Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/337)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“If you are grateful” for My favor, believing and obeying, “I will surely increase you” in blessing.

It is also said: Gratitude preserves what one possesses and obtains what one lacks.

And it is said: “If you are grateful” through obedience, “I will surely increase you” in reward.

“But if you are ungrateful” for My favor, denying it and failing to give thanks for it, “indeed, My punishment is severe.” (1)

“And Moses said, ‘If you disbelieve—you and all those on earth—then indeed Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy. (8) Has there not come to you the news of those before you: the people of Noah, Aad, Thamud, and those after them? None knows them except Allah. Their messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they returned their hands to their mouths and said, “We have disbelieved in that with which you have been sent, and we are in grave doubt concerning that to which you call us.” (9)’”

“And Moses said, ‘If you disbelieve—you and all those on earth—then indeed Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy.’” That is, He is free of need of His creation, and Praiseworthy—praised in His actions—because He is gracious and just in them.

“Has there not come to you the news of those”—that is, the report of those—“before you: the people of Noah, Aad, Thamud, and those after them? None knows them except Allah.” That is, those who came after the peoples of Noah, Aad 192/b and Thamud.

It is reported that Abdullah ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, recited this verse and then said: “The genealogists have lied.” (2)

Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: “Between Abraham and Adnan were thirty generations known only to Allah Almighty.” (3)

Malik ibn Anas disliked a person tracing his lineage, father by father, back to Adam; and he held the same concerning the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, for no one knows those forefathers except Allah, glorified and exalted is He.

(1) Al-Tabari said (16:528): Regarding His saying, “And if you are ungrateful ...”: that is, if you, O people, are ungrateful for Allah’s blessing, denying it by failing to thank Him for it, opposing His commands and prohibitions, and committing acts of disobedience, then “My punishment is surely severe”: I will punish you just as I punish those of My creatures who disbelieve in Me. (2) Reported by al-Tabari, 16:529-530. Al-Suyuti additionally attributed it to Abd ibn Humayd, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Abi Hatim. See al-Durr al-Manthur, 5:9. (3) It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: “Between the time of Musa and the time of Nuh were thirty generations known only to Allah.” Al-Mahdawi likewise related from him: “Between Adnan and Ismail were thirty forefathers who are unknown.” After citing these two reports in al-Muharrar al-Wajiz, 8:206, Ibn Atiyyah said: “Determining their number in this manner is far-fetched; the more correct view is to negate knowledge of them altogether, as expressed by the wording of the Quran.” In Zad al-Masir, 2:348, Ibn al-Jawzi cited Ibn al-Anbari’s explanation of the verse: “That is, none can enumerate their number except Him, since Allah, Exalted is He, destroyed nations among the Arabs and others; their reports have ceased and their traces have vanished, so no one knows them except Allah.” See Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 9:344-345.

﴿لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ﴾ نِعْمَتِي فَآمَنْتُمْ وَأَطَعْتُمْ ﴿لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ﴾ فِي النِّعْمَةِ. وَقِيلَ: الشُّكْرُ: قَيْدُ الْمَوْجُودِ، وَصَيْدُ الْمَفْقُودِ. وَقِيلَ: لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ بِالطَّاعَةِ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ فِي الثَّوَابِ. ﴿وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ﴾ نِعْمَتِي فَجَحَدْتُمُوهَا وَلَمْ تَشْكُرُوهَا، ﴿إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ﴾ (١) . ﴿وَقَالَ مُوسَى إِنْ تَكْفُرُوا أَنْتُمْ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ (٨) أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ لَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّهُ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَرَدُّوا أَيْدِيَهُمْ فِي أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَقَالُوا إِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ وَإِنَّا لَفِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا تَدْعُونَنَا إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ (٩) ﴾ . ﴿وَقَالَ مُوسَى إِنْ تَكْفُرُوا أَنْتُمْ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ﴾ أَيْ: غَنِيٌّ عَنْ خَلْقِهِ، حَمِيدٌ: مَحْمُودٌ فِي أَفْعَالِهِ، لِأَنَّهُ فِيهَا مُتَفَضِّلٌ وَعَادِلٌ. ﴿أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ﴾ خَبَرُ الَّذِينَ، ﴿مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ لَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّهُ﴾ يَعْنِي: مَنْ كَانَ بَعْدَ قَوْمِ نوح وعاد ١٩٢/ب وَثَمُودَ. وَرُوِيَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ﵁ أَنَّهُ قَرَأَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ ثُمَّ قَالَ: كَذَبَ النَّسَّابُونَ (٢) . وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄ قَالَ: بَيْنَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَبَيْنَ عَدْنَانَ ثَلَاثُونَ قَرْنًا لَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى (٣) . وَكَانَ مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَنْسِبَ الْإِنْسَانُ نَفْسَهُ أَبًا إِلَى آدَمَ، وَكَذَلِكَ فِي حَقِّ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَعْلَمُ أُولَئِكَ الْآبَاءَ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ﷿.

(١) قال الطبري: (١٦ / ٥٢٨) : وقوله: "ولئن كفرتم ... " يقول: ولئن كفرتم، أيها القوم، نعمة الله، فجحدتموها بترك شكره عليها وخلافه في أمره ونهيه، وركوبكم معاصيه = "إن عذابي لشديد"، أعذبكم كما أعذب مَنْ كفر بي من خلقي. (٢) أخرجه الطبري: ١٦ / ٥٢٩ و٥٣٠، وزاد السيوطي نسبته لعبد بن حميد، وابن المنذر، وابن أبي حاتم. انظر: الدر المنثور: ٥ / ٩. (٣) وروي عن ابن عباس أنه قال: "كان بين زمن موسى وبين زمن نوح قرون ثلاثون لا يعلمهم إلا الله". وحكى عنه المهدوي أنه قال: "كان بين عدنان وإسماعيل ثلاثون أبا لا يعرفون"، وقال ابن عطية بعد أن ساق هاتين الروايتين في المحرر الوجيز: ٨ / ٢٠٦: "وهذا الوقوف على عدتهم بعيد، ونفي العلم بها جملة أصح، وهو لفظ القرآن". ونقل ابن الجوزي في زاد المسير: (٢ / ٣٤٨) عن ابن الأنباري، في تفسير الآية، قال: أي: لا يحصي عددهم إلا هو، على أن الله تعالى أهلك أمما من العرب وغيرها، فانقطعت أخبارهم، وعفت آثارهم، فليس يعلمهم أحد إلا الله. وانظر: تفسير القرطبي: ٩ / ٣٤٤، ٣٤٥.