Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (3/296)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

a righteous generation, only the vocalized lām is used.

Muhammad ibn Jarir said: Most instances in which the word is used in praise have the lām vocalized, whereas in blame it is generally unvocalized; although it may also be vocalized in blame and unvocalized in praise.

“They inherited the Scripture,” meaning that the Scripture—the Torah—passed down to them from their forefathers. “Taking the fleeting gains of this lower world”: fleeting gain refers to the enjoyments of this world, while goods, with the rā’ unvocalized, refers to property other than dirhams and dinars. By “the lower,” He means the world, this transient abode. Thus, it is a reference to this worldly life. These Jews inherited the Torah, read it, yet neglected to act upon what it contained and opposed its rulings, accepting bribes in applying Allah’s judgment and in altering His words. “And they say, ‘We shall be forgiven’”: that is, “Our sins will be forgiven,” as they entertain false hopes concerning Allah.

Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi Tawbah informed us; Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Harith informed us; Abu al-Hasan Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Kisa’i informed us; Abd Allah ibn Mahmud informed us; Ibrahim ibn Abd Allah al-Khallal informed us; Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak informed us, from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Maryam al-Ghassani, from Damrah ibn Habib, from Shaddad ibn Aws, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “The intelligent person is the one who takes himself to account and works for what comes after death; whereas the incapable person is the one who follows his own desires and entertains wishful hopes before Allah.” (1)

“And whenever similar gains come their way, they take them.” This reports their greed for worldly life and their persistence in sin. That is, whenever something of this world comes within their reach, they take it, whether lawful or unlawful, hoping for Allah’s forgiveness; then, if they find something similar the following day, they take it as well. Al-Suddi said: Whenever the Children of Israel appointed a judge, he would accept bribes in judgment. He would be asked, “Why do you accept bribes?” and he would reply, “I shall be forgiven.” The others would then denounce him; but when he died or was removed and one of those who had denounced him was appointed in his place, he too would accept bribes. Thus, He says: “And whenever similar gains come the others’ way, they take them.”

“Was not the covenant of the Scripture taken from them—that they should say nothing about Allah except the truth?” That is, the covenant was taken from them in the Torah that they should not attribute falsehood to Allah. This falsehood consists of hoping for forgiveness while persisting in sin. There is no promise in the Torah of forgiveness alongside persistence in sin. “And they have studied what is in it”: they have read what it contains and are thus aware of it. Had they understood it, they would have worked for the Abode of the Hereafter,

(1) Reported by al-Tirmidhi in Sifat al-Qiyamah, chapter: “The prudent one is he who holds himself to account,” 7:156; he graded it hasan (sound). Ibn Majah also reported it in al-Zuhd, chapter: “Mention of Death and Preparing for It,” 2:1423, no. 4260. Al-Hakim declared it sahih (authentic) according to the criteria of the Two Shaykhs, 1:57, but al-Dhahabi criticized this, saying: “No, by Allah. Abu Bakr is weak.” Al-Hakim also reported it elsewhere, 4:251. Imam Ahmad reported it in al-Musnad, 4:124; and al-Baghawi in Sharh al-Sunnah, 14:309, where he graded it hasan; he also declared it sahih in Masabih al-Sunnah, 3:444. Its chain contains Abu Bakr ibn Maryam al-Ghassani, who is weak. Ibn Tahir said: “The hadith revolves around him, and he is very weak.” See al-Manawi, Fayd al-Qadir, 5:68.

الْقَرْنِ الصَّالِحِ فَبِتَحْرِيكِ اللَّامِ لَا غَيْرُ. وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ: أَكْثَرُ مَا جَاءَ فِي الْمَدْحِ بِفَتْحِ اللَّامِ، وَفِي الذَّمِّ بِتَسْكِينِهَا وَقَدْ يُحَرَّكُ فِي الذَّمِّ وَيُسَكَّنُ فِي الْمَدْحِ. ﴿وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ﴾ أَيِ: انْتَقَلَ إِلَيْهِمُ الْكِتَابُ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَهُوَ التَّوْرَاةُ، ﴿يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَذَا الْأَدْنَى﴾ فَالْعَرَضُ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا، وَالْعَرَضُ، بِسُكُونِ الرَّاءِ، مَا كَانَ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ سِوَى الدَّرَاهِمِ وَالدَّنَانِيرِ. وَأَرَادَ بِالْأَدْنَى الْعَالَمِ، وَهُوَ هَذِهِ الدَّارُ الْفَانِيَةُ، فَهُوَ تَذْكِيرُ الدُّنْيَا، وَهَؤُلَاءِ الْيَهُودُ وَرِثُوا التَّوْرَاةَ فَقَرَؤُوهَا وَضَيَّعُوا الْعَمَلَ بِمَا فِيهَا، وَخَالَفُوا حُكْمَهَا، يَرْتَشُونَ فِي حُكْمِ اللَّهِ وَتَبْدِيلِ كَلِمَاتِهِ، ﴿وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا﴾ ذُنُوبُنَا يَتَمَنَّوْنَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْأَبَاطِيلَ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي تَوْبَةَ أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو طَاهِرٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْكِسَائِيُّ، أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَحْمُودٍ، أَنْبَأَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْخَلَّالُ، أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ الْغَسَّانِيِّ عَنْ ضَمْرَةَ بْنِ حَبِيبٍ عَنْ شَدَّادِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: "الْكَيِّسُ مَنْ دَانَ نَفْسَهُ وَعَمِلَ لِمَا بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَالْعَاجِزُ مَنْ أَتْبَعَ نَفْسَهُ هَوَاهَا وَتَمَنَّى عَلَى اللَّهِ" (١) . ﴿وَإِنْ يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ﴾ هَذَا إِخْبَارٌ عَنْ حِرْصِهِمْ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا وَإِصْرَارِهِمْ عَلَى الذُّنُوبِ، يَقُولُ إِذَا أَشْرَفَ لَهُمْ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا أَخَذُوهُ حَلَالًا كَانَ أَوْ حَرَامًا، وَيَتَمَنَّوْنَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْمَغْفِرَةَ وَإِنْ وَجَدُوا مِنَ الْغَدِ مِثْلَهُ أَخَذُوهُ. وَقَالَ السُّدِّيُّ: كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا يَسْتَقْضُونَ قَاضِيًا إِلَّا ارْتَشَى فِي الْحُكْمِ، فَيُقَالُ لَهُ: مَا لَكَ تَرْتَشِي؟ فَيَقُولُ: سَيُغْفَرُ لِي، فَيَطْعَنُ عَلَيْهِ الْآخَرُونَ، فَإِذَا مَاتَ أَوْ نُزِعَ وَجُعِلَ مَكَانَهُ رَجُلٌ مِمَّنْ كَانَ يَطْعَنُ عَلَيْهِ فَيَرْتَشِي أَيْضًا. يَقُولُ: وَإِنْ يَأْتِ الْآخَرِينَ عَرْضٌ مِثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ. ﴿أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ لَا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ﴾ أَيْ: أُخِذَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعَهْدُ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ أَنْ لَا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْبَاطِلَ، وَهِيَ تَمَنِّي الْمَغْفِرَةِ مَعَ الْإِصْرَارِ، وَلَيْسَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ مِيعَادُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ مَعَ الْإِصْرَارِ، ﴿وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ﴾ قَرَأُوا مَا فِيهِ، فَهُمْ ذَاكِرُونَ لِذَلِكَ، وَلَوْ عَقَلُوهُ لَعَمِلُوا لِلدَّارِ الْآخِرَةِ،

(١) أخرجه الترمذي في صفة القيامة، باب الكيس من دان نفسه: ٧ / ١٥٦، وقال: هذا حديث حسن، وابن ماجه في الزهد، باب ذكر الموت والاستعداد له: ٢ / ١٤٢٣ برقم (٤٢٦٠) ، وصححه الحاكم على شرط الشيخين ١ / ٥٧، وتعقبه الذهبي فقال: قلت: لا والله، أبو بكر: واهٍ، وأخرجه أيضا في موضع آخر: ٤ / ٢٥١. وأخرجه الإمام أحمد في المسند: ٤ / ١٢٤، والبغوي في شرح السنة: ١٤ / ٣٠٩ وقال: هذا حديث حسن، وصححه في مصابيح السنة: ٣ / ٤٤٤. والحديث، فيه: أبو بكر بن مريم الغساني، وهو ضعيف، قال ابن طاهر: مدار الحديث عليه، وهو ضعيف جدا. انظر: فيض القدير للمناوي: ٥ / ٦٨.