Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/48)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

It was also said that it means that it is temperate: neither in the east, where heat would harm it, nor in the west, where cold would harm it. It was also said that it is Syrian, for Syria is neither eastern nor western. Al-Hasan said: “This is not one of the trees of this world; if it were in this world, it would be either eastern or western. Rather, it is a parable that Allah has set forth for His light” (1).

“Whose oil would almost glow forth”—that is, its oil, due to its purity—“even though no fire has touched it,” meaning, before the fire reaches it. “Light upon light” means the light of the lamp upon the light of the glass. The scholars differed regarding the meaning of this parable. Some said that this parable was set forth for the light of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Ibn Abbas said to Ka'b al-Ahbar: “Tell me about His saying, Exalted is He: ‘The likeness of His light is as a niche.’” Ka'b replied: “This is a parable that Allah set forth for His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The niche is his breast, the glass is his heart, and the lamp within it is prophethood. It is kindled from a blessed tree, which is the tree of prophethood. The light of Muhammad and his affair would almost become evident to people, even if he did not speak and declare that he was a Prophet, just as that oil would almost glow forth even though no fire had touched it” (2).

Salim narrated from Ibn Umar concerning this verse: “The niche is the interior of Muhammad; the glass is his heart; and the lamp is the light that Allah placed within him. ‘Neither eastern nor western’ means: neither Jewish nor Christian. ‘Kindled from a blessed tree’ means Abraham. ‘Light upon light’: the heart of Abraham, and a light: the heart of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him” (3).

Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi said: “The niche is Abraham, the glass is Ishmael, and the lamp is Muhammad—may Allah’s blessings be upon them all. Allah called him a lamp just as He called him a shining lamp, when He, Exalted is He, said: ‘and a shining lamp’ (al-Ahzab 33:46). ‘Kindled from a blessed tree’: this is Abraham. He called him blessed because most of the prophets were from his loins. ‘Neither eastern nor western’ means that Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but was a devoutly upright Muslim, for the Jews pray toward the west and the Christians pray toward the east. ‘Whose oil would almost glow forth even though no fire has touched it’: the noble qualities of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, would almost become apparent to people before revelation was sent down to him. ‘Light upon light’: a prophet descended from a prophet—the light of Muhammad upon the light of Abraham.”

Others said that this parable was set forth for the light in the believer’s heart. Abu al-Aliyah narrated from Ubayy ibn Ka'b, who said: “This is the likeness of the believer: the niche is his soul, the glass is his breast, and the lamp is the faith and the Quran that Allah has placed within him,”

(1) Al-Tabari mentioned these views, then said: “The strongest of these views in interpreting this is that it is an eastern-western tree. The meaning is that it is not eastern, such that the sun reaches it in the afternoon but not in the morning; rather, the sun rises upon it and sets upon it, so it is eastern-western. We consider this interpretation more fitting because Allah described the oil used to light this lamp as pure and of excellent quality. If its tree is eastern-western, then its oil is undoubtedly better, purer, and brighter.” Tafsir al-Tabari, 18:142-143. (2) In Al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:198, al-Suyuti attributed it to Abd ibn Humayd, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and Ibn Mardawayh. (3) In Al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:198, al-Suyuti attributed it to al-Tabarani, Ibn Adi, Ibn Mardawayh, and Ibn Asakir.

وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ أَنَّهَا مُعْتَدِلَةٌ لَيْسَتْ فِي شَرْقٍ يَضُرُّهَا الْحَرُّ، وَلَا فِي غَرْبٍ يَضُرُّهَا الْبَرْدُ. وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ هِيَ شَامِيَّةٌ لِأَنَّ الشَّامَ لَا شَرْقِيٌّ وَلَا غَرْبِيٌّ. وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ: لَيْسَتْ هَذِهِ مِنْ أَشْجَارِ الدُّنْيَا وَلَوْ كَانَتْ فِي الدُّنْيَا لَكَانَتْ شَرْقِيَّةً أَوْ غَرْبِيَّةً وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ مَثَلٌ ضَرْبَهُ اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ (١) . ﴿يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا﴾ دُهْنُهَا، ﴿يُضِيءُ﴾ مِنْ صَفَائِهُ ﴿وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ﴾ أَيْ: قَبْلَ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُ النَّارُ، ﴿نُورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ﴾ يَعْنِي نُورُ الْمِصْبَاحِ عَلَى نُورِ الزُّجَاجَةِ. وَاخْتَلَفَ أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ فِي مَعْنَى هَذَا التَّمْثِيلِ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: وَقَعَ هَذَا التَّمْثِيلُ لِنُورِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لِكَعْبِ الْأَحْبَارِ: أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ﴾ فَقَالَ كَعْبٌ: هَذَا مَثَلٌ ضَرَبَهُ اللَّهُ لِنَبِيِّهِ ﷺ، فَالْمِشْكَاةُ صَدْرُهُ، وَالزُّجَاجَةُ قَلْبُهُ، وَالْمِصْبَاحُ فِيهِ النُّبُوَّةُ، تُوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ هِيَ شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ، يَكَادُ نُورُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَمْرُهُ يَتَبَيَّنُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَوْ لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ أَنَّهُ نَبِيٌّ كَمَا يَكَادُ ذَلِكَ الزَّيْتُ يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ (٢) . وَرَوَى سَالِمٌ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ قَالَ: الْمِشْكَاةُ: جَوْفُ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَالزُّجَاجَةُ: قَلْبُهُ، وَالْمِصْبَاحُ: النُّورُ الَّذِي جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ فِيهِ، لَا شَرْقِيَّةً وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةً: وَلَا يَهُودِيّ وَلَا نَصْرَانِيّ، تُوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ: إِبْرَاهِيمُ، نُورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ، قَلْبُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَنُورٌ: قَلَبُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ (٣) . وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَعْبٍ الْقُرَظِيُّ: "الْمِشْكَاةُ" إِبْرَاهِيمُ، وَ"الزُّجَاجَةُ": إِسْمَاعِيلُ وَ"الْمِصْبَاحُ": مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ سَمَّاهُ اللَّهُ مِصْبَاحًا كَمَا سَمَّاهُ سِرَاجًا فَقَالَ تَعَالَى: "وَسِرَاجًا مُنِيرًا" (الْأَحْزَابِ-٤٦) ، "تُوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ" وَهِيَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ، سَمَّاهُ مُبَارَكَةً لِأَنَّ أَكْثَرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ مِنْ صُلْبِهِ، "لَا شَرْقِيَّةً وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةً" يَعْنِي: إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِنْ كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُسْلِمًا لِأَنَّ الْيَهُودَ تُصَلِّي قِبَلَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَالنَّصَارَى تُصَلِّي قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ، تَكَادُ مَحَاسِنُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ تَظْهَرُ لِلنَّاسِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ "نُورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ": نَبِيٌّ مِنْ نَسْلِ نَبِيٍّ، نُورُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَى نُورِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: وَقَعَ هَذَا التَّمْثِيلُ لِنُورِ قَلْبِ الْمُؤْمِنِ. رَوَى أَبُو الْعَالِيَةِ عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ قَالَ: هَذَا مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ، فَالْمِشْكَاةُ نَفْسُهُ وَالزُّجَاجَةُ صَدْرُهُ، وَالْمِصْبَاحُ مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ، وَالْقُرْآنِ

(١) ذكر الطبري هذه الأقوال، ثم قال: "وأولى هذه الأقوال بتأويل ذلك، قول من قال: إنها شرقية غربية. وقال: ومعنى الكلام: ليست شرقية تطلع عليها الشمس بالعشي دون الغداة، ولكن الشمس تشرق عليها وتغرب، فهي شرقية غربية. وإنما قلنا ذلك أولى بمعنى الكلام؛ لأن الله إنما وصف الزيت يوقد على هذا المصباح بالصفاء والجودة، فإذا كان شجره شرقيا غربيا، كان زيته لا شك أجود وأصفى وأضوأ". تفسير الطبري: ١٨ / ١٤٢-١٤٣. (٢) عزاه السيوطي في "الدر": (٦ / ١٩٨) لعبد بن حميد، وابن جرير، وابن المنذر، وابن أبي حاتم وابن مردويه. (٣) عزاه السيوطي في "الدر": (٦ / ١٩٨) للطبراني وابن عدي وابن مردويه وابن عساكر.