Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/348)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Kharaqi informed us; Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Abd Allah al-Taysafuni informed us; Abd Allah ibn Umar al-Jawhari informed us; Ahmad ibn Ali al-Kushmihani informed us; Ali ibn Hujr related to us; Ismail ibn Jafar related to us; Abd Allah ibn Dinar related to us that he heard Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) say: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“Among the trees is one whose leaves do not fall, and it is like the Muslim. Tell me what it is.”

Abd Allah said: The people began to suggest trees of the desert, while it occurred to me that it was the date palm; but I felt too shy to speak. Then they said, “Tell us what it is, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “It is the date palm.” Abd Allah said: I mentioned this to Umar, and he said, “Had you said, ‘It is the date palm,’ that would have been dearer to me than such-and-such.” (1)

It was also said: The wisdom in likening it specifically to the date palm, rather than to other trees, is that the date palm resembles a human being among the trees: if its crown is cut off, it dries up, whereas other trees send out branches from their sides after their crowns have been cut off. It also resembles the human being in that it bears fruit only through pollination, and because it was created from the surplus of Adam’s clay (peace be upon him). For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Honor your paternal aunt.” It was asked, “Who is our paternal aunt?” He replied, “The date palm.” (4)

“And Allah sets forth parables for the people, so that they may take heed.” (5)

“And the example of an evil word is like an evil tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, having no stability.” (26)

“And the example of an evil word”—that is, associating partners with Allah—“is like an evil tree,” namely, the colocynth. (6)

(1) Agreed upon; its authentication was cited shortly above, p. 346, note 3. (2) In manuscript B: “more similar.” (3) In manuscript B: “its top.” (4) A weak hadith, reported by Abu Nuaym in al-Hilyah, 6:123; Abu Yala in his Musnad; Ibn Abi Hatim; Ibn Adi in al-Kamil, 6:2424; al-Uqayli in al-Duafa; and Ibn al-Sunni and Ibn Mardawayh in al-Tibb. Al-Haythami said: “Its chain contains Masrur ibn Said, who is weak.” Al-Uqayli said: “His hadith is not preserved.” See Majma al-Zawaid, 5:39; Fayd al-Qadir, 2:95; Kashf al-Khafa, 1:195; Tamyiz al-Tayyib min al-Khabith, p. 36; Tanzih al-Shariah al-Marfuah by Ibn Iraq, 1:209. For the wisdom behind likening faith to the date palm as well, see Zad al-Masir, 4:359-360. (5) That is, Allah sets forth parables for people and gives them comparable examples so that they may remember Allah's proof against them, take heed and be admonished by it, and thus desist from their disbelief in Him and turn to faith. See al-Tabari, Tafsir, 16:567. (6) Al-Tabari said, 16:585: “A report has been transmitted from the Messenger of Allah in support of the view that it is the colocynth; if it is authentic, no other view may be maintained. Otherwise, it is a tree possessing the description with which Allah described it.” He then cited a hadith reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim from Anas, which Shaykh Mahmud Shakir deemed weak. See al-Tabari, 16:570-571, 585.

أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الْخَرَقِيُّ، أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الطَّيْسَفُونِيُّ، أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْجَوْهَرِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْكُشْمِيهَنِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ دِينَارٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ ابْنَ عُمَرَ ﵄ يَقُولُ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: "إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لَا يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا، وَإِنَّهَا مِثْلُ الْمُسْلِمِ فَحَدِّثُونِي مَا هِيَ؟ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِي شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِي، وَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ، ثُمَّ قَالُوا: حَدِّثْنَا مَا هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ. قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِعُمَرَ، فَقَالَ: لَأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا" (١) . وَقِيلَ: الْحِكْمَةُ فِي تَشْبِيهِهَا بِالنَّخْلَةِ مِنْ بَيْنِ سَائِرِ الْأَشْجَارِ: أَنَّ النَّخْلَةَ شِبْهُ (٢) الْأَشْجَارِ بِالْإِنْسَانِ مِنْ حَيْثُ إِنَّهَا إِذَا قُطِعَ رَأْسُهَا يَبِسَتْ، وَسَائِرُ الْأَشْجَارِ تَتَشَعَّبُ مِنْ جَوَانِبِهَا بعد قطع رؤوسها (٣) وَلِأَنَّهَا تُشْبِهُ الْإِنْسَانَ فِي أَنَّهَا لَا تَحْمِلُ إِلَّا بِالتَّلْقِيحِ وَلِأَنَّهَا خُلِقَتْ مِنْ فَضْلِ طِينَةِ آدَمَ ﵇، وَلِذَلِكَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: "أَكْرِمُوا عَمَّتَكُمْ" قِيلَ: وَمَنْ عَمَّتْنُا؟ قَالَ: "النَّخْلَةُ" (٤) ﴿وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ﴾ (٥) . ﴿وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ اجْتُثَّتْ مِنْ فَوْقِ الْأَرْضِ مَا لَهَا مِنْ قَرَارٍ (٢٦) ﴾ . ﴿وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ﴾ وَهِيَ الشِّرْكُ، ﴿كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ﴾ وَهِيَ الْحَنْظَلُ (٦) .

(١) متفق عليه، وسبق تخريجه قبل قليل ص (٣٤٦) تعليق (٣) . (٢) في "ب": أشبه. (٣) في "ب": رأسها. (٤) حديث ضعيف أخرجه أبو نعيم في الحلية: ٦ / ١٢٣، وأبو يعلى في مسنده، وابن أبي حاتم، وابن عدي في "الكامل": ٦ / ٢٤٢٤، والعقيلي في "الضعفاء" وابن السني وابن مردويه معا في الطب، قال الهيثمي: فيه مسرور بن سعيد، وهو ضعيف. وقال العقيلي: حديثه غير محفوظ. انظر: مجمع الزوائد: ٥ / ٣٩، فيض القدير: ٢ / ٩٥، كشف الخفاء: ١ / ١٩٥، تمييز الطيب من الخبيث ص (٣٦) ، تنزيه الشريعة المرفوعة لابن عراق: ١ / ٢٠٩، وانظر في الحكمة من تشبيه الإيمان بالنخلة أيضا: زاد المسير: ٤ / ٣٥٩-٣٦٠. (٥) أي: ويمثل الله الأمثال للناس، ويشبه لهم الأشباه ليتذكروا حجة الله عليهم، فيعتبروا بها ويتعظوا، فينزجروا عما هم عليه من الكفر به إلى الإيمان. انظر: تفسير الطبري: ١٦ / ٥٦٧. (٦) قال الطبري: ١٦ / ٥٨٥: وقد روي عن رسول الله ﷺ بتصحيح قول من قال: هي الحنظلة، خبر فإن صح، فلا قول يجوز أن يقال غيره، وإلا فإنها شجرة بالصفة التي وصفها الله بها. ثم ساق حديثا للترمذي والحاكم عن أنس ضعفه الشيخ محمود شاكر. انظر: الطبري: ١٦ / ٥٧٠-٥٧١، ٥٨٥.