Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/123)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

or a Christian” (al-Baqarah 111), and their saying, “We are Allah’s children and His beloved” (1) (al-Ma'idah 18). Allah, exalted is He, declared them liars and established the proof against them. He said: Say to them, Muhammad, “If the abode of the Hereafter with Allah”—meaning Paradise with Allah—“is exclusively”—that is, reserved solely—“for you, to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death”: that is, desire it and ask for it. For whoever knows that Paradise is his abode yearns for it, and there is no way to enter it except after death; so seek to hasten it by wishing for it, “if you are truthful”—in your claim.

It is also said that “wish for death” means: invoke death upon the party that is lying. It is related from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Had they wished for death, every one of them would have choked on his own saliva, and no Jew would have remained on the face of the earth without dying.” (2)

“But they will never wish for it, because of what their hands have sent ahead. And Allah knows best the wrongdoers. (95) You will surely find them the most covetous of people for life—even more than those who associate others with Allah. Every one of them wishes that he might be granted a life of a thousand years; yet being granted such a life would not remove him from the punishment. And Allah sees what they do.” (96)

Allah, exalted is He, says: “But they will never wish for it, because of what their hands have sent ahead,” for they know that they are lying in their claim. By “what their hands have sent ahead,” He means the deeds they have committed. He ascribed these deeds to the hand, rather than the other limbs, (3) because most of a person’s offenses are committed by the hand. Thus, his deeds are ascribed to the hand, even if the hand had no part in them. “And Allah knows best the wrongdoers.”

In “You will surely find them,” the lām is the lām of an oath, and the nūn is an emphatic particle reinforcing the oath. Its implied meaning is: By Allah, Muhammad, you will surely find them—that is, the Jews—“the most covetous of people for life, even more than those who associate others with Allah.” It is said that this is connected to what precedes: they are more covetous than those who associate others with Allah. It is also said that the statement ends with “for life,” after which a new statement begins: “And among those who associate others with Allah...” By those who associate others with Allah, He means the Magians, as stated by Abu al-Aliyah and al-Rabi. They were called polytheists because they professed belief in light and darkness.

“Every one of them wishes” means: he desires and wishes. “That he might be granted a life of a thousand years” means a lifespan of a thousand years. This was a greeting exchanged among the Magians: “May you live for a thousand years, celebrating Nawruz and Mihrjan.” Allah, exalted is He, says that the Jews are more covetous of life than the Magians who say this. “Would not remove him” means: would not distance him “from the punishment”—that is, the Fire. “That he might be granted a long life” means that the length of his life will not save him. The verbs zahzaha and tazahzaha mean to move away from the punishment; zahzaha may be either intransitive or transitive. Thus, one says, “I moved him away, and he moved away.” (4) “And Allah sees what they do.”

(1) Omitted from manuscript (A). (2) Al-Tabari narrated it as a report attributed to Ibn Abbas (mawquf), 2:363. Shaykh Shakir said: “However, it is attributed to the Prophet in the other narrations.” Ibn Hajar states in al-Kafi al-Shaf, p. 9: “Al-Bayhaqi narrated in al-Dala'il, through al-Kalbi, from Abu Salih, from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to the Jews: ‘If you are truthful in your claim, then say: O Allah, cause us to die. By Him in whose Hand is my soul, no man among you will say it without choking on his saliva and dying on the spot.’” Al-Fath al-Samawi, 1:176. (3) Omitted from manuscript (B). (4) Omitted from manuscript (B).

نَصَارَى" (١١١-الْبَقَرَةِ) وَقَوْلِهِمْ: "نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ" (١) (١٨-الْمَائِدَةِ) فَكَذَّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ ﷿ وَأَلْزَمَهُمُ الْحُجَّةَ فَقَالَ: قُلْ لَهُمْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ ﴿إِنْ كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ﴾ يَعْنِي الْجَنَّةَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ﴿خَالِصَةً﴾ أَيْ خَاصَّةً ﴿مِنْ دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ﴾ أَيْ فَأَرِيدُوهُ وَاسْأَلُوهُ لِأَنَّ مَنْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ مَأْوَاهُ حَنَّ إِلَيْهَا وَلَا سَبِيلَ إِلَى دُخُولِهَا إِلَّا بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ فَاسْتَعْجَلُوهُ بِالتَّمَنِّي ﴿إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾ فِي قَوْلِكُمْ، وَقِيلَ: فَتُمَنُّوا الْمَوْتَ أَيِ ادْعُوَا بِالْمَوْتِ عَلَى الْفِرْقَةِ الْكَاذِبَةِ. وَرُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ: "لَوْ تَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ لَغُصَّ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ مِنْهُمْ بِرِيقِهِ وَمَا بَقِيَ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ يَهُودِيٌّ إِلَّا مَاتَ" (٢) . ﴿وَلَنْ يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ (٩٥) وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَى حَيَاةٍ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ أَنْ يُعَمَّرَ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ (٩٦) ﴾ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلَنْ يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمْتُ أَيْدِيَهُمْ﴾ لِعِلْمِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِي دَعْوَاهُمْ كَاذِبُونَ وَأَرَادَ ﴿بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ﴾ أَيْ مَا قَدَّمُوهُ مِنَ الْأَعْمَالِ وَأَضَافَهَا إِلَى الْيَدِ [دُونَ سَائِرِ الْأَعْضَاءِ] (٣) لِأَنَّ أَكْثَرَ جِنَايَاتِ الْإِنْسَانِ تَكُونُ بِالْيَدِ فَأُضِيفَ إِلَى الْيَدِ أَعْمَالُهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلْيَدِ فِيهَا عَمَلٌ ﴿وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ﴾ ﴿وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ﴾ اللَّامُ لَامُ الْقَسَمِ وَالنُّونُ تَأْكِيدٌ لِلْقِسْمِ، تَقْدِيرُهُ: وَاللَّهِ لَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ يَعْنِي الْيَهُودَ ﴿أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَى حَيَاةٍ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا﴾ قِيلَ: هُوَ مُتَّصِلٌ بِالْأَوَّلِ، وَأَحْرَصَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا، وَقِيلَ: تَمَّ الْكَلَامُ بِقَوْلِهِ ﴿عَلَى حَيَاةٍ﴾ ثُمَّ ابْتَدَأَ ﴿من الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا﴾ وَأَرَادَ بِالَّذِينِ أَشْرَكُوا الْمَجُوسَ قَالَهُ أَبُو الْعَالِيَةِ وَالرَّبِيعُ سُمُّوا مُشْرِكِينَ لِأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ بِالنُّورِ وَالظُّلْمَةِ. ﴿يَوَدُّ﴾ يُرِيدُ وَيَتَمَنَّى ﴿أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ﴾ يَعْنِي تَعْمِيرَ أَلْفِ سَنَةٍ وَهِي تَحِيَّةُ الْمَجُوسِ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ عِشْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَكُلُّ أَلْفٍ نَيْرُوزٌ ومهرجان، يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: الْيَهُودُ أَحْرَصُ عَلَى الْحَيَاةِ مِنَ الْمَجُوسِ الَّذِي يَقُولُونَ ذَلِكَ ﴿وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِ﴾ مُبَاعِدِهِ ﴿مِنَ الْعَذَابِ﴾ النَّارِ ﴿أَنْ يُعَمَّرَ﴾ أَيْ طُولُ عُمُرِهِ لَا يُنْقِذُهُ. [زَحْزَحَهُ وَتَزَحْزَحَ] (٤) مِنَ الْعَذَابِ أَوْ وَزَحْزَحَ: لَازِمٌ وَمُتَعَدٍّ، وَيُقَالُ زَحْزَحْتُهُ فَتَزَحْزَحَ ﴿وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾

(١) ساقط من (أ) . (٢) أخرجه الطبري موقوفا على ابن عباس: ٢ / ٣٦٣، وقال الشيخ شاكر: ولكنه مرفوع بالروايات الأخر. وقال ابن حجر في الكافي الشاف ص (٩) : "وأخرج البيهقي في الدلائل من رواية الكلبي عن أبي صالح عن ابن عباس، ﵄، أن النبي ﷺ قال لليهود: إن كنتم صادقين في مقالتكم فقولوا: اللهم أمتنا. فوالذي نفسي بيده لا يقولها رجل منكم إلا غص بريقه ومات مكانه" الفتح السماوي ١ / ١٧٦. (٣) ساقط من ب. (٤) ساقط من ب.