Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (3/308)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Among those We created is a community that guides by the truth and thereby establishes justice. (181) As for those who deny Our signs, We shall draw them on little by little from where they do not know. (182) And I grant them respite; indeed, My plan is firm. (183) Have they not reflected that there is no madness in their companion? He is only a clear warner. (184)”

His saying, Exalted is He: “Among those We created is a community”—that is, a group—“that guides by the truth and thereby establishes justice.” Ata’ narrated from Ibn Abbas that this refers to the community of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him: the Emigrants and those who followed them in excellence.

Qatadah said: We were told that whenever the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, recited this verse, he would say: “This is for you, and the people before you were given something similar: ‘And among the people of Moses is a community that guides by the truth and thereby establishes justice.’” (1)

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Na‘imi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Ismail informed us; al-Humaydi narrated to us; al-Walid narrated to me; Ibn Jabir—who was Abd al-Rahman ibn Yazid ibn Jabir—narrated to me; Umayr ibn Hani’ narrated to me that he heard Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “There will always remain a group from my community standing firm upon Allah’s command. Those who abandon them and those who oppose them will not harm them, until Allah’s command comes while they remain in that state.” (2) Al-Kalbi said: They are found among all people.

“As for those who deny Our signs, We shall draw them on little by little from where they do not know.” Ata’ said: We shall plot against them from where they do not know. It was also said: We shall come upon them from their place of security, as He said: “So Allah came upon them from where they did not expect.” (al-Hashr 2) Al-Kalbi said: He makes their deeds seem fair to them, then destroys them. Al-Dahhak said: Whenever they commit a new sin, We renew a blessing for them. Sufyan al-Thawri said: We lavish blessings upon them and make them forget gratitude.

The scholars of meanings said: istidraj is to approach something secretly and gradually, little by little, without coming upon it suddenly or openly. From this comes the expression for a child taking short, closely spaced steps while walking; and for folding a book up little by little.

“And I grant them respite”—that is, I give them time and prolong their lifespan so that they may persist in acts of disobedience. “Indeed, My plan is firm”—that is, My seizure is powerful and severe. Ibn Abbas said: My plotting is severe. It was said that this was revealed concerning the mockers, whom Allah killed in a single night.

(1) Tafsir al-Tabari, 13:286. (2) Reported by al-Bukhari in Kitab al-Manaqib, chapter 28, 6:632; by Muslim in Kitab al-Imarah, in the chapter on the Prophet's statement, peace be upon him: “A group from my Ummah will continue to remain manifest upon the truth...,” no. 1037, 3:1524; and by the author in Sharh al-Sunnah, 14:212.

﴿وَمِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ (١٨١) وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (١٨٢) وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ (١٨٣) أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا مَا بِصَاحِبِهِمْ مِنْ جِنَّةٍ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ (١٨٤) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَمِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا أُمَّةٌ﴾ أَيْ: عِصَابَةٌ، ﴿يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ﴾ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: يُرِيدُ أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، وَهُمُ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ وَالتَّابِعُونَ لَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ إِذَا قَرَأَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ قَالَ: "هَذِهِ لَكُمْ وَقَدْ أُعْطِي الْقَوْمُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيكُمْ مِثْلَهَا، وَمِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسَى أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ" (١) . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ الْمَلِيحِيُّ، أَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النَّعِيمِيُّ، أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَمِيدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي الْوَلِيدُ، حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ جَابِرٍ، وَهُوَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عُمَيْرُ بْنُ هَانِئٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُعَاوِيَةَ ﵁ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: "لَا تَزَالُ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ بِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ، لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَذَلَهُمْ وَلَا مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ" (٢) . وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: هُمْ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْخَلْقِ. ﴿وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: سَنَمْكُرُ بِهِمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ. وَقِيلَ: نَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ مَأْمَنِهِمْ، كَمَا قَالَ: "فَأَتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُوا" (الْحَشْرُ-٢) ، قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: يُزَيِّنُ لَهُمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَيُهْلِكُهُمْ. وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: كُلَّمَا جَدَّدُوا مَعْصِيَةً جَدَّدْنَا لَهُمْ نِعْمَةً. قَالَ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ: نُسْبِغُ عَلَيْهِمُ النِّعْمَةَ وَنُنْسِيهِمُ الشُّكْرَ. قَالَ أَهْلُ الْمَعَانِي: الِاسْتِدْرَاجُ أَنْ يَتَدَرَّجَ إِلَى الشَّيْءِ فِي خُفْيَةٍ قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا فَلَا يُبَاغِتُ وَلَا يُجَاهِرُ، وَمِنْهُ دَرَجَ الصَّبِيُّ إِذَا قَارَبَ بَيْنَ خُطَاهُ فِي الْمَشْيِ، وَمِنْهُ دَرَجَ الْكِتَابَ إِذَا طَوَاهُ شَيْئًا بَعْدَ شَيْءٍ. ﴿وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ﴾ أَيْ: أُمْهِلُهُمْ وَأُطِيلُ لَهُمْ مُدَّةَ عُمْرِهِمْ لِيَتَمَادَوْا فِي الْمَعَاصِي، ﴿إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ﴾ أَيْ: إِنَّ أَخْذِي قَوِيٌّ شَدِيدٌ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: إِنَّ مَكْرِي شَدِيدٌ. قِيلَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي الْمُسْتَهْزِئِينَ، فَقَتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ.

(١) تفسير الطبري: ١٣ / ٢٨٦. (٢) أخرجه البخاري في المناقب، باب رقم (٢٨) : ٦ / ٦٣٢، ومسلم في الإمارة، باب قوله ﷺ: "لا تزال طائفة من أمتي ظاهرين على الحق ... " برقم (١٠٣٧) : ٣ / ١٥٢٤، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١٤ / ٢١٢.