Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/151)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Then why was there no city that believed and whose faith benefited it, except the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in the life of this world and granted them enjoyment for a time.” (98)

His, exalted is He, saying, “Indeed, those against whom your Lord’s decree has come into effect”: that is, it has become binding upon them. “Your Lord’s decree”: it was said that this means His curse. Qatadah said: Allah’s wrath. It was also said that the “decree” is His statement: “These are in the Fire, and I do not mind.” “They will not believe,

even if every sign”—that is, every proof—“were to come to them, until they see the painful punishment.” Al-Akhfash said: The verb governing “every” is feminine because it is annexed to a feminine noun, namely “sign.” The word “every” is the same for both masculine and feminine.

His, exalted is He, saying, “Then why was there no city”: that is, “Why was there not?” Its meaning is that there was no city, for the interrogative here conveys a sense of negation—that is, the people of a city—“that believed,” upon directly witnessing the punishment, “and whose faith benefited it” in [a state of adversity] (1), “except the people of Jonah.” Their faith did benefit them at that time. The word “people” is in the accusative as a disconnected exception; its implied meaning is: “But the people of Jonah.” “When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in the life of this world and granted them enjoyment for a time”—that is, until the expiration of their appointed lifespans.

They differed as to whether they actually saw the punishment or not. Some said that they saw the evidence of the punishment. The majority held that they saw the punishment with their own eyes, based on His saying, “We removed from them the punishment of disgrace,” for removal occurs after something has taken place, or when it has drawn near.

The account behind this verse—as related by Abdullah ibn Masud, Said ibn Jubayr, Wahb, and others (2)—is that the people of Jonah lived in Nineveh, in the land of Mosul. Allah sent Jonah to them, calling them to faith, but they refused. He was then told: “Inform them that the punishment will come upon them in three days.” So he informed them of this, and they said: “We have never known him to lie. Watch: if he remains among you that night, then it is nothing; but if he does not remain, then know that the punishment will come upon you at dawn.” In the middle of that night, Jonah left from among them. When morning came, the punishment enveloped them, standing a mile above their heads.

Wahb said: The sky became overcast with a terrifying black cloud, emitting an intense smoke. It descended until it enveloped them in

(1) In manuscript B: “in the state of despair.” (2) See: al-Tabari, Tafsir, 15:207-210; al-Durr al-Manthur, 4:392-393; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, 1:231 ff.; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, 2:434.

﴿فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ (٩٨) ﴾ . قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ﴾ وَجَبَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ، ﴿كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ﴾ قِيلَ: لَعْنَتُهُ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: سَخَطُ اللَّهِ. وَقِيلَ: "الْكَلِمَةُ" هِيَ قَوْلُهُ: هَؤُلَاءِ فِي النَّارِ وَلَا أُبَالِي. ﴿لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾ . ﴿وَلَوْ جَاءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ آيَةٍ﴾ دَلَالَةٍ، ﴿حَتَّى يَرَوُا الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ﴾ قَالَ الْأَخْفَشُ: أَنَّثَ فِعْلَ "كَلُّ" لِأَنَّهُ مُضَافٌ إِلَى الْمُؤَنَّثِ وَهِيَ قَوْلُهُ: "آيَةٍ" وَلَفْظُ "كل" للمذكر والمؤنت سَوَاءٌ. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ﴾ أَيْ: فَهَلَّا كَانَتْ، ﴿قَرْيَةٌ﴾ وَمَعْنَاهُ: فَلَمْ تَكُنْ قَرْيَةٌ لِأَنَّ فِي الِاسْتِفْهَامِ ضَرْبًا مِنَ الْجَحْدِ، أَيْ: أَهْلُ قَرْيَةٍ، ﴿آمَنَتْ﴾ عِنْدَ مُعَايَنَةِ الْعَذَابِ، ﴿فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا﴾ فِي [حَالَةِ الْبَأْسِ] (١) ﴿إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ﴾ فَإِنَّهُ نَفَعَهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ. و"قَوْمَ" نُصِبَ عَلَى الِاسْتِثْنَاءِ الْمُنْقَطِعِ، تَقْدِيرُهُ: وَلَكِنَّ قَوْمَ يُونُسَ، ﴿لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ﴾ وَهُوَ وَقْتُ انْقِضَاءِ آجَالِهِمْ. وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي أَنَّهُمْ هَلْ رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ عِيَانًا أَمْ لَا؟ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: رَأَوْا دَلِيلَ الْعَذَابِ؟ وَالْأَكْثَرُونَ عَلَى أَنَّهُمْ رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ عَيَانًا بِدَلِيلِ قَوْلِهِ: " كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ " وَالْكَشْفُ يَكُونُ بَعْدَ الْوُقُوعِ أَوْ إِذَا قَرُبَ. وَقِصَّةُ الْآيَةِ -عَلَى مَا ذَكَرَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، وَسَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ، وَوَهْبٌ وَغَيْرُهُمْ (٢) -أَنَّ قَوْمَ يُونُسَ كَانُوا بِنِينَوَى، مِنْ أَرْضِ الْمَوْصِلِ، فَأَرْسَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِمْ يُونُسَ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْإِيمَانِ فَدَعَاهُمْ فَأَبَوْا، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: أَخْبِرْهُمْ أَنَّ الْعَذَابَ مُصَبِّحُهُمْ إِلَى ثَلَاثٍ، فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ بِذَلِكَ، فَقَالُوا: إِنَّا لَمْ نُجَرِّبْ عَلَيْهِ كَذِبَا فَانْظُرُوا فَإِنْ بَاتَ فِيكُمْ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ فَلَيْسَ بِشَيْءٍ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَبِتْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الْعَذَابَ مُصَبِّحُكُمْ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي جَوْفِ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ خَرَجَ يُونُسُ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَظْهُرِهُمْ، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحُوا تَغَشَّاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ فكان فوق رؤوسهم قَدْرَ مِيلٍ. وَقَالَ وَهْبٌ: غَامَتِ السَّمَاءُ غَيْمًا أَسْوَدَ هَائِلًا يُدَخِّنُ دُخَانًا شَدِيدًا، فَهَبَطَ حَتَّى [تَغَشَّاهُمْ فِي

(١) في "ب": (في حال اليأس) . (٢) انظر: تفسير الطبري: ١٥ / ٢٠٧-٢١٠، الدر المنثور: ٤ / ٣٩٢-٣٩٣، البداية والنهاية لابن كثير: ١ / ٢٣١ وما بعدها، تفسير ابن كثير: ٢ / ٤٣٤.