Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (319)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

spread out on high, not within the celestial sphere itself. This is evident to the senses, so no other view should be entertained. Since this occurs as part of the argument against them, only the singular “sky” is appropriate, for they do not acknowledge the immense provisions for hearts and souls that descend from beyond it. Yet revelation is indispensable, for through it comes true, eternal life. It is more deserving of being called provision than the rain through which comes transient, perishable life. What descends from beyond that—revelation, mercy, gracious favors, sustenance from the Lord, divine descents, and all that sustains the upper and lower worlds—is among the greatest kinds of provision. But these people did not acknowledge it, so they were addressed in terms most familiar to them, which they could not deny.

As for the verse in Saba’, it does not speak of their acknowledgment of what descends from the heavens. This is why Allah commanded His Messenger to give the answer himself, rather than describing them as answering and acknowledging it. He said: “Say, ‘Who provides for you from the heavens and the earth?’ Say, ‘Allah.’” He did not say, “They will say, ‘Allah.’” Thus, Allah Most High commanded His Prophet ﷺ to answer that it is Allah alone who sends down His provision, in all its different kinds and benefits, from the seven heavens. As for the earth, the context did not call for its plural form in either verse, since everyone acknowledges this—believer and unbeliever, righteous and wicked alike.

[Surah Jonah (10): verse 58]
“Say, ‘In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy—in that let them rejoice. It is better than what they accumulate.’” (58)

Ibn ‘Abbās, Qatādah, Mujāhid, al-Hasan, and others said: “His mercy is the Quran.” They thus understood His mercy as more specific than His bounty. His special bounty is bestowed upon the people of Islam, while His mercy consists in teaching His Book to some of them rather than others. By His bounty He made them Muslims, and by His mercy He sent down His Book to them. Allah Most High said, 28:86: “You did not expect that the Book would be conveyed to you, but it was a mercy from your Lord.” Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī said: “Allah’s bounty is the Quran, and His mercy is that He made us among its people.”

I say: What he means is that there are two matters here:

مبسوط في جهة العلو، لا في نفس الفلك. وهذا معلوم بالحس، فلا يلتفت إلى غيره. فلما انتظم هذا بذكر الاحتجاج عليهم لم يصلح فيه إلا إفراد السماء، لأنهم لا يقرون بما ينزل من فوق ذلك من الأرزاق العظيمة للقلوب والأرواح. فلا بد من الوحي الذي به الحياة الحقيقية الأبدية. وهو أولى باسم الرزق من المطر الذي به الحياة الفانية المنقضية. فما ينزل من فوق ذلك من الوحي والرحمة والألطاف والمواد الربانية، والتنزلات الإلهية، وما به قوام العالم العلوي والسفلي من أعظم أنواع الرزق. ولكن القوم لم يكونوا مقرين به، فخوطبوا بما هو أقرب الأشياء إليهم، بحيث لا يمكنهم إنكاره. أما الآية التي في سبأ: فلم تنتظم ذكر إقرارهم بما ينزل من السموات. ولهذا أمر رسوله بأن يتولى الجواب فيها، ولم يذكر عنهم أنهم المجيبون المقرون. فقال قُلْ: مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّماواتِ وَالْأَرْضِ؟ قُلِ اللَّهُ ولم يقل: سيقولون الله. فأمر تعالى نبيه ﷺ أن يجيب بأن ذلك هو الله وحده الذي ينزل رزقه على اختلاف أنواعه ومنافعه من السموات السبع. وأما الأرض فلم يدع السياق إلى جمعها في واحدة من الاثنين إذ يقر به كل أحد مؤمن وكافر، وبر وفاجر. [سورة يونس (١٠) : آية ٥٨] قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ (٥٨) قال ابن عباس وقتادة ومجاهد والحسن وغيرهم: ورحمته القرآن، فجعلوا رحمته أخص من فضله. فإن فضله الخاص على أهل الإسلام، ورحمته بتعليم كتابه لبعضهم دون بعض. فجعلهم مسلمين بفضله، وأنزل إليهم كتابه برحمته. قال تعالى: ٢٨: ٨٦ وَما كُنْتَ تَرْجُوا أَنْ يُلْقى إِلَيْكَ الْكِتابُ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِنْ رَبِّكَ وقال أبو سعيد الخدري «فضل الله القرآن، ورحمته أن جعلنا من أهله» . قلت: يريد بذلك أن هاهنا أمرين: