Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (1/286)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

A review of the extraordinary events that took place during the life of Israel, among the most remarkable of which is the story of Joseph, the son of Rachel.

Concerning Joseph and all that befell him, Allah—magnified be His mention—revealed an entire sūrah of the Glorious Qur’an so that the wisdom, exhortations, refined manners, and sound commandments it contains might be pondered.

I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan:

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

Alif Lām Rā. These are the verses of the Clear Book. (1)
Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an so that you may understand. (2)
We relate to you the finest of stories by Our revealing to you this Qur’an, though before it you were among the unaware. (3) [Yūsuf 1–3]

We have already discussed the disjointed letters (ḥurūf muqaṭṭaʿah) at the beginning of our commentary on Sūrat al-Baqarah; whoever wishes a detailed treatment may consult it there. We have likewise provided a full exposition of this sūrah in its proper place within the commentary. Here, therefore, we shall cite only a selection of what appears there, presenting it in abridged form.

In sum, the Exalted One extols His magnificent Book, which He sent down to His servant and noble Messenger in a pure, eloquent, lucid Arabic tongue intelligible to every discerning and intelligent mind. It is the most exalted scripture ever to descend from heaven, delivered by the noblest of angels to the noblest of created beings, at the noblest time and place, expressed in the most eloquent language and the clearest style.

When its discourse concerns past or future events, it recounts them in the finest and clearest manner, manifests the truth over which people differed, and crushes falsehood, exposing and refuting it.

When its discourse concerns commands and prohibitions, it sets forth the fairest of laws and the clearest of paths, displaying the most evident wisdom and the most equitable rulings.

Thus He says: “The Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice” (al-Anʿām 115)—truthful in its reports and just in its commands and prohibitions.

For this reason He also says: “We relate to you the finest of stories through Our revelation of this Qur’an, and before it you were among the unaware” (Yūsuf 3)—that is, unaware of what has been revealed therein.

Likewise, He says:
“And so We have revealed to you a spirit of Our command. You did not know what the Book was, nor what faith was; but We have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed you guide to a straight path—
the path of Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth; surely to Allah all matters return.” (ash-Shūrā 52 – 53)

And He, the Most High, says:
“Thus We relate to you some of the news of what has gone before, and We have given you from Us a reminder. (99)
Whoever turns away from it shall bear a burden on the Day of Resurrection, (100)
abiding forever under it—how evil a load it will be for them on the Day of Resurrection!” (Tā Hā 99 – 101)

That is to say, whoever turns away from this Qur’an and follows some other scripture will be subject to this threat.

As stated in the ḥadīth reported in the Musnad and by al-Tirmidhī—transmitted from the Commander of the Believers ʿAlī, both as a marfūʿ and as a mawqūf report: “Whoever seeks guidance elsewhere, Allah will let him stray.” (1)

(1) Narrated by Ahmad (Musnad Ahmad, 1:91) and by al-Tirmidhi (no. 2906) in the chapter on the virtues of the Qurʾān; al-Tirmidhi remarks: “This hadith is known only through this chain, its isnād is unknown, and al-Hārith is considered dubious. It is weak in its marfūʿ form (when attributed to the Prophet), and some scholars have restricted it to ʿAlī (treating it as mawqūf).”

ذكرُ ما وقعَ من الأمور العجيبة في حياة إسرائيل فمن ذلك قصة يوسف بن راحيل وقد أنزل الله – Exalté soit-Il – في شأنه، وما كان من أمره، سورة من القرآن العظيم ليتدبَّر ما فيها من الحِكم والمواعظ والآداب والأمر الحكيم، أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم: ﴿بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الر تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ الْمُبِينِ (١) إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ (٢) نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ﴾ [يوسف: ١ - ٣] . وقد تكلَّمنا على الحروف المقطعة في أول تفسير سورة البقرة، فمن أراد تحقيقه فلينظرْه ثَمَّ، وتكلَّمنا على هذه السورة مستقصىً في موضعها من التفسير، ونحن نذكرُ هاهنا نبذًا مما هناك على وجه الإيجاز والنجاز. وجملةُ القول في هذا المقام: أنه تعالى يمدحُ كتابه العظيم الذي أنزله على عبده ورسوله الكريم بلسانٍ عربيٍّ فصيح بيِّنٍ واضح جليّ، يفهمُه كلُّ عاقل ذكي زكي، فهو أشرف كتابٍ نزلَ من السماء، أنزلَه أشرف الملائكة على أشرفِ الخلق في أشرف زمان ومكان، بأفصح لغة وأظهر بيان، فإن كان السياق في الأخبار الماضية أو الآتية: ذكرَ أحسنها وأبينها، وأظهرَ الحق مما اختلف الناس فيه، ودمغَ الباطلَ وزيَّفه وردَّه، وإن كان في الأوامر والنواهي: فأعدلُ الشرائع وأوضحُ المناهج، وأبْيَنُ حكمًا وأعدلُ حكمًا، فهو كما قال تعالى: ﴿وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا﴾ [الأنعام: ١١٥] . يعني صدقًا في الأخبار وعدلًا في الأوامر والنواهي. ولهذا قال تعالى: ﴿نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ﴾ [يوسف: ٣] أي بالنسبة إلى ما أوحي إليك فيه، كما قال تعالى: ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا مَا كُنْتَ تَدْرِي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلَا الْإِيمَانُ وَلَكِنْ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُورًا نَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ نَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ (٥٢) صِرَاطِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَلَا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَصِيرُ الْأُمُورُ﴾ [الشورى: ٥٢، ٥٣] . وقال تعالى: ﴿كَذَلِكَ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ مَا قَدْ سَبَقَ وَقَدْ آتَيْنَاكَ مِنْ لَدُنَّا ذِكْرًا (٩٩) مَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْمِلُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وِزْرًا (١٠٠) خَالِدِينَ فِيهِ وَسَاءَ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حِمْلًا﴾ [طه: ٩٩ - ١٠١] . يعني: منْ أعرضَ عن هذا القرآن واتَّبعَ غيرَه من الكتب فإنه ينالُه هذا الوعيد، كما قال في الحديث المروي في المسند والترمذي: عن أمير المؤمنين عليٍّ مرفوعًا وموقوفًا: "من ابتغى الهدى في غيره أضلَّه اللهُ" (١) .

(١) أخرجه أحمد (١/ ٩١) والترمذي (٢٩٠٦) في فضائل القرآن، وقال: هذا حديث لا نعرفه إلا من هذا الوجه، وإسناده مجهول، وفي الحارث مقال. فهو ضعيف في المرفوع، وبعضهم وقفه على علي ﵁ .