Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/335)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

they prevent people from accepting Allah’s religion. “And seek to make it crooked” means that they seek it as a path of deviation and inclination; that is, they pursue the way of Allah while departing from the straight course.

It was also said that the pronoun refers to the life of this world: they seek the worldly life by turning away from the truth, that is, through what is unlawful. “They are in far-reaching misguidance.” (1)

“And We did not send any messenger except in the language of his people, so that he might make the message clear to them. Then Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. And We certainly sent Moses with Our signs, saying: ‘Bring your people out of the depths of darkness into the light, and remind them of the Days of Allah. Indeed, in that are signs for every steadfast and grateful person.’” (4–5)

Allah, exalted is He, says: “And We did not send any messenger except in the language of his people, so that he might make the message clear to them”—that is, in their own language, so that they might understand him. If it is asked: How can this be, when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent to all creation?

It is said: He was sent from among the Arabs, in their language, and the people followed them. Thereafter, he dispatched envoys to distant regions, calling people to Allah and translating for them into their own languages. (2)

“Then Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.”

“And We certainly sent Moses with Our signs, saying: ‘Bring your people out of the depths of darkness into the light’”—that is, from disbelief to faith through the call to Allah—“and remind them of the Days of Allah.” Ibn ‘Abbas, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, Mujahid, and Qatadah said: of Allah’s blessings. (3)

(1) That is, these disbelievers who prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter are far removed from the truth, pursuing a course without guidance and deviating from the straight path. See al-Tabari, 16:515. (2) Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Arzi discussed this question at length and answered it in several ways. First, the Quran’s revelation to the Prophet, peace be upon him, in a single language was sufficient, because translation for speakers of other languages removes the need for it to be revealed in every language, while avoiding unnecessary prolixity, as is evident in the Noble Quran. Second, its revelation in one language was less susceptible to alteration and corruption, and safer from dispute and disagreement. Third, had it been revealed in the languages of all peoples and been inimitable in each of them, and had the Arab Messenger addressed every nation in its own language as he addressed his own people, this would have come close to compulsion and coercion, rather than leaving them free to choose. Since revelation in one language was sufficient, the most fitting language was that of the Messenger’s people, for they were closest to him and most able to understand him. See Muhammad ibn Abd al-Qadir al-Razi al-Hanafi, Masa'il al-Razi wa-Ajwibatuha min Ghara'ib Ay al-Tanzil, pp. 157-158. (3) See al-Tabari, 16:520-523; al-Durr al-Manthur, 5:6.

يَمْنَعُونَ النَّاسَ عَنْ قَبُولِ دِينِ اللَّهِ، ﴿وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا﴾ أَيْ: يَطْلُبُونَهَا زَيْغًا وَمَيْلًا يُرِيدُ: يَطْلُبُونَ سَبِيلَ اللَّهِ جَائِرِينَ عَنِ الْقَصْدِ. وَقِيلَ: الْهَاءُ رَاجِعَةٌ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا، مَعْنَاهُ: يَطْلُبُونَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْمَيْلِ عَنِ الْحَقِّ، أَيْ: لِجِهَةِ الْحَرَامِ. ﴿أُولَئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ بَعِيدٍ﴾ (١) . ﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ فَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ (٤) وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَذَكِّرْهُمْ بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ (٥) ﴾ . قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ﴾ بِلُغَتِهِمْ لِيَفْهَمُوا عَنْهُ. فَإِنْ قِيلَ: كَيْفَ هَذَا وَقَدْ بَعَثَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِلَى كَافَّةِ الْخَلْقِ؟ قِيلَ: بُعِثَ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ بِلِسَانِهِمْ، وَالنَّاسُ تَبَعٌ لَهُمْ، ثُمَّ بَثَّ الرُّسُلُ إِلَى الْأَطْرَافِ يَدْعُونَهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷿ وَيُتَرْجِمُونَ لَهُمْ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ (٢) . ﴿فَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ﴾ . ﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ﴾ أَيْ: مِنَ الْكُفْرِ إِلَى الْإِيمَانِ بِالدَّعْوَةِ، ﴿وَذَكِّرْهُمْ بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَأُبَيُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ وَمُجَاهِدٌ وَقَتَادَةُ: بِنِعَمِ اللَّهِ (٣)

(١) يعني: هؤلاء الكافرين الذين يستحبون الحياة الدنيا على الآخرة، هم في ذهاب عن الحق بعيد، وأخذ على غير هدى، وجور عن قصد السبيل. انظر: تفسير الطبري: ١٦ / ٥١٥. (٢) أورد محمد بن أبي بكر الأرزي هذا السؤال مطولا، وأجاب عنه من وجوه: الأول: إن نزول القرآن على النبي ﵊ بلسان واحد كاف، لأن الترجمة لأهل بقية الألسن تغني عن نزوله لجميع الألسن، ويكفي التطويل، كما جرى في القرآن العزيز. الثاني: أن نزوله بلسان واحد أبعد عن التحريف والتبديل، وأسلم من التنازع والخلاف. الثالث: أنه لو نزل بألسنة الناس وكان معجزا في كل واحد منها، وكلم الرسول العربي كل أمة بلسانها كما كلم أمته التي هو منها لكان ذلك أمرا قريبا من القسر والإلجاء، بل على التمكين من الاختيار، فلما كان نزوله بلسان واحد كافيا كان أولى الألسنة قوم الرسول، لأنهم أقرب إليه وأفهم عنه. انظر: مسائل الرازي وأجوبتها من غرائب آي التنزيل، لمحمد بن عبد القادر الرازي الحنفي ص (١٥٧-١٥٨) . (٣) انظر: تفسير الطبري: ١٦ / ٥٢٠-٥٢٣، الدر المنثور: ٥ / ٦.