Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/109)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

“…others were overtaken by the Blast; still others We caused the earth to swallow; and others We drowned. Allah did not wrong them, but it was they who wronged themselves.” (al-ʿAnkabūt 29:39–40)

The one whom Allah made the earth swallow was Qārūn, as mentioned earlier, while those whom He drowned were Pharaoh, Hāmān, and their hosts, for they were a sinful people.

Imām Aḥmad (1) related: Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān narrated to us; Saʿīd narrated to us; Kaʿb ibn ʿAlqamah narrated to us, from ʿĪsā ibn Hilāl al-Ṣadafī (2), from ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr, that the Prophet ﷺ once spoke about the prayer and said:

“Whoever guards it will find it a light, a proof, and a deliverance for him on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever neglects it will have no light, no proof, and no deliverance, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be with Qārūn, Pharaoh, Hāmān, and Ubayy ibn Khalaf.”

Only Aḥmad transmitted this ḥadīth—may Allah have mercy on him.

Chapter: The virtues of Moses عليه السلام, his noble qualities, characteristics, and death (3)

Allah the Exalted says:
“Mention in the Book Moses: he was devoted to Us, and he was a messenger, a prophet. We called to him from the right side of the Mount and drew him near for intimate discourse; and out of Our mercy We granted him his brother Aaron—a prophet.” (Maryam 19:51–53)

He also says:
“O Moses, I have chosen you above mankind with My messages and with My speech.” (al-Aʿrāf 7:144)

In the two Ṣaḥīḥs it is related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Do not give me superiority over Moses. People will fall unconscious on the Day of Resurrection and I will be the first to recover; I will see Moses holding on to one of the legs of the Throne. I do not know whether he fell unconscious before me and awoke first, or whether he was exempted from the swoon of the Mount.” (4)

We have already explained that these words spring from the Prophet’s humility and self-effacement; otherwise, he—blessings and peace be upon him—is unequivocally the Seal of the Prophets and the master of the children of Adam in this world and the Hereafter.

Allah the Exalted also says:
“We have revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him; and We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes… and messengers We have already recounted to you and messengers We have not recounted to you; and Allah spoke to Moses directly.” (al-Nisāʾ 4:163–164)

And He says:
“O you who believe, do not be like those who offended Moses; Allah cleared him of what they alleged, and he was distinguished in Allah’s sight.” (al-Aḥzāb 33:69)

(1) In his Musnad (vol. 2, p. 169), and it is graded hasan (sound). (2) As-Sudāfī: a nisba (attributive name) derived from aṣ-Ṣadaf, with a kasra on the dāl; it denotes a Himyarite tribe that settled in Egypt. al-Lubāb (vol. 2, p. 236). (3) In the printed edition: chapter “Virtues … and Its Fulfillment.” (4) Its citation (takhrīj) was given above on p. 71.

أَخَذَتْهُ الصَّيْحَةُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَغْرَقْنَا وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ﴾ [العنكبوت: ٣٩، ٤٠] . فالذي خسف اللّه به الأرض قارون - كما تقدّم - والذي أغرق فرعون وهامان وجنودَهما أنّهم كانوا خاطئين. وقد قال الإمام أحمد (١) : حَدَّثَنَا أبو عبد الرحمن، حَدَّثَنَا سعيد، حَدَّثَنَا كعب بن علقمة، عن عيسى ابن هلال الصَّدَفي (٢) ، عن عبد اللّه بن عمرو، عن النبي ﷺ أنّه ذكر الصلاة يومًا فقال: "مَنْ حَافَظَ عَلَيْها كانَتْ لَهُ نُوْرًا وبُرْهَانًا ونجاةً يومَ القِيامة، ومَنْ لَم يُحَافِظْ عَلَيْها لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ نُورٌ وَلَا بُرْهانٌ ولا نَجَاةٌ، وكانَ يَوْمَ القيامةِ مَعَ قَارُونَ وفِرْعَونَ وهامان وأُبَيُ بنِ خَلَفٍ" . انفرد به أحمد، (رحمه الله) . * * * باب ذِكر فضَائِل موسى (عليه السلام) وَشمائِله وصفاته ووفاته (٣) قال اللّه تعالى: ﴿وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ مُوسَى إِنَّهُ كَانَ مُخْلَصًا وَكَانَ رَسُولًا نَبِيًّا (٥١) وَنَادَيْنَاهُ مِنْ جَانِبِ الطُّورِ الْأَيْمَنِ وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ نَجِيًّا (٥٢) وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ مِنْ رَحْمَتِنَا أَخَاهُ هَارُونَ نَبِيًّا﴾ [مريم: ٥١ - ٥٣] . وقال تعالى: ﴿قَالَ يَامُوسَى إِنِّي اصْطَفَيْتُكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِرِسَالآتِي وَبِكَلَامِي﴾ [الأعراف: ١٤٤] . وتقدّم في "الصحيحين" عن رسول اللّه ﷺ أنه قال: "لا تُفَضِّلُوني عَلَى مُوسَى، فإنّ النَّاسَ يُصْعَقُونَ يَوْمَ القيامَةِ فأكُونُ أوَّلَ مَنْ يفِيْقُ فأجِدُ مُوْسَى باطِشًا بِقائمةِ العَرْشِ فَلا أدْرِي أَصعِقَ فأفاقَ قَبْلي أمْ جُوزي بِصَعْقَةِ الطُوْرِ" (٤) . وقدَّمنا أنه مِنْ رسول اللّه ﷺ مِنْ باب الهَضْمِ والتواضع، وإلّا فهو صلوات اللّه وسلامُه عليه خاتم الأنبياء، وسيّد ولد آدم في الدنيا والآخرة قطعًا جزمًا لا يحتمل النقيض. وقال تعالى: ﴿إِنَّا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ كَمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى نُوحٍ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ﴾ إلى أن قال: ﴿وَرُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيمًا﴾ [النساء: ١٦٣، ١٦٤] . وقال تعالى: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ آذَوْا مُوسَى فَبَرَّأَهُ اللَّهُ مِمَّا قَالُوا وَكَانَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَجِيهًا﴾ [الأحزاب: ٦٩] .

(١) في مسنده (٢/ ١٦٩)، وهو حديث حسن. (٢) الصدفي: نسبة إلى الصَّدِف، بكسر الدال، وهي قبيلة من حمير نزلت مصر. اللباب (٢/ ٢٣٦). (٣) في ط: باب فضائل … ووفائه. (٤) تقدم تخريجه ص (٧١).