Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/292)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

It was also said that its grammatical position is genitive; that is: “These are the verses of the Book and the verses of that which has been sent down to you.” Then a new sentence begins with “the truth,” meaning: that is the truth (1).

Ibn Abbas said: By “the Book” He meant the Quran. Its meaning is: “These are the verses of the Book”—that is, the Quran. Then He says: “And this Quran which has been sent down to you from your Lord is the truth.”

“But most people do not believe.” Muqatil said: This was revealed concerning the polytheists of Mecca when they said, “Muhammad says it of his own accord” (2). Allah refuted their claim and then set forth the proofs of His Lordship, saying—Exalted is He whose speech is supreme:

“Allah is He who raised the heavens without pillars that you can see; then He rose over the Throne and subjected the sun and the moon. Each runs for an appointed term. He governs all affairs and makes the signs clear, so that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.” (2)

“Allah is He who raised the heavens without pillars that you can see”: that is, without columns. The singular is ʿamūd (pillar), as adīm (hide) and udum (hides); ʿumud is also a plural form, as rasūl (messenger) and rusul (messengers).

Its meaning is that it negates the existence of pillars altogether, and this is the sounder view: there is no support beneath them to uphold them, nor anything above them holding them in place.

Iyas ibn Muawiyah said: The heaven is arched over the earth like a dome (3).

It was also said that “you can see them” refers to the pillars; its meaning (4) is that they have pillars, but you do not see them (5).

(1) See, on this point and the supporting evidence from Arabic usage: al-Tabari, Tafsir, 16:321-322; al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:359; al-Muharrar al-Wajiz, 8:109-110. (2) It was also said that what is meant is the Jews and Christians. The stronger view is that it is general and includes both these and others. See: al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:359. (3) This is also narrated from Qatadah. It is supported by Allah's explicit statement in Surah al-Hajj that He is the One who prevents it from falling upon the earth: “He holds the heaven back from falling upon the earth except by His permission.” On this interpretation, the phrase “you see them” reinforces the negation; that is, the heavens are raised without pillars, as you can see. This is the more complete manifestation of divine power. Accordingly, the pronoun in “you see them” refers to “the heavens,” and the clause “you see them” is circumstantial. See: al-Tabari, Tafsir, 16:325; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, 2:500; Adwa al-Bayan, 3:77-78; al-Muharrar al-Wajiz, 8:110. (4) Omitted from manuscript B. (5) This is also narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, as well as from Mujahid, al-Hasan, Qatadah, and others. Commenting on these two views, al-Tabari stated: “The soundest of the views in this matter is to say as Allah Most High has said: ‘Allah is the One who raised the heavens without pillars that you see.’ Thus, they are raised without pillars that we can see, just as our Lord, exalted be His praise, has stated. There is no report to the contrary, nor any evidence requiring acceptance of any other view.”

وَقِيلَ: مَحَلُّهُ خَفْضٌ، يَعْنِي: تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ وَآيَاتُ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ ابْتَدَأَ: "الْحَقَّ"، يَعْنِي: ذَلِكَ الْحَقُّ (١) . وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: أَرَادَ بِالْكِتَابِ الْقُرْآنَ، وَمَعْنَاهُ: هَذِهِ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ، يَعْنِي الْقُرْآنَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: وَهَذَا الْقُرْآنُ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ. ﴿وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾ قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: نَزَلَتْ فِي مُشْرِكِي مَكَّةَ حِينَ قَالُوا: إِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يَقُولُهُ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِهِ (٢) فَرَدَّ قَوْلَهُمْ ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ دَلَائِلَ رُبُوبِيَّتِهِ، فَقَالَ عَزَّ مَنْ قَائِلٍ: ﴿اللَّهُ الَّذِي رَفَعَ السَّموَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا﴾ . ﴿اللَّهُ الَّذِي رَفَعَ السَّمَوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ يُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّكُمْ تُوقِنُونَ (٢) ﴾ . ﴿اللَّهُ الَّذِي رَفَعَ السَّمَوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا﴾ يَعْنِي: السَّوَارِيَ، وَاحِدُهَا عَمُودٌ، مِثْلُ: أَدِيمٍ وَأُدُمٍ، وَعُمُدٌ أَيْضًا جَمْعُهُ، مِثْلُ: رَسُولٍ وَرُسُلٍ. وَمَعْنَاهُ نَفْيُ الْعَمَدِ أَصْلًا وَهُوَ الْأَصَحُّ، يَعْنِي: لَيْسَ مِنْ دُونِهَا دِعَامَةٌ تُدَعِّمُهَا وَلَا فَوْقَهَا عَلَاقَةٌ تُمْسِكُهَا. قَالَ إِيَاسُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ: السَّمَاءُ مُقَبَّبَةٌ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِثْلُ الْقُبَّةِ (٣) وَقِيلَ: "تَرَوْنَهَا" رَاجِعَةٌ إِلَى الْعُمُدِ، [مَعْنَاهُ] (٤) لَهَا عُمُدٌ وَلَكِنْ لَا تَرَوْنَهَا (٥)

(١) انظر في هذا وشواهده من العربية: تفسير الطبري: ١٦ / ٣٢١-٣٢٢، البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٣٥٩، المحرر الوجيز: ٨ / ١٠٩-١١٠. (٢) وقيل: المراد اليهود والنصارى. والأولى أنه عام يندرج تحته هؤلاء وأولئك. انظر: البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٣٥٩. (٣) وهذا مروي أيضا عن قتادة، ويدل عليه تصريحه تعالى في سورة الحج أنه هو الذي يمسكها أن تقع على الأرض في قوله: (ويمسك السماء أن تقع على الأرض إلا بإذنه) . فعلى هذا يكون قوله (ترونها) تأكيدا لنفي ذلك. أي: هي مرفوعة بغير عمد كما ترونها. وهذا هو الأكمل في القدرة. وعلى هذا يكون الضمير في قوله "ترونها" عائدا على "السموات"، وجملة "ترونها" في موضع الحال. انظر: تفسير الطبري: ١٦ / ٣٢٥، تفسير ابن كثير: ٢ / ٥٠٠، أضواء البيان: ٣ / ٧٧-٧٨، المحرر الوجيز: ٨ / ١١٠. (٤) ساقط من "ب". (٥) وهو مروي عن ابن عباس ﵁ وعن مجاهد، والحسن، وقتادة، وغير واحد. وقال الطبري تعقيبا على هذين الرأيين: (١٦ / ٣٢٥) : "وأولى الأقوال في ذلك بالصحة أن يقال كما قال الله تعالى: "الله الذي رفع السموات بغير عمد ترونها" فهي مرفوعة بغير عمد نراها، كما قال ربنا -جل ثناؤه- ولا خبر بغير ذلك، ولا حجة يجب التسليم لها بقول سواه".