Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (5/34)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

It was also said that he is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who enjoins justice and is upon a straight path. (1)

It was also said that both parables concern the believer and the disbeliever. This was narrated by ‘Atiyyah from Ibn ‘Abbas.

‘Ata’ said: The mute man is Ubayy ibn Khalaf, while those who enjoin justice are Hamzah, ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, and ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un. ⦗201/b⦘

Muqatil said: It was revealed concerning Hashim ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Rabi‘ah al-Qurashi, who did little good and was hostile to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

It was also said that it was revealed concerning ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan and his client: ‘Uthman used to spend on him, while his client disliked Islam. (2)

“To Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth. The coming of the Hour is only like the twinkling of an eye, or even nearer. Indeed, Allah is capable of all things. (77) Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers knowing nothing, and gave you hearing, sight, and hearts, so that you may give thanks. (78)”

“To Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth”: that is, knowledge of the nearness of the Hour’s coming. “The coming of the Hour is only like the twinkling of an eye”: when He says to it, “Be,” and it is. “Or even nearer”: rather, it is nearer. “Indeed, Allah is capable of all things”: this was revealed concerning the disbelievers who mockingly sought to hasten the coming of the Hour.

His words, glorified and exalted is He, “Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers”: al-Kisai read “immahatikum,” pronouncing the hamza with an i-vowel; Hamzah read both the mim and the hamza with an i-vowel; while the remaining reciters pronounced the hamza with a u-vowel and the mim with an a-vowel. “Knowing nothing”: the statement ends here. Then He begins anew, saying, exalted and sublime is He: “and gave you hearing, sight, and hearts,” because Allah had created these faculties for them before they emerged from their mothers’ wombs, but granted them knowledge only after their emergence. “So that you may give thanks”: that is, for Allah’s blessing.

(1) The text within the parentheses is omitted in manuscript B. (2) See these views in: Tafsir al-Tabari, 14:150-151; al-Durr al-Manthur, 5:151-152; Zad al-Masir, 4:473; al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:519-520; and Asbab al-Nuzul by al-Wahidi, p. 323. Al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “This is a parable which Allah, exalted is He, sets forth concerning Himself and the deities worshipped besides Him. He says: ‘Allah sets forth a parable of two men, one of whom is mute and unable to do anything’: by this He means the idol, which neither hears nor speaks, since it is either carved wood or fashioned copper. It can neither benefit the one who serves it nor ward off harm from him. ‘He is a burden upon his master’: that is, he is dependent upon his guardian, his paternal cousin, his allies, and those responsible for him. Likewise, the idol is a burden upon its worshipper: it needs to be carried, positioned, and attended to, like a mute person who can do nothing and is therefore a burden upon his paternal cousins... Are this mute person, who is a burden upon his master and brings no good wherever he is directed, and one who speaks, commands justice, and calls to it equal? The latter is Allah, the One, the Irresistible, who calls His servants to affirm His oneness and obey Him. That is, He—exalted is His mention—and the idol, whose description is as stated, are not equal. ‘And he is on a straight path’: that is, in his call to justice and his command to it, he is upright upon the path of truth; he neither deviates from it nor turns away from it.” See Tafsir al-Tabari, 14:150.

وَقِيلَ: هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَهُوَ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ (١) . وَقِيلَ: كِلَا الْمِثْلَيْنِ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ وَالْكَافِرِ، يَرْوِيهِ عَطِيَّةُ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ. وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ: الْأَبْكَمُ: أُبَيُّ بْنُ خَلَفٍ، وَمَنْ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ: حَمْزَةُ، وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ، وَعُثْمَانُ بن مظعون ٢٠١/ب وَقَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: نَزَلَتْ فِي هَاشِمِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ الْقُرَشِيِّ، وَكَانَ قَلِيلَ الْخَيْرِ يُعَادِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ. وَقِيلَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ وَمَوْلَاهُ، كَانَ عُثْمَانُ يُنْفِقُ عَلَيْهِ، وَكَانَ مَوْلَاهُ يَكْرَهُ الْإِسْلَامَ (٢) . ﴿وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا أَمْرُ السَّاعَةِ إِلَّا كَلَمْحِ الْبَصَرِ أَوْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (٧٧) وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ (٧٨) ﴾ ﴿وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا أَمْرُ السَّاعَةِ﴾ فِي قُرْبِ كَوْنِهَا، ﴿إِلَّا كَلَمْحِ الْبَصَرِ﴾ إِذَا قَالَ لَهُ: "كُنْ" فَيَكُونُ، ﴿أَوْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ﴾ بَلْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ، ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾ نَزَلَتْ فِي الْكُفَّارِ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَعْجِلُونَ الْقِيَامَةَ اسْتِهْزَاءً. قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ﴾ قَرَأَ الْكِسَائِيُّ "بُطُونِ إِمَّهَاتِكُمْ" بِكَسْرِ الْهَمْزَةِ، وَقَرَأَ حَمْزَةُ بِكَسْرِ الْمِيمِ وَالْهَمْزَةِ، الباقون بِضَمِّ الْهَمْزَةِ وَفَتْحِ الْمِيمِ، ﴿لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا﴾ تَمَّ الْكَلَامُ، ثُمَّ ابْتَدَأَ فَقَالَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا ﴿وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ﴾ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى جَعَلَ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءَ لَهُمْ قَبْلَ الْخُرُوجِ مِنْ بُطُونِ الْأُمَّهَاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا أَعْطَاهُمُ الْعِلْمَ بَعْدَ الْخُرُوجِ، ﴿لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ.

(١) ما بين القوسين ساقط من "ب". (٢) انظر هذه الأقوال في: تفسير الطبري: ١٤ / ١٥٠-١٥١، الدر المنثور: ٥ / ١٥١-١٥٢، زاد المسير: ٤ / ٤٧٣، البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٥١٩-٥٢٠، أسباب النزول للواحدي ص (٣٢٣) . قال الطبري-﵀: "وهذا مثل ضربه الله تعالى لنقسه والآلهة التي تعبد من دونه، فقال تعالى ذكره: "وضرب الله مثلا رجلين أحدهما أبكم لا يقدر على شيء" يعني بذلك الصنم أنه لا يسمع شيئا، ولا ينطق، لأنه إما خشب منحوت، وإما نحاس مصنوع لا يقدر على نفع لمن خدمه، ولا دفع ضر عنه، "وهو كل على مولاه"، يقول: وهو عيال على ابن عمه وحلفائه وأهل ولايته، فكذلك الصنم كل على من يعبده، يحتاج أن يحمله، ويضعه ويخدمه كالأبكم من الناس الذي لا يقدر على شيء فهو كل على بني أعمامه.. هل يستوي هذا الأبكم الكل على مولاه الذي لا يأتي بخير حيث توجه ومن هو ناطق متكلم يأمر بالحق، ويدعو إليه، وهو الله الواحد القهار، الذي يدعو عباده إلى توحيده وطاعته، يقول: لا يستوي هو -تعالى ذكره- والصنم الذي صفته ما وصف. وقوله: "وهو على صراط مستقيم" يقول: لا على طريق من الحق في دعائه إلى العدل، وأمره به مستقيم، لا يعوج عن الحق ولا يزول عنه". انظر: تفسير الطبري: ١٤ / ١٥٠.