Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/320)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

in the Most Merciful, and they would not have believed, because of Our prior knowledge concerning them, as He said: “Even if We had sent down to them the angels, and the dead had spoken to them, and We had gathered all things before their very eyes, they still would not have believed.” (al-An'am 6:111)

He then said: “Rather, all command belongs to Allah.” That is, concerning these matters: if He wills, He does so; and if He wills, He does not.

“Have not those who believe come to know?” Most commentators said that it means: Have they not come to know? Al-Kalbi said: “This is the dialect of al-Nakha'.” (1)

It was also said to be the dialect of Hawazin, as indicated by Ibn Abbas’s recitation: “Has it not become clear to those who believe?” (2)

Al-Farra' rejected the view that it means knowledge, claiming that he had not heard any Arab say, “I despaired,” meaning, “I knew.” Rather, the sense of knowledge is implied in it. (3)

This is because, when the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, heard these demands from the polytheists, they hoped that Allah would do what they had requested and that they would then believe. So Allah revealed: “Have not those who believe come to know?”—meaning all the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them—that they should despair of these people’s believing; that is, they should despair on the basis of knowledge. Whoever knows something despairs of what contradicts it. In other words: Has not their knowledge made them despair that, “Had Allah willed, He would have guided all people”?

“Yet those who disbelieve will not cease to be struck, for what they have done”—namely, their disbelief and their wicked deeds—“by a calamity”: that is, an affliction and disaster that strikes them through various forms of trial: at times drought, at times plunder, and at times killing and capture.

Ibn Abbas said that the calamity refers to the military detachments that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to dispatch against them.

“Or it descends”—meaning, the detachment or the calamity—“near their homes.” It was also said that it means: Or you yourself, O Muhammad, encamp near their dwellings, “until Allah’s promise comes to pass.” It was said that this refers to the Day of Resurrection. It was also said to refer to the conquest, victory, and the triumph of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and his religion. “Indeed, Allah does not fail in His promise.”

The disbelievers had made these demands mockingly, so Allah revealed, to console His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “Indeed, messengers before you were mocked.”

(1) See Tafsir al-Tabari, 6:450, 452-453, with the annotations of Shaykh Mahmoud Shakir. (2) Al-Tabari, 16:451. (3) See Tafsir al-Tabari, 16:451-452. Al-Tabari nevertheless preferred the first view, which al-Baghawi stated was held by most exegetes. He wrote (16:455): “The correct view in this matter is that held by the exegetes: namely, that its meaning is, ‘Has it not become clear and known?’ This is due to the consensus of the exegetes on this. Thus, the meaning of the passage is: If there were any Quran other than this Quran by which mountains could be moved, they would have been moved by this Quran; or by which the earth could be rent asunder, it would have been rent asunder by this; or by which the dead could be made to speak, they would have been made to speak by this. But this was not done through any Quran before this Quran, such that it should be done through this one. Rather, all command belongs to Allah: all of this rests with Him and is in His hand. He guides whomever He wills to faith and grants him success therein, and He leads whomever He wills astray and abandons him. Have those who believe in Allah and His Messenger not come to know, when they hoped that He would answer those who asked their Prophet to move the mountains away from them, bring the land of Syria near to them, and revive their dead, that had Allah willed, He would have guided all people to faith in Him without bringing forth any sign or producing anything they asked Him to produce? Exalted is He: What then is the point of their desiring this, when they know that guidance and destruction belong to Me and are in My hand? Whether I send down a sign or do not send it down, I guide whomever I will without sending down a sign, and I lead astray whomever I will even after sending it down.”

بِالرَّحْمَنِ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا، لِمَا سَبَقَ مِنْ عِلْمِنَا فِيهِمْ، كَمَا قَالَ: ﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمُ الْمَوْتَى وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ قُبُلًا مَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا﴾ (الْأَنْعَامُ -١١١) ثُمَّ قَالَ: ﴿بَلْ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ جَمِيعًا﴾ أَيْ: فِي هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ إِنْ شَاءَ فَعَلَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ. ﴿أَفَلَمْ يَيْئَسِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا﴾ قَالَ أَكْثَرُ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ: مَعْنَاهُ أَفَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ. قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: هِيَ لُغَةُ النَّخَعِ (١) . وَقِيلَ: لُغَةُ هَوَازِنَ، يَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ قِرَاءَةُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: "أَفَلَمْ يَتَبَيَّنِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا" (٢) . وَأَنْكَرَ الْفَرَّاءُ أَنْ يَكُونَ ذَلِكَ بِمَعْنَى الْعِلْمِ، وَزَعَمَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَرَبِ يَقُولُ: يَئِسْتُ، بِمَعْنَى: عَلِمْتُ، وَلَكِنْ مَعْنَى الْعِلْمِ فِيهِ مُضْمَرٌ (٣) . وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لما سَمِعُوا هَذَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ طَمِعُوا فِي أَنْ يَفْعَلَ اللَّهُ مَا سَأَلُوا فَيُؤْمِنُوا فَنَزَلَ: ﴿أَفَلَمْ يَيْئَسِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا﴾ يَعْنِي: الصَّحَابَةَ ﵃ أَجْمَعِينَ مِنْ إِيمَانِ هَؤُلَاءِ، أَيْ لَمْ يَيْئَسُوا عِلْمًا، وَكُلُّ مَنْ عَلِمَ شَيْئًا يَئِسَ مِنْ خِلَافِهِ، يَقُولُ: أَلَمْ يُيَئِّسْهُمُ الْعِلْمُ: ﴿أَنْ لَوْ يَشَاءُ اللَّهُ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا﴾ . ﴿وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا تُصِيبُهُمْ بِمَا صَنَعُوا﴾ مِنْ كُفْرِهِمْ وَأَعْمَالِهِمُ الْخَبِيثَةِ ﴿قَارِعَةٌ﴾ أَيْ: نَازِلَةٌ وَدَاهِيَةٌ تَقْرَعُهُمْ مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْبَلَاءِ، أَحْيَانًا بِالْجَدْبِ، وَأَحْيَانًا بِالسَّلْبِ، وَأَحْيَانًا بِالْقَتْلِ وَالْأَسْرِ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: أَرَادَ بِالْقَارِعَةِ: السَّرَايَا الَّتِي كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَبْعَثُهُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ. ﴿أَوْ تَحُلُّ﴾ يَعْنِي: السَّرِيَّةَ وَالْقَارِعَةَ، ﴿قَرِيبًا مِنْ دَارِهِمْ﴾ وَقِيلَ: أَوْ تَحُلُّ: أَيْ تَنْزِلُ أَنْتَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ بِنَفْسِكَ قَرِيبًا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ، ﴿حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ وَعْدُ اللَّهِ﴾ قِيلَ: يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ. وَقِيلَ: الْفَتْحُ وَالنَّصْرُ وَظُهُورُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَدِينِهِ. ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ﴾ وَكَانَ الْكُفَّارُ يَسْأَلُونَ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءَ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الِاسْتِهْزَاءِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَسْلِيَةً لِنَبِيِّهِ ﷺ: ﴿وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ﴾

(١) انظر: تفسير الطبري: ٦ / ٤٥٠، ٤٥٢-٤٥٣ مع تعليق الشيخ محمود شاكر. (٢) الطبري: ١٦ / ٤٥١. (٣) انظر: تفسير الطبري: ١٦ / ٤٥١-٤٥٢. هذا وقد رجح الطبري القول الأول الذي قال عنه البغوي إنه قول أكثر المفسرين، فقال: (١٦ / ٤٥٥) : "والصواب من القول في ذلك ما قاله أهل التأويل، أن تأويل ذلك: "أفلم يتبين ويعلم"، لإجماع أهل التأويل على ذلك. فتأويل الكلام إذا: ولو أن قرآنا سوى هذا القرآن كان سيرت به الجبال، لسير بهذا القرآن أو قطعت به الأرض، لقطعت بهذا، أو كلم به الموتى، لكلم بهذا، ولكن لم يفعل ذلك بقرآن قبل هذا القرآن فيفعل بهذا "بل لله الأمر جميعا" يقول: ذلك كله إليه وبيده، يهدي من يشاء إلى الإيمان فيوفقه له، ويضل من يشاء فيخذله، أفلم يتبين الذين آمنوا بالله ورسول =إذ طمعوا في إجابتي من سأل نبيهم ما سأله من تسيير الجبال عنهم، وتقريب أرض الشام عليهم، وإحياء موتاهم= أن لو يشاء الله لهدى الناس جميعا إلى الإيمان به من غير إيجاد آية ولا إحداث شيء مما سألوا إحداثه؟ يقول تعالى ذكره: فما معنى محبتهم ذلك، مع علمهم بأن الهداية والإهلاك إلي وبيدي، أنزلت آية أو لم أنزلها، أهدي من أشاء بغير إنزال آية، وأضل من أردت مع إنزالها".