Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (5/112)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“They almost drove you from the land in order to expel you from it; and then they would not have remained after you except for a little while.” (76)

“And had We not made you steadfast” upon the truth through Our protection, “you would almost have inclined” — that is, leaned — “toward them a little.” That is, you would have come close to doing what they sought.

If it is asked: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was protected from sin; so how could he have come close to what they asked of him, when what they asked was disbelief?

It is answered: This was merely a passing thought of the heart, not a firm resolve; and Allah has pardoned inner promptings. (1)

Qatada said: After this, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would say, “O Allah, do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye.” (2)

The sound answer is that Allah Most High said: “And had We not made you steadfast, you would almost have inclined toward them a little.” Yet Allah made him steadfast, and he did not incline toward them. This is like His saying Most High: “Had it not been for Allah’s bounty and mercy upon you, you would have followed Satan, except for a few.” (al-Nisa—83) [Yet He bestowed His favor, so they did not follow him.] (3)

“Then We would have made you taste a double punishment in this life and a double punishment after death.” That is, had you done so, We would have made you taste double the punishment of this life and double the punishment after death; meaning, We would have multiplied your punishment in this world and the Hereafter.

It was also said that “the double” means punishment; it was called double because of the multiplied pain it contains.

“Then you would have found no helper against Us”: that is, no defender to protect you from Our punishment.

His saying Most High: “They almost drove you from the land in order to expel you from it.” They differed regarding the meaning of this verse. Some said that this verse was revealed in Medina. Al-Kalbi said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived in Medina, the Jews resented his staying there out of envy. They came to him and said, “O Abu al-Qasim, you know well that this is not the land of the prophets. The land of the prophets is Syria [the Holy Land, where Abraham and the prophets, peace be upon them, lived. If you are a prophet like them, then come to Syria]. (4) Nothing prevents you from going there except your fear of the Romans; and Allah will protect you from the Romans if you are His Messenger.”

(1) In manuscript B: “pardoned.” (2) Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar states in al-Kafi al-Shaf, p. 101: “I did not find it; al-Tha'labi mentioned it from Qatada in mursal form.” As noted above, this statement is sufficient to deem it fabricated. The author's disregard for this response and his preference for another indicate that he regarded it as weak. Compare al-Tabari, 15:131. (3) The text within the parentheses is omitted from manuscript B. (4) Omitted from manuscript A.

﴿وَإِنْ كَادُوا لَيَسْتَفِزُّونَكَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ لِيُخْرِجُوكَ مِنْهَا وَإِذًا لَا يَلْبَثُونَ خِلَافَكَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا (٧٦) ﴾ ﴿وَلَوْلَا أَنْ ثَبَّتْنَاكَ﴾ عَلَى الْحَقِّ بِعِصْمَتِنَا ﴿لَقَدْ كِدْتَ تَرْكَنُ﴾ أَيْ: تَمِيلُ ﴿إِلَيْهِمْ شَيْئًا قَلِيلًا﴾ أَيْ: قَرِيبًا مِنَ الْفِعْلِ. فَإِنْ قِيلَ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مَعْصُومًا فَكَيْفَ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَقْرُبَ مِمَّا طَلَبُوهُ وَمَا طَلَبُوهُ كُفْرٌ؟ قِيلَ: كَانَ ذَلِكَ خَاطِرَ قَلْبٍ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ عَزْمًا وَقَدْ غَفَرَ (١) اللَّهُ ﷿ عَنْ حَدِيثِ النَّفْسِ. قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقُولُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ: "اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ" (٢) . وَالْجَوَابُ الصَّحِيحُ هُوَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ: ﴿وَلَوْلَا أَنْ ثَبَّتْنَاكَ لَقَدْ كِدْتَ تَرْكَنُ إِلَيْهِمْ شَيْئًا قَلِيلًا﴾ وَقَدْ ثَبَّتَهُ اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يَرْكَنْ وَهَذَا مِثْلُ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: "وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَاتَّبَعْتُمُ الشَّيْطَانَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا" (النِّسَاءِ-٨٣) [وَقَدْ تَفَضَّلَ فَلَمْ يَتَّبِعُوا] (٣) . ﴿إِذًا لَأَذَقْنَاكَ ضِعْفَ الْحَيَاةِ وَضِعْفَ الْمَمَاتِ﴾ أَيْ: لَوْ فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ لَأَذَقْنَاكَ ضِعْفَ عَذَابِ الْحَيَاةِ وَضَعْفَ عَذَابِ الْمَمَاتِ يَعْنِي: أَضْعَفْنَا لَكَ الْعَذَابَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ. وَقِيلَ: "الضِّعْفُ": هُوَ الْعَذَابُ سُمِّيَ ضِعْفًا لِتَضَاعُفِ الْأَلَمِ فِيهِ. ﴿ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ عَلَيْنَا نَصِيرًا﴾ أَيْ: نَاصِرًا يَمْنَعُكَ مِنْ عَذَابِنَا. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَإِنْ كَادُوا لَيَسْتَفِزُّونَكَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ لِيُخْرِجُوكَ مِنْهَا﴾ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي مَعْنَى الْآيَةِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ مَدَنِيَّةٌ قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: لَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ كَرِهَ الْيَهُودُ مُقَامَهُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ حَسَدًا مِنْهُمْ فَأَتَوْهُ وَقَالُوا: يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَذِهِ بِأَرْضِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ فَإِنَّ أَرْضَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ الشَّامُ [وَهِيَ الْأَرْضُ الْمُقَدَّسَةُ وَكَانَ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ وَالْأَنْبِيَاءُ عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ نَبِيًّا مِثْلَهُمْ فَأْتِ الشَّامَ] (٤) وَإِنَّمَا يَمْنَعُكَ مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْهَا مَخَافَتُكَ الرُّومَ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَيَمْنَعُكَ مِنَ الرُّومِ إِنْ كُنْتَ رَسُولَهُ

(١) في "ب": عفا. (٢) قال الحافظ ابن حجر في "الكافي الشاف" ص (١٠١) : "لم أجده وذكره الثعلبي عن قتادة مرسلا". وقد تقدم أن هذه العبارة كافية في الحكم عليه بالوضع وعدم اعتداد المصنف ﵀ بالجواب وترجيحه غيره يدل على ضعفه عنده وقارن بالطبري: ١٥ / ١٣١. (٣) ما بين القوسين ساقط من "ب". (٤) ساقط من "أ".