Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (6/422)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

…and as for His words, “Say, ‘Be stones or iron (50) or any other created thing that you deem even harder’” (al-Isra 50–51), this relates to a different point of exegesis. In brief, iron, so long as it is left un-worked, is at present more resistant than stone; yet once it is smelted it becomes pliable, whereas stone does not. Allah knows best.

Abu Nuʿaym said:
If it be asked, “Allah softened iron for David (upon him be peace) until he fashioned from it ample coats of mail,” the reply is that stones and massive rocks were softened for Muhammad ﷺ. They even became a cave that concealed him from the idol-worshippers. On the day of Uhud he inclined his head toward the mountain to hide himself from them, and Allah softened the mountain so that he was able to insert his head into it. This is more wondrous, for fire softens iron, yet no one has ever seen fire soften stone. He added: This outward trace still remains for people to see.

He went on: Likewise, in one of the ravines of Mecca there is a stone from a solid mountain to which the Prophet ﷺ leaned in prayer; the stone softened until the imprint of his forearms and elbows remained in it. This is well known—pilgrims purposely visit it. The very rock in Jerusalem became like dough on the night of the Night Journey, and he tied his mount, al-Buraq, to it; people touch that spot up to this day (1).

What he mentioned about the day of Uhud and about certain ravines of Mecca is extremely unusual. Perhaps he himself produced a chain of transmission for it earlier, but it is not found in the famous works of the Sirah.

As for the tying of the mount to the rock, that is sound; it was Gabriel who tied it, as is recorded in Sahih Muslim (2), may Allah have mercy on him.

Concerning His words, “We granted him wisdom and decisive speech” (Sad 20): the wisdom granted to Muhammad ﷺ and the law revealed for him are more complete than every wisdom and law ever granted to the prophets before him—may Allah’s blessings be upon him and upon them all—for Allah combined in him the virtues of those who preceded him, added to them, and perfected for him what He had given no one before. The Prophet ﷺ said, “I have been given the concise, all-embracing words, and wisdom has been compressed for me in a concise form” (3). There is no doubt that the Arabs are the most eloquent of peoples, and the Prophet ﷺ was the most eloquent of them in speech and the most comprehensive in every noble trait.

A discussion of what was bestowed upon Solomon son of David (upon him be peace)

Allah the Exalted said: “So We subjected to him the wind, which blew gently at his command wherever he wished (36); and We subjected the devils—every builder and diver (37); and others bound together in chains (38). ‘This is Our gift, so give freely or withhold without reckoning’ (39); and truly for him with Us is nearness and a goodly return (40)” (Sad 36–40).

He also said: “And for Solomon We subjected the stormy wind, which blew at his command toward the land We had blessed—We are aware of all things (81); and of the devils were those who dived…”

(1) Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwa; Abu Nuʿaym, vol. 2, p. 759. There is no basis for comparing that which is definitively established in the Book of Allah with that which lacks an authentic chain of transmission and verification. (2) Narrated by Muslim in Sahih Muslim (nos. 162, 259). It states that the Messenger ﷺ himself tied al-Buraq to the ring of the door of al-Masjid al-Aqsa. (3) Narrated by al-Daraqutni in his Sunan (4:145) from Ibn ʿAbbas, and by al-Bayhaqi in al-Shuʿab (1436) from ʿUmar. Its wording is: “I have been given the juwamiʿ al-kalim (conciseness of expression), and the hadith has been made concise for me.” al-Suyuti records it in al-Jamiʿ al-Saghir and states that its isnad is hasan (good).

﴿قُلْ كُونُوا حِجَارَةً أَوْ حَدِيدًا (٥٠) أَوْ خَلْقًا مِمَّا يَكْبُرُ فِي صُدُورِكُمْ﴾ [الإسراء: ٥٠ - ٥١] الآية، فذلك لمعنى آخر في التفسير، وحاصلُه أنَّ الحديدَ أشدُّ امتناعًا في الساعة الراهنة من الحجر ما لم يُعالج، فإذا عُولجَ انفعلَ الحديدُ ولا ينفعلُ الحجر، واللّه أعلم. وقال أبو نُعيم: فإن قيل: فقد ليَّن الله لداود (عليه السلام) الحديدَ حتى سردَ منه الدروعَ السوابغَ، قيل: لُيِّنَتْ لمحمد ﷺ الحجارةُ وصُمّ الضُخور، فعادت له غارًا استتر به من المشركين، يوم أحد مال ﷺ برأسه إلى الجبل ليخفيَ شخصَه عنهم فليَّنَ الله له الجبلَ حتى أدخلَ رأسَه فيه، وهذا أعجبُ لأن الحديدَ تُلَيِّنُه النَّارُ، ولم تُر النَّارُ تُلَيِّنُ الحجرَ، قال: وذلك بعد ظاهر باق يراه الناس. وقال: وكذلك في بعض شِعاب مكة حجرٌ من جبل أصمُّ استروحَ في صلاته إليه، فلانَ الحجرُ حتى أثَّرَ فيه بذراعيهِ وساعديه، وذلك مشهورٌ يقصدُه الحجَّاجُ ويزورونه. وعادتِ الصخرةُ ببيت المقدس ليلةَ أسري به كهيئة العجين، فربطَ بها دابَّته - البُراق - وموضعه يلمسُه الناس إلى يومنا هذا (١) . وهذا الذي أشارَ إليه، من يوم أحد، وبعض شعاب مكة غريب جدًّا، ولعلَّه قد أسندَه هو فيما سلفَ، وليس ذلك بمعروف في السيرة المشهورة. وأما ربطُ الدابة في الحجر فصحيحٌ، والذي ربطَها جبريل كما هو في صحيح (٢) مسلم (رحمه الله) . وأما قوله: ﴿وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحِكْمَةَ وَفَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ﴾ [ص: ٢٠] فقد كانت الحكمةُ التي أوتيها محمد ﷺ والشِّرْعة التي شرعت له أكملَ من كلّ حكمة وشِرْعة كانت لمن قبلَه من الأنبياء صلوات الله عليه وعليهم أجمعين، فإن الله جمعَ له محاسنَ مَن كان قبلَه، وفضلَه، وأكملَ له ما لم يُؤتِ أحدًا قبلَه، وقد قال ﷺ : " أوتيتُ جوامعَ الكَلمِ، واختُصِرَت ليَ الحكمةُ اختصارًا" (٣) ولا شكَّ أن العربَ أفصحُ الأمم، وكان النبيُّ ﷺ أفصحَهم نطقًا، وأجمعُ لكلِّ خلقٍ جميلٍ مطلقًا. القول فيما أُوتي سليمان بن داود (عليه السلام) قال الله تعالى: ﴿فَسَخَّرْنَا لَهُ الرِّيحَ تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ رُخَاءً حَيْثُ أَصَابَ (٣٦) وَالشَّيَاطِينَ كُلَّ بَنَّاءٍ وَغَوَّاصٍ (٣٧) وَآخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِي الْأَصْفَادِ (٣٨) هَذَا عَطَاؤُنَا فَامْنُنْ أَوْ أَمْسِكْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ (٣٩) وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ﴾ [ص: ٣٦ - ٤٠] وقال الله تعالى: ﴿وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةً تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَالِمِينَ (٨١) وَمِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ مَنْ يَغُوصُونَ

(١) دلائل النبوة؛ لأبي نعيم (٢/ ٧٥٩) ولا وجه للمقارنة بين ما هو قطعي الثبوت في كتاب الله تعالى، وبين ما يفتقر إلى السند الصحيح والثبوت. (٢) رواه مسلم في صحيحه (١٦٢) (٢٥٩) وفيه أن الرسول ﷺ هو الذي ربط البراق بحلقة باب المسجد الأقصى. (٣) رواه الدارقطني في سننه (٤/ ١٤٥) عن ابن عباس، والبيهقي في الشعب (١٤٣٦) عن عمر، ولفظه: "أعطيت جوامع الكلم، واختُصر لي الحديث اختصارًا". وذكره السيوطي في الجامع الصغير، وقال: إسناده حسن.