Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/318)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

and its appearance (1), as he wishes; and it opens up for him garments (2).

“Thus We have sent you to a community before which other communities have passed away, so that you may recite to them what We have revealed to you, while they disbelieve in the Most Merciful. Say: ‘He is my Lord; there is no god but Him. In Him I place my trust, and to Him is my return.’” (30)

His saying, exalted is He, “Thus We have sent you to a community”: just as We sent the prophets to their respective communities, We have sent you to this community. “Before which other communities have passed away”: that is, they have gone before. “So that you may recite to them”: that is, so that you may read to them “what We have revealed to you, while they disbelieve in the Most Merciful.”

Qatadah, Muqatil, and Ibn Jurayj said: This verse is Medinan and was revealed concerning the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. When Suhayl ibn Amr came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and they agreed to draw up the treaty document, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said ⦗191/A⦘ to Ali, may Allah be pleased with him: “Write: ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.’” They said, “We know no one called ‘the Most Merciful’ except the man of al-Yamamah”—meaning Musaylimah the Liar. “Write as you used to write: ‘In Your name, O Allah.’” This is the meaning of His saying: “while they disbelieve in the Most Merciful” (3).

The well-known view, however, is that the verse is Meccan. The reason for its revelation was that Abu Jahl heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was in the Hijr enclosure, supplicating: “O Allah, O Most Merciful.” He returned to the polytheists and said: “Muhammad is invoking two gods: he invokes Allah, and he invokes another god called ‘the Most Merciful.’ We know no one called ‘the Most Merciful’ except the man of al-Yamamah.” Thereupon this verse was revealed, as was His saying, exalted is He: “Say: ‘Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever you call upon, to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names.’” (al-Isra', 110) (4).

Al-Dahhak narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that it was revealed concerning the disbelievers of Quraysh when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to them: “Prostrate to the Most Merciful.” They replied: “And what is the Most Merciful?” (5) Allah Most High said: Say to them, O Muhammad: Indeed, the Most Merciful whose identity you denied knowing—“He is my Lord; there is no god but Him. In Him I place my trust, and to Him is my return”—that is, my repentance and my final return.

(1) Omitted from manuscript B. (2) Reported by al-Tabari, 16:438. Its chain includes Shahr ibn Hawshab, who is weak. Al-Suyuti also attributed it to Abd al-Razzaq, Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Abi Hatim. See al-Durr al-Manthur, 4:643. (3) Reported by al-Tabari, 16:445-446. Al-Suyuti further attributed it to Ibn Abi Hatim and Abu al-Shaykh, on the authority of Qatada, and to Ibn al-Mundhir, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj. See al-Durr al-Manthur, 4:650; al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 315; Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 9:317-318; al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:390. (4) See Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 9:318, 13:64; al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:390. (5) See al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 315; Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 9:318; al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:390.

[وَهَيْئَتِهَا] (١) كَمَا شَاءَ وَعَنِ الثِّيَابِ (٢) . ﴿كَذَلِكَ أَرْسَلْنَاكَ فِي أُمَّةٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهَا أُمَمٌ لِتَتْلُوَ عَلَيْهِمُ الَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ بِالرَّحْمَنِ قُلْ هُوَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ مَتَابِ (٣٠) ﴾ . قَوْلُهُ ﷿ ﴿كَذَلِكَ أَرْسَلْنَاكَ فِي أُمَّةٍ﴾ كَمَا أَرْسَلَنَا الْأَنْبِيَاءَ إِلَى الْأُمَمِ أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَى هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ، ﴿قَدْ خَلَتْ﴾ مَضَتْ، ﴿مِنْ قَبْلِهَا أُمَمٌ لِتَتْلُوَ﴾ لِتَقْرَأَ، ﴿عَلَيْهِمُ الَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ بِالرَّحْمَنِ﴾ . قَالَ قَتَادَةُ، وَمُقَاتِلٌ، وَابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ: الْآيَةُ مَدَنِيَّةٌ نَزَلَتْ فِي صُلْحِ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ سُهَيْلَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو لَمَّا جَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَاتَّفَقُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَكْتُبُوا كِتَابَ الصُّلْحِ فَقَالَ رسول الله ﷺ ١٩١/ألِعَلِيٍّ ﵁: اكْتُبْ " بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ "، قَالُوا: لَا نَعْرِفُ الرَّحْمَنَ إِلَّا صَاحِبَ الْيَمَامَةِ -يَعْنُونَ مُسَيْلِمَةَ الْكَذَّابَ-اكْتُبْ كَمَا كُنْتَ تَكْتُبُ: "بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ"، فَهَذَا مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿وَهُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ بِالرَّحْمَنِ﴾ (٣) . وَالْمَعْرُوفُ أَنَّ الْآيَةَ مَكِّيَّةٌ، وَسَبَبُ نُزُولِهَا: أَنَّ أَبَا جَهْلٍ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَهُوَ فِي الْحِجْرِ يَدْعُو يَا اللَّهُ يَا رَحْمَنُ، فَرَجَعَ إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يَدْعُو إِلَهَيْنِ؛ يَدْعُو اللَّهَ، وَيَدْعُو إِلَهًا آخَرَ يُسَمَّى الرَّحْمَنَ، وَلَا نَعْرِفُ الرحمن إلا رحمن الْيَمَامَةِ فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ، وَنَزَلَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿قُلِ ادْعُوا اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُوا الرَّحْمَنَ أَيًّا مَا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى (٤) ﴾ (الْإِسْرَاءُ -١١٠) . وَرَوَى الضَّحَّاكُ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄: أَنَّهَا نَزَلَتْ فِي كُفَّارِ قُرَيْشٍ حِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: اسْجُدُوا لِلرَّحْمَنِ، قَالُوا: وَمَا الرَّحْمَنُ (٥) ؟ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿قُلْ﴾ لَهُمْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ الرَّحْمَنَ الَّذِي أَنْكَرْتُمْ مَعْرِفَتَهُ، ﴿هُوَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ﴾ اعْتَمَدْتُ ﴿وَإِلَيْهِ مَتَابِ﴾ أَيْ: تَوْبَتِي وَمَرْجِعِي.

(١) ساقط من "ب". (٢) وأخرجه الطبري: ١٦ / ٤٣٨، وفيه شهر بن حوشب، وهو ضعيف. وعزاه السيوطي أيضا: لعبد الرزاق، وابن أبي الدنيا، وابن المنذر، وابن أبي حاتم. انظر: الدر المنثور: ٤ / ٦٤٣. (٣) أخرجه الطبري: ١٦ / ٤٤٥-٤٤٦، وزاد السيوطي نسبته لابن أبي حاتم وأبي الشيخ عن قتادة، ولابن المنذر عن ابن جريج. انظر: الدر المنثور: ٤ / ٦٥٠، أسباب النزول للواحدي ص (٣١٥) ، القرطبي: ٩ / ٣١٧-٣١٨، البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٣٩٠. (٤) انظر: تفسير القرطبي: ٩ / ٣١٨، ١٣ / ٦٤، البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٣٩٠. (٥) انظر: أسباب النزول للواحدي ص (٣١٥) ، القرطبي: ٩ / ٣١٨، البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٣٩٠.