Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/179)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

It is related that the water rose forty cubits above the mountain peaks. [It was also said: fifteen cubits.] (1)

It is related that when the water became abundant in the streets, a mother feared for her little child, whom she loved dearly. She went up the mountain until she had reached one-third of it. When the water reached her, she climbed until she had reached two-thirds of it. When it reached her again, she continued until she had reached the summit of the mountain. Then, when the water reached her neck, she lifted the child up in her hands, until the water swept her away. Had Allah shown mercy to any one of them, He would have shown mercy to the mother of that child. (2)

“And it was said, ‘O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold your rain.’ And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and it came to rest upon al-Judi. And it was said, ‘Away with the wrongdoing people.’” (44)

“And it was said”—that is, after the affair of the Flood had come to its end—“O earth, swallow,” meaning, absorb, “your water; and O sky, withhold,” meaning, cease. “And the water subsided”: it diminished and dried up. One says, “The water has receded,” when it diminishes; and to say that Allah caused it to recede means that He diminished it. “And the matter was accomplished”: the matter was brought to an end, namely, the destruction of the people. “And it came to rest,” meaning that the Ark settled, “upon al-Judi,” a mountain in al-Jazirah near Mosul. “And it was said, ‘Away with,’” meaning, destruction “for the wrongdoing people.”

It is related that Noah, peace be upon him, sent the crow to bring him news of the land, but it landed upon a carcass and did not return. He then sent the dove, and it came back with olive leaves in its beak and with its feet smeared with mud. Noah then knew that the water had dried up. It is said that he prayed that the crow be afflicted with fear, and for this reason it does not become accustomed to houses. He placed the green ring around the dove’s neck and prayed that it be granted safety; thus, it feels secure and becomes accustomed to houses. (3)

It is related that Noah, peace be upon him, boarded the Ark on the tenth of Rajab, and the Ark carried them for six months. It passed by the House and circumambulated it seven times (4). Allah had raised it above the flood, while its site remained. They disembarked on the Day of Ashura, so Noah fasted and ordered all those with him to fast as an expression of gratitude to Allah, may He be exalted.

(1) Omitted in manuscript B. (2) Reported by al-Hakim, 2:342, who graded it sahih (sound). Al-Dhahabi said: “Its chain is obscure, and Musa is not reliable.” It is mentioned in the account that Allah caused the loins of the men to become barren and the wombs of the women to become infertile forty years before the punishment; it is also said, seventy years before it. Thus, there were no children among them at the time of the punishment, as Allah Most High says: “And the people of Noah, when they denied the messengers, We drowned them.” Since denial did not come from children, the account of the boy’s mother is strange. It may be said that, because of their long lifespans, the age of maturity may have been above seventy; thus there were children among them, and the punishment encompassed them as well. It may also be said that there are two reports concerning this matter: according to the first, the loins of their fathers were made barren and the wombs of their mothers infertile forty or seventy years before the punishment, so that no children were among them when it came. According to another report, this barrenness and infertility did not occur; hence, children were among them at the time of the punishment and shared their fathers’ worldly punishment as followers of their deniers. As for their punishment in the Hereafter, there are two positions: some hold that they will be with their disbelieving fathers, while others hold that they will be in Paradise. The latter is the sounder and stronger view. End of an excerpt from the marginal note in manuscript A, with slight adaptation. (3) See above, p. 177, note 4. (4) Al-Saji said: Al-Rabi narrated to us; al-Shafi'i narrated to us, saying: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd was asked, “Did your father narrate to you from your grandfather that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘Noah’s Ark circumambulated the House seven times and prayed two rak'ahs behind the Maqam’?” He replied, “Yes.” Al-Saji said: “He is munkar in hadith.” Al-Tahawi said: “According to hadith scholars, his hadith is extremely weak.” Al-Hakim and Abu Nu'aym said: “He narrated fabricated hadiths from his father.” See al-Tahdhib, 6:162, and the preceding note.

وَرُوِيَ أَنَّ الْمَاءَ علا على رؤوس الْجِبَالِ قَدْرَ أَرْبَعِينَ ذِرَاعًا. [وَقِيلَ: خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ ذِرَاعًا] (١) . وَرُوِيَ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا كَثُرَ الْمَاءُ فِي السِّكَكِ خَشِيَتْ أَمٌ لِصَبِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ، وَكَانَتْ تُحِبُّهُ حُبًّا شَدِيدًا، فَخَرَجَتْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ حَتَّى بَلَغَتْ ثُلُثَهُ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَهَا الْمَاءُ ارْتَفَعَتْ حَتَّى بَلَغَتْ ثُلُثَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَهَا ذَهَبَتْ حَتَّى اسْتَوَتْ عَلَى الْجَبَلِ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ الْمَاءُ رَقَبَتَهَا رَفَعَتِ الصَّبِيَّ بِيَدَيْهَا حَتَّى ذَهَبَ بِهَا الْمَاءُ، فَلَوْ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا لِرَحِمِ أُمَّ الصَّبِيِّ (٢) . ﴿وَقِيلَ يَا أَرْضُ ابْلَعِي مَاءَكِ وَيَا سَمَاءُ أَقْلِعِي وَغِيضَ الْمَاءُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَاسْتَوَتْ عَلَى الْجُودِيِّ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ (٤٤) ﴾ . ﴿وَقِيلَ﴾ يَعْنِي: بَعْدَمَا تَنَاهَى أَمْرُ الطُّوفَانِ: ﴿يَا أَرْضُ ابْلَعِي﴾ تَشَرَّبِي، ﴿مَاءَكِ وَيَا سَمَاءُ أَقْلِعِي﴾ أَمْسِكِي، ﴿وَغِيضَ الْمَاءُ﴾ نَقَصَ وَنَضَبَ، يُقَالُ: غَاضَ الْمَاءُ يَغِيضُ غَيْضًا إِذَا نَقَصَ، وَغَاضَهُ اللَّهُ أَيْ أَنْقَصَهُ، ﴿وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ﴾ فُرِغَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ وَهُوَ هَلَاكُ الْقَوْمِ ﴿وَاسْتَوَتْ﴾ يَعْنِي السَّفِينَةُ اسْتَقَرَّتْ، ﴿عَلَى الْجُودِيِّ﴾ جَبَلٌ بِالْجَزِيرَةِ بِقُرْبِ الْمَوْصِلِ، ﴿وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا﴾ هَلَاكًا، ﴿لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾ . وَرُوِيَ أَنَّ نُوحًا ﵇ بَعَثَ الْغُرَابَ لِيَأْتِيَهُ بِخَبَرِ الْأَرْضِ فَوَقَعَ عَلَى جِيفَةٍ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ فَبَعَثَ الْحَمَامَةَ فَجَاءَتْ بِوَرَقِ زَيْتُونٍ فِي مِنْقَارِهَا وَلَطَّخَتْ رِجْلَيْهَا بِالطِّينِ، فَعَلِمَ نُوحٌ أَنَّ الْمَاءَ قَدْ نَضَبَ، فَقِيلَ إِنَّهُ دَعَا عَلَى الْغُرَابِ بِالْخَوْفِ فَلِذَلِكَ لَا يَأْلَفُ الْبُيُوتَ، وَطَوَّقَ الْحَمَامَةَ الْخُضْرَةَ الَّتِي فِي عُنُقِهَا وَدَعَا لَهَا بِالْأَمَانِ، فَمِنْ ثَمَّ تَأْمَنُ وَتَأْلَفُ الْبُيُوتَ (٣) . وَرُوِيَ أَنَّ نُوحًا ﵇ رَكِبَ السَّفِينَةَ لِعَشْرٍ مَضَتْ مِنْ رَجَبٍ وَجَرَتْ بِهِمُ السَّفِينَةُ سِتَّةَ أَشْهُرٍ، وَمَرَّتْ بِالْبَيْتِ فَطَافَتْ بِهِ سَبْعًا (٤) وَقَدْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْغَرَقِ وَبَقِيَ مَوْضِعُهُ، وَهَبَطُوا يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، فَصَامَ نُوحٌ، وَأَمَرَ جَمِيعَ مَنْ مَعَهُ بِالصَّوْمِ شُكْرًا لِلَّهِ ﷿.

(١) ساقط من" "ب". (٢) أخرجه الحاكم: ٢ / ٣٤٢ وصححه وقال الذهبي إسناده مظلم، وموسى ليس بذاك. وقد ذكر في القصة أن الله تعالى أيبس أصلاب الآباء وأعقم أرحام النساء قبل العذاب بأربعين سنة، وقيل: بسبعين سنة، ولم يكن فيهم صبي وقت العذاب، لقوله تعالى "وقوم نوح لما كذبوا الرسل أغرقناهم"، فلم يوجد التكذيب من الأطفال، فحكاية أم الصبي عجيبة. ويمكن أن يقال: يجوز أن سن بلوغهم فوق السبعين لطول أعمارهم فكان فيهم الصبيان فعمهم العذاب. وقد يقال إن في ذلك روايتين: الأولى أنه أيبس أصلاب آبائهم وأعقم أرحام نسائهم قبل العذاب بأربعين سنة أو سبعين، ولم يكن فيهم صبي وقت العذاب. وفي رواية لم يكن ذلك الإيباس والإعقام، فيوجد فيهم الصبيان وقت العذاب تبعا لآبائهم المكذبين في عذاب الدنيا، أما في عذاب الآخرة ففيه مذهبان وقولان. فعند البعض هم في الآخرة مع آبائهم المكذبين، وعند البعض هم في الجنة، وهو الأصح والأقوى. انتهى ملتقطا من حاشية "أ" بشيء من التصرف. (٣) انظر فيما سلف ص (١٧٧) تعليق (٤) . (٤) قال الساجي: حدثنا الربيع، حدثنا الشافعي قال: قيل لعبد الرحمن بن زيد: حدثك أبوك عن جدك أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: إن سفينة نوح طافت بالبيت سبعا وصلت خلف المقام ركعتين؟ قال نعم. قال الساجي: وهو منكر الحديث، وقال الطحاوي: حديثه عند أهل العلم بالحديث في النهاية من الضعف، وقال الحاكم وأبو نعيم: روى عن أبيه أحاديث موضوعة. انظر: التهذيب: ٦ / ١٦٢، والتعليق السابق.