Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/165)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Or do they say, ‘He has fabricated it’? Say, ‘Then bring ten surahs like it, fabricated, and call upon whomever you can besides Allah, if you are truthful.’ (13) But if they do not respond to you, then know that it has been sent down with Allah’s knowledge, and that there is no god worthy of worship except Him. So will you not submit? (14) Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornment—We shall fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they shall not be deprived therein. (15)”

“Or do they say, ‘He has fabricated it’?” Rather, they say that he invented it. “Say, ‘Then bring ten surahs like it, fabricated.’”

If it is asked: In Surah Jonah, He says, “Bring a surah like it,” and they were unable to do so; so how could He then say, “Bring ten surahs”? This is like a man saying to another, “Give me one dirham,” and the latter is unable to do so; then he says, “Give me ten.”

The answer is that it has been said that Surah Hud was revealed first. ⦗172/b⦘

Al-Mubarrad rejected this and said: Rather, Surah Jonah was revealed first. He said: The meaning of His statement in Surah Jonah, “Bring a surah like it,” is: like it in its reports of the unseen, its rulings, its promises, and its warnings. When they were unable to do so, He said to them in Surah Hud: If you are unable to bring a surah like it in its reports, rulings, promises, and warnings, (1) then bring ten surahs like it, containing no report, promise, or warning, but consisting solely of eloquence. (2) “And call upon whomever you can”: seek the help of whomever you can, “besides Allah, if you are truthful.”

“But if they do not respond to you,” O companions of Muhammad. It was also said that the wording is plural, while what is intended is the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, alone. “Then know”: it was said that this is addressed to the believers; and it was also said that it is addressed to the idolaters. “That it has been sent down with Allah’s knowledge”: meaning, the Quran. It was also said: He sent it down, and His knowledge is within it. “And that there is no god worthy of worship except Him”: that is, know that there is no god worthy of worship except Him. “So will you not submit?” Its wording is interrogative, but its meaning is a command: submit.

Allah, exalted is He, says: “Whoever desires the life of this world”: that is, whoever seeks the life of this world through his deeds, “and its adornment.” This was revealed concerning everyone who performs a deed by which he seeks other than Allah, exalted is He. (3) “We shall fully repay them for their deeds therein”: that is, We shall fully grant them

(1) The text in parentheses is omitted in manuscript B. (2) Ibn al-Zubayr al-Gharnati wrote in Malak al-Tawil, 1:39: “... Since the expression ‘fabricated [surahs]’ occurs here, this affords them greater latitude; accordingly, the number required of them is expanded, for fabricated speech is easier and thus suits such expansion. As for the passages occurring earlier in the two surahs—Surah al-Baqarah, verse 23, and Surah Yunus, verse 38—they are not told in either case that it should be fabricated against him. Rather, what precedes in both verses is an unrestricted demand for something comparable, which is more difficult and burdensome for them, despite their incapacity in every case. Thus, the demand for one surah occurs in a context of restriction, whereas the demand for ten surahs occurs in a context of expansion—a clear and evident correspondence. Some exegetes have answered in a manner conveying this meaning.” See also al-Kashshaf, 1:48-50. (3) This is also narrated through an authentic chain from Said ibn Jubayr regarding this verse. He said: “Whoever acts for the sake of this world, We repay him in this world.” It was transmitted by Hannad in al-Zuhd, 2:274; Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf, 13:519, with the wording, “He is repaid in this world”; and al-Tabari, 15:263. Al-Suyuti also attributed it to Ibn Abi Hatim, with the wording: “It is the man who acts for this world, seeking thereby not Allah.”

﴿أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ مِثْلِهِ مُفْتَرَيَاتٍ وَادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ (١٣) فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أُنْزِلَ بِعِلْمِ اللَّهِ وَأَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ (١٤) مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لَا يُبْخَسُونَ (١٥) ﴾ . ﴿أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ﴾ بَلْ يَقُولُونَ اخْتَلَقَهُ، ﴿قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ مِثْلِهِ مُفْتَرَيَاتٍ﴾ . فَإِنْ قِيلَ: قَدْ قَالَ فِي سُورَةِ يُونُسَ: " فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِثْلِهِ "، وَقَدْ عَجَزُوا عَنْهُ فَكَيْفَ قَالَ: ﴿فَأْتُوا بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ﴾ فَهُوَ كَرَجُلٍ يَقُولُ لِآخَرَ: أَعْطِنِي دِرْهَمًا فَيَعْجَزُ، فَيَقُولُ: أَعْطِنِي عَشَرَةً؟. الْجَوَابُ: قَدْ قيل سورة ١٧٢/ب هُودٍ نَزَلَتْ أَوَّلًا. وَأَنْكَرَ الْمُبَرِّدُ هَذَا، وَقَالَ: بَلْ نَزَلَتْ سُورَةُ يُونُسَ أَوَّلًا وَقَالَ: مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ فِي سُورَةِ يُونُسَ: "فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِثْلِهِ"، أَيْ: مِثْلِهُ فِي الْخَبَرِ عَنِ الْغَيْبِ وَالْأَحْكَامِ وَالْوَعْدِ وَالْوَعِيدِ، [فَعَجَزُوا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ فِي سُورَةِ هُودٍ: إِنْ عَجَزْتُمْ عَنِ الْإِتْيَانِ بِسُورَةٍ مِثْلِهُ فِي الْأَخْبَارِ وَالْأَحْكَامِ وَالْوَعْدِ وَالْوَعِيدِ] (١) فَأْتُوا بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ مِثْلِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ خَبَرٍ وَلَا وَعْدٍ وَلَا وَعِيدٍ، وَإِنَّمَا هِيَ مُجَرَّدُ الْبَلَاغَةِ (٢) ، ﴿وَادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ﴾ وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِمَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ، ﴿مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾ . ﴿فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ﴾ يَا أَصْحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ. وَقِيلَ: لَفْظُهُ جَمْعٌ وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ ﷺ وَحْدَهُ. ﴿فَاعْلَمُوا﴾ قِيلَ: هَذَا خِطَابٌ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. وَقِيلَ: مَعَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، ﴿أَنَّمَا أُنْزِلَ بِعِلْمِ اللَّهِ﴾ يَعْنِي: الْقُرْآنَ. وَقِيلَ: أَنْزَلَهُ وَفِيهِ عِلْمُهُ، ﴿وَأَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ﴾ أَيْ: فَاعْلَمُوا أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ، ﴿فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ﴾ لَفْظُهُ اسْتِفْهَامٌ وَمَعْنَاهُ أَمْرٌ، أَيْ: أَسْلِمُوا. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا﴾ أَيْ: مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ بِعَمَلِهِ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا، ﴿وَزِينَتَهَا﴾ نَزَلَتْ فِي كُلِّ مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا يُرِيدُ بِهِ غَيْرَ اللَّهِ ﷿ (٣) ﴿نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا﴾ أَيْ: نُوفِّ لَهُمْ

(١) ما بين القوسين ساقط من "ب". (٢) وقال ابن الزبير الغرناطي في ملاك التأويل: ١ / ٣٩ " ... لما قيل هنا: مفتريات، فوسع عليهم، ناسبه التوسعة في العدد المطلوب؛ لأن الكلام المفترى أسهل فناسبته التوسعة. أما الوارد في السورتين قبلُ -سورة البقرة الآية ٢٣، وسورة يونس الآية ٣٨- فلم يذكر لهم فيهما أن يكون مفترى عليه، بل السابق من الآيتين: المماثلة مطلقا، وذلك أصعب وأشق عليهم مع عجزهم في كل حال، فوقع الطلب حيث التضييق بسورة واحدة، وحيث التوسعة بعشر سور مناسبة جليلة واضحة وقد جاوب بما هذا معناه وبعضُ المفسرين". وانظر: الكشاف: ١ / ٤٨-٥٠. (٣) وهذا مروي بسند صحيح عن سعيد بن جبير في الآية، قال: "من عمل للدنيا نوفيه في الدنيا". أخرجه هناد في الزهد: ٢ / ٢٧٤، وابن أبي شيبة في المصنف: ١٣ / ٥١٩ بلفظ "وُفِّيه في الدنيا" والطبري: ١٥ / ٢٦٣. وعزاه السيوطي أيضا لابن أبي حاتم بلفظ: "هو الرجل يعمل للدنيا لا يريد به الله".