Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/250)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

—the five great Messengers of resolute determination. For that reason he said, “And He has made me blessed wherever I may be.” Wherever Jesus found himself he summoned people to worship Allah alone, without partner, and he declared the Divine Majesty far above any imperfection or defect such as taking a consort or a child—transcendent and sanctified is He. He further said, “and He has enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving as long as I live.” Such is the duty of every servant: to fulfil the right of the All-Mighty, the All-Praiseworthy, through prayer, and to show beneficence to creation through zakāh. Zakāh purifies souls of base traits and cleanses abundant wealth by giving to those in need—of every category—by hosting guests, supporting wives, slaves, and kinsfolk, and by meeting all other forms of obedience and avenues of drawing near to Allah.

Then he said, “and [He has made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me arrogant or wretched.” That is, He made me kind to my mother; her right upon him was all the greater because she alone was his parent. Glorified is He who created the creation, fashioned it, and granted every soul its guidance. “And He has not made me arrogant or wretched,” meaning I am neither harsh nor hard-hearted, and no word or deed of mine conflicts with Allah’s command or obedience to Him.

“Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive.” These are the three occasions that were discussed earlier in the story of John son of Zachariah, peace be upon him.

After the Almighty had set forth his story plainly, clarified his affair, and explained it in detail, He said, “That is Jesus, son of Mary—the word of truth about which they dispute. It is not befitting for Allah to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees a matter He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.”

Likewise, after relating his story in Sūrat Āl ʿImrān He said: “These are the signs We recite to you and the wise reminder. Truly, with Allah the likeness of Jesus is as that of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was. The truth is from your Lord; so do not be among those who doubt. If anyone disputes with you concerning him after the knowledge that has come to you, say: Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves; then let us pray earnestly and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars. Indeed, this is the true account; there is no deity but Allah, and Allah is surely the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. But if they turn away, then Allah knows well the corrupters.” (Āl ʿImrān 58–63)

Accordingly, when the delegation of Najrān arrived—sixty riders whose leadership ultimately rested with fourteen of them and, in the end, with three nobles who were their chiefs: al-ʿĀqib, as-Sayyid, and Abū Ḥārithah ibn ʿAlqamah—they debated the matter of the Messiah. Allah revealed the opening of Sūrat Āl ʿImrān concerning him, clarifying the reality of the Messiah, how his creation began, and how his mother had been created before him. He commanded His Messenger to challenge them to mutual imprecation should they refuse to respond and follow him. When they considered the matter with their own eyes and ears, they took fright, retreated, and declined the mubāhalah, opting instead for a treaty of peace and non-aggression. Their spokesman, al-ʿĀqib, said

(1) Not present in B. Those endowed with steadfastness (ulu al-ʿazm) among the messengers are: Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), ʿIsa (Jesus), and Muhammad (peace be upon them). (2) al-mahawij: plural of muhwij, meaning the destitute. (3) In B: al-mawātin. (4) A detailed account of the hadith concerning the delegation of Najran will appear in Volume V, chapter al-wufūd (The Delegations). (5) al-mubahala: mutual cursing—when parties who disagree convene and invoke, “May Allah’s curse be upon the one of us who is in the wrong.”

الخمسة (١) الكبار، ولهذا قال: ﴿وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُ﴾ وذلك أنه حيث كان دعا إلى عبادة اللّه وحدَه لا شريك له، ونزّه جنابه عن النقص والعيب من اتخاذ الصاحبة والولد تعالى وتقدَّس ﴿وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا﴾ وهذه وظيفة العبيد في القيام بحق العزيز الحميد بالصلاة والإحسان إلى الخليقة بالزكاة، وهي تشمل طهارة النفوس من الأخلاق الرذيلة، وتطهر الأموال الجزيلة بالعطية للمحاويج (٢) على اختلاف الأصناف وقِرى الأضياف والنفقات على الزوجات والأرقاء والقرابات، وسائر وجوه الطاعات وأنواع القُرُبات. ثم قال: ﴿وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا﴾ أي: وجعلني برًا بوالدتي وذلك أنه تأكّد حقها عليه لمحض جهتها، إذ لا والد له سواها، فسبحان من خلق الخليقة وبرأها، وأعطى كلّ نفس هداها. ﴿وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا﴾ أي لستُ بِفَظٍّ ولا غليظ، ولا يصدر مني قولٌ ولا فعلٌ ينافي أمر اللّه وطاعته. ﴿وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا﴾. وهذه الأماكن (٣) الثلاثة التي تقدَّم الكلام عليها في قصة يحيى بن زكريا (رحمه الله) . ثمّ لما ذكر تعالى قصّته على الجلية، وبيّن أمرَه ووضّحه وشرحه قال: ﴿ذَلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ (٣٤) مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ مِنْ وَلَدٍ سُبْحَانَهُ إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ﴾. كما قال تعالى بعد ذكر قصته وما كان من أمره في آل عمران: ﴿ذَلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ (٥٨) إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ (٥٩) الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُنْ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ (٦٠) فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنْفُسَنَا وَأَنْفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ (٦١) إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْقَصَصُ الْحَقُّ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ (٦٢) فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُفْسِدِينَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٥٨ - ٦٣] . ولهذا لما قَدِم وفد نجران (٤) وكانوا ستينَ راكبًا يرجع أمرُهم إلى أربعة عشر منهم، ويؤول أمر الجميع إلى ثلاثة هم أشرافهم وساداتهم، وهم العاقب والسّيد وأبو حارثة بن علقمة، فجعلوا يناظرون في أمر المسيح، فأنزل اللّه صدر سورة آل عمران في ذلك، وبين أمر المسيح وابتداء خلقه وخلق أُمه من قبله، وأمر رسوله بأن يباهِلَهم (٥) إن لم يستجيبوا له ويتبعوه، فلما رأوا عينيها وأذنيها نكلوا ونكصوا وامتنعوا عن المباهلة وعدلوا إلى المسالمة والموادعة، وقال قائلهم، وهو العاقب

(١) ليست في ب. وأولو العزم من الرسل هم: نوح، وإبراهيم، وموسى، وعيسى، ومحمد (عليهم السلام) . (٢) المحاويج: جمع مُحْوِج وهو المعدم. (٣) في ب: المواطن. (٤) سيأتي تفصيل الحديث عن وفد نجران في الجزء الخامس، باب الوفود. (٥) المباهلة: الملاعنة، وهو أن يجتمع القوم إذ اختلفوا في شيء فيقولوا لعنة اللّه على الظالم منا.