Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/117)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“They said, ‘Rather, we found our forefathers doing likewise.’ (74) He said, ‘Have you considered what you have been worshipping—(75) you and your forefathers of old? (76) Surely they are enemies to me, except the Lord of all worlds, (77) who created me and guides me, (78) and who feeds me and gives me drink.’ (79)

“They said, ‘Rather, we found our forefathers doing likewise’”: that is, the idols neither hear any speech, nor bring benefit, nor avert harm; rather, we merely followed the example of our forefathers. This demonstrates the invalidity of blind imitation in religion.

“He said, ‘Have you considered what you have been worshipping—you and your forefathers of old?’” That is, the earlier generations. “Surely they are enemies to me”: that is, enemies to me. The singular is used in the sense that every object you worship is an enemy to me. If it is asked: How could he describe idols as enemies when they are inanimate objects? The answer is that its meaning is: they will be enemies to me on the Day of Resurrection, were I to worship them (1), as the Exalted says: “They will deny their worship of them and become their opponents” (Maryam 82).

Al-Farra (2) said: This is an inverted expression; what was intended is: “I am an enemy to them,” for whomever you oppose is opposed to you. It was also said that “Surely they are enemies to me” means: I neither take them as patrons nor seek benefit through them, just as an enemy is neither taken as a patron nor is benefit sought through him.

His saying, “except the Lord of all worlds”: the scholars differed concerning this exception. It was said that it is a disconnected exception, as though he said: They are enemies to me, but the Lord of all worlds is my Patron (3). It was also said that they worshipped idols alongside Allah, so Abraham said: All that you worship are my enemies, except the Lord of all worlds (4). It was also said: None is worshipped by me except the Lord of all worlds, for I worship Him. Al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl said: Its meaning is: except whoever worships the Lord of all worlds.

He then described the One he worshipped, saying: “who created me and guides me”: that is, He directs me to the path of salvation. “And who feeds me and gives me drink”: that is, He provides for me and nourishes me with food and drink. He is my Provider, and my provision comes from Him.

(1) Al-Nahhas regarded this as one of the soundest interpretations offered for the meaning of the verse. Maʻani al-Quran, 5/87; al-Tabari, 19/84. (2) Maʻani al-Quran by al-Farra, 2/281. Abu Hayyan refuted it in al-Bahr al-Muhit, 7/24. (3) This is the view of most grammarians. See al-Bahr al-Muhit, 7/24; Maʻani al-Quran by al-Nahhas, 5/86; Zad al-Masir, 6/128. (4) This was stated by Ibn Zayd. Zad al-Masir, 6/128.

﴿قَالُوا بَلْ وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا كَذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ (٧٤) قَالَ أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْبُدُونَ (٧٥) أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمُ الْأَقْدَمُونَ (٧٦) فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِي إِلَّا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ (٧٧) الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ (٧٨) وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ (٧٩) ﴾ ﴿قَالُوا بَلْ وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا كَذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ﴾ مَعْنَاهُ: إِنَّهَا لَا تَسْمَعُ قَوْلًا وَلَا تَجْلِبُ نَفْعًا، وَلَا تَدْفَعُ ضَرًّا، لَكِنِ اقْتَدَيْنَا بِآبَائِنَا. فِيهِ إِبْطَالُ التَّقْلِيدِ فِي الدِّينِ. ﴿قَالَ أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْبُدُونَ أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمُ الْأَقْدَمُونَ﴾ الْأَوَّلُونَ. ﴿فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِي﴾ أَيْ: أَعْدَاءٌ لِي، وَوَحَّدَهُ عَلَى مَعْنَى أَنَّ كُلَّ مَعْبُودٍ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِي. فَإِنْ قِيلَ: كَيْفَ وَصَفَ الْأَصْنَامَ بِالْعَدَاوَةِ وَهِيَ جَمَادَاتٌ؟ قِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِي لَوْ عَبَدْتُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ (١) كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: "سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدًّا" (مَرْيَمَ-٨٢) . وَقَالَ الْفَرَّاءُ (٢) هُوَ مِنَ الْمَقْلُوبِ، أَرَادَ: فَإِنِّي عَدُوٌّ لَهُمْ، لِأَنَّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَهُ فَقَدْ عَادَاكَ. وَقِيلَ: "فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِي" عَلَى مَعْنَى إِنِّي لَا أَتَوَلَّاهُمْ وَلَا أَطْلُبُ مِنْ جِهَتِهِمْ نَفْعًا، كَمَا لَا يُتَوَلَّى الْعَدُوُّ، وَلَا يُطْلَبُ مِنْ جِهَتِهِ النَّفْعُ. قَوْلُهُ: ﴿إِلَّا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي هَذَا الِاسْتِثْنَاءِ، قِيلَ: هُوَ اسْتِثْنَاءٌ مُنْقَطِعٌ، كَأَنَّهُ قَالَ: فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِي لَكِنَّ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَلِيِّي (٣) . وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ الْأَصْنَامَ مَعَ اللَّهِ، فَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ: كُلُّ مَنْ تَعْبُدُونَ أَعْدَائِي إِلَّا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ (٤) . وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَعْبُودٍ لِي إِلَّا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ، فَإِنِّي أَعْبُدُهُ. وَقَالَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ: مَعْنَاهُ إِلَّا مَنْ عَبَدَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ. ثُمَّ وَصَفَ مَعْبُودَهُ فَقَالَ: ﴿الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ﴾ أَيْ: يُرْشِدُنِي إِلَى طَرِيقِ النَّجَاةِ. ﴿وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ﴾ أي: يرزقني ويغذني بِالطَّعَامِ وَالشَّرَابِ، فَهُوَ رَازِقِي وَمِنْ عِنْدِهِ رِزْقِي.

(١) جعله النحاس من أصح ما قيل في معنى الآية. معاني القرآن: ٥ / ٨٧، الطبري: ١٩ / ٨٤. (٢) معاني القرآن للفراء: ٢ / ٢٨١، ورده أبو حيان في البحر: ٧ / ٢٤. (٣) وهو قول أكثر النحويين: انظر: البحر المحيط: ٧ / ٢٤، معاني القرآن للنحاس: ٥ / ٨٦، زاد المسير: ٦ / ١٢٨. (٤) قاله ابن زيد، زاد المسير: ٦ / ١٢٨.