Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/137)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“The Jews say, ‘The Christians have nothing to stand on,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Jews have nothing to stand on,’ although they recite the Scripture. Likewise, those who have no knowledge say the like of what they say. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they differed” (113).

“And they say, ‘None shall enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian.’” That is, a Jew. Al-Farra' said: “The additional ya' was omitted, reverting to the verb underlying yahudiyyah, Jewishness.” Al-Akhfash said: “Hud is the plural of ha'id, just as 'ud is the plural of 'a'id, and hul the plural of ha'il” (1). “Or a Christian.” This was because the Jews said, “None shall enter Paradise except one who is a Jew, and there is no religion but Judaism”; while the Christians said, “None shall enter Paradise except one who is a Christian, and there is no religion but Christianity.”

It was also said that this was revealed concerning the delegation of Najran, who were Christians. They gathered with the Jews in the assembly of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and each side declared the other to be lying. Allah Most High said: “Such are their wishful claims”—that is, their false desires, which they made of Allah without right. “Say,” O Muhammad, “Bring forth your proof”—your evidence for what you claim—“if you are truthful.” Then, refuting them, He said:

“Rather, whoever submits himself to Allah while doing good shall have his reward with his Lord; no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.” That is, the matter is not as they claimed. Rather, the criterion is Islam, and only one who submits himself to Allah enters Paradise: that is, one who devotes his religion sincerely to Allah. It was also said: one who devotes his worship sincerely to Allah; and it was said: one who humbles himself before Allah. The basic meaning of Islam is surrender and humble submission. The face is singled out because whoever freely offers his face in prostration will not withhold the rest of his limbs. “While doing good”: in his deeds. It was also said: a believer; and it was said: sincere. “He shall have his reward with his Lord; no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.”

Regarding His words, “The Jews say, ‘The Christians have nothing to stand on,’” this was revealed concerning the Jews of Medina and the Christians of Najran (2). When the delegation of Najran came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the Jewish rabbis came to them. They debated until their voices rose; then they said:

(1) Ha'il: a she-camel that has been mounted by a stud but has not conceived. (2) Al-Tabari narrated from Ibn Abbas: When the Christians of Najran came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, Jewish rabbis came to them, and they disputed before the Messenger of Allah. Rafi ibn Harmalah said, “You stand on nothing,” thereby rejecting Jesus son of Mary and the Gospel. A Christian man from Najran then said, “You stand on nothing,” denying Moses’ prophethood and rejecting the Torah. Thereupon Allah revealed, concerning their statements: “The Jews say, ‘The Christians stand on nothing,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Jews stand on nothing,’” up to His words, “concerning that over which they used to differ.” Al-Tabari, Tafsir, 2:513-514; see also al-Wahidi, Tafsir, 1:176; al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 33; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, 1:273, where he is named Rafi ibn Harmalah.

﴿وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ فَاللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ (١١٣) ﴾ ﴿وَقَالُوا لَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا﴾ أَيْ يَهُودِيًّا، قَالَ الْفَرَّاءُ: حَذَفَ الْيَاءَ الزَّائِدَةَ وَرَجَعَ إِلَى الْفِعْلِ مِنَ الْيَهُودِيَّةِ، وَقَالَ الْأَخْفَشُ: الْهُودُ: جَمْعٌ هَائِدٍ، مِثْلَ عَائِدٍ وَعُودٍ، وَحَائِلٍ وَحُولٍ (١) ﴿أَوْ نَصَارَى﴾ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْيَهُودَ قَالُوا: لَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا دِينَ إِلَّا دِينُ الْيَهُودِيَّةِ، وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى لَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَا دِينَ إِلَّا دِينُ النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ. وَقِيلَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي وَفْدِ نَجْرَانَ وَكَانُوا نَصَارَى اجْتَمَعُوا فِي مَجْلِسِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَعَ الْيَهُودِ فَكَذَّبَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ﴿تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ﴾ أَيْ شَهَوَاتُهُمُ الْبَاطِلَةُ الَّتِي تَمَنَّوْهَا عَلَى اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ﴿قُلْ﴾ يَا مُحَمَّدُ ﴿هَاتُوا﴾ أَصْلُهُ آتُوا ﴿بُرْهَانَكُمْ﴾ حُجَّتَكُمْ عَلَى مَا زَعَمْتُمْ ﴿إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَدًّا عَلَيْهِمْ ﴿بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ﴾ أَيْ لَيْسَ الْأَمْرُ كَمَا قَالُوا، بَلِ الْحُكْمُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَإِنَّمَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ ﴿لِلَّهِ﴾ أَيْ أَخْلَصَ دِينَهُ لِلَّهِ وَقِيلَ: أَخْلَصَ عِبَادَتَهُ لِلَّهِ وَقِيلَ: خَضَعَ وَتَوَاضَعَ لِلَّهِ، وَأَصْلُ الْإِسْلَامِ: الِاسْتِسْلَامُ وَالْخُضُوعُ، وَخَصَّ الْوَجْهَ لِأَنَّهُ إِذَا جَادَ بِوَجْهِهِ فِي السُّجُودِ لَمْ يَبْخَلْ بِسَائِرِ جَوَارِحِهِ ﴿وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ﴾ فِي عَمَلِهِ، وَقِيلَ: مُؤْمِنٌ وَقِيلَ: مُخْلِصٌ ﴿فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﴿وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَى شَيْءٍ﴾ نَزَلَتْ فِي يَهُودِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَنَصَارَى أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ (٢) وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ وَفْدَ نَجْرَانَ لِمَا قَدِمُوا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَتَاهُمْ أَحْبَارُ الْيَهُودِ: فَتَنَاظَرُوا حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمْ فَقَالَتْ

(١) الحائل: الناقة الحائل: التي حمل عليها الفحل فلم تلقح. (٢) أخرج الطبري عن ابن عباس قال: لما قدم أهل نجران من النصارى على رسول الله ﷺ، أتتهم أحبار يهود، فتنازعوا عند رسول الله ﷺ، فقال رافع بن حرملة: ما أنتم على شيء! وكفر بعيسى بن مريم وبالإنجيل. فقال رجل من أهل نجران من النصارى: ما أنتم على شيء! وجحد نبوة موسى وكفر بالتوراة، فأنزل الله ﷿ في ذلك من قولهما: "وقالت اليهود ليست النصارى على شيء وقالت النصارى لست اليهود على شيء" إلى قوله "فيما كانوا فيه يختلفون". تفسير الطبري: ٢ / ٥١٣-٥١٤، وانظر: تفسير الواحدي: ١ / ١٧٦، أسباب النزول للواحدي ص٣٣، تفسير ابن كثير: ١ / ٢٧٣، وفيه: رافع بن حرملة.