Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/324)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“This man has no concern but women.” So Allah, Exalted is He, revealed: “Indeed, We sent messengers before you and gave them wives and offspring” (1). We did not make them angels who neither ate nor drank nor married.

“No messenger could bring a sign except by Allah’s permission.” This was the reply to Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah. Then He said:

“For every appointed term there is a decree.” That is, for every matter Allah has decreed, there is a record in which He has written it and a time at which it will occur.

It was also said: for every matter whose occurrence Allah has deferred, there is a record in which it has been established. Another view is that the wording involves inversion; its meaning is: every Book has an appointed term and duration—that is, each of the revealed Books has a time at which it is sent down.

“Allah effaces what He wills and confirms what He wills, and with Him is the Mother of the Book. (39)”

“Allah effaces what He wills and confirms what He wills.” Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, Asim, and Yaqub recited wa-yuthbitu without gemination, while the others recited it with gemination. They differed regarding the meaning of the verse.

Sa'id ibn Jubayr and Qatadah said: Allah effaces whichever laws and obligatory ordinances He wills, thus abrogating and replacing them, and He confirms whichever of them He wills, so that He does not abrogate them (2).

Ibn Abbas said: Allah effaces what He wills and confirms what He wills, except provision, one’s appointed term, felicity, and wretchedness (3).

We narrated from Hudhayfah ibn Usayd that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: “The angel comes to the drop of fluid after it has settled in the womb for forty or forty-five nights, and says: ‘My Lord, will he be wretched or blessed?’ Then it is recorded. He then says: ‘My Lord, male or female?’ Then it is recorded. His deeds, the effects he will leave behind, his appointed term, and his provision are recorded; then the pages are folded, and nothing is added to them or taken away from them” (4).

It is reported from Umar and Ibn Masud—may Allah be pleased with them both—that they said: He also effaces felicity and wretchedness, and He effaces provision and one’s appointed term, and confirms whatever He wills.

It is also reported from Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—that he would circumambulate the House while weeping and saying: “O Allah, if You have written me among those destined for felicity, then confirm me among them. But if You have written wretchedness for me, then erase it and confirm me among those destined for felicity and forgiveness. For You efface what You will and confirm what You will, and with You is the Mother of the Book.” A similar report is narrated from Ibn Masud.

(1) Reported by al-Wahidi in Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 317, on the authority of al-Kalbi, without a chain of transmission. See also Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 9:327; al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:397. (2) Reported by al-Tabari, 16:39-40. (3) See Tafsir al-Tabari, 16:485-486; for the remaining views on the interpretation of the verse, see the following pages. See also al-Durr al-Manthur, 4:659-665. (4) Reported by Muslim in Kitab al-Qadar, the chapter on how the human being is created in his mother's womb, no. 2644, 4:2037.

إِنَّ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ لَيْسَتْ لَهُ هِمَّةٌ إِلَّا فِي النِّسَاءِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ أَزْوَاجًا وَذُرِّيَّةً﴾ (١) وَمَا جَعَلْنَاهُمْ مَلَائِكَةً لَا يَأْكُلُونَ وَلَا يَشْرَبُونَ وَلَا يَنْكِحُونَ. ﴿وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِآيَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ﴾ هَذَا جَوَابُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: ﴿لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍ كِتَابٌ﴾ يَقُولُ: لِكُلِّ أَمْرٍ قَضَاهُ اللَّهُ كِتَابٌ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ فِيهِ وَوَقْتٌ يَقَعُ فِيهِ. وَقِيلَ: لِكُلِّ آجِلٍ أَجَّلَهُ اللَّهُ كِتَابٌ أُثْبِتَ فِيهِ. وَقِيلَ: فِيهِ تَقْدِيمٌ وَتَأْخِيرٌ، تَقْدِيرُهُ: أَيْ، لِكُلِّ كِتَابٍ أَجَلٌ وَمُدَّةٌ، أَيِ: الْكُتُبُ الْمُنَزَّلَةُ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهَا وَقْتٌ يَنْزِلُ فِيهِ. ﴿يَمْحُوا اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِنْدَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ (٣٩) ﴾ . ﴿يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ﴾ قَرَأَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ وَأَبُو عَمْرٍو، وَعَاصِمٌ وَيَعْقُوبُ " وَيُثْبِتُ " بِالتَّخْفِيفِ وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ بِالتَّشْدِيدِ. وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي مَعْنَى الْآيَةِ: فَقَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ، وَقَتَادَةُ: يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِنَ الشَّرَائِعِ وَالْفَرَائِضِ فَيَنْسَخُهُ وَيُبَدِّلُهُ، وَيُثْبِتُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِنْهَا فَلَا يَنْسَخُهُ (٢) . وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ إِلَّا الرِّزْقَ وَالْأَجَلَ وَالسَّعَادَةَ وَالشَّقَاوَةَ (٣) . وَرَوَيْنَا عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ أُسَيْدٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ: "يَدْخُلُ الْمَلَكُ عَلَى النُّطْفَةِ بَعْدَمَا تَسْتَقِرُّ فِي الرَّحِمِ بِأَرْبَعِينَ، أَوْ خَمْسٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً، فَيَقُولُ: يَا رَبِّ أَشَقِيٌّ أَمْ سَعِيدٌ؟ فَيُكْتَبَانِ، فَيَقُولُ: أَيْ رَبِّ أَذَكَرٌ أَمْ أُنْثَى؟ فَيُكْتَبَانِ، وَيُكْتَبُ عَمَلُهُ وَأَثَرُهُ وَأَجَلُهُ وَرِزْقُهُ، ثُمَّ تُطْوَى الصُّحُفُ فَلَا يُزَادُ فِيهَا وَلَا يُنْقَصُ" (٤) . وَعَنْ عُمَرَ وَابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ﵄-أَنَّهُمَا قَالَا يَمْحُو السَّعَادَةَ وَالشَّقَاوَةَ أَيْضًا، وَيَمْحُو الرِّزْقَ وَالْأَجَلَ وَيُثْبِتُ مَا يَشَاءُ. وَرُوِيَ عَنْ عُمَرَ ﵁ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَطُوفُ بِالْبَيْتِ وَهُوَ يَبْكِي وَيَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ كَتَبْتَنِي فِي أَهْلِ السَّعَادَةِ فَأَثْبِتْنِي فِيهَا، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيَّ الشَّقَاوَةَ فَامْحُنِي، وَأَثْبِتْنِي فِي أَهْلِ السَّعَادَةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَمْحُو مَا تَشَاءُ وَتُثْبِتُ وَعِنْدَكَ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ. وَمِثْلُهُ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ.

(١) رواه الواحدي في أسباب النزول ص (٣١٧) عن الكلبي بدون إسناد، وانظر: تفسير القرطبي: ٩ / ٣٢٧، البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٣٩٧. (٢) أخرجه الطبري: ١٦ / ٣٩-٤٠. (٣) انظر: تفسير الطبري: ١٦ / ٤٨٥-٤٨٦، وسائر الأقوال في تفسير الآية في الصفحات التالية منه، وانظر: الدر المنثور: ٤ / ٦٥٩-٦٦٥. (٤) أخرجه مسلم في القدر، باب كيفية الخلق الآدمي في بطن أمه، برقم (٢٦٤٤) : ٤ / ٢٠٣٧.