Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (1/328)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

whether by word, and it is also said: by deed. The former interpretation is supported by His words, “And a painful punishment from Us will most certainly touch you,” for they threatened the messengers with killing and humiliation.

“They said, ‘Your evil omen is with you,’ ” that is, it rebounds upon you. “Is it because you have been reminded?”—because we have reminded you of guidance and invited you to it you now threaten us with death and disgrace?—“No, you are a people who exceed all bounds,” meaning you neither accept the truth nor desire it.

God, Exalted is He, says: “And there came from the farthest end of the city a man running,” intent on supporting the messengers and openly professing faith in them. “He said, ‘My people, follow the messengers! (20) Follow those who ask no recompense of you, and they are rightly guided.’ ” In other words, they summon you to pure truth without demanding any wage or reward.

He then called them to worship Allah alone with no partner and forbade the worship of anything else—things that bring no benefit in this world or the next. “Indeed, were I to do so I would be in manifest error,” that is, if I abandoned the worship of Allah and worshiped anything alongside Him.

Then, addressing the messengers, he said: “I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me.” One opinion holds that he meant, “Hear my words and testify to them before your Lord”; another understands it as, “O my people, listen as I publicly declare my belief in the messengers of Allah.” At that point they killed him—some say by stoning, others say by mauling, and still others that they rushed at him as one man and slew him.

Ibn Isḥāq relates—from some of his teachers, from Ibn Masʿūd—that they trampled him underfoot until they burst his windpipe.

Al-Thawrī transmitted—from ʿĀṣim al-Aḥwal, from Abū Majliz—that the man’s name was Ḥabīb ibn Murri. It is said he was a carpenter; others say a rope-maker, a cobbler, or a cloth-fuller; still others say he lived as a devotee in a nearby cave—Allah knows best.

Ibn ʿAbbās stated that Ḥabīb the carpenter had been stricken with leprosy, was very generous in charity, and that his people killed him.

For this reason Allah says, “Enter Paradise,” meaning that when his people killed him Allah admitted him into the Garden. When he beheld its radiance and bliss he said, “Would that my people knew (26) how my Lord has forgiven me and made me one of the honored,” desiring that they believe as he had believed so that they might attain what he had attained.

Ibn ʿAbbās said: He advised his people while alive—“My people, follow the messengers”—and after his death—“Would that my people knew (26) how my Lord has forgiven me and made me one of the honored.” This was reported by Ibn Abī Ḥātim.

Qatādah likewise remarked: A believer is always sincere and never deceitful, having witnessed Allah’s generosity. “Would that my people knew (26) how my Lord has forgiven me and made me one of the honored”—by Allah, he wished that his people might know the grace of Allah that he had seen and the state he now enjoyed.

Qatādah also said: By Allah, Allah did not reproach his people after they killed him: “It was but one mighty blast, and there they were—lifeless.”

(1) “Akhrijū qasabahu” (“extract its qasab”): its intestines. See al-Tabari, Jami‘ al-Bayan (vol. 10, p. 436). (2) Reported by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari in Jami‘ al-Bayan (vol. 10, p. 433). (3) Ibid. (vol. 10, pp. 433–434). (4) As in al-Durr al-Munthur (vol. 7, p. 51). (5) Reported by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari in Jami‘ al-Bayan (vol. 10, p. 436).

بالمقال، وقيل: بالفعال، ويُؤيِّد الأوَّلَ قوله: ﴿وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ مِنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾ فوعدُوهم بالقتل والإهانة. ﴿قَالُوا طَائِرُكُمْ مَعَكُمْ﴾ أي: مردودٌ عليكم ﴿أَئِنْ ذُكِّرْتُمْ﴾ أي: بسبب أنَّا ذكَّرناكم بالهدى، ودعوناكم إليه تَوعَّدْتُمونا بالقتل والإهانة ﴿بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُسْرِفُونَ﴾ أي: لا تقبلون الحق ولا تريدونه. وقوله تعالى: ﴿وَجَاءَ مِنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ رَجُلٌ يَسْعَى﴾ يعني لنصرة الرُّسل وإظهار الإيمان بهم ﴿قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ اتَّبِعُوا الْمُرْسَلِينَ (٢٠) اتَّبِعُوا مَنْ لَا يَسْأَلُكُمْ أَجْرًا وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ﴾ أي: يدعونكم إلى الحقِّ المَحْضِ بلا أجرة ولا جُعالة، ثم دعاهم إلى عبادة الله وحده لا شريكَ له، ونهاهم عن عبادة ما سواه مما لا ينفعُ شيئًا، لا في الدنيا ولا في الآخرة ﴿إِنِّي إِذًا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ﴾ أي: إن تركتُ عبادة الله وعبدتُ معه ما سواه. ثم قال مخاطبًا للرسل: ﴿إِنِّي آمَنْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ فَاسْمَعُونِ﴾ قيل: فاسمعوا مَقالتي واشهدوا لي بها عندَ ربكم .. وقيل: معناه: فاسمعوا يا قومي إيماني برسُل الله جهرةً. فعند ذلك قتلوه، قيل: رجمًا، وقيل: عضًّا. وقيل: وثبوا إليه وثبةَ رجُل واحدٍ فقتلُوه. وحكى ابن إسحاق: عن بعض أصحابه، عن ابن مسعود، قال: وَطِئوه بأرجلهم حتَّى أخرجوا قُصْبَه (١) . وقد روى الثوري (٢) : عن عاصم الأحول، عن أبي مَجْلز، كان اسمُ هذا الرجل حبيب بن مُرِّي. ثم قيل: كان نجَّارًا. وقيل: حبَّالًا. وقيل: إسكافًا. وقيل: قصَّارًا. وقيل: كان يتعبَّدُ في غار هناك، فالله أعلم. وعن ابن عبَّاس (٣) : كان حبيبُّ النَّجَّارُ قد أسرعَ فيه الجُذام، وكان كثيرَ الصَّدقة، قتلَه قومه. ولهذا قال تعالى: ﴿ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ﴾ يعني لما قتله قومُه أدخلَه الله الجنَّة، فلما رأى فيها من النُّضْرة والسرور ﴿قَالَ يَالَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ (٢٦) بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ﴾ يعني ليؤمنوا بما آمنتُ به، فيحصل لهم ماحصلَ لي. قال ابن عباس: نصحَ قومه في حياته ﴿يَاقَوْمِ اتَّبِعُوا الْمُرْسَلِينَ﴾ وبعد مماته ﴿يَالَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ (٢٦) بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ﴾ رواه ابن أبي حاتم (٤) . وكذلك قال قتادة (٥) : لا يُلقى المؤمنُ إلا ناصحًا، لا يُلقى غاشَّا لما عاين من كرامة الله. ﴿يَالَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ (٢٦) بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ﴾ تمنَّى والله أن يعلمَ قومه بما عاينَ من كرامة الله، وما هو عليه. قال قتادة: فلا والله ما عاتبَ الله قومَه بعد قتله ﴿إِنْ كَانَتْ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ خَامِدُونَ﴾ وقوله

(١) "أخرجوا قصْبَه": أمعاءَه. وانظر تفسير الطبري (١٠/ ٤٣٦). (٢) أخرجه ابن جرير فى التفسير (١٠/ ٤٣٣). (٣) المصدر السابق (١٠/ ٤٣٣ - ٤٣٤). (٤) كما في الدر المنثور (٧/ ٥١). (٥) أخرجه ابن جرير في التفسير (١٠/ ٤٣٦).