Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (3/351)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

This was because he used to travel as a merchant to Persia and al-Hirah, where he would hear the stories of Rustam and Isfandiyar and the accounts of the non-Arabs. He would pass by the Jews and Christians and see them reading the Torah and the Gospel, bowing and prostrating. Then he came to Makkah and found the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, praying and reciting the Quran. So al-Nadr said: “We have heard. If we wished, we could say the like of this. This is nothing but tales of the former peoples.” (1) That is, accounts of past nations, their names, and what earlier people had written in their books. Asatir is the plural of usturah, meaning a written account, derived from their saying, suttirat, meaning “it was written.” (2)

“And when they said, ‘O Allah, if this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring upon us a painful punishment.’ (32) But Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor would Allah punish them while they seek forgiveness. (33)”

The saying of the Exalted: “And when they said, ‘O Allah, if this is indeed the truth from You’”—the verse was revealed concerning al-Nadr ibn al-Harith of Banu Abd al-Dar. (3)

Ibn Abbas said: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, related the histories of the bygone generations, al-Nadr said: “Had I wished, I could have said the like of this. This is nothing but tales of the former peoples”—that is, nothing but what earlier people had written in their books. Uthman ibn Mazun, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him: “Fear Allah, for Muhammad speaks the truth.” He replied: “And I speak the truth.” Uthman said: “Muhammad says: ‘There is no god but Allah.’” He replied: “And I too say: ‘There is no god but Allah’; but these are the daughters of Allah,” referring to the idols.

Then he said: “O Allah, if what Muhammad says is indeed the truth from You”—the word “truth” is in the accusative case as the predicate of kana, while “it” is a separating pronoun included for emphasis—“then rain down upon us stones from the sky,” as You rained them down upon the people of Lot, “or bring upon us a painful punishment,” meaning, some of the punishment with which You punished the nations. Concerning him was revealed: “A petitioner asked for an impending punishment.” (4) (Al-Maarij, 70:1).

Ata said: More than ten verses were revealed concerning al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, and at Badr the punishment he had asked for overtook him. (5)

Said ibn Jubayr said: At Badr, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, executed three men of Quraysh in captivity: Tuaymah ibn Adiyy

(1) See al-Tabari, 13:503-504; al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 270; and al-Durr al-Manthur, 4:55. (2) See al-Tabari, 11:308-310 and 13:503. (3) Tafsir al-Tabari, 13:505-506; al-Durr al-Manthur, 4:55. (4) See al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:277. (5) Al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:278.

وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَخْتَلِفُ تَاجِرًا إِلَى فَارِسٍ وَالْحِيرَةَ فَيَسْمَعُ أَخْبَارَ رُسْتُمَ وَاسْفَنْدَيَارَ، وَأَحَادِيثَ الْعَجَمِ وَيَمُرُّ بِالْيَهُودِ والنصارى فيراهم +يقرؤن التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ وَيَرْكَعُونَ وَيَسْجُدُونَ، فَجَاءَ إِلَى مَكَّةَ فَوَجَدَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي وَيَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ فَقَالَ النَّضْرُ: قَدْ سَمِعْنَا لَوْ نَشَاءُ لَقُلْنَا مِثْلَ هَذَا (١) ﴿إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ﴾ أَخْبَارُ الْأُمَمِ الْمَاضِيَةِ وَأَسْمَاؤُهُمْ وَمَا سَطَّرَ الْأَوَّلُونَ فِي كُتُبِهِمْ. وَالْأَسَاطِيرُ: جُمْعُ أُسْطُورَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْمَكْتُوبَةُ، مِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ سُطِّرَتْ أَيْ كُتِبَتْ (٢) . ﴿وَإِذْ قَالُوا اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ (٣٢) وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنْتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ (٣٣) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَإِذْ قَالُوا اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ﴾ الْآيَةُ نَزَلَتْ فِي النَّضْرِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ الدَّارِ (٣) . قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: لَمَّا قَصَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ شَأْنَ الْقُرُونِ الْمَاضِيَةِ، قَالَ النَّضْرُ: لَوْ شِئْتُ لَقُلْتُ مِثْلَ هَذَا إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ -أَيْ: مَا هَذَا إِلَّا مَا سَطَّرَهُ الْأَوَّلُونَ فِي كُتُبِهِمْ -فَقَالَ لَهُ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ مَظْعُونٍ ﵁: اتَّقِ اللَّهَ فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يَقُولُ الْحَقَّ، قَالَ: فَأَنَا أَقُولُ الْحَقَّ، قَالَ عُثْمَانُ: فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يَقُولُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، قَالَ وَأَنَا أَقُولُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَلَكِنَّ هَذِهِ بَنَاتُ اللَّهِ، يَعْنِي الْأَصْنَامَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ كَانَ هَذَا الَّذِي يَقُولُ مُحَمَّدٌ هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ -"وَالْحَقُّ" نُصِبَ بِخَبَرِ كَانَ، وَهُوَ عِمَادٌ وَصِلَةٌ - ﴿فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ﴾ كَمَا أَمْطَرْتَهَا عَلَى قَوْمِ لُوطٍ، ﴿أَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ﴾ أَيْ: بِبَعْضِ مَا عَذَّبْتَ بِهِ الْأُمَمَ، وَفِيهِ نَزَلَ: "سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ" (٤) . (الْمَعَارِجُ -١) . . وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ: لَقَدْ نَزَلَ فِي النَّضْرِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بِضْعَ عَشْرَةَ آيَةً فَحَاقَ بِهِ مَا سَأَلَ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ (٥) . قَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ: قَتَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ ثَلَاثَةً صَبْرًا مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ: طُعَيْمَةَ بْنَ عَدِيٍّ

(١) انظر: الطبري: ١٣ / ٥٠٣ - ٥٠٤، أسباب النزول للواحدي ص (٢٧٠) ، المدر المنثور: ٤ / ٥٥. (٢) انظر: الطبري: ١١ / ٣٠٨ - ٣١٠، ١٣ / ٥٠٣. (٣) تفسير الطبري ١٣ / ٥٠٥ - ٥٠٦، الدر المنثور ٤ / ٥٥. (٤) انظر: الدر المنثور: ٨ / ٢٧٧. (٥) الدر المنثور: ٨ / ٢٧٨.