Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/101)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Abu Hurayrah and Buraydah said: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Mecca, he went to the grave of his mother, Aminah, and stood over it until the sun grew hot, hoping that he would be granted permission to seek forgiveness for her. Then the verse was revealed: “It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to seek forgiveness for the polytheists…” (1)

Isma'il ibn Abd al-Qahir informed us: Abd al-Ghafir ibn Muhammad informed us; Muhammad ibn Isa al-Juludi informed us; Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Sufyan informed us; Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj informed us; Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah informed us; Muhammad ibn Ubayd informed us, from Yazid ibn Kaysan, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayrah, who said:

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, visited his mother’s grave. He wept and caused those around him to weep. He then said, “I sought my Lord’s permission to ask forgiveness for her, but I was not granted permission. I also sought His permission to visit her grave, and He permitted me. So visit the graves, for they remind one of death.” (2)

“Abraham’s prayer for his father’s forgiveness was only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed, Abraham was most tender-hearted and forbearing.” (114)

Qatadah said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I shall surely seek forgiveness for my father, just as Abraham sought forgiveness for his father.” Thereupon Allah, Exalted is He, revealed this verse: “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.” (3)

Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When Allah, Exalted is He, revealed concerning Abraham, peace be upon him, that he said to his father, “Peace be upon you. I shall seek my Lord’s forgiveness for you,” I heard a man seeking forgiveness for his parents while they were both polytheists. I said to him, ⦗165/b⦘ “Do you seek forgiveness for them while they are polytheists?” He replied, “Did not Abraham seek forgiveness for his father?” So I came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and mentioned this to him. Then Allah, Exalted is He, revealed: “There has certainly been for you an excellent example in Abraham,” up to His saying, “except for Abraham’s saying to his father, ‘I shall surely seek forgiveness for you.’” (4) (al-Mumtahanah 4)

Regarding His saying, “Abraham’s prayer for his father’s forgiveness was only because of a promise he had made to him,” some said that the pronoun in “to him” refers back to Abraham, peace be upon him. Thus, the promise came from his father: his father had promised him that he would accept Islam, so Abraham said to him, “I shall seek my Lord’s forgiveness for you”—that is, if you accept Islam.

Others said that the pronoun refers back to the father: Abraham had promised his father that he would seek forgiveness for him, in the hope that he would accept Islam. This is indicated by his statement, “I shall seek my Lord’s forgiveness for you.” This is supported by the recitation of al-Hasan: “which his father had promised him,” with the single-dotted letter ba.

(1) Narrated by al-Tabari from Sulayman ibn Buraydah, from his father, 14:512; and by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad, 5:359, at greater length and with different wording. (2) Narrated by Muslim in Kitab al-Jana'iz (The Book of Funerals), chapter: “The Prophet's asking his Lord's permission to visit his mother's grave,” no. 977, 2:672. (3) Narrated at length by al-Tabari, 14:513. (4) Narrated by al-Tirmidhi in al-Tafsir, Surah al-Tawbah, 8:505. He said: “This is a hasan hadith,” and it includes: “Then it was revealed: ‘It is not for the Prophet and those who believe ...’” Al-Hakim graded it sahih, 2:335. It was also narrated by Ahmad, al-Nasa'i, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Abu Ya'la, and al-Bazzar. See al-Kafi al-Shaf, p. 82; Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 8:505.

وَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ وَبِرَيْدَةُ: لَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَكَّةَ أَتَى قَبْرَ أُمِّهِ آمِنَةَ فَوَقَفَ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى حَمِيَتِ الشَّمْسُ رَجَاءَ أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَهُ فَيَسْتَغْفِرَ لَهَا فَنَزَلَتْ: ﴿مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾ (١) الْآيَةَ. أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبَدِ الْقَاهِرِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْغَافِرِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى الْجُلُودِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُفْيَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ الْحَجَّاجِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، أَنْبَأَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ كَيْسَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: زَارَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ قَبْرَ أُمِّهِ فَبَكَى وَأَبْكَى مَنْ حَوْلَهُ فَقَالَ: "اسْتَأْذَنْتُ رَبِّي ﷿ فِي أَنْ أَسْتَغْفِرَ لَهَا فَلَمْ يُؤْذَنْ لِي وَاسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فِي أَنْ أَزُورَ قَبْرَهَا فَأَذِنَ لِي فَزُورُوا الْقُبُورَ، فَإِنَّهَا تَذْكِّرُ الْمَوْتَ" (٢) . ﴿وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَنْ مَوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَأَوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ (١١٤) ﴾ . قَالَ قَتَادَةُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: ": "لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لِأَبِي. كَمَا اسْتَغْفَرَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ" فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ: ﴿مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِي قُرْبَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ﴾ (٣) . وَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ﵁: لَمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷿ خَبَرًا عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ﵇ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ: "سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّي" سَمِعْتُ رَجُلًا يَسْتَغْفِرُ لِوَالِدَيْهِ وَهُمَا مُشْرِكَانِ، فقلت له: ١٦٥/ب تَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُمَا وَهُمَا مشركان؟ فقال: أو لم يَسْتَغْفِرْ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ؟ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷿: "قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ"، إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: "إِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ" (٤) (الْمُمْتَحَنَةُ -٤) . قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَنْ مَوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ﴾ قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: الْهَاءُ فِي إِيَّاهُ عَائِدَةٌ إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ ﵇. وَالْوَعْدُ كَانَ مِنْ أَبِيهِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ كَانَ وَعَدَهُ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ: سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّي يَعْنِي إِذَا أَسْلَمْتَ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: الْهَاءُ رَاجِعَةٌ إِلَى الْأَبِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعْدَ أَبَاهُ أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرَ لَهُ رَجَاءَ إِسْلَامِهِ. وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ: "سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّي". يَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ قِرَاءَةُ الْحَسَنِ: "وَعَدَهَا أَبَاهُ" بِالْبَاءِ الْمُوَحَّدَةِ.

(١) أخرجه الطبري عن سليمان بن بريدة عن أبيه: ١٤ / ٥١٢، والإمام أحمد في المسند: ٥ / ٣٥٩ مطولا وبغير هذا اللفظ. (٢) أخرجه مسلم في الجنائز، باب استئذان النبي ﷺ ربه ﷿ في زيارة قبر أمه، برقم (٩٧٧) : ٢ / ٦٧٢. (٣) أخرجه الطبري مطولا: ١٤ / ٥١٣. (٤) أخرجه الترمذي في التفسير، سورة التوبة: ٨ / ٥٠٥، وقال: هذا حديث حسن، وفيه: فنزلت: (ما كان للنبي والذين آمنوا ... ) وصححه الحاكم: ٢ / ٣٣٥، وأخرجه أحمد والنسائي وابن أبي شيبة وأبو يعلى والبزار. انظر: الكافي الشاف ص (٨٢) تحفة الأحوذي: ٨ / ٥٠٥.