Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/347)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Yielding its fruit at all times by permission of its Lord. And Allah sets forth parables for the people, so that they may take heed.” (25)

“Yielding its fruit” means: giving its produce. “At all times by permission of its Lord.” ⦗193/b⦘ In the Arabic language, ḥīn means “time.”

They differed over its meaning here. Mujāhid and ʿIkrimah said: Here, ḥīn means a complete year, because the date palm bears fruit every year.

Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, Qatādah, and al-Ḥasan said: Six months, from the time its fruit first appears until it is harvested. This was also narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him).

It was also said: Four months, from the time it appears until it ripens.

Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib said: Two months, from the time it becomes edible until the harvest.

Al-Rabīʿ ibn Anas said: “At all times” means every morning and evening, for the fruit of the date palm is eaten continually, by night and by day, in summer and winter: whether as dates, fresh ripe dates, or unripe dates. Likewise, the believer’s deeds ascend at the beginning and end of the day, and the blessing of his faith never ceases; rather, it reaches him at every time. (1)

The wisdom in likening faith to a tree is that a tree is only a tree through three things: firmly established roots, an upright trunk, and lofty branches. Likewise, faith is not complete except through three things: affirmation of the heart, profession by the tongue, and deeds performed by the limbs.

(1) For these five views concerning the meaning of al-hin (a time), and a sixth view attributed to Ali-that it means eight months-see al-Tabari, Tafsir, 16:575-579; al-Durr al-Manthur, 5:24-25; Zad al-Masir, 4:359; and al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:422. Al-Tabari said: “In my view, the soundest opinion is that of those who hold that al-hin in this passage means morning, evening, and every hour. For Allah, exalted is He, likened what this tree produces at every time to the believer's deeds and speech. Undoubtedly, a believer's righteous deeds and words are raised to Allah every day, not once a year, every six months, or every two months. Since this is so, the parable cannot differ in meaning from that which it represents; thus the correctness of what we have said is evident. If someone asks, ‘Which date palm produces fruit at every time, in both summer and winter?’ the answer is: in winter, its inflorescence is among its produce; and in summer, it yields immature dates, full-grown unripe dates, soft ripe dates, and dried dates-all of which are part of its produce.”

﴿تُؤْتِي أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ (٢٥) ﴾ . ﴿تُؤْتِي أُكُلَهَا﴾ تُعْطِي ثَمَرَهَا، ﴿كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا﴾ ١٩٣/ب وَالْحِينُ فِي اللُّغَةِ هُوَ الْوَقْتُ. وَقَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي مَعْنَاهُ هَا هُنَا فَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ وَعِكْرِمَةُ: الْحِينُ هَا هُنَا: سَنَةٌ كَامِلَةٌ، لِأَنَّ النَّخْلَةَ تُثْمِرُ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ. وَقَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ وَقَتَادَةُ وَالْحَسَنُ: سِتَّةُ أَشْهُرٍ مِنْ وَقْتِ إِطْلَاعِهَا إِلَى صِرَامِهَا. وَرُوِيَ ذَلِكَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄. وَقِيلَ: أَرْبَعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ مِنْ حِينِ ظُهُورِهَا إِلَى إِدْرَاكِهَا. وَقَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيِّبِ: شَهْرَانِ مِنْ حِينِ تُؤْكَلُ إِلَى حِينِ الصِّرَامِ. وَقَالَ الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ: "كُلَّ حِينٍ": أَيْ: كُلَّ غَدْوَةٍ وَعَشِيَّةٍ، لِأَنَّ ثَمَرَ النَّخْلِ يُؤْكَلُ أَبَدًا لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا، صَيْفًا وَشِتَاءً، إِمَّا تَمْرًا أَوْ رُطَبًا أَوْ بُسْرًا، كَذَلِكَ عَمَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَصْعَدُ أَوَّلَ النَّهَارِ وَآخِرَهُ وَبَرَكَةُ إِيمَانِهِ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ أَبَدًا، بَلْ تَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ (١) . وَالْحِكْمَةُ فِي تَمْثِيلِ الْإِيمَانِ بِالشَّجَرَةِ: هِيَ أَنَّ الشَّجَرَةَ لَا تَكُونُ شَجَرَةً إِلَّا بِثَلَاثَةِ أَشْيَاءَ: عِرْقٌ رَاسِخٌ، وَأَصْلٌ قَائِمٌ، وَفَرْعٌ عَالٍ، كَذَلِكَ الْإِيمَانُ لَا يَتِمُّ إِلَّا بِثَلَاثَةِ أَشْيَاءَ: تَصْدِيقٌ بِالْقَلْبِ، وَقَوْلٌ بِاللِّسَانِ، وَعَمَلٌ بِالْأَبْدَانِ.

(١) انظر هذه الأقوال الخمسة في معنى "الحين"، وقولا سادسا عن علي: أنه ثمانية أشهر، في: تفسير الطبري: ١٦ / ٥٧٥-٥٧٩، الدر المنثور: ٥ / ٢٤-٢٥، وزاد المسير: ٤ / ٣٥٩، البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٤٢٢. قال الطبري: "وأولى الأقوال في ذلك عندي بالصواب قول مَنْ قال: عنى بالحين، في هذا الموضع؛ غدوة وعشية وكل ساعة؛ لأن الله تعالى ذكره ضرب ما تؤتي هذه الشجرة كل حين من الأكل لعمل المؤمن وكلامه مثلا، ولا شك أن المؤمن يُرفع له إلى الله في كل يوم صالح من العمل والقول، لا في كل سنة، أو في كل ستة أشهر، أو في كل شهرين، فإذا كان ذلك كذلك، فلا شك أن المَثَل لا يكون خلافا للممثَّل به في المعنى، وإذا كان ذلك كذلك كان بَيِّنًا صحة ما قلنا. فإن قال قائل: فأي نخلة تؤتي أكلها في كل وقت أكلا صيفا وشتاء؟ قيل: أما في الشتاء: فإن الطلع من أكلها، وأما في الصيف: فالبلح والبسر والرطب والتمر، وذلك كله من أكلها".