Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (5/99)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

when you tell them this, mocking it. “And they say, ‘When will it be?’” That is, the Resurrection and the Day of Rising. “Say, ‘Perhaps it will be soon.’” That is, it is near, for when ʿasā (perhaps) is used by Allah, it conveys certainty. Similar to this is His saying, exalted is He: “And what could make you know? Perhaps the Hour is near.” (Al-Ahzab 33:63)

“On the Day He calls you forth, you will respond in praise of Him, and you will think that you had remained only a little.” (52) “And tell My servants to say that which is best. Indeed, Satan sows discord among them. Indeed, Satan has always been a clear enemy to mankind.” (53) “Your Lord knows you best: if He wills, He will have mercy on you; or, if He wills, He will punish you. And We have not sent you, O Muhammad, as a guardian over them.” (54)

“On the Day He calls you forth”: from your graves to the place of standing on the Day of Resurrection. “You will respond in praise of Him”: Ibn Abbas said, “By His command.” Qatadah said, “In obedience to Him.” It was also said: acknowledging that He is their Creator and the One who will resurrect them, they will praise Him at a time when such praise will not benefit them. It was also said that this addresses the believers, for they will be raised praising Him.

“And you will think that you had remained”: in the worldly life and in the graves, “only a little,” because even if a person remained thousands of years in the world and in the grave, he would regard it as little in comparison with the duration of the Resurrection and everlasting residence. Qatadah said: “They will deem the span of worldly life insignificant beside the Resurrection.”

Concerning His saying, “And tell My servants to say that which is best,” al-Kalbi said: The idolaters used to harm the Muslims, who complained to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. So Allah, exalted is He, revealed: “And tell My servants”—the believers—“to say”—to the disbelievers—“that which is best,” and not repay their foolishness with the like. Al-Hasan said: He should say to him, “May Allah guide you.” This was before permission had been granted for jihad and fighting. (1)

It was also said that it was revealed concerning Umar ibn al-Khattab: one of the disbelievers insulted him, and Allah commanded him to pardon. (2)

It was also said that Allah commanded the believers to speak and act in the best manner—that is, to adopt the most excellent conduct.

It was also said that “that which is best” is the word of sincere devotion: “There is no god but Allah.”

“Indeed, Satan sows discord among them”: that is, he corrupts matters and casts enmity between them. “Indeed, Satan has always been a clear enemy to mankind”: manifest in his enmity.

“Your Lord knows you best: if He wills, He will have mercy on you”: He will grant you success, and you will believe. “Or, if He wills, He will punish you”: He will cause you to die upon idolatry, and then you will be punished. This was stated by Ibn Jurayj.

(1) This indicates that it was abrogated by the ayat al-qital (verse of fighting), or the ayat al-sayf (Verse of the Sword). It has been noted previously in more than one place that some scholars went to excess in claiming that many verses were abrogated by the Verse of the Sword. The correct view is that none of this was abrogated. (2) See al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul (Occasions of Revelation), p. 333.

إِذَا قُلْتَ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ مُسْتَهْزِئِينَ بِهَا ﴿وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هُوَ﴾ أَيِ: الْبَعْثُ وَالْقِيَامَةُ ﴿قُلْ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ قَرِيبًا﴾ أَيْ: هُوَ قَرِيبٌ لِأَنَّ عَسَى مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاجِبٌ نَظِيرُهُ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: "وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ تَكُونُ قَرِيبًا" (الْأَحْزَابِ-٦٣) . ﴿يَوْمَ يَدْعُوكُمْ فَتَسْتَجِيبُونَ بِحَمْدِهِ وَتَظُنُّونَ إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا (٥٢) وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ عَدُوًّا مُبِينًا (٥٣) رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِنْ يَشَأْ يَرْحَمْكُمْ أَوْ إِنْ يَشَأْ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيلًا (٥٤) ﴾ ﴿يَوْمَ يَدْعُوكُمْ﴾ مِنْ قُبُورِكُمْ إِلَى مَوْقِفِ الْقِيَامَةِ ﴿فَتَسْتَجِيبُونَ بِحَمْدِهِ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: بِأَمْرِهِ وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: بِطَاعَتِهِ وَقِيلَ: مُقِرِّينَ بِأَنَّهُ خَالِقُهُمْ وَبَاعِثُهُمْ وَيَحْمَدُونَهُ حِينَ لَا يَنْفَعُهُمُ الْحَمْدُ وَقِيلَ: هَذَا خِطَابٌ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يُبْعَثُونَ حَامِدِينَ. ﴿وَتَظُنُّونَ إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ﴾ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْقُبُورِ ﴿إِلَّا قَلِيلًا﴾ لِأَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَوْ مَكَثَ أُلُوفًا مِنَ السِّنِينَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْقَبْرِ عَدَّ ذَلِكَ قَلِيلًا فِي مُدَّةِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالْخُلُودِ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: يَسْتَحْقِرُونَ مُدَّةَ الدُّنْيَا فِي جَنْبِ الْقِيَامَةِ. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ﴾ قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: كَانَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ يُؤْذُونَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَشَكَوْا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ: فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي﴾ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿يَقُولُوا﴾ لِلْكَافِرِينَ ﴿الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ﴾ ولا يكافؤوهم بِسَفَهِهِمْ. قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: يَقُولُ لَهُ: يَهْدِيكَ اللَّهُ وَكَانَ هَذَا قَبْلَ الْإِذْنِ فِي الْجِهَادِ وَالْقِتَالِ (١) . وَقِيلَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ شَتَمَهُ بَعْضُ الْكُفَّارِ فَأَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ بِالْعَفْوِ (٢) . وَقِيلَ: أَمَرَ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِأَنْ يَقُولُوا وَيَفْعَلُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ أَيِ: الْخَلَّةُ الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ. وَقِيلَ: "الْأَحْسَنُ" كَلِمَةُ الْإِخْلَاصِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ. ﴿إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ﴾ أَيْ: يُفْسِدُ وَيُلْقِي الْعَدَاوَةَ بَيْنَهُمْ ﴿إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ عَدُوًّا مُبِينًا﴾ ظَاهِرَ الْعَدَاوَةِ. ﴿رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِنْ يَشَأْ يَرْحَمْكُمْ﴾ يُوَفِّقْكُمْ فَتُؤْمِنُوا ﴿أَوْ إِنْ يَشَأْ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ﴾ يُمِيتُكُمْ عَلَى الشِّرْكِ فَتُعَذَّبُوا قَالَهُ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ.

(١) إشارة إلى أنها نسخت بآية القتال أو السيف، وقد سبق في أكثر من موضع إلى أن بعض العلماء أسرفوا في نسخ كثير من الآيات بآية السيف، والحق أنه لا نسخ في هذا كله. (٢) انظر: أسباب النزول للواحدي ص (٣٣٣) .