Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/162)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Mujahid (1) said: Whatever provision it receives is from Allah, exalted is He; and at times He does not provide for it until it dies of hunger.

“And He knows its dwelling-place and its resting-place.” Ibn Miqsam (2) said: This is also narrated from Ibn Abbas: its dwelling-place is the place to which it retreats and in which it settles by night and by day, while its resting-place is the place in which it is buried after it dies.

Abdullah ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Its dwelling-place is the wombs of mothers, and its resting-place is [the place where it dies] (4). [Ata said: Its dwelling-place is the wombs of mothers, and its resting-place is the loins of fathers] (5).

This was also narrated from Ibn Abbas by Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, Ali ibn Abi Talhah, and Ikrimah (6).

It was also said that the dwelling-place is Paradise or Hellfire, and the resting-place is the grave, based on His saying, exalted is He, in His description of Paradise and Hellfire: “How excellent a settlement and residence!” (al-Furqan, 76).

“Everything is in a clear Book”: that is, everything was recorded in the Preserved Tablet before He created it.

“He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and His Throne was upon the water, so that He might test which of you is best in deeds. And if you say, ‘You will surely be resurrected after death,’ those who disbelieve will certainly say, ‘This is nothing but clear sorcery.’” (7)

His saying, exalted is He, “He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and His Throne was upon the water,” means before He created [the heaven and the earth] (7). That water was upon the surface of the wind (8).

Kab (9) said: Allah, exalted is He, created a green ruby, then looked upon it with awe, whereupon it became trembling water. He then created the wind and placed the water upon its surface; then He placed the Throne upon the water.

(1) Al-Tabari, 15:240. (2) Al-Tabari, 15:241-242. (3) The preceding reference. (4) In manuscript B: “the loins of the fathers.” (5) Omitted from manuscript B. (6) Al-Tabari, 15:242. He held as more likely the view that the Most High's words, “and He knows its resting place,” refer to the place in which it settles, namely the abode to which it returns by night or day; and that “its place of deposit” refers to the place in which it is deposited, whether through its death or burial there. This is because Allah, exalted is He, informs that the provision received by creatures comes from Him; thus, it is more fitting that this be followed by the statement that He knows their dwelling place and resting place, rather than by information concerning His knowledge of what the loins and wombs contain. See Al-Tabari, 15:241, 243. (7) In manuscript B: “the heaven.” (8) Al-Tabari related this from Ibn Abbas, 15:349; likewise in his History, 1:21. Al-Hakim declared it authentic in Al-Mustadrak, 2:341, and Al-Dhahabi concurred. (9) Kab al-Ahbar was a narrator of Isra'iliyyat reports (narrations derived from Jewish and Christian traditions), and we have found no one else who mentioned this.

وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ (١) : مَا جَاءَهَا مِنْ رِزْقٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ ﷿، وَرُبَّمَا لَمْ يَرْزُقْهَا حَتَّى تَمُوتَ جُوعًا. ﴿وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ مِقْسَمٍ (٢) : وَيُرْوَى ذَلِكَ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، مُسْتَقَرَّهَا: الْمَكَانُ الَّذِي تَأْوِي إِلَيْهِ، وَتَسْتَقِرُّ فِيهِ لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا، وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا: الْمَوْضِعُ الَّذِي تُدْفَنُ فِيهِ إِذَا مَاتَتْ. وَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ ﵁ (٣) : الْمُسْتَقَرُّ أَرْحَامُ الْأُمَّهَاتِ، وَالْمُسْتَوْدَعُ [الْمَكَانُ الَّذِي تَمُوتُ فِيهِ] (٤) [وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ: الْمُسْتَقَرُّ: أَرْحَامُ الْأُمَّهَاتِ وَالْمُسْتَوْدَعُ: أَصْلَابُ الْآبَاءِ] (٥) . وَرَوَاهُ سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، وَعِكْرِمَةُ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ (٦) . وَقِيلَ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ: الْجَنَّةُ أَوِ النَّارُ، وَالْمُسْتَوْدَعُ الْقَبْرُ، لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى فِي صِفَةِ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ: "حَسُنَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا" (الْفُرْقَانِ -٧٦) . ﴿كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ﴾ أَيْ: كُلٌّ مُثْبَتٌ فِي اللَّوْحِ الْمَحْفُوظِ قَبْلَ أَنْ خَلَقَهَا. ﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَلَئِنْ قُلْتَ إِنَّكُمْ مَبْعُوثُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْمَوْتِ لَيَقُولَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ (٧) ﴾ . قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ﴾ قَبْلَ أَنْ خَلْقَ [السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ] (٧) وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ الْمَاءُ عَلَى مَتْنِ الرِّيحِ (٨) . قَالَ كَعْبٌ: (٩) خَلَقَ اللَّهُ ﷿ يَاقُوتَةً خَضْرَاءَ، ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا بِالْهَيْبَةِ فَصَارَتْ مَاءً يَرْتَعِدُ، ثُمَّ خَلَقَ الرِّيحَ، فَجَعَلَ الْمَاءَ عَلَى مَتْنِهَا، ثُمَّ وَضَعَ الْعَرْشَ عَلَى الْمَاءِ.

(١) الطبري: ١٥ / ٢٤٠. (٢) الطبري: ١٥ / ٢٤١-٢٤٢. (٣) المرجع السابق. (٤) في "ب": (أصلاب الآباء) . (٥) ساقط من "ب". (٦) الطبري: ١٥ / ٢٤٢. والذي رجحه أن قوله تعالى: "ويعلم مستقرها" حيث تستقر فيه، وذلك مأواها الذي تأوي إليه ليلا أو نهارا "ومستودعها" الموضع الذي يودعها، إما بموتها فيه أو دفنها ... لأن الله جل ثناؤه أخبر أن ما رزقت الدواب من رزق فمنه، فأولى أن يتبع ذلك أنه يعلم مثواها ومستقرها، دون الخبر عن علمه بما تتضمنه الأصلاب والأرحام. انظر: الطبري ١٥ / ٢٤١ و٢٤٣. (٧) في "ب": (السماء) . (٨) أخرج ذلك عن ابن عباس: الطبري: ١٥ / ٣٤٩ وفي التاريخ كذلك: ١ / ٢١، وصححه الحاكم في المستدرك: ٢ / ٣٤١ ووافقه الذهبي. (٩) كعب الأحبار من رواة الإسرائيليات ولم نجد من ذكر هذا غيره.