Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/304)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Juwaybir related from al-Dahhak, from Ibn Abbas: “Thunder is an angel appointed over the clouds, directing them wherever he is commanded. The seas of water are in the hollow of his thumb, and he glorifies Allah, exalted is He. When he glorifies Him, not a single angel in heaven remains except that he raises his voice in glorification; then the rain falls.”

“And the angels, in awe of Him”: that is, the angels glorify Allah, exalted is He, out of fear and reverence for Him. It was also said that the angels meant here are Thunder’s assistants. Allah, exalted is He, has assigned assistants to him, and they are fearful, submissive, and obedient.

His saying, exalted is He, “And He sends thunderbolts”: this is the plural of “thunderbolt,” which is a destructive punishment that descends with the lightning and burns whomever it strikes. “Striking with them whomsoever He wills,” as He struck Arbad ibn Rabi'ah. Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir said: “The thunderbolt strikes both the Muslim and the non-Muslim, but it does not strike one who remembers Allah.”

“And they dispute,” that is, they contend, “about Allah.” This was revealed concerning Arbad ibn Rabi'ah, when he said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “What is your Lord made of? Is He made of pearls, rubies, or gold?” Then a thunderbolt descended from heaven and burned him. (1)

Al-Hasan was asked about His saying, exalted is He, “And He sends thunderbolts,” and the rest of the verse. He said: “There was a man among the tyrants of the Arabs, to whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent a group of men to call him to Allah and His Messenger. He said to them: ‘Tell me about this Lord of Muhammad to whom you are calling me: what is He made of? Of gold, silver, iron, or copper?’ The men found his words outrageous, so they returned to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, we have never seen a man more disbelieving at heart or more defiant toward Allah than he.’

“The Prophet said: ‘Return to him.’ So they returned to him, but he gave them nothing more than a repetition of his earlier words. He said: ‘Am I to respond to Muhammad and follow a Lord whom I neither see nor know?’ They returned and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, he has only repeated his earlier words, and in an even more vile manner.’

“He said: ‘Return to him.’ So they returned. While they were with him, arguing with him and calling him to Allah, as he continued making these remarks, a cloud rose above their heads. It thundered and flashed, then hurled a thunderbolt, and the disbeliever was burned while they were sitting there. They came rushing to inform the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but they were met by some of the Prophet’s Companions, who said to them: ‘Your man has been burned.’ They asked: ‘How did you come to know?’ They replied: ‘Allah revealed to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “And He sends thunderbolts, striking with them whomsoever He wills, while they dispute about Allah.”’” (2)

(1) See Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 2:507. (2) See Asbab al-Nuzul by al-Wahidi, p. 314; al-Durr al-Manthur by al-Suyuti, 4:625-626; al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:375; and Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 2:507. A similar report from Anas was narrated by Abu Ya'la, al-Bazzar, and al-Tabarani in al-Awsat. The narrators in Abu Ya'la's chain are those of the Sahih collections, except Dailam ibn Ghazwan, who is trustworthy. The chains of Abu Ya'la and al-Tabarani include Ali ibn Abi Sharah, who is weak. See Majma al-Zawa'id, 7:42.

وَقَالَ جُوَيْبِرٌ عَنِ الضَّحَّاكِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: الرَّعْدُ مَلَكٌ مُوَكَّلٌ بِالسَّحَابِ يَصْرِفُهُ إِلَى حَيْثُ يُؤْمَرُ، وَأَنَّ بُحُورَ الْمَاءِ فِي نَقْرَةِ إِبْهَامِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ يُسَبِّحُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى، فَإِذَا سَبَّحَ لَا يَبْقَى مَلَكٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ إِلَّا رَفَعَ صَوْتَهُ بِالتَّسْبِيحِ فَعِنْدَهَا يَنْزِلُ الْقَطْرُ. ﴿وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ﴾ أَيْ: تُسَبِّحُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَةِ اللَّهِ ﷿ وَخَشْيَتِهِ. وَقِيلَ: أَرَادَ بِهَؤُلَاءِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ أَعْوَانَ الرَّعْدِ، جَعَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لَهُ أَعْوَانًا، فَهُمْ خَائِفُونَ خَاضِعُونَ طَائِعُونَ. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ﴾ جَمْعُ صَاعِقَةٍ، وَهِيَ: الْعَذَابُ الْمُهْلِكُ، يَنْزِلُ مِنَ الْبَرْقِ فَيَحْرِقُ مَنْ يُصِيبُهُ، ﴿فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ﴾ كَمَا أَصَابَ أَرْبَدَ بْنَ رَبِيعَةَ. وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْبَاقِرُ: الصَّاعِقَةُ تُصِيبُ الْمُسْلِمَ وَغَيْرَ الْمُسْلِمِ وَلَا تُصِيبُ الذَّاكِرَ. ﴿وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ﴾ يُخَاصِمُونَ، ﴿فِي اللَّهِ﴾ نَزَلَتْ فِي شَأْنِ أَرْبَدَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ حَيْثُ قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ: مِمَّ رَبُّكَ أَمِنْ دُرٍّ أَمْ مِنْ يَاقُوتٍ أَمْ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ؟ فَنَزَلَتْ صَاعِقَةٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَأَحْرَقَتْهُ (١) . وَسُئِلَ الْحَسَنُ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ ﷿: ﴿وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ﴾ الْآيَةَ، قَالَ: كَانَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ طَوَاغِيتِ الْعَرَبِ بَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ نَفَرًا يَدْعُونَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: أَخْبِرُونِي عَنْ رَبِّ مُحَمَّدٍ هَذَا الَّذِي تَدْعُونَنِي إِلَيْهِ مِمَّ هُوَ؟ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ أَوْ فِضَّةٍ أَوْ حَدِيدٍ أَوْ نُحَاسٍ؟ فَاسْتَعْظَمَ الْقَوْمُ مَقَالَتَهُ فَانْصَرَفُوا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْنَا رَجُلًا أَكْفَرَ قَلْبًا وَلَا أَعْتَى عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْهُ؟ فَقَالَ: ارجعوا إليه، فرجعواإليه فَجَعَلَ لَا يَزِيدُهُمْ عَلَى مِثْلِ مَقَالَتِهِ الْأُولَى، وَقَالَ: أُجِيبُ مُحَمَّدًا إِلَى رَبٍّ لَا أَرَاهُ وَلَا أَعْرِفُهُ. فَانْصَرَفُوا وَقَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا زَادَنَا عَلَى مَقَالَتِهِ الْأُولَى وَأَخْبَثَ. فَقَالَ: ارْجِعُوا إِلَيْهِ، فَرَجَعُوا، فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ عِنْدَهُ يُنَازِعُونَهُ وَيَدْعُونَهُ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةَ إِذِ ارْتَفَعَتْ سَحَابَةٌ، فكانت فوق رؤوسهم، فَرَعَدَتْ وَبَرَقَتْ، وَرَمَتْ بِصَاعِقَةٍ، فَاحْتَرَقَ الْكَافِرُ، وهم جلوس، فجاؤوا يَسْعَوْنَ لِيُخْبِرُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَاسْتَقْبَلَهُمْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، فَقَالُوا لَهُمْ: احْتَرَقَ صَاحِبُكُمْ. فَقَالُوا: مِنْ أَيْنَ عَلِمْتُمْ فَقَالُوا: أَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ: ﴿وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي اللَّهِ﴾ (٢) .

(١) انظر: تفسير ابن كثير: ٢ / ٥٠٧. (٢) انظر: أسباب النزول للواحدي ص (٣١٤) ، الدر المنثور للسيوطي: ٤ / ٦٢٥، ٦٢٦، البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٣٧٥، ابن كثير ٢ / ٥٠٧، وبنحوه عن أنس، أخرجه أبو يعلى والبزار، والطبراني في الأوسط. ورجال أبي يعلى رجال الصحيح غير ديلم بن غزوان، وهو ثقة، وفي رجال أبي يعلى والطبراني علي بن أبي شارة وهو ضعيف. انظر: مجمع الزوائد: ٧ / ٤٢.