Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/65)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

the key, he is its keeper; so there is no blame upon him if he eats a small amount. Al-Suddi said: A man may entrust his food to someone else to look after it, and there is no blame upon that person if he eats from it. Others said that “those whose keys you possess” means what you have stored with yourselves. Mujahid and Qatadah said: It means from your own homes—that which you have secured and owned.

“Or the home of your friend.” A friend is one who is sincere in his affection for you. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: This was revealed concerning al-Harith ibn Amr, who went out on campaign with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and left Malik ibn Zayd in charge of his family. When he returned, he found him exhausted and asked him about his condition. He replied, “I felt constrained from eating your food without your permission.” So Allah revealed this verse. (1)

Al-Hasan and Qatadah held, on the basis of this verse, that a man may enter his friend’s home and partake of his food without first seeking his permission to eat. The meaning is: “There is no blame upon you if you eat” from the homes of these people when you enter them, even if they are absent, so long as you do not take provisions away or carry anything off.

His words: “There is no blame upon you whether you eat together or separately” were revealed concerning Banu Layth ibn Amr, a clan of Banu Kinanah. A man among them would not eat alone until he found a guest to eat with him. At times, a man would remain seated with food before him from morning until the afternoon. At times, he would have camels with full udders, yet would not drink their milk until he found someone to drink with him. If evening came and he found no one, he would eat. This was the view of Qatadah, al-Dahhak, and Ibn Jurayj. (2)

Ata al-Khurasani related from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him: A wealthy man would visit a poor relative or friend and invite him to eat with him. The poor man would say, “By Allah, I feel constrained”—that is, “I feel uneasy about eating with you while I am wealthy and you are poor.” Then this verse was revealed. (3)

Ikrimah and Abu Salih said: It was revealed concerning some people among the Ansar who, when a guest came to them, would not eat except together with their guest. 44/a Allah granted them permission to eat as they wished, whether together or separately. (4)

(1) Mentioned by al-Suyuti in al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:225, through al-Tha'labi's narration from Ibn Abbas. (2) See al-Tabari, 18:172; Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 382; al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:225. (3) Al-Tabari, 18:172. (4) Al-Tabari, 18:172. Al-Suyuti additionally attributed it to Ibn al-Mundhir, and al-Wahidi mentioned it on p. 382 on the authority of Ikrimah. Al-Tabari said: “The soundest view in this matter is that Allah has removed blame from Muslims for eating together, if they wish, or separately, if they wish. It is possible that this was revealed because some wealthy people were apprehensive about eating with the poor; it is also possible that it was revealed because of those people who were said not to eat alone, or for some other reason. However, there is no report concerning any of this that establishes decisive proof, nor is there anything in the apparent wording of the revelation to indicate its actual basis. What is correct is to accept what the apparent wording of the revelation indicates and to withhold judgment concerning that for which no evidence of authenticity has been established.”

الْمِفْتَاحَ فَهُوَ خَازِنٌ، فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَطْعَمَ الشَّيْءَ الْيَسِيرَ. وَقَالَ السُّدِّيُّ: الرَّجُلُ يُوَلِّي طَعَامَهُ غَيْرَهُ يَقُومُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ مِنْهُ وَقَالَ قَوْمٌ: "مَا مَلَكْتُمْ مَفَاتِحَهُ" مَا خَزَنْتُمُوهُ عِنْدَكُمْ قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ وَقَتَادَةُ: مِنْ بُيُوتِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ مِمَّا أَحْرَزْتُمْ وَمَلَكْتُمْ. ﴿أَوْ صَدِيقِكُمْ﴾ الصَّدِيقُ الَّذِي صَدَقَكَ فِي الْمَوَدَّةِ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: نَزَلَتْ فِي الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو ﵁، خَرَجَ غَازِيًا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَخَلَّفَ مَالِكَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ وَجَدَهُ مَجْهُودًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ حَالِهِ، فَقَالَ: تَحَرَّجْتُ أَنْ آكُلَ طَعَامَكَ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِكَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ (١) . وَكَانَ الْحَسَنُ وَقَتَادَةُ يَرَيَانِ دُخُولَ الرَّجُلِ بَيْتَ صَدِيقِهِ وَالتَّحَرُّمَ بِطَعَامِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ اسْتِئْذَانِ مِنْهُ فِي الْأَكْلِ بِهَذِهِ الْآيَةِ. وَالْمَعْنَى: ﴿لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَأْكُلُوا﴾ مِنْ مَنَازِلَ هَؤُلَاءِ إِذَا دَخَلْتُمُوهَا وَإِنْ لَمْ يَحْضُرُوا، مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تَتَزَوَّدُوا وَتَحْمِلُوا. قَوْلُهُ: ﴿لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَأْكُلُوا جَمِيعًاأَوْ أَشْتَاتًا﴾ نَزَلَتْ فِي بَنِي لَيْثِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، وَهُمْ حَيٌّ مِنْ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْهُمْ لَا يَأْكُلُ وَحْدَهُ حَتَّى يَجِدَ ضَيْفًا يَأْكُلُ مَعَهُ، فَرُبَّمَا قَعَدَ الرَّجُلُ وَالطَّعَامُ، بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الصَّبَاحِ إِلَى الرَّوَاحِ، وَرُبَّمَا كَانَتْ مَعَهُ الْإِبِلُ الْحُفَّلُ، فَلَا يَشْرَبُ مِنْ أَلْبَانِهَا حَتَّى يَجِدَ مَنْ يُشَارِبُهُ، فَإِذَا أَمْسَى وَلَمْ يَجِدْ أَحَدًا أَكَلَ، هَذَا قَوْلُ قَتَادَةَ وَالضَّحَاكِ وَابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ (٢) وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ الْخُرَاسَانِيُّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄: كَانَ الْغَنِيُّ يَدْخُلُ عَلَى الْفَقِيرِ مِنْ ذَوِي قَرَابَتِهِ وَصَدَاقَتِهِ فَيَدْعُوهُ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ، فَيَقُولُ: وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لِأَجَّنَّحُ، أَيْ: أَتَحَرَّجُ أَنْ آكُلَ مَعَكَ وَأَنَا غَنِيٌّ وَأَنْتَ فَقِيرٌ، فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ (٣) . وَقَالَ عِكْرِمَةُ وَأَبُو صَالِحٍ: نَزَلَتْ فِي قَوْمٍ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ كَانُوا لَا يَأْكُلُونَ إِذَا نَزَلَ بهم ضيف ٤٤/أإِلَّا مَعَ ضَيْفِهِمْ، فَرَخَّصَ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلُوا كَيْفَ شَاءُوا، جَمِيعًا أَوْ أَشْتَاتًا مُتَفَرِّقِينَ (٤) .

(١) ذكره السيوطي في الدر المنثور: (٦ / ٢٢٥) من رواية الثعلبي عن ابن عباس. (٢) انظر: الطبري ١٨ / ١٧٢، أسباب النزول ص (٣٨٢) ، الدر المنثور: ٦ / ٢٢٥. (٣) الطبري: ١٨ / ١٧٢. (٤) الطبري: ١٨ / ١٧٢، وزاد السيوطي نسبته لابن المنذر، وذكره الواحدي ص (٣٨٢) عن عكرمة. وقال الطبري: "وأولى الأقوال في ذلك بالصواب، أن يقال: إن الله وضع الحرج عن المسلمين أن يأكلوا جميعا معا إذا شاءوا، أو أشتاتا متفرقين إذا أرادوا. وجائز أن يكون ذلك نزل بسبب من كان يتخوف من الأغنياء الأكل مع الفقير، وجائز أن يكون نزل بسبب القوم الذين ذكر أنهم كانوا لا يطعمون وحدانا، وبسبب غير ذلك. ولا خبر بشيء من ذلك يقطع العذر، ولا دلالة في ظاهر التنزيل على حقيقة شيء منه، والصواب: التسليم لما دل عليه ظاهر التنزيل، والتوقف فيما لم يقم على صحته دليل".