Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/56)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“They had already sought to sow discord before this and had turned matters upside down for you, until the truth came and Allah’s decree prevailed, though they detested it. (48) Among them is he who says, ‘Grant me leave to remain behind, and do not put me to trial.’ Indeed, they have fallen into trial; and Hell surely encompasses the disbelievers. (49) If some good fortune befalls you, it distresses them; but if a calamity strikes you, they say, ‘We had taken our precautions beforehand,’ and they turn away rejoicing. (50) Say, ‘Nothing will befall us except what Allah has decreed for us. He is our Protector; and in Allah let the believers place their trust.’ (51) Say, ‘Do you await for us anything other than one of the two best outcomes? But we await for you that Allah will afflict you with a punishment from Himself or at our hands. So wait; indeed, we are waiting with you.’ (52) Say, ‘Spend willingly or unwillingly: it will never be accepted from you. Indeed, you are a defiantly disobedient people.’ (53) Nothing prevented their expenditures from being accepted from them except that they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, that they come to prayer only lazily, and that they spend only unwillingly. (54)”

“Had they gone forth with you”: This was because the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded them to undertake jihad in the expedition to Tabuk. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, set up his camp at Thaniyyat al-Wada, while Abdullah ibn Ubayy set up his camp at [Dhu Jaddah (1)], below Thaniyyat al-Wada. His camp was no smaller than the other of the two camps. When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, set out, Abdullah ibn Ubayy remained behind, along with the hypocrites and those given to doubt who also stayed behind. Thereupon Allah Most High revealed, consoling His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, (2): “Had they gone forth”—meaning the hypocrites—“with you,” that is, alongside you, “they would have added nothing but disorder to your ranks,” meaning corruption and evil.

What is meant by this corruption is that they would instil cowardice and weakness among the believers by magnifying the gravity of the matter. “And they would have hastened”: that is, they would have rushed “in your midst,” seeking to sow enmity and hatred among you through tale-bearing and by carrying words from one person to another. It was also said that “they would have hastened in your midst” means that they would have rushed to do that which would undermine you. “Seeking to sow discord among you”: that is, they seek for you that by which you would be tempted. They would say, “Such-and-such forces have been assembled against you; you will be defeated; your enemy will prevail over you,” and the like. Al-Kalbi said: “Seeking to sow discord among you” means seeking fault and evil for you. Al-Dahhak said: Discord here means polytheism. In Arabic usage, one may say, “I sought evil or good for him,” meaning that one pursued it for him.

“And among you are those who would listen to them.” Mujahid said: This means that among you are those who love them and convey to them what they hear from you; they are the spies. Qatadah said: It means that among you are those who obey them, listening to their words and obeying them. “And Allah knows well the wrongdoers.”

“They had already sought to sow discord before this”: that is, before this day they had sought to turn your Companions away from the religion and return them to disbelief, and to discourage people from supporting you—such as what Abdullah ibn Ubayy did on the day of Uhud, when he withdrew from you along with his companions. “And they had turned matters upside down for you”: they plotted and deliberated against you, seeking to nullify your religion, by discouraging people from supporting you ⦗159a⦘ or by scattering your affairs, “until the truth came,” namely victory and triumph, “and Allah’s decree prevailed,” namely Allah’s religion, though they detested it.

Concerning His saying, “Among them is he who says, ‘Grant me leave to remain behind, and do not put me to trial,’” this was revealed regarding the hypocrite Jadd ibn Qays, and that was because

(1) In manuscript A: "dhi hulwah." Dhu Jiddah refers to the clear, well-traveled road. (2) Al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 284.

﴿لَقَدِ ابْتَغَوُا الْفِتْنَةَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَقَلَّبُوا لَكَ الْأُمُورَ حَتَّى جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ (٤٨) وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ ائْذَنْ لِي وَلَا تَفْتِنِّي أَلَا فِي الْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ (٤٩) إِنْ تُصِبْكَ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ وَإِنْ تُصِبْكَ مُصِيبَةٌ يَقُولُوا قَدْ أَخَذْنَا أَمْرَنَا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَيَتَوَلَّوْا وَهُمْ فَرِحُونَ (٥٠) قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ (٥١) قُلْ هَلْ تَرَبَّصُونَ بِنَا إِلَّا إِحْدَى الْحُسْنَيَيْنِ وَنَحْنُ نَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمْ أَنْ يُصِيبَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ أَوْ بِأَيْدِينَا فَتَرَبَّصُوا إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ مُتَرَبِّصُونَ (٥٢) قُلْ أَنْفِقُوا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا لَنْ يُتَقَبَّلَ مِنْكُمْ إِنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ (٥٣) وَمَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَنْ تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِ وَلَا يَأْتُونَ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كُسَالَى وَلَا يُنْفِقُونَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ (٥٤) ﴾ . ﴿لَوْ خَرَجُوا فِيكُمْ﴾ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمَرَهُمْ بِالْجِهَادِ لِغَزْوَةِ تَبُوكَ، فَضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَسْكَرَهُ عَلَى ثَنْيَةِ الْوَدَاعِ، وَضَرَبَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أُبَيٍّ عَلَى [ذِي جَدَّةَ (١) ] أَسْفَلَ مِنْ ثَنْيَةِ الْوَدَاعِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ بِأَقَلِّ الْعَسْكَرَيْنِ، فَلَمَّا سَارَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ تَخَلَّفُ عَنْهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أُبَيٍّ فِيمَنْ تَخَلَّفَ مِنَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَأَهْلِ الرَّيْبِ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى يُعَزِّي نَبِيَّهُ ﷺ (٢) ﴿لَوْ خَرَجُوا﴾ يَعْنِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ ﴿فِيكُمْ﴾ أَيْ مَعَكُمْ، ﴿مَا زَادُوكُمْ إِلَّا خَبَالًا﴾ أَيْ: فَسَادًا وَشَرًّا. وَمَعْنَى الْفَسَادِ: إِيقَاعُ الْجُبْنِ وَالْفَشَلِ بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِتَهْوِيلِ الْأَمْرِ، ﴿وَلَأَوْضَعُوا﴾ أَسْرَعُوا، ﴿خِلَالَكُمْ﴾ وَسَطَكُمْ بِإِيقَاعِ الْعَدَاوَةِ وَالْبَغْضَاءِ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالنَّمِيمَةِ وَنَقْلِ الْحَدِيثِ مِنَ الْبَعْضِ إِلَى الْبَعْضِ. وَقِيلَ: ﴿وَلَأَوْضَعُوا خِلَالَكُمْ﴾ أَيْ: أَسْرَعُوا فِيمَا يُخِلُّ بِكُمْ. ﴿يَبْغُونَكُمُ الْفِتْنَةَ﴾ أَيْ: يَطْلُبُونَ لَكُمْ مَا تُفْتَنُونَ بِهِ، يَقُولُونَ: لَقَدْ جُمِعَ لَكُمْ كَذَا وَكَذَا، وَإِنَّكُمْ مَهْزُومُونَ وَسَيَظْهَرُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَدْوُكُمْ وَنَحْوُ ذَلِكَ. وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: يَبْغُونَكُمُ الْفِتْنَةَ يَعْنِي: الْعَيْبَ وَالشَّرَّ. وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: الْفِتْنَةُ الشِّرْكُ، وَيُقَالُ: بَغَيْتُهُ الشَّرَّ وَالْخَيْرَ أَبْغِيهِ بُغَاءً إِذَا الْتَمَسْتُهُ لَهُ، يَعْنِي: بَغَيْتُ لَهُ. ﴿وَفِيكُمْ سَمَّاعُونَ لَهُمْ﴾ قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: مَعْنَاهُ وَفِيكُمْ مُحِبُّونَ لَهُمْ يُؤَدُّونَ إِلَيْهِمْ مَا يَسْمَعُونَ مِنْكُمْ، وَهُمُ الْجَوَاسِيسُ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: مَعْنَاهُ وَفِيكُمْ مُطِيعُونَ لَهُمْ، أَيْ: يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَهُمْ وَيُطِيعُونَهُمْ. ﴿وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ﴾ . ﴿لَقَدِ ابْتَغَوُا الْفِتْنَةَ مِنْ قَبْلُ﴾ أَيْ: طَلَبُوا صَدَّ أَصْحَابِكَ عَنِ الدِّينِ وَرَدَّهُمْ إِلَى الْكُفْرِ، وَتَخْذِيلَ النَّاسِ عَنْكَ قَبْلَ هَذَا الْيَوْمِ، كَفِعْلِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أُبَيٍّ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ حِينَ انْصَرَفَ عَنْكَ بِأَصْحَابِهِ. ﴿وَقَلَّبُوا لَكَ الْأُمُورَ﴾ وَأَجَالُوا فِيكَ وَفِي إِبْطَالِ دِينِكَ الرَّأْيَ، بالتخذيل عنك ١٥٩/أوَتَشْتِيتِ أَمْرِكَ، ﴿حَتَّى جَاءَ الْحَقُّ﴾ النَّصْرُ وَالظَّفَرُ، ﴿وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ﴾ دِينُ اللَّهِ، ﴿وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ﴾ . قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ ائْذَنْ لِي وَلَا تَفْتِنِّي﴾ نَزَلَتْ فِي جَدِّ بْنِ قَيْسٍ الْمُنَافِقِ، وَذَلِكَ

(١) في "أ": (ذي حلوة) . و"ذو جدة" الطريق الواضح المسلوك. (٢) أسباب النزول للواحدي ص (٢٨٤) .