Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (5/33)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Allah sets forth the parable of a slave owned by another, who has no power over anything.” This is the parable of the disbeliever: Allah granted him wealth, yet he did not put forward any good through it. “And one whom We have granted from Us a good provision, from which he spends secretly and openly”: this is the parable of the believer. Allah gave him wealth, and he used it in obedience to Allah and spent it in that which pleases Allah, secretly and openly; so Allah rewarded him for it with Paradise (1).

“Are they equal?” He did not say, “Are the two equal?” because of the word man (“one whom”), which is a noun applicable to one, two, or many. Likewise, His saying, “They are unable,” is in the plural because of mā (“that which”).

Its meaning is: Are this poor, miserly man and the wealthy, generous man equal? Likewise, the disobedient disbeliever and the obedient believer are not equal. Ibn Jurayj narrated from ʿAṭāʾ concerning His saying, “a slave owned by another”: this refers to Abū Jahl ibn Hishām; and “one whom We have granted from Us a good provision” refers to Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (2).

Then He says: “All praise belongs to Allah! Yet most of them do not know.” That is, the matter is not as you claim. The idols possess neither power nor any benefaction for which they might be praised. Rather, perfect praise belongs to Allah alone, for He is the Bestower of blessings, the Creator, and the Provider. Yet most of the disbelievers do not know.

Then He sets forth a parable for the idols, saying: “And Allah sets forth the parable of two men: one of them is mute and has no power over anything, being a burden upon his master.” Kall means a weight and a liability upon his master—his paternal cousin and those responsible for his care. “Wherever he directs him,” that is, sends him, “he brings no good,” because he does not understand what is said to him, nor can others understand him. This is the parable of the idols: they neither hear, nor speak, nor reason. “Being a burden upon his master,” meaning, upon his worshipper, who must carry it, set it down, and serve it.

“Can he be equal to one who enjoins justice?” That is, Allah Most High is capable and speaks, and He commands tawḥīd (the affirmation of Allah’s oneness). “And he is upon a straight path.” Al-Kalbī said: That is, He guides you to a straight path.

(1) Al-Tabari regarded this interpretation as preponderant; see his Tafsir, 14:148-149. (2) See Zad al-Masir, 4:472.

﴿ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا عَبْدًا مَمْلُوكًا لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ﴾ هَذَا مَثَلُ الْكَافِرِ، رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ مَالًا فَلَمْ يُقَدِّمْ فِيهِ خَيْرًا، ﴿وَمَنْ رَزَقْنَاهُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ يُنْفِقُ مِنْهُ سِرًّا وَجَهْرًا﴾ هَذَا مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ، أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالًا فَعَمِلَ فِيهِ بِطَاعَةِ اللَّهِ، وَأَنْفَقَهُ فِي رِضَاءِ اللَّهِ، سِرًّا وَجَهْرًا، فَأَثَابَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ (١) . ﴿هَلْ يَسْتَوُونَ﴾ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ لِمَكَانِ "مِنْ" وَهُوَ اسْمٌ يَصْلُحُ لِلْوَاحِدِ وَالِاثْنَيْنِ وَالْجَمْعِ، وَكَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ "لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ" بِالْجَمْعِ لِأَجْلِ مَا. مَعْنَاهُ: هَلْ يَسْتَوِي هَذَا الْفَقِيرُ الْبَخِيلُ وَالْغَنِيُّ السَّخِيُّ؟ كَذَلِكَ لَا يَسْتَوِي الْكَافِرُ الْعَاصِي وَالْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُطِيعُ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿عَبْدًا مَمْلُوكًا﴾ أَيْ: أَبُو جَهْلِ بْنُ هِشَامٍ ﴿وَمَنْ رَزَقْنَاهُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَنًا﴾ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصَّدِيقُ ﵁ (٢) . ثُمَّ قَالَ: ﴿الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ يَقُولُ لَيْسَ الْأَمْرُ كَمَا تَقُولُونَ، مَا لِلْأَوْثَانِ عِنْدَهُمْ مِنْ يَدٍ وَلَا مَعْرُوفٍ فَتُحْمَدُ عَلَيْهِ، إِنَّمَا الْحَمْدُ الْكَامِلُ لِلَّهِ ﷿، لِأَنَّهُ الْمُنْعِمُ وَالْخَالِقُ وَالرَّازِقُ، وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ الْكُفَّارِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ. ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ مَثَلًا لِلْأَصْنَامِ فَقَالَ: ﴿وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا رَجُلَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا أَبْكَمُ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ كَلٌّ عَلَى مَوْلَاهُ﴾ كَلٌّ: ثِقَلٌ وَوَبَالٌ "عَلَى مَوْلَاهُ" ابْنِ عَمِّهِ، وَأَهْلِ وِلَايَتِهِ، ﴿أَيْنَمَا يُوَجِّهْهُ﴾ يُرْسِلْهُ، ﴿لَا يَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ﴾ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَفْهَمُ مَا يُقَالُ لَهُ، وَلَا يُفْهَمُ عَنْهُ، هَذَا مَثَلُ الْأَصْنَامِ، لَا تَسْمَعُ، وَلَا تَنْطِقُ، وَلَا تَعْقِلُ، ﴿وَهُوَ كَلٌّ عَلَى مَوْلَاهُ﴾ عَابِدِهِ، يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى أَنْ يَحْمِلَهُ وَيَضَعَهُ وَيَخْدِمَهُ. ﴿هَلْ يَسْتَوِي هُوَ وَمَنْ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ﴾ يَعْنِي: اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَادِرٌ، مُتَكَلِّمٌ، يَأْمُرُ بِالتَّوْحِيدِ، ﴿وَهُوَ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ﴾ [قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: يَعْنِي يَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ.

(١) وهذا التأويل رجحه الطبري: ١٤ / ١٤٨-١٤٩. (٢) انظر: زاد المسير: ٤ / ٤٧٢.