Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/8)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

so severely that it reaches the flesh. The sunnah has established that he is to be flogged one hundred lashes and banished for one year (1); this is the view of most scholars. If the adulterer is muhsan—that is, previously married—then stoning is required; we mentioned this in Surah al-Nisa’ (2).

“Let no pity for them prevent you”: that is, mercy and tenderness. Ibn Kathir recited the word for pity with the hamzah carrying an a-vowel. They were unanimous that in Surah al-Hadid the hamzah is unvowelled, due to its proximity to the following word, “mercy.” Pity is a feeling within the heart, and one is not prohibited from it, since it is not something a person can choose.

It is related that Abdullah ibn Umar flogged a slave-girl of his who had committed adultery. He said to the flogger, “Strike her back and legs.” His son said to him, “Let no pity for them prevent you from carrying out Allah’s religion.” He replied, “My son, Allah did not command me to kill her. I have struck her and caused pain” (3).

They differed over the meaning of the verse. Some said: “Let no pity for them prevent you,” meaning that pity should not lead you to leave the prescribed punishments unenforced. This was the view of Mujahid, Ikrimah, Ata’, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, al-Nakha‘i, and al-Sha‘bi. Another group said that it means: pity should not lead you to lessen the severity of the flogging; rather, strike them in a manner that causes pain. This was the view of Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib and al-Hasan. Al-Zuhri said: Severity should be exercised in the punishment for adultery and slanderous accusation, while the punishment for drinking should be lighter. Qatadah said: Severity should be exercised in the punishment for adultery, while the punishments for drinking and slanderous accusation should be lighter.

“In Allah’s religion”: that is, in Allah’s judgment. “If you believe in Allah and the Last Day”: its meaning is that a believer is not overcome by pity when Allah Most High’s command comes.

“And let a group witness”: that is, let them be present at “their punishment”—their prescribed penalty when it is carried out upon them—“a group of the believers.” Mujahid and al-Nakha‘i said: Its minimum is one man or more. Ikrimah and Ata’ said: Two men or more. Al-Zuhri and Qatadah said: Three or more. Malik and Ibn Zayd said: Four, corresponding to the number of witnesses required for adultery.

“The fornicator shall marry none but a fornicatress or a polytheist woman; and none shall marry a fornicatress but a fornicator or a polytheist. That is forbidden to the believers” (3).

His saying, exalted is He, “The fornicator shall marry none but a fornicatress or a polytheist woman; and none shall marry a fornicatress but a fornicator or a polytheist. That is forbidden to the believers”: the scholars differed concerning the meaning and ruling of this verse. Some said: The Emigrants came to Medina, among them poor people who possessed neither wealth nor clans. In Medina there were prostitutes who rented themselves out, and at that time they were the most affluent

(1) Al-Bukhari narrated in the Book of Testimonies, chapter: “The Testimony of the One Who Falsely Accuses of Adultery, the Thief, and the Fornicator,” 5:255, from Zayd ibn Khalid, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, “ordered that one who commits zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) without having been previously married be given one hundred lashes and exiled for one year.” (2) Al-Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Testimonies, chapter: “The Testimony of the One Who Falsely Accuses of Adultery, the Thief, and the Fornicator,” 2:181–183. (3) Al-Tabari narrated it, 18:67. See also: al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:125–126.

بِحَيْثُ يَبْلُغُ اللَّحْمَ، وَقَدْ وَرَدَتِ السُّنَّةُ أَنَّهُ يُجْلَدُ مِائَةً وَيُغَرَّبُ عَامًا (١) وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَكْثَرِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الزَّانِي مُحْصَنًا فَعَلَيْهِ الرَّجْمُ، ذَكَرْنَاهُ فِي سُورَةِ النِّسَاءِ (٢) . ﴿وَلَا تَأْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ﴾ رَحْمَةٌ وَرِقَّةٌ، وَقَرَأَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ "رَأَفَةٌ" بِفَتْحِ الْهَمْزَةِ وَلَمْ يَخْتَلِفُوا فِي سُورَةِ الْحَدِيدِ أَنَّهَا سَاكِنَةٌ لِمُجَاوِرَةِ قَوْلِهِ وَرَحْمَةً، وَالرَّأْفَةُ مَعْنًى فِي الْقَلْبِ، لَا يُنْهَى عَنْهُ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَكُونُ بِاخْتِيَارِ الْإِنْسَانِ. رُوِيَ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ جَلَدَ جَارِيَةً لَهُ زَنَتْ، فَقَالَ لِلْجَلَّادِ: اضْرِبْ ظَهْرَهَا وَرِجْلَيْهَا، فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُهُ: لَا تَأْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ، فَقَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷿ لَمْ يَأْمُرْنِي بِقَتْلِهَا وَقَدْ ضَرَبْتُ فَأَوْجَعْتُ (٣) . وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي مَعْنَى الْآيَةِ، فَقَالَ قَوْمٌ: لَا تَأْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فَتُعَطِّلُوا الْحُدُودَ وَلَا تُقِيمُوهَا، وَهَذَا قَوْلُ مُجَاهِدٍ وَعِكْرِمَةَ وَعَطَاءٍ وَسَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ وَالنَّخَعِيِّ وَالشَّعْبِيِّ. وَقَالَ جَمَاعَةٌ: مَعْنَاهَا وَلَا تَأْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فَتُخَفِّفُوا الضَّرْبَ وَلَكِنْ أَوَجِعُوهُمَا ضَرْبًا، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ وَالْحَسَنِ، قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ: يُجْتَهَدُ فِي حَدِّ الزِّنَا وَالْفِرْيَةِ وَيُخَفَّفُ فِي حَدِّ الشُّرْبِ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: يُجْتَهَدُ فِي حَدِّ الزِّنَا وَيُخَفَّفُ فِي الشُّرْبِ وَالْفِرْيَةِ. ﴿فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ﴾ أَيْ: فِي حُكْمِ اللَّهِ، ﴿إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ﴾ مَعْنَاهُ أَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ الرَّأْفَةُ إِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى. ﴿وَلْيَشْهَدْ﴾ وَلْيَحْضُرْ، ﴿عَذَابَهُمَا﴾ حَدَّهُمَا إِذَا أُقِيمَ عَلَيْهِمَا ﴿طَائِفَةٌ﴾ نَفَرٌ، ﴿مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ وَالنَّخَعِيُّ: أَقَلُّهُ رَجُلٌ وَاحِدٌ فَمَا فَوْقَهُ، وَقَالَ عِكْرِمَةُ وَعَطَاءٌ: رَجُلَانِ فَصَاعِدًا. وَقَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ وَقَتَادَةُ: ثَلَاثَةٌ فَصَاعِدًا. وَقَالَ مَالِكٌ وَابْنُ زَيْدٍ: أَرْبَعَةٌ بِعَدَدِ شُهُودِ الزِّنَا. ﴿الزَّانِي لَا يَنْكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنْكِحُهَا إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ وَحُرِّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (٣) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿الزَّانِي لَا يَنْكِحُ، إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لايَنْكِحُهَا إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ وَحُرِّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ اخْتَلَفَ الْعُلَمَاءُ فِي مَعْنَى الْآيَةِ وَحُكْمِهَا فَقَالَ قَوْمٌ: قَدِمَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ الْمَدِينَةَ وَفِيهِمْ فُقَرَاءُ لَا مَالَ لَهُمْ وَلَا عَشَائِرَ، وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ نِسَاءٌ بَغَايَا يُكْرِينَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ، وَهُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَخْصَبُ

(١) أخرج البخاري في الشهادات، باب: شهادة القاذف والسارق والزاني: ٥ / ٢٥٥ عن زيد بن خالد ﵁، عن رسول الله ﷺ: "أنه أمر فيمن زنى ولم يحصن بجلد مئة وتغريب عام". (٢) أخرج البخاري في الشهادات، باب: شهادة القاذف والسارق والزاني: ٢ / ١٨١-١٨٣. (٣) أخرجه الطبري: ١٨ / ٦٧ وانظر: الدر المنثور: ٦ / ١٢٥-١٢٦.