Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/24)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

yourselves” (al-Nisa 4:29), and “greet one another” (al-Nur 24:61). “This is a clear slander”—that is, an evident lie.

“Why did they not produce four witnesses to it? Since they did not produce the witnesses, then before Allah they are the liars. Were it not for Allah’s bounty and His mercy upon you in this world and the Hereafter, a tremendous punishment would have afflicted you for what you indulged in.” (13–14)

“Why did they not produce four witnesses to it?” That is, to what they alleged. “Since they did not produce the witnesses, then before Allah they are the liars.” If it is asked: How do they become liars before Allah merely because they did not produce witnesses, when whoever lies is a liar before Allah whether or not he brings witnesses? It is said: “Before Allah” means: in the judgment of Allah. It has also been said that its meaning is: declare them liars by Allah’s command. And it has been said that this concerns Aishah: its meaning is that they are the liars according to My unseen knowledge and My knowledge.

“Were it not for Allah’s bounty and His mercy upon you in this world and the Hereafter, a tremendous punishment would have afflicted you for what you indulged in”—that is, what you engaged in—“of the slander.” Ibn Abbas said: that is, a punishment that never ends, meaning in the Hereafter, because He had already mentioned the punishment of this world, when the Most High said: “The one who bore 37/b the greatest share of it among them will have a tremendous punishment.” And it did indeed befall him, for he was flogged and given the prescribed punishment.

Amrah narrated from Aishah that, when this verse was revealed, the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, imposed the prescribed punishment upon four people: Abd Allah ibn Ubayy, Hassan ibn Thabit, Mistah ibn Uthathah, and Hamnah bint Jahsh (1).

(1) Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Aishah, who said: “When my exoneration was revealed, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, stood on the pulpit, mentioned the matter, and recited the Quran. When he came down, he ordered that two men and a woman be given the prescribed punishment.” Tafsir Surat al-Nur, 9:37. He said: “This is a sound, uncommon hadith; we know it only through the narration of Muhammad ibn Ishaq.” The three individuals are named in Abu Dawud, Book of Prescribed Punishments, chapter: “The Punishment for Qadhf (false accusation of unchastity),” 6:283: Hassan ibn Thabit, Mistah ibn Uthathah, and Hamnah bint Jahsh. Al-Mundhiri attributed it to al-Nasai and said: “Ibn Ishaq narrated it with a connected chain on one occasion and as a mursal report on another.” Ibn Majah also narrated it in the Book of Prescribed Punishments, chapter: “The Punishment for Qadhf,” 2:857. See Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 3:272. Al-Tabarani narrated from Said ibn Jubayr a report similar to the hadith of Aishah cited by the author. Al-Haythami said: “Its chain includes Ibn Lahi'ah, who is weak, while its remaining narrators are those of the Sahih collections.” Majma al-Zawaid, 7:80. See Fath al-Bari, 9:481; Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 9:37. Al-Bazzar and Ibn Mardawayh narrated, with a sound chain, from Abu Hurayrah: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, administered the prescribed punishment to Mistah, Hamnah, and Hassan.” See al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:146; and Zad al-Maad, 3:263-264.

أَنْفُسَكُمْ" (النِّسَاءِ-٢٩) "فَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ " (النُّورِ-٦١) . ﴿وَقَالُوا هَذَا إِفْكٌ مُبِينٌ﴾ أَيْ كَذِبٌ بَيِّنٌ. ﴿لَوْلَا جَاءُوا عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِالشُّهَدَاءِ فَأُولَئِكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْكَاذِبُونَ (١٣) وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (١٤) ﴾ ﴿لَوْلَا جَاءُوا عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ﴾ أَيْ: عَلَى مَا زَعَمُوا، ﴿فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِالشُّهَدَاءِفَأُولَئِكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْكَاذِبُونَ﴾ فَإِنْ قِيلَ: كَيْفَ يَصِيرُونَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَاذِبِينَ إِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِالشُّهَدَاءِ وَمَنْ كَذَبَ فَهُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَاذِبٌ سَوَاءٌ أَتَى بِالشُّهَدَاءِ أَوْ لَمْ يَأْتِ؟ قِيلَ: "عِنْدَ اللَّهِ" أَيْ: فِي حُكْمِ اللَّهِ وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ كَذِّبُوهُمْ بِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ وَقِيلَ: هَذَا فِي حَقِّ عَائِشَةَ، وَمَعْنَاهُ: أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَاذِبُونَ فِي غَيْبِي وَعِلْمِي. ﴿وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ﴾ خُضْتُمْ ﴿فِيهِ﴾ مِنَ الْإِفْكِ ﴿عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَيْ: عَذَابٌ لَا انْقِطَاعَ لَهُ، يَعْنِي: فِي الْآخِرَةِ، لِأَنَّهُ ذَكَرَ عَذَابَ الدُّنْيَا مِنْ قَبْلُ، فَقَالَ تَعَالَى: "والذي تولى ٣٧/ب كِبْرَهُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ"، وَقَدْ أَصَابَهُ، فَإِنَّهُ جُلِدَ وَحُدَّ. وَرَوَتْ عَمْرَةُ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ حَدَّ أَرْبَعَةَ نَفَرٍ: عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أُبَيٍّ، وَحَسَّانَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ، وَمِسْطَحَ بْنَ أُثَاثَةَ، وَحَمْنَةَ بِنْتَ جَحْشٍ (١) .

(١) أخرج الترمذي عن عائشة قالت: "لما نزل عذري قام رسول الله ﷺ على المنبر فذكر ذلك وتلا القرآن فلما نزل أمر برجلين وامرأة فضربوا حدهم". تفسير سورة النور: ٩ / ٣٧، وقال: "هذا حديث حسن غريب لا نعرفه إلا من حديث محمد بن إسحاق". ووقع تسمية هؤلاء الثلاثة: حسان بن ثابت، ومسطح بن اثاثة، وحمنة بنت جحش عند أبي داود في الحدود، باب في حد القذف: ٦ / ٢٨٣، وعزاه المنذري للنسائي وقال: "وقد أسنده ابن إسحاق مرة، وأرسله أخرى". وأخرجه ابن ماجه في الحدود، باب حد القذف: ٢ / ٨٥٧. وانظر: تفسير ابن كثير: ٣ / ٢٧٢. وأخرج الطبراني عن سعيد بن جبير مثل حديث عائشة الذي ساقه المصنف، وقال الهيثمي: "وفيه ابن لهيعة، وفيه ضعف، وبقية رجاله رجال الصحيح". مجمع الزوائد: ٧ / ٨٠. وانظر: فتح الباري: ٩ / ٤٨١، تحفة الأحوذي: ٩ / ٣٧. وأخرج البزار وابن مردويه بسند حسن، عن أبي هريرة، وفيه: فحد رسول الله ﷺ مسطحا، وحمنة، وحسان. انظر: الدر المنثور: ٦ / ١٤٦، وراجع: زاد المعاد: ٣ / ٢٦٣-٢٦٤.