Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/143)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“The Jews and the Christians will never be pleased with you until you follow their creed. Say, ‘Allah’s guidance is the true guidance.’ And if you were to follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you would have neither protector nor helper against Allah.” (120)

Regarding His words, “The Jews and the Christians will never be pleased with you until you follow their creed. Say, ‘Allah’s guidance is the true guidance’”: this was because they asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, for a truce, leading him to hope that, if he granted them respite, they would follow him. So Allah Most High revealed this verse. (1) Its meaning is: even if you were to make a truce with them, they would not be satisfied with it; they only sought this as a pretext, and they would not be satisfied with anything from you except your following their creed.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: This concerns the direction of prayer. The Jews of Medina and the Christians of Najran had hoped that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would agree with them so long as he prayed toward their direction of prayer. But when Allah turned the direction of prayer toward the Kaaba, they despaired of his agreeing with them in their religion. Thus Allah Most High revealed: “The Jews will never be pleased with you,” except through Judaism, “nor the Christians,” except through Christianity. (2) A creed is a way.

“And if you were to follow their desires”: it was said that the address is directed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while what is intended is his community, as in His saying: “If you were to associate others with Allah, your deeds would certainly come to nothing” (al-Zumar 39:65).

(1) See Abu Hayyan, al-Bahr al-Muhit, 1:368. (2) See al-Suyuti, Lubab al-Nuqul, printed in the margin of Tafsir al-Jalalayn, pp. 48-49. In al-Durr al-Manthur, he attributed it to al-Tha'labi.

﴿وَلَنْ تَرْضَى عَنْكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ (١٢٠) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﷿ ﴿وَلَنْ تَرْضَى عَنْكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى﴾ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَسْأَلُونَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ الْهُدْنَةَ وَيُطْمِعُونَهُ فِي أَنَّهُ إِنْ أَمْهَلَهُمُ اتَّبَعُوهُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ (١) ، مَعْنَاهُ وَإِنَّكَ إِنْ هَادَنْتَهُمْ فَلَا يَرْضَوْنَ بِهَا وَإِنَّمَا يَطْلُبُونَ ذَلِكَ تَعَلُّلًا وَلَا يَرْضَوْنَ مِنْكَ إِلَّا بِاتِّبَاعِ مِلَّتِهِمْ، وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄: هَذَا فِي الْقِبْلَةِ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ يَهُودَ الْمَدِينَةِ وَنَصَارَى نَجْرَانَ كَانُوا يَرْجُونَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ حِينَ كَانَ يُصَلِّي إِلَى قِبْلَتِهِمْ فَلَمَّا صَرَفَ اللَّهُ الْقِبْلَةَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ أَيِسُوا فِي أَنْ يُوَافِقَهُمْ عَلَى دِينِهِمْ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ﴿وَلَنْ تَرْضَى عَنْكَ الْيَهُودُ﴾ إِلَّا بِالْيَهُودِيَّةِ ﴿وَلَا النَّصَارَى﴾ إِلَّا بِالنَّصْرَانِيَّةِ (٢) وَالْمِلَّةُ الطَّرِيقَةُ ﴿وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ﴾ قِيلَ الْخِطَابُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ الْأُمَّةُ كَقَوْلِهِ "لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ" (٦٥-الزُّمَرِ)

(١) انظر: البحر المحيط لأبي حيان: ١ / ٣٦٨. (٢) انظر: لباب النقول للسيوطي بهامش الجلالين ص٤٨-٤٩، وقد عزاه في الدر المنثور للثعلبي.