Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (5/164)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“And say, ‘Perhaps my Lord will guide me to something nearer than this to right guidance.’” That is: He will keep me steadfast upon a path that is closer to it and more rightly guided. (1)

It was also said: Allah commanded His Prophet to remember Him whenever he forgot something, and to ask Him to guide him to what would be better for him than recalling what he had forgotten. (2)

It is also said that, when the people asked him about the story of the Companions of the Cave in a spirit of obstinacy, Allah, Exalted is He, commanded him to tell them that Allah would grant him proofs establishing the truth of his prophethood that would be more conclusive for them than the story of the Companions of the Cave. And He did so, when He gave him, from the knowledge of the unseen concerning the messengers, that which was clearer to them as proof and nearer to right guidance than the account of the Companions of the Cave. (3)

Some said: This is something he was commanded to say along with the words “God willing” when he remembered the exception after having forgotten it. If a person forgets to say “God willing,” then his repentance for that is to say: “Perhaps my Lord will guide me to something nearer than this to right guidance.” (4)

“And they remained in their cave for three hundred years, adding nine.” (25)

His saying, Exalted is He, “And they remained in their cave,” means the Companions of the Cave. Some said: This is a report concerning the People of the Book—that they said this. Had it been a report from Allah, Exalted is He, concerning the length of their stay, there would have been no point in His saying, “Say, ‘Allah knows best how long they remained.’” This was the view of Qatadah. Supporting it is the recitation of Ibn Masud: “And they said, ‘They remained in their cave.’” Then Allah, Most High, refuted them, saying: “Say, ‘Allah knows best how long they remained.’” (5)

Others said: Rather, this is information from Allah, Most High, concerning the length of their stay in the cave, and this is the sounder view.

[As for His saying, “Say, ‘Allah knows best how long they remained,’” its meaning is that the matter of the length of their stay] is as we have mentioned. Thus, if they dispute with you concerning it, answer them and say: Allah knows best how long they remained—that is, He knows better than you do, and He has informed us of the length of their stay. (6)

(1) This is the view adopted by Ibn Kathir, and he mentioned no other. (2) See al-Bahr al-Muhit, 6:116. (3) See Zad al-Masir, 5:129; al-Bahr al-Muhit, 6:116. (4) This is also the view adopted by al-Tabari, 15:230. (5) Qatada's statement here warrants scrutiny. What the People of the Book have is that they remained for three hundred years, without the additional nine, meaning solar years. Had Allah, Most High, been relating their statement, He would not have said, “and they remained an additional nine.” The apparent meaning of the verse is that this is information from Allah, not a report of their words, as in the following view preferred by the author. This was also the choice of al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him. Qatada's transmission of Ibn Masud's recitation is disconnected; moreover, it is anomalous in relation to the recitation of the majority and therefore cannot be used as proof. Allah knows best. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 3:80-81. See also al-Tabari, 15:231-232. (6) The text within parentheses is omitted in manuscript “A”.

﴿وَقُلْ عَسَى أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِي رَبِّي لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَذَا رَشَدًا﴾ أَيْ: يُثَبِّتُنِي عَلَى طَرِيقٍ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ وَأَرْشَدُ (١) . وَقِيلَ: أَمَرَ اللَّهُ نَبِيَّهُ أَنْ يَذْكُرَهُ إِذَا نَسِيَ شَيْئًا وَيَسْأَلَهُ أَنْ يَهْدِيَهُ لِمَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ ذِكْرِ مَا نَسِيَهُ (٢) . وَيُقَالُ: هُوَ أَنَّ الْقَوْمَ لَمَّا سَأَلُوهُ عَنْ قِصَّةِ أَصْحَابِ الْكَهْفِ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْعِنَادِ أَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ ﷿ أَنْ يُخْبِرَهُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَيُؤْتِيهِ مِنَ الْحُجَجِ عَلَى صِحَّةِ نُبُوَّتِهِ مَا هُوَ أَدَلُّ لَهُمْ مِنْ قِصَّةِ أَصْحَابِ الْكَهْفِ وَقَدْ فَعَلَ حَيْثُ أَتَاهُ مِنْ عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ مَا كَانَ أَوْضَحَ لَهُمْ فِي الْحُجَّةِ وَأَقْرَبَ إِلَى الرُّشْدِ مِنْ خَبَرِ أَصْحَابِ الْكَهْفِ (٣) . وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: هَذَا شَيْءٌ أُمِرَ أَنْ يَقُولَهُ مَعَ قَوْلِهِ "إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ" إِذَا ذَكَرَ الِاسْتِثْنَاءَ بَعْدَ النِّسْيَانِ وَإِذَا نَسِيَ الْإِنْسَانُ "إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ" فَتَوْبَتُهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَقُولَ: "عَسَى أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّي لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَذَا رَشَدًا" (٤) . ﴿وَلَبِثُوا فِي كَهْفِهِمْ ثَلَاثَ مِائَةٍ سِنِينَ وَازْدَادُوا تِسْعًا (٢٥) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﷿ ﴿وَلَبِثُوا فِي كَهْفِهِمْ﴾ يَعْنِي: أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ. قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: هَذَا خَبَرٌ عَنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا ذَلِكَ. وَلَوْ كَانَ خَبَرًا مِنَ اللَّهِ ﷿ عَنْ قَدْرِ لُبْثِهِمْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِقَوْلِهِ "قُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا" وَجْهٌ وَهَذَا قَوْلُ قَتَادَةَ. وَيَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ قِرَاءَةُ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ: "وَقَالُوا لَبِثُوا فِي كَهْفِهِمْ" ثُمَّ رَدَّ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ: "قُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا" (٥) . وَقَالَ الْآخَرُونَ: هَذَا إِخْبَارٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَنْ قَدْرِ لُبْثِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ وَهُوَ الْأَصَحُّ. [وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ: "قل اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا" فَمَعْنَاهُ: أَنَّ الْأَمْرَ مِنْ مُدَّةِ لُبْثِهِمْ] (٦) كَمَا ذَكَرْنَا فَإِنْ نَازَعُوكَ فِيهَا فَأَجِبْهُمْ وَقُلِ: اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا أَيْ: هُوَ أَعْلَمُ مِنْكُمْ وَقَدْ أَخْبَرَنَا بِمُدَّةِ لُبْثِهِمْ.

(١) وهذا ما اعتمده ابن كثير ولم يذكر غيره. (٢) انظر: البحر المحيط: ٦ / ١١٦. (٣) انظر: زاد المسير: ٥ / ١٢٩، البحر المحيط: ٦ / ١١٦. (٤) وهذا ما اعتمده الطبري: ١٥ / ٢٣٠. (٥) وفي هذا الذي قاله قتادة نظر، فإن الذي بأيدي أهل الكتاب: أنهم لبثوا ثلاثمائة سنة من غير تسع يعنون بالشمسية. ولو كان الله تعالى قد حكى قولهم لما قال: "وازدادوا تسعا". والظاهر من الآية إنما هو إخبار من الله لا حكاية عنهم -كما في القول الآتي الذي رجحه المصنف- وهو اختيار الطبري ﵀. ورواية قتادة قراءة ابن مسعود منقطعة ثم هي شاذة بالنسبة إلى قراءة الجمهور فلا يحتج بها والله أعلم. تفسير ابن كثير: ٣ / ٨٠-٨١ وانظر: الطبري: ١٥ / ٢٣١-٢٣٢. (٦) ما بين القوسين ساقط من "أ".