Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/76)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Samarqandi informed us; Muhammad ibn Nasr informed us; Abu al-Azhar Ahmad ibn al-Azhar narrated to me; Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Shu'ayb narrated to us; Mu'an ibn Rifa'ah (1) narrated to us, from Ali ibn Yazid (2), from al-Qasim ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Abu Umamah al-Bahili, who said:

Thalabah ibn Hatib al-Ansari came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, “O Messenger of Allah, supplicate to Allah to grant me wealth.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Woe to you, Thalabah! A little for which you can give thanks is better than an abundance you cannot bear.”

Then he came to him again and said, “O Messenger of Allah, supplicate to Allah to grant me wealth.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, replied: “Do you not have an excellent example in the Messenger of Allah? By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, if I wished for the mountains to travel with me as gold and silver, they would do so.”

Then he came to him again and said, “O Messenger of Allah, supplicate to Allah to grant me wealth. By Him Who sent you with the truth, if Allah grants me wealth, I shall surely give everyone entitled to a right his due.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “O Allah, grant Thalabah wealth.”

He said: So he acquired some sheep, and they multiplied as worms multiply. Medina became too confined for him, so he moved away from it and settled in one of its valleys, while his sheep continued multiplying like worms. He would pray the noon and afternoon prayers with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and perform the rest of the prayers among his sheep. Then they became numerous and continued multiplying, until he moved still farther from Medina, and came to attend only the Friday prayer. Then they multiplied and increased further, and he moved farther away still, until he no longer attended either the Friday prayer or the congregational prayers.

Whenever Friday came, he would go out to meet the people and ask them for news. One day, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, mentioned him and asked, “What has become of Thalabah?” They said, “O Messenger of Allah, Thalabah has acquired sheep that no valley can contain.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said three times: “Woe to Thalabah! Woe to Thalabah! Woe to Thalabah!”

Then Allah revealed the verse concerning the alms dues. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent a man from Banu Sulaym and a man from Juhaynah, and wrote for them the prescribed age-rates of the alms dues, explaining how they were to collect them. He said to them: “Go to Thalabah ibn Hatib and to [so-and-so], a man from Banu Sulaym, and collect their alms dues.”

So they set out until they came to Thalabah. They asked him for the alms due and read to him the letter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He said, “This is nothing but a jizyah (poll tax); this is nothing but something akin to a jizyah. Go on until you have finished, then return to me.”

They went on, and the Sulaymi heard of them. He selected the finest of the age-eligible camels in his herd and set them aside for the alms due. Then he went out to meet them with them. When they saw them, they said, “You are not obliged to give these.” He said, “Take them, for I give them willingly.” They went among the people and collected the alms dues, then returned to Thalabah. He said, “Show me your letter.” He read it, then said, “This is nothing but something akin to a jizyah. Go away until I decide what I shall do.”

He said: They returned, and when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saw them, before they had spoken to him, he said: “Woe to Thalabah! Woe to Thalabah!” Then he supplicated الخير for the Sulaymi. They informed him of what Thalabah had done, whereupon Allah, exalted is He, revealed concerning him: “Among them are those who made a covenant with Allah: ‘If He gives us of His bounty, we will surely give in charity...’” 162/A—the verse—up to His words: “and because they used to lie.” A relative of Thalabah was with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,

(1) In manuscript A: Muadh (with dhal). (2) The original reads: Zayd; this is an error.

مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ السَّمَرْقَنْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الْأَزْهَرِ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْأَزْهَرِ، حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَانُ (١) بْنُ رِفَاعَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يَزِيدَ (٢) عَنْ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ الْبَاهِلِيِّ قَالَ: جَاءَ ثَعْلَبَةُ بْنُ حَاطِبٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَرْزُقَنِي مَالًا. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: "وَيْحَكَ يَا ثَعْلَبَةُ قَلِيلٌ تُؤَدِّي شُكْرَهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ كَثِيرٍ لَا تُطِيقُهُ"، ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَرْزُقَنِي مَالًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: "أَمَا لَكَ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ؟ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ تَسِيرَ الْجِبَالُ مَعِي ذَهَبًا وَفِضَّةً لَسَارَتْ" ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَرْزُقَنِي مَالًا فَوَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لَئِنْ رَزَقَنِي اللَّهُ مَالًا لَأُعْطِيَنَ كُلَّ ذِي حَقِّ حَقَّهُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: "اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْ ثَعْلَبَةَ مَالًا". قَالَ: فَاتَّخَذَ غَنَمًا فَنَمَتْ كَمَا يَنْمُو الدُّودُ، فَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْمَدِينَةُ فَتَنَحَّى عَنْهَا، فَنَزَلَ وَادِيًا مِنْ أَوْدِيَتِهَا وَهِيَ تَنْمُو كَالدُّودِ، فَكَانَ يُصَلِّي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ الظُّهْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ، وَيُصَلِّي فِي غَنَمِهِ سَائِرَ الصَّلَوَاتِ، ثُمَّ كَثُرَتْ وَنَمَتْ حَتَّى تَبَاعَدَ بِهَا عَنِ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَصَارَ لَا يَشْهَدُ إِلَّا الْجُمُعَةَ، ثُمَّ كَثُرَتْ فَنَمَتْ فَتَبَاعَدَ أَيْضًا حَتَّى كَانَ لَا يَشْهَدُ جُمْعَةً وَلَا جَمَاعَةً. فَكَانَ إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ خَرَجَ يَتَلَقَّى النَّاسَ يَسْأَلُهُمْ عَنِ الْأَخْبَارِ، فَذَكَرَهُ ﷺ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَقَالَ: مَا فَعَلَ ثَعْلَبَةُ؟ قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اتَّخَذَ ثَعْلَبَةُ غَنَمًا مَا يَسَعُهَا وَادٍ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: "يَا وَيْحَ ثَعْلَبَةَ يَا وَيْحَ ثَعْلَبَةَ يَا وَيْحَ ثَعْلَبَةَ". فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ آيَةَ الصَّدَقَاتِ، فَبَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَجُلًا مِنْ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ وَرَجُلًا مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ وَكَتَبَ لَهُمَا أَسْنَانَ الصَّدَقَةِ، كَيْفَ يَأْخُذَانِ؟ وَقَالَ لَهُمَا: "مُرَّا بِثَعْلَبَةَ بن حاطب، و [بفلان] ، رَجُلٍ مِنْ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ فَخُذَا صَدَقَاتِهِمَا، فَخَرَجَا حَتَّى أَتَيَا ثَعْلَبَةَ فَسَأَلَاهُ الصَّدَقَةَ وَأَقْرَآهُ كِتَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَقَالَ: مَا هَذِهِ إِلَّا جِزْيَةٌ مَا هَذِهِ إِلَّا أُخْتُ الْجِزْيَةِ، انْطَلِقَا حَتَّى تَفْرُغَا ثُمَّ عُودَا إِلَيَّ، فَانْطَلَقَا وَسَمِعَ بِهِمَا السُّلَمِيُّ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى خِيَارِ أَسْنَانِ إِبِلِهِ فَعَزَلَهَا لِلصَّدَقَةِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقْبَلَهُمَا بِهَا فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوا: مَا هَذِهِ عَلَيْكَ. قَالَ: خُذَاهُ فَإِنَّ نَفْسِي بِذَلِكَ طَيِّبَةٌ، فَمَرَّا عَلَى النَّاسِ فَأَخَذَا الصَّدَقَاتِ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَا إِلَى ثَعْلَبَةَ، فَقَالَ: أَرُوْنِي كِتَابَكُمَا فَقَرَأَهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: مَا هَذِهِ إِلَّا أُخْتُ الْجِزْيَةِ، اذْهَبَا حَتَّى أَرَى رَأْيِي. قَالَ فَأَقْبَلَا فَلَمَّا رَآهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَاهُ قَالَ: يَا وَيْحَ ثَعْلَبَةَ يَا وَيْحَ ثَعْلَبَةَ، ثُمَّ دَعَا لِلسُّلَمِيِّ بِخَيْرٍ، فَأَخْبَرَاهُ بِالَّذِي صَنَعَ ثَعْلَبَةُ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِيهِ: ﴿وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّهَ لَئِنْ آتَانَا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ﴾ ١٦٢/أالْآيَةَ، إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿وَبِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ﴾ وَعِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَقَارِبِ ثَعْلَبَةَ

(١) في "أ" (معاذ) (بالذال) . (٢) في الأصل: (زيد) وهو خطأ.