Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/27)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

his maintenance allowance to Mistah, which he had been spending on him, and said, “By Allah, I shall never withdraw it from him.” (1)

Ibn ‘Abbas and al-Dahhak said: A number of the Companions, including Abu Bakr, swore that they would neither give charity to nor assist anyone who had spoken something concerning the slander. So Allah revealed this verse. (2)

“Indeed, those who accuse chaste, unsuspecting believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter, and theirs is a tremendous punishment.” (23)

His saying, exalted is He, “Indeed, those who accuse chaste women”—that is, women of moral integrity—“unsuspecting”—that is, unsuspecting of indecencies—“believing women.” A woman unsuspecting of indecency is one whose heart does not entertain the commission of an indecent act; and Aishah was such a woman. His saying, exalted is He, “are cursed in this world and the Hereafter”: that is, they are punished by the prescribed legal penalties in this world and by the Fire in the Hereafter. “And theirs is a tremendous punishment.” Muqatil said: This concerns Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the hypocrite.

It is related from Khusayf that he said: I asked Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, “Whoever falsely accuses a believing woman—does Allah curse him in this world and the Hereafter?” He replied, “That applies specifically to Aishah.” (3)

Others said: It applies specifically to Aishah and the wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to the exclusion of all other believing women. It is related from al-‘Awwam ibn Hawshab, from an elder of Banu Kahil, from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: “This concerns Aishah and the wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, specifically; there is no repentance for it. But whoever falsely accuses a believing woman, Allah has provided repentance for him.” He then recited: “And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses,” up to His saying, “except those who repent.” Thus, He provided repentance for these people, but did not provide repentance for those others. (4)

Others said: This verse was revealed concerning the wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and that was when the verse at the beginning of the surah was revealed: “And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses,” up to His saying, “for indeed Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” Thus Allah ordained flogging and repentance. (5) (6)

(1) Reported by al-Bukhari in al-Tafsir, chapter: “Why, when you heard it, did you not say: ‘It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to You! This is a monstrous slander’” (8:455); and by Muslim in al-Tawbah, chapter on the hadith of the slander and the acceptance of the repentance of one who falsely accuses another of adultery, no. 2770 (4:2129-2136). (2) Reported by al-Tabari, 18:102-103. (3) Al-Suyuti attributed it (6:164) to Abd ibn Humayd, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, and al-Tabarani. Al-Haythami said (6:79): “It was narrated by al-Tabarani, and its chain contains Yahya al-Himmani, who is weak.” (4) Al-Haythami said (6:80): “Al-Tabarani narrated it through several chains. In this chain there is an unnamed narrator, while the rest of its narrators are trustworthy; it is the best of them.” (5) In manuscript B: kadhalika hatta (likewise, until). (6) Al-Tabari cited these views, 18:104-105, then stated in preference: “The soundest of these views in my opinion is that of those who say that this verse was revealed concerning Aisha, while its ruling is general to everyone possessing the quality by which Allah described her therein.”

إِلَى مِسْطَحٍ نَفَقَتَهُ الَّتِي كَانَ يُنْفِقُ عَلَيْهِ، وَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لَا أَنْزَعُهَا مِنْهُ أَبَدًا (١) . وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَالضَّحَّاكُ: أَقْسَمَ نَاسٌ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ فِيهِمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَنْ لَا يَتَصَدَّقُوا عَلَى رَجُلِ تَكَلَّمَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْإِفْكِ وَلَا يَنْفَعُوهُمْ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ (٢) . ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ لُعِنُوا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (٢٣) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ﴾ الْعَفَائِفَ، ﴿الْغَافِلَاتِ﴾ عَنِ الْفَوَاحِشِ، ﴿الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ﴾ وَالْغَافِلَةُ عَنِ الْفَاحِشَةِ أَيْ: لَا يَقَعُ فِي قَلْبِهَا فِعْلُ الْفَاحِشَةِ وَكَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ كَذَلِكَ، قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿لُعِنُوا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ﴾ عُذِّبُوا بِالْحُدُودِ وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ بِالنَّارِ، ﴿وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: هَذَا فِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أُبَيٍّ الْمُنَافِقِ. رُوِيَ عَنْ خَصِيفٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِسَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ: مَنْ قَذْفَ مُؤْمِنَةً يَلْعَنُهُ اللَّهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ؟ فَقَالَ ذَلِكَ لِعَائِشَةَ خَاصَّةً (٣) . وَقَالَ قَوْمٌ: هِيَ لِعَائِشَةَ وَأَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ خَاصَّةً دُونَ سَائِرِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ. رُوِيَ عَنِ الْعَوَّامِ بْنِ حَوْشَبٍ عَنْ شَيْخٍ مِنْ بَنِي كَاهِلٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄ قَالَ: هَذِهِ فِي شَأْنِ عَائِشَةَ وَأَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ خَاصَّةً لَيْسَ فِيهَا تَوْبَةٌ، وَمِنْ قَذَفَ امْرَأَةً مُؤْمِنَةً فَقَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ تَوْبَةً ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ﴾ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا﴾ فَجَعَلَ لِهَؤُلَاءِ تَوْبَةً، وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ لِأُولَئِكَ تَوْبَةً (٤) . وَقَالَ الْآخَرُونَ: نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ فِي أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَكَانَ [ذَلِكَ] (٥) حِينَ نَزَلَتِ الْآيَةُ الَّتِي فِي أَوَّلِ السُّورَةِ ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ﴾ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ الْجَلْدَ وَالتَّوْبَةَ (٦) .

(١) أخرجه البخاري في التفسير: باب: "لولا إذ سمعتموه قلتم ما يكون لنا أن نتكلم بهذا سبحانك هذا بهتان عظيم" ٨ / ٤٥٥، ومسلم في التوبة، باب في حديث الإفك وقبول توبة القاذف، برقم (٢٧٧٠) : ٤ / ٢١٢٩-٢١٣٦. (٢) أخرجه الطبري: ١٨ / ١٠٢-١٠٣. (٣) عزاه السيوطي: (٦ / ١٦٤) لعبد بن حميد وابن جرير وابن المنذر والطبراني. قال الهيثمي (٦ / ٧٩) : رواه الطبراني وفيه يحيى الحماني وهو ضعيف. (٤) قال الهيثمي (٦ / ٨٠) : "رواه الطبراني بأسانيد، وفي هذا الإسناد راو لم يسم، وبقية رجاله ثقات، وهو أمثلها". (٥) في "ب" كذلك حتى. (٦) ذكر هذه الأقوال الطبري: ١٨ / ١٠٤-١٠٥ ثم قال مرجحا: "وأولى هذه الأقوال في ذلك عندي بالصواب، قول من قال: نزلت هذه الآية في شأن عائشة والحكم بها عام في كل من كان بالصفة التي وصفه الله بها فيها".