Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (1/168)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

“…from his people who used to mock him” (Hūd 37–38), that is, they jeered at him because they deemed the punishment he had threatened them with impossible. “He said, ‘If you ridicule us, then we shall ridicule you just as you ridicule’” (Hūd 38)—meaning: we are the ones who will laugh at you and marvel at your persistence in disbelief and obstinacy, a persistence that necessarily brings the punishment down upon you: “and soon you will know upon whom a disgraceful punishment will descend and upon whom an everlasting torment will alight” (Hūd 39).

Obstinate unbelief was their hallmark in this world, and it will be the same in the Hereafter, for they will even deny that a messenger ever came to them. Al-Bukhārī relates: Mūsā ibn Ismāʿīl told us, ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Ziyād told us, al-Aʿmash narrated from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Abū Saʿīd, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“Noah (peace be upon him) will come with his community. Allah will ask him, ‘Did you convey (the message)?’ He will reply, ‘Yes, my Lord.’ He will then ask his people, ‘Was the message conveyed to you?’ They will answer, ‘No, no prophet ever came to us.’ Allah will say to Noah, ‘Who will testify for you?’ He will reply, ‘Muhammad and his community.’ So we will testify that he indeed conveyed (the message).”

This is the meaning of His words: “Thus We have made you a middle nation, so that you may be witnesses over humanity and the Messenger a witness over you” (al-Baqarah 2:143). “Middle” here means just and balanced.

Accordingly, this Ummah bears witness—on the strength of the testimony of its truthful Prophet—that Allah sent Noah with the truth, revealed the truth to him, commanded him to proclaim it, and that he delivered it to his people in the most perfect and complete manner. He left nothing that would benefit them in their religion without commanding it, nor anything that would harm them without forbidding it and warning them against it.

Such was the practice of all the messengers. Indeed, he even warned his people about the Antichrist (al-Masīḥ al-Dajjāl), though his emergence was not expected in their own time, out of concern, compassion, and mercy for them.

Al-Bukhārī also reports: ʿAbdān narrated to us, ʿAbd Allāh narrated to us, from Yūnus, from al-Zuhrī. Sālim said: Ibn ʿUmar recounted that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood among the people, praised Allah as He deserves to be praised, and then mentioned the Dajjāl, saying:

“I warn you about him; every prophet has warned his people about him, and Noah warned his people about him. But I will tell you something about him that no prophet has told his people: know that he is one-eyed, whereas Allah is not one-eyed.”

(1) In the printed edition: “istibādan”; an obvious scribal error. (2) “yujḥidūn”: they deny. (3) In manuscript A: “min rasūl” (from the Messenger). (4) In Ṣaḥīh al-Bukhārī (no. 3339), under “The Prophets.” (5) In manuscript A: “and thus it is narrated.” (6) In manuscript B: “and this.” (7) Bukhhārī (no. 3337) in the chapter “The Prophets.”

قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُ﴾ [هود: ٣٧ - ٣٨] أي: يستهزئون به استبعادًا (١) لوقوع ما توعَّدهم به، ﴿قَالَ إِنْ تَسْخَرُوا مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنْكُمْ كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ﴾ [هود: ٣٨] أي: نحن الذين نسخرُ منكم، ونتعجَّبُ منكم في استمراركُم على كُفركم وعنادِكم الذي يقتضي وقوعَ العذاب بكم وحلوله عليكم ﴿فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُقِيمٌ﴾ [هود: ٣٩] . وقد كانت سجاياهم الكفرَ الغليظ، والعنادَ البالغَ في الدنيا، وهكذا في الآخرة، فإنَّهم يَجْحدون (٢) أيضًا أن يكونَ جاءَهم (٣) رسولٌ. كما قال البخاري (٤) : حدَّثنا موسى بن إسماعيل، حدثنا عبدُ الواحد بن زياد، حدَّثنا الأعمش، عن أبي صالح، عن أبي سعيد، قال: قال رسول اللَّه ﷺ : "يجيءُ نوح (عليه السلام) وأمَّتُه، فيقولُ اللَّه – Exalté soit-Il – : هل بلَّغتَ؟ فيقولُ: نعم أي ربّ، فيقولُ لأمَّته: هل بلَّغكُم؟ فيقولون: لا، ما جاءنا من نبيٍّ. فيقولُ لنوحٍ: منْ يشهدُ لكَ؟ فيقول: محمَّدٌ وأمَّتُه. فنشهدُ أنه قد بلَّغَ" . وهو قوله: ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا﴾ [البقرة: ١٤٣] . والوسط: العدل. (٥) فهذه الأمة تشهدُ على شهادة نبيِّها الصَّادق المصدوق، بأنَّ اللَّه قد بعثَ نوحًا بالحقِّ، وأنزلَ عليه الحقَّ، وأمره به، وأنه بلَّغه إلى أمَّته على أكمل الوجوه وأتمِّها، ولم يدعْ شيئًا مما ينفعُهم في دينهم إلا وقد أمرَهم به، ولا شيئًى مما قد يضرُّهم إلا وقد نهاهم عنه، وحذَّرهم منه. وهكذا (٦) شأنُ جميع الرسل، حتَّى أنه حذَّر قومه المسيحَ الدَّجَّال، وإن كان لا يتوقَّعُ خروجَه في زمانهم، حذرًا عليهم وشفقةً ورحمةً بهم. كما قالَ البخاريُّ: حدَّثنا عَبْدان، حدَّثنا عبدُ اللَّه، عن يُونس، عن الزُّهريِّ، قال سالم: قال ابنُ عمر: قامَ رسولُ اللَّه ﷺ في النَّاسِ فأثنى على اللَّه بما هو أهلُه، ثم ذكرَ الدَّجَّال، فقال: "إنِّي لأنذركُموهُ، وما من نبيٍّ إلا وقد أنذرَه قومَهُ، لقد أنذرَ نوحٌ قومَهُ، ولكني أقولُ لكم فيه قولًا لم يَقُلْه نبيٌّ لقومِه، تعلمونَ أنَّه أعورُ، وأنَّ اللَّه ليسَ بأعور" (٧) .

(١) في المطبوع: استعبادًا؛ وهو تصحيف ظاهر. (٢) "يجحدون": يُنكرون. (٣) في أ: من رسول. (٤) في صحيحه (٣٣٣٩) في الأنبياء. (٥) في أ: وهكذا رواه. (٦) في ب: وهذا. (٧) أخرجه البخاري (٣٣٣٧) في الأنبياء.