Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/374)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

other stars, while the former remain fixed as they are, then this is something Allah Most High has willed for His creation.” (1)

Ma‘mar said: “I asked al-Zuhri, ‘Were shooting stars used against the devils during the Age of Ignorance?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘Then what of His saying, Most High: “We used to sit there in stations for listening”—[the rest of] the verse?’ He replied, ‘It was intensified, and their guarding was made stricter when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent.’” (2)

Ibn Qutaybah said: “The shooting of meteors took place before his mission, peace and blessings be upon him, but it was not [as intense] in its strict guarding as it was after his mission.” (3) (4)

It was also said that a star swoops down, strikes the devils, and then returns to its place. And Allah knows best.

“And the earth We have spread out, and placed therein firm mountains, and caused to grow therein something of every well-balanced kind (19). And We have made therein for you means of livelihood, and for those whom you do not provide for (20).”

His saying, Most High: “And the earth We have spread out” means: We spread it out upon the surface of the water. It is said that it extends five hundred years’ journey in each direction and was spread out from beneath the Ka‘bah. (5) “And placed therein firm mountains”: that is, mountains firmly fixed. The earth had been swaying until Allah anchored it with the mountains. “And caused to grow therein”—that is, in the earth—“something of every well-balanced kind”: that is, every determined and known thing.

It was also said that this refers to what is in the mountains: precious substances of gold, silver, iron, copper, and other things, including arsenic and kohl; all of these are weighed by measure.

Ibn Zayd said: “It refers to things that are weighed by measure.” (6)

“And We have made therein for you means of livelihood”: this is the plural of livelihood. It was said that it refers to food, drink, and clothing—those things (7) by which a human being lives in this world. (8) “And for those whom you do not provide for”: that is, We have placed therein creatures and livestock for whom you do not provide; We made them for your benefit and have taken care of their provision for you. In this verse, “those whom” carries the meaning of “that which,” as in His saying, Most High: “Among them are those that crawl upon their bellies, and among them are those that walk on two legs.” (Surah al-Nur, 45).

(1) See Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 10:12. (2) Related by Abd al-Razzaq from Mamar. See Ibn Qutaybah, Tawil Mushkil al-Quran, p. 429, edited by al-Sayyid Saqr. (3) We have supplied this from Ibn Qutaybah's Tawil Mushkil al-Quran. The wording in the printed edition is seriously disordered and contains additions not found in Tawil Mushkil al-Quran or in the manuscript copies. (4) See Ibn Qutaybah, Tawil Mushkil al-Quran, p. 430. (5) See al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:450. The author mentions this in a tentative form, and there is no established evidence from the infallible Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, concerning it. (6) The first meaning is broader and preferable. See al-Muharrar al-Wajiz, 8:293. (7) In manuscript A: “and it was said.” (8) In manuscript B: “the person.”

نُجُومًا غَيْرَهَا، وَهِيَ وَاللَّهِ ثَابِتَةٌ عَلَى حَالِهَا فَهَذَا الْأَمْرُ أَرَادَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهَذَا الْخَلْقِ (١) . قَالَ مَعْمَرٌ قُلْتُ لِلزُّهْرِيِّ: أَكَانَ يُرْمَى بِالنُّجُومِ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، قُلْتُ: أَفَرَأَيْتَ قَوْلَهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ﴾ [جن-٦] الْآيَةَ؟ قَالَ: غُلِّظَتْ وَشُدِّدَ أَمْرُهَا حِينَ بُعِثَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ (٢) . وَقَالَ ابْنُ قُتَيْبَةَ: إِنَّ الرَّجْمَ كَانَ قَبْلَ مَبْعَثِهِ ﷺ -وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ [مِثْلُهُ] (٣) فِي شِدَّةِ الْحِرَاسَةِ بَعْدَ مَبْعَثِهِ (٤) . وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ النَّجْمَ يَنْقَضُّ فَيَرْمِي الشَّيَاطِينَ ثُمَّ يَعُودُ إِلَى مَكَانِهِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. ﴿وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ وَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَوْزُونٍ (١٩) وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَايِشَ وَمَنْ لَسْتُمْ لَهُ بِرَازِقِينَ (٢٠) ﴾ . قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا﴾ بَسَطْنَاهَا عَلَى وَجْهِ الْمَاءِ، يُقَالُ: إِنَّهَا مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ فِي مِثْلِهَا دُحِيَتْ مِنْ تَحْتِ الْكَعْبَةِ (٥) ﴿وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ﴾ جِبَالًا ثَوَابِتَ، وَقَدْ كَانَتِ الْأَرْضُ تَمِيدُ إِلَى أَنْ أَرْسَاهَا اللَّهُ بِالْجِبَالِ ﴿وَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا﴾ أَيْ: فِي الْأَرْضِ ﴿مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَوْزُونٍ﴾ مُقَدَّرٍ مَعْلُومٍ. وَقِيلَ: يَعْنِي فِي الْجِبَالِ، وَهِيَ جَوَاهِرُ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْحَدِيدِ وَالنُّحَاسِ وَغَيْرِهَا، حَتَّى الزَّرْنِيخِ وَالْكُحْلِ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ يُوزَنُ وَزْنًا. وَقَالَ ابْنُ زَيْدٍ: هِيَ الْأَشْيَاءُ الَّتِي تُوزَنُ وَزْنًا (٦) . ﴿وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَايِشَ﴾ جَمْعُ مَعِيشَةٍ، قِيلَ: أَرَادَ بِهَا الْمَطَاعِمَ وَالْمَشَارِبَ وَالْمَلَابِسَ [وَهِيَ مَا] (٧) يَعِيشُ بِهِ الْآدَمِيُّ (٨) فِي الدُّنْيَا ﴿وَمَنْ لَسْتُمْ لَهُ بِرَازِقِينَ﴾ أَيْ: جَعَلْنَا فِيهَا مَنْ لَسْتُمْ لَهُ بِرَازِقِينَ مِنَ الدَّوَابِّ وَالْأَنْعَامِ، أَيْ: جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُمْ وَكَفَيْنَاكُمْ رِزْقَهَا، وَ"مَنْ" فِي الْآيَةِ بِمَعْنَى "مَا" كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِي عَلَى بَطْنِهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِي عَلَى رِجْلَيْنِ﴾ (النُّورِ-٤٥) .

(١) انظر: تفسير القرطبي: ١٠ / ١٢. (٢) رواه عبد الرزاق عن معمر. انظر: "تأويل مشكل القرآن" لابن قتيبة ص (٤٢٩) تحقيق السيد صقر. (٣) استدركناها من "تأويل مشكل القرآن" لابن قتيبة واضطربت العبارة في المطبوع اضطرابا كثيرا، وفيها زيادات، ليست في "تأويل المشكل" ولا في النسخ الخطية. (٤) انظر: "تأويل مشكل القرآن" لابن قتيبة ص (٤٣٠) . (٥) انظر: البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٤٥٠. وذكر المصنف ذلك بصيغة التمريض، ولا دليل ثابت عن المعصوم ﷺ في ذلك. (٦) والمعنى الأول أعم وأحسن. انظر: المحرر الوجيز: ٨ / ٢٩٣. (٧) في "أ" وقيل. (٨) في "ب" المرء.