شئنا لرفعناه بعلمه. وقالت طائفة: الضمير في قوله «لرفعناه» عائد على الكفر.