Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (5/81)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Yet man prays for evil just as he prays for good, for man is ever hasty.” (11) “And We made the night and the day two signs. Then We effaced the sign of the night and made the sign of the day illuminating, so that you may seek bounty from your Lord and know the number of years and the reckoning. And We have set out everything in detail.” (12)

Concerning His statement, Exalted is He, “Yet man prays”: the final waw is omitted in pronunciation because it precedes a silent lam, as in His statement, “We shall call the keepers of Hell” [Surah al-‘Alaq, 18]. It is likewise omitted in writing, though it is not omitted in meaning. Its meaning is that a person invokes evil against his wealth, his children, and himself, saying in anger, “O Allah, curse him and destroy him,” and the like, “just as he prays for good”—that is, just as he calls upon his Lord [for good] (1), asking Him to grant him blessing and well-being. Were Allah to answer his supplication against himself, he would perish; but, out of His bounty, Allah does not answer it. “For man is ever hasty”: that is, hasty in invoking what he dislikes to have answered against him.

A group of exegetes said—and Ibn ‘Abbas said—that this means he is impatient, having no patience in prosperity or adversity.

Concerning His statement, Exalted is He, “And We made the night and the day two signs”: that is, two signs indicating Our existence, Our oneness, and Our power. “Then We effaced the sign of the night”: Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Allah made the light of the sun seventy portions, and likewise the light of the moon. He then effaced sixty-nine portions of the moon’s light and added them to the light of the sun.” (2)

It is related that Allah, Exalted is He, commanded Gabriel, who then passed his wing across the face of the moon three times. Its radiance was thus effaced, while its light remained.

Ibn al-Kawwā’ asked ‘Ali about the darkness visible on the moon. He replied, “It is the trace of the effacement.” (3)

“And made the sign of the day illuminating”: that is, radiant and shining, meaning that one can see by it. Al-Kisā’ī said: “The Arabs say, ‘The day has become sight-giving,’ when it shines such that one can see by it.” “So that you may seek bounty from your Lord and know the number of years and the reckoning”: that is, had Allah left the sun and moon as He created them, night would not be distinguishable from day; the fasting person would not know when to break his fast; nor would the time of pilgrimage, the time when appointed terms fall due, or the time for stillness and rest be known. “And We have set out everything in detail.”

(1) Omitted in manuscript “A.” (2) Al-Suyuti attributed it to Abd ibn Humayd and Ibn al-Mundhir. See: Al-Durr al-Manthur, 5:248. (3) Ibn Kathir said (3:28): “Ibn Jarir transmitted it through several sound chains.”

﴿وَيَدْعُ الْإِنْسَانُ بِالشَّرِّ دُعَاءَهُ بِالْخَيْرِ وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ عَجُولًا (١١) وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ آيَتَيْنِ فَمَحَوْنَا آيَةَ اللَّيْلِ وَجَعَلْنَا آيَةَ النَّهَارِ مُبْصِرَةً لِتَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَلِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ تَفْصِيلًا (١٢) ﴾ وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَيَدْعُ الْإِنْسَانُ﴾ حُذِفَ الْوَاوُ لَفْظًا لِاسْتِقْبَالِ اللَّامِ السَّاكِنَةِ كَقَوْلِهِ: "سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ" (الْعَلَقِ-١٨) ، وَحُذِفَ فِي الْخَطِّ أَيْضًا وَهِيَ غَيْرُ مَحْذُوفَةٍ فِي الْمَعْنَى. وَمَعْنَاهُ: وَيَدْعُو الْإِنْسَانُ عَلَى مَالِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَنَفْسِهِ، ﴿بِالشَّرِّ﴾ فَيَقُولُ عِنْدَ الْغَضَبِ: اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْهُ وَأَهْلِكْهُ وَنَحْوَهُمَا، ﴿دُعَاءَهُ بِالْخَيْرِ﴾ أَيْ: كَدُعَائِهِ رَبَّهُ [بِالْخَيْرِ] (١) أَنْ يَهَبَ لَهُ النِّعْمَةَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ وَلَوِ اسْتَجَابَ اللَّهُ دُعَاءَهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ لَهَلَكَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُ بِفَضْلِهِ ﴿وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ عَجُولًا﴾ بِالدُّعَاءِ عَلَى مَا يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُسْتَجَابَ لَهُ فِيهِ. قَالَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ التَّفْسِيرِ وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: ضَجِرًا لَا صَبْرَ لَهُ عَلَى السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ. قَوْلُهُ ﷿ ﴿وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ آيَتَيْنِ﴾ أَيْ: عَلَامَتَيْنِ دَالَّتَيْنِ عَلَى وُجُودِنَا وَوَحْدَانِيِّتِنَا وَقُدْرَتِنَا ﴿فَمَحَوْنَا آيَةَ اللَّيْلِ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: جَعَلَ اللَّهُ نُورَ الشَّمْسِ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءًا وَنُورَ الْقَمَرِ كَذَلِكَ فَمَحَا مِنْ نُورِ الْقَمَرِ تِسْعَةً وَسِتِّينَ جُزْءًا فَجَعَلَهَا مَعَ نُورِ الشَّمْسِ (٢) . وَحَكَى أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَمَرَ جِبْرِيلَ فَأَمَرَّ جَنَاحَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْقَمَرِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَطُمِسَ عَنْهُ الضَّوْءُ وَبَقِيَ فِيهِ النُّورُ. وَسَأَلَ ابْنُ الْكَوَّاءِ عَلِيًّا عَنِ السَّوَادِ الَّذِي فِي الْقَمَرِ؟ قَالَ: هُوَ أَثَرُ الْمَحْوِ (٣) . ﴿وَجَعَلْنَا آيَةَ النَّهَارِ مُبْصِرَةً﴾ مُنِيرَةً مُضِيئَةً يَعْنِي يُبْصَرُ بِهَا. قَالَ الْكِسَائِيُّ: تَقُولُ الْعَرَبُ أَبْصَرَ النَّهَارُ إِذَا أَضَاءَ بِحَيْثُ يُبْصَرُ بِهَا ﴿لِتَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَلِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ﴾ أَيْ: لَوْ تَرَكَ اللَّهُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كَمَا خَلَقَهُمَا لَمْ يُعْرَفِ اللَّيْلُ مِنَ النَّهَارِ وَلَمْ يَدْرِ الصَّائِمُ مَتَى يُفْطِرُ وَلَمْ يُدْرَ وَقْتُ الْحَجِّ وَلَا وَقْتُ حُلُولِ الْآجَالِ وَلَا وَقْتُ السُّكُونِ وَالرَّاحَةِ. ﴿وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ تَفْصِيلًا﴾

(١) ساقط من "أ". (٢) عزاه السيوطي لعبد بن حميد، وابن المنذر. انظر: الدر المنثور: ٥ / ٢٤٨. (٣) قال ابن كثير: (٣ / ٢٨) : رواه ابن جرير من طرق متعددة جيدة.