Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (5/21)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“So ask the people of the Reminder”—that is, the believing People of the Book—“if you do not know.”

“With clear proofs and scriptures. And We have sent down to you the Reminder so that you may make clear to people what has been sent down to them, and perhaps they may reflect. Do those who plot evil deeds feel secure that Allah will not cause the earth to swallow them, or that the punishment will not come upon them from where they do not perceive, or that He will not seize them as they go about, for they cannot escape, or that He will not seize them gradually? Indeed, your Lord is Most Kind, Most Merciful.” (44–47)

Regarding His saying, “With clear proofs and scriptures”: the scholars differed over what governs the preposition in “with clear proofs.” It was said that it refers back to His saying, “We sent,” while “except” carries the meaning of “other than.” Its sense is: We sent none before you ⦗200/a⦘ with clear proofs and scriptures other than men to whom revelation was given; nor did We send angels.

It was also said that its meaning is: We sent before you only men to whom revelation was given; We sent them (1) with clear proofs and scriptures.

“And We have sent down to you the Reminder so that you may make clear to people what has been sent down to them”: by “the Reminder,” He means revelation. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was the one who elucidated revelation, and the explanation of the Book is to be sought in the sunnah. “And perhaps they may reflect.”

“Do those who plot evil deeds”—that is, who committed evil deeds in former times, such as Nimrod ibn Canaan and other disbelievers—feel secure “that Allah will cause the earth to swallow them, or that the punishment will come upon them from where they do not perceive; or that He will seize them” with punishment “as they go about,” that is, in their movements during travel. Ibn Abbas said: in their differing. Ibn Jurayj said: in their coming and going. “For they cannot escape”: they cannot outstrip Allah.

“Or that He will seize them gradually”: gradual seizure means diminution—that is, He diminishes them from their outlying regions and sides, little by little, until they all perish. It is said, “Time diminished him” and “reduced him,” when it lessened him and took away his wealth and retainers.

It is also said that this is the dialect of Banu Hudhayl.

Al-Dahhak and al-Kalbi said: it means fear; that is, He punishes one group, so that the others fear that the like of what befell them may befall themselves.

“Indeed, your Lord is Most Kind, Most Merciful”: in that He does not hasten the punishment.

(1) Omitted from manuscript B.

﴿فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ﴾ يَعْنِي مُؤْمِنِي أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، ﴿إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ ﴿بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (٤٤) أَفَأَمِنَ الَّذِينَ مَكَرُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَنْ يَخْسِفَ اللَّهُ بِهِمُ الْأَرْضَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ (٤٥) أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ فِي تَقَلُّبِهِمْ فَمَا هُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ (٤٦) أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ عَلَى تَخَوُّفٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ (٤٧) ﴾ ﴿بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ﴾ وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي الْجَالِبِ لِلْبَاءِ فِي قَوْلِهِ ﴿بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ﴾ قِيلَ: هِيَ رَاجِعَةٌ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا﴾ وإلا بِمَعْنَى غَيْرُ، مَجَازُهُ: وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قبلك بالبينات ٢٠٠/أوَالزُّبُرِ غَيْرَ رِجَالٍ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَمْ نَبْعَثْ مَلَائِكَةً. وَقِيلَ: تَأْوِيلُهُ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا يُوحَى إِلَيْهِمْ [أَرْسَلْنَاهُمْ] (١) بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ. ﴿وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ﴾ أَرَادَ بِالذِّكْرِ الْوَحْيَ، وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مُبَيِّنًا لِلْوَحْيِ، وَبَيَانُ الْكِتَابِ يُطْلَبُ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ، ﴿وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾ ﴿أَفَأَمِنَ الَّذِينَ مَكَرُوا﴾ عَمِلُوا ﴿السَّيِّئَاتِ﴾ مِنْ قَبْلُ، يَعْنِي: نَمْرُودَ بْنَ كَنْعَانَ وَغَيْرَهُ مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ، ﴿أَنْ يَخْسِفَ اللَّهُ بِهِمُ الْأَرْضَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾ ﴿أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ﴾ بِالْعَذَابِ، ﴿فِي تَقَلُّبِهِمْ﴾ تَصَرُّفِهِمْ فِي الْأَسْفَارِ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: فِي اخْتِلَافِهِمْ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ: فِي إِقْبَالِهِمْ وَإِدْبَارِهِمْ، ﴿فَمَا هُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ﴾ بِسَابِقِينَ اللَّهَ. ﴿أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ عَلَى تَخَوُّفٍ﴾ وَالتَّخَوُّفُ: التَّنَقُّصُ، أَيْ: يُنْقِصُ مِنْ أَطْرَافِهِمْ وَنَوَاحِيهِمُ الشَّيْءَ بَعْدَ الشَّيْءِ حَتَّى يَهْلَكَ جَمِيعُهُمْ، يُقَالُ: تَخَوَّفَهُ الدَّهْرُ وَتَخَوَّنَهُ: إِذَا نَقَصَهُ وَأَخَذَ مَالَهُ وَحَشَمَهُ. وَيُقَالُ: هَذَا لُغَةُ بَنِي هَزِيلٍ. وَقَالَ الضَّحَاكُ وَالْكَلْبِيُّ: مِنَ الْخَوْفِ، أَيْ: يُعَذِّبُ طَائِفَةً فَيَتَخَوَّفُ الْآخَرُونَ أَنْ يُصِيبَهُمْ مِثْلُ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ. ﴿فَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ حِينَ لَمْ يُعَجِّلْ بِالْعُقُوبَةِ.

(١) ساقط من "ب".