Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/193)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

he would appear: he spread his wing, wearing a sash of strung pearls. His teeth shone brightly, his forehead was broad and clear, and his head was crowned with locks like coral (1). He was as white as snow, while his feet were tinged with green. He struck their faces with his wing, effacing their eyes and blinding them. They could no longer recognize the way or find their homes, so they turned away, crying, “Escape! Escape! There are in Lot’s house the most powerful sorcerers on earth; they have bewitched us!” They continued to say, “O Lot, stay where you are until morning, and tomorrow you will see what you will suffer at our hands,” threatening him.

Lot then (2) asked the angels, “When is the time appointed for their destruction?” They replied, “In the morning.” He said, “I want it to be sooner than that. If only you would destroy them now!” They replied, “Is not the morning near?” Then they said, “So set out, O Lot, with your family.”

The reciters of the Hijaz read fasri and ani-sri with a connective initial vowel [wherever it occurs in the Quran] (3), deriving them from sara yasri. The remaining reciters read them with a separately pronounced initial vowel, deriving them from asra yusri. Both have the same meaning: to travel by night.

“During a portion of the night”: Ibn Abbas said, “During part of the night.” Al-Dahhak said, “During what remains of it.” Qatadah said, “After its first part has passed.” It was also said that it means the first part of the pre-dawn hours.

“And let none of you look back, except your wife.” Ibn Kathir and Abu Amr read the word imra'atuka (“your wife”) in the nominative case, making it an exception to looking back; that is: Let none of you look back except your wife, for she will look back and perish. Lot had taken her out with him and forbidden those whom he led out by night to look back, apart from (4) his wife. When she heard the great roar of the punishment, she looked back and cried, “O my people!” Then a stone struck her and killed her.

The other reciters read it in the accusative case, making it an exception to the night journey; that is: Set out with your family, except your wife. Do not take her with you; rather, leave her behind with her people, for her inclination was toward them. This is supported by Ibn Masud’s recitation: “Set out with your family during a portion of the night, except your wife, and let none of you look back.”

“Indeed, what strikes them of the punishment will strike her as well. Their appointed time is the morning”—that is, the time of their destruction is in the morning. Lot said, “I want it to be sooner than that,” so they replied, “Is not the morning near?”

(1) That is, “the curliness of the hair,” namely its tightly curled, crimped form. See al-Tabari, 15:430, along with the commentary thereon. (2) Thus in the manuscript. In the printed edition, before Lot’s statement, it reads: “The angels said: ‘Do not fear; we have been sent to destroy them.’ Then Lot said ...” (3) Omitted in manuscript B. (4) Thus in the original and in the printed edition. It is perhaps to be read: “None turned back except his wife,” as appears in the margin of manuscript A.

يَكُونُ فِيهَا فَنَشْرَ جَنَاحَهُ وَعَلَيْهِ وِشَاحٌ مِنْ دُرٍّ مَنْظُومٍ، وَهُوَ بَرَّاقُ الثَّنَايَا، أَجْلَى الْجَبِينِ، وَرَأَسُهُ حُبُكٌ (١) مِثْلُ الْمَرْجَانِ، كَأَنَّهُ الثَّلْجُ بَيَاضًا وَقَدَمَاهُ إِلَى الْخُضْرَةِ، فَضَرَبَ بِجَنَاحِهِ وُجُوهَهُمْ فَطَمَسَ أَعْيُنَهُمْ وَأَعْمَاهُمْ، فَصَارُوا لَا يَعْرِفُونَ الطَّرِيقَ وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ إِلَى بُيُوتِهِمْ، فَانْصَرَفُوا وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: النَّجَاءَ النَّجَاءَ، فَإِنَّ فِي بَيْتِ لُوطٍ أَسْحَرَ قَوْمٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ سَحَرُونَا، وَجَعَلُوا يَقُولُونَ: يَا لُوطُ كَمَا أَنْتَ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَ فَسَتَرَى مَا تَلْقَى مِنَّا غَدًا. يُوعِدُونَهُ، فَقَالَ (٢) لُوطٌ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ: مَتَى مَوْعِدُ إِهْلَاكِهِمْ؟ فَقَالُوا: الصُّبْحُ، فَقَالَ: أُرِيدُ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَلَوْ أَهْلَكْتُمُوهُمُ الْآنَ، فَقَالُوا ﴿أَلَيْسَ الصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيبٍ﴾ ثُمَّ قَالُوا، ﴿فَأَسْرِ﴾ يَا لُوطُ، ﴿بِأَهْلِكَ﴾ . قَرَأَ أَهْلُ الْحِجَازِ "فَاسْرِ وأنِ اسْرِ" بِوَصْلِ الْأَلِفِ [حَيْثُ وَقَعَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ] (٣) مِنْ سَرَى يَسْرِي، وَقَرَأَ الْبَاقُونَ بِقَطْعِ الْأَلْفِ مِنْ أَسْرَى يُسْرِي، وَمَعْنَاهُمَا وَاحِدٌ وَهُوَ الْمَسِيرُ بِاللَّيْلِ. ﴿بِقِطْعٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: بِطَائِفَةٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ. وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: بِبَقِيَّةٍ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: بَعْدَ مُضِيِّ أَوَّلِهِ وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ السَّحَرُ الْأَوَّلُ. ﴿وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنْكُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَكَ﴾ قَرَأَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ وَأَبُو عَمْرٍو: "امْرَأَتُكَ" بِرَفْعِ التَّاءِ عَلَى الِاسْتِثْنَاءِ مِنَ الِالْتِفَاتِ، أَيْ: لَا يَلْتَفِتُ مِنْكُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا امْرَأَتُكَ فَإِنَّهَا تَلْتَفِتُ فَتَهْلِكُ، وَكَانَ لُوطٌ قَدْ أَخْرَجَهَا مَعَهُ وَنَهَى مَنْ تَبِعَهُ، مِمَّنْ أَسْرَى بِهِمْ أَنْ يَلْتَفِتَ، سِوَى (٤) زَوْجَتِهِ، فَإِنَّهَا لَمَّا سَمِعَتْ هَدَّةَ الْعَذَابِ الْتَفَتَتْ، وَقَالَتْ: يَا قَوْمَاهُ، فَأَدْرَكَهَا حَجَرٌ فَقَتَلَهَا. وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ: بِنَصْبِ التَّاءِ عَلَى الِاسْتِثْنَاءِ مِنَ الْإِسْرَاءِ، أَيْ: فَأَسَرِ بِأَهْلِكَ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَكَ فَلَا تَسْرِ بِهَا وَخَلِّفْهَا مَعَ قَوْمِهَا، فَإِنَّ هَوَاهَا إِلَيْهِمْ، وَتَصْدِيقُهُ قِرَاءَةُ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ "فَأَسَرِ بِأَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَكَ وَلَا يَلْتَفِتُ مِنْكُمْ أَحَدٌ". ﴿إِنَّهُ مُصِيبُهَا مَا أَصَابَهُمْ﴾ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ، ﴿إِنَّ مَوْعِدَهُمُ الصُّبْحُ﴾ أَيْ: مَوْعِدُ هَلَاكِهِمْ وَقْتُ الصُّبْحِ، فَقَالَ لُوطٌ: أُرِيدُ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالُوا ﴿أَلَيْسَ الصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيبٍ﴾ .

(١) يعني "حبك الشعر" وهو الجعد المتكسر منه. وانظر: الطبري: ١٥ / ٤٣٠ مع التعليق عليه. (٢) هكذا في المخطوط. وفي المطبوع جاء قبل قول لوط: "قالت الملائكة: لا تخف، إنا أرسلنا لإهلاكهم، فقال لوط ... ". (٣) ساقط من "ب". (٤) هكذا في الأصل وفي المطبوع ولعلها: فلم يلتفت سوى زوجته - كما جاء في هامش "أ".