Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/100)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to seek forgiveness for the polytheists—even if they are close relatives—after it has become clear to them that they are destined for the Blazing Fire.” (113)

Regarding His saying, “It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to seek forgiveness for the polytheists,” they differed concerning the reason for the revelation of this verse.

Some said that the reason for its revelation is what Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us: Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il narrated to us; Abu al-Yaman narrated to us; Shu'ayb informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib narrated to me from his father, who said:

When Abu Talib was at the point of death, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to him and found Abu Jahl and Abd Allah ibn Abi Umayyah ibn al-Mughirah with him. He said, “O my uncle, say: ‘There is no god worthy of worship but Allah,’ a word by which I shall plead for you before Allah.” Abu Jahl and Abd Allah ibn Abi Umayyah said, “Will you abandon the religion of Abd al-Muttalib?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, continued to urge him to say it, while they continued repeating those words, until the last thing Abu Talib said to them was, “Upon the religion of Abd al-Muttalib.” Thus, he refused to say, “There is no god worthy of worship but Allah.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then said, “By Allah, I shall surely seek forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden to do so.” Thereupon Allah, Exalted is He, revealed: “It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to seek forgiveness for the polytheists—even if they are close relatives—after it has become clear to them that they are destined for the Blazing Fire.” And concerning Abu Talib, He revealed: “You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.” (1)

Isma'il ibn Abd al-Qahir informed us: Abd al-Ghafir ibn Muhammad informed us; Muhammad ibn Isa informed us; Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Sufyan narrated to us; Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj narrated to me; Muhammad ibn Hatim ibn Maymun narrated to us; Yahya ibn Sa'id narrated to us; Yazid ibn Kaysan narrated to us; Abu Hazim al-Ashja'i narrated to me from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah said to his uncle, “Say: ‘There is no god worthy of worship but Allah,’ and I shall testify thereby on your behalf on the Day of Resurrection.” He replied, “Were it not that Quraysh would shame me, saying, ‘Only fear has driven him to it,’ I would have brought joy to your eyes by saying it.” Then Allah, Exalted is He, revealed: “You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.” (2)

Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us: Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il narrated to us [Abd Allah ibn Yusuf narrated to us] (3); al-Layth narrated to me; Yazid ibn al-Had narrated to me from Abd Allah ibn Khabbab, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, who heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when his uncle was mentioned in his presence, say: “Perhaps my intercession will benefit him on the Day of Resurrection, such that he will be placed in a shallow part of the Fire reaching his ankles, from which his brain will boil.” (4)

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in Kitab al-Jana'iz (The Book of Funerals), chapter: “When a polytheist says at the time of death: There is no god but Allah,” 3:222; and in Manaqib al-Ansar (The Virtues of the Ansar), 7:193; by Muslim in Kitab al-Iman (The Book of Faith), chapter: “Evidence that the Islam of one attended by death is valid so long as he has not entered the throes of death,” no. 24, 1:54; and by the compiler in Sharh al-Sunna, 5:55. (2) Narrated by Muslim in the preceding location, 1:55. (3) Omitted from manuscript “A” and restored from the Sahih. (4) Narrated by al-Bukhari in Fada'il al-Ansar (The Virtues of the Ansar), chapter: “The Story of Abu Talib,” 1:193; and in Kitab al-Riqaq (The Book of Heart-Softening Narrations), 11:417; by Muslim in Kitab al-Iman, chapter: “The Prophet's intercession for Abu Talib,” no. 210, 1:195; and by the compiler in Sharh al-Sunna, 15:241.

﴿مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِي قُرْبَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ (١١٣) ﴾ . ﴿مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي سَبَبِ نُزُولِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ. قَالَ قَوْمٌ: سَبَبُ نُزُولِهَا: مَا أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِد بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْمَلِيحِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النُّعَيْمِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَنْبَأَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ، حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ. قَالَ: لَمَّا حَضَرَتْ أَبَا طَالِبٍ الْوَفَاةُ جَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَوَجَدَ عِنْدَهُ أَبَا جَهْلٍ، وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ: فَقَالَ: أَيْ عَمِّ قُلْ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ كَلِمَةً أُحَاجُّ لَكَ بِهَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ. فَقَالَ أَبُو جَهْلٍ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ: أَتَرْغَبُ عَنْ مِلَّةِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ؟ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَعْرِضُهَا عَلَيْهِ وَيُعِيدَانِ بِتِلْكَ الْمَقَالَةِ، حَتَّى قَالَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ آخِرَ مَا كَلَّمَهُمْ: عَلَى مِلَّةِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، وَأَبَى أَنْ يَقُولَ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: وَاللَّهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ مَا لَمْ أُنْهَ عَنْكَ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِي قُرْبَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ﴾ وَأُنْزِلَ فِي أَبِي طَالِبٍ: "إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ" (١) . أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبَدِ الْقَاهِرِ، أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ الْغَافِرِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَنْبَأَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُفْيَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ الْحَجَّاجِ، حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمِ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ كَيْسَانَ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو حَازِمٍ الْأَشْجَعِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لِعَمِّهِ: "قُلْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ أَشْهَدْ لَكَ بِهَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ" فَقَالَ: لَوْلَا أَنْ تُعَيِّرَنِي قُرَيْشٌ، فَيَقُولُونَ: إِنَّمَا حَمَلَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الْجَزَعُ، لَأَقْرَرْتُ بِهَا عَيْنَكَ. فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷿: ﴿إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ﴾ (٢) . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْمَلِيحِيُّ، أَنْبَأَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النُّعَيْمِيُّ، أَنْبَأَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ [ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ] (٣) حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ الْهَادِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خَبَّابٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ﵁ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ، وَذُكِرَ عِنْدَهُ عَمُّهُ فَقَالَ: "لَعَلَّهُ تَنْفَعُهُ شَفَاعَتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، فَيُجْعَلُ فِي ضَحْضَاحٍ مِنَ النَّارِ يَبْلُغُ كَعْبَيْهِ يَغْلِي مِنْهُ دِمَاغُهُ" (٤) .

(١) أخرجه البخاري في الجنائز، باب إذا قال المشرك عند الموت: لا إله إلا الله: ٣ / ٢٢٢، وفي مناقب الأنصار: ٧ / ١٩٣، ومسلم في الإيمان، باب الدليل على صحة إسلام من حضره الموت ما لم يشرع في النزع، برقم (٢٤) : ١ / ٥٤، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ٥ / ٥٥. (٢) أخرجه مسلم، في الموضع السابق: ١ / ٥٥. (٣) ساقط من "أ" واستدركناه من الصحيح. (٤) أخرجه البخاري في فضائل الأنصار، باب قصة أبي طالب: ١ / ١٩٣، وفي الرقاق: ١١ / ٤١٧، ومسلم في الإيمان، باب شفاعة النبي ﷺ لأبي طالب ... برقم (٢١٠) : ١ / ١٩٥، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١٥ / ٢٤١.