Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/171)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Indeed, in that is a sign”: a lesson, “for a people who know” Our power. “And We saved those who believed and were mindful of Allah.” It is said that four thousand of them were saved.

His statement, exalted is He: “And Lot, when he said to his people, ‘Do you commit this obscenity’”—that is, this vile deed—“while you see?” That is, while knowing that it is an obscenity. It was also said that it means: they would see one another, and, out of their insolence, they did not conceal themselves.

“Do you indeed approach men with desire instead of women? Rather, you are a people who are ignorant.” “But the only answer of his people was that they said, ‘Expel Lot’s family from your town. They are people who keep themselves pure’”—from anal intercourse with men. “So We saved him and his family, except for his wife; We decreed”—that is, We passed judgment against her and, by Our decree, made her—“among those who remained behind,” meaning, those left behind in the punishment. “And We rained upon them a rain”—namely, stones—“and evil was the rain of those who had been warned.”

His statement, exalted is He: “Say, ‘All praise is for Allah.’” This is an address to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, commanding him to praise Allah for the destruction of the disbelievers among the former nations. It was also said: for all His blessings. “And peace be upon His servants whom He has chosen.” Muqatil said: They are the prophets and messengers (1), as indicated by His statement, mighty and majestic is He: “And peace be upon the messengers.”

Ibn Abbas, in the narration of Abu Malik, said: They are the Companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him (2). Al-Kalbi said: They are the community of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him (3). It was also said: They are all the believers, both earlier and later generations (4). “Is Allah better, or what they associate with Him?” The scholars of Basra and Asim recited, “what they associate,” with “they”; the others recited it with “you,” addressing the people of Mecca. This establishes the proof against the idolaters after the destruction of the disbelievers. It means: Is Allah better for the one who worships Him, or are idols better for those who worship them? The meaning is that Allah saved those who worshipped Him from destruction, whereas the idols did nothing to avail their worshippers when the punishment descended.

“Or is He who created the heavens and the earth and sent down water from the sky for you, by which We brought forth splendid gardens? It was not for you to make their trees grow. Is there a god besides Allah? Rather, they are a people who ascribe equals to Him. (60) Or is He who made the earth a settled place, placed rivers through it, set firm mountains upon it, and placed a barrier between the two seas? Is there a god besides Allah? Rather, most of them do not know. (61)”

“Or is He who created the heavens and the earth”: its meaning is, Are your gods better, or He who created the heavens and the earth? “And sent down water from the sky for you,” meaning rain, “by which We brought forth gardens”—orchards; the plural of garden. Al-Farra said: A garden is an orchard enclosed by a wall; if it has no wall around it, it is not called a garden. “Splendid,” that is, of beautiful appearance. Splendour is the beauty that delights whoever beholds it. “It was not for you to make their trees grow,” meaning, it was not possible for you, because you have no power to do so. “Is there a god besides Allah?” This is a rhetorical question of denial; that is, is there any deity besides Him who assisted Him in His creation? Rather, there is no god beside Him. “Rather, they are a people,” meaning the disbelievers of Mecca, “who ascribe equals to Him,” meaning, who commit polytheism. “Or is He who made the earth a settled place,” so that it does not shake with its inhabitants, “and placed through it”—that is, in its midst (5)—“rivers” flowing with water, “and set firm mountains upon it,” that is, stable mountains, “and placed between the two seas”—the fresh and the salty—“a barrier.”

(1) This is narrated from Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd, and Abu Salih narrated it from Ibn Abbas. See: Zad al-Masir, 6:184; Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 3:370. (2) Al-Tabari narrated it from Ibn Abbas and Sufyan al-Thawri, and it is also a narration from al-Suddi. Ibn Kathir said: “There is no contradiction between the two views. If they are among Allah’s chosen servants, then the prophets are even more deserving of this description. The point is that Allah Most High commanded His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and those who followed him, after informing them of what He had done for His allies in granting them salvation, victory, and support, and what He had inflicted upon His enemies of disgrace, punishment, and subjugation, to praise Him for all His actions and to invoke peace upon His chosen, righteous servants.” See: Tafsir al-Tabari, 20:2; Zad al-Masir, 6:185; al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:370; Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 3:370; Maʻani al-Quran by al-Nahhas, 5:143. (3) See: Zad al-Masir, 6:185, where it is attributed to Ibn al-Saib. (4) According to the narration of Ata from Ibn Abbas, they are those who affirmed Allah’s oneness and believed in Him. See: Zad al-Masir, 6:185. (5) Omitted from manuscript “A.”

﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً﴾ لَعِبْرَةً، ﴿لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ قُدْرَتَنَا. ﴿وَأَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ﴾ يُقَالُ: كَانَ النَّاجُونَ مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعَةَ آلَافٍ. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ﴾ وَهِيَ الْفِعْلَةُ الْقَبِيحَةُ، ﴿وَأَنْتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ﴾ أَيْ: تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهَا فَاحِشَةٌ. وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ يَرَى بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا وَكَانُوا لَا يَسْتَتِرُونَ عُتُوًّا مِنْهُمْ. ﴿أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ شَهْوَةً مِنْ دُونِ النِّسَاءِ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ﴾ ﴿فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا أَخْرِجُوا آلَ لُوطٍ مِنْ قَرْيَتِكُمْ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ﴾ مِنْ أَدْبَارِ الرِّجَالِ. ﴿فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَهُ قَدَّرْنَاهَا﴾ قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهَا وَجَعَلْنَاهَا بِتَقْدِيرِنَا، ﴿مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ﴾ أَيِ: الْبَاقِينَ فِي الْعَذَابِ. ﴿وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَطَرًا﴾ وَهُوَ الْحِجَارَةُ، ﴿فَسَاءَ﴾ فَبِئْسَ، ﴿مَطَرُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ﴾ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ﴾ هَذَا خِطَابٌ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أُمِرَ أَنْ يَحْمَدَ اللَّهَ عَلَى هَلَاكِ كُفَّارِ الْأُمَمِ الْخَالِيَةِ. وَقِيلَ: عَلَى جَمِيعِ نِعَمِهِ. ﴿وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَى﴾ قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: هُمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ وَالْمُرْسَلُونَ (١) دَلِيلُهُ قَوْلُهُ ﷿: "وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ". وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي مَالِكٍ هُمْ أَصْحَابُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ (٢) . وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: هُمْ أُمَّةُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ (٣) . وَقِيلَ: هُمْ كُلُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنَ السَّابِقِينَ وَاللَّاحِقِينَ (٤) ﴿آللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمْ مَا يُشْرِكُونَ﴾ قَرَأَ أَهْلُ الْبَصْرَةِ وَعَاصِمٌ: ﴿يُشْرِكُونَ﴾ بِالْيَاءِ، وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ بِالتَّاءِ، يُخَاطِبُ أَهْلَ مَكَّةَ، وَفِيهِ إِلْزَامُ الْحُجَّةِ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ بَعْدَ هَلَاكِ الْكُفَّارِ، يَقُولُ: آللَّهُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنْ عَبَدَهُ، أَمِ الْأَصْنَامُ لِمَنْ عَبَدَهَا؟ وَالْمَعْنَى: أَنَّ اللَّهَ نَجَّى مَنْ عَبَدَهَ مِنَ الْهَلَاكِ، وَالْأَصْنَامُ لَمْ تُغْنِ شَيْئًا عَنْ عَابِدِيهَا عِنْدَ نُزُولِ الْعَذَابِ. ﴿أَمْ مَنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَأَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَنْبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَائِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ مَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُنْبِتُوا شَجَرَهَا أَإِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ (٦٠) أَمْ مَنْ جَعَلَ الْأَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَجَعَلَ خِلَالَهَا أَنْهَارًا وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَاسِيَ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ حَاجِزًا أَإِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (٦١) ﴾ ﴿أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ﴾ مَعْنَاهُ آلِهَتُكُمْ خَيْرٌ أَمِ الذي خلق السموات وَالْأَرْضَ، ﴿وَأَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً﴾ يَعْنِي الْمَطَرَ، ﴿فَأَنْبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَائِقَ﴾ ؟ بَسَاتِينَ جَمْعُ حَدِيقَةٍ، قَالَ الْفَرَّاءُ: الْحَدِيقَةُ الْبُسْتَانُ الْمُحَاطُ عَلَيْهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهِ حَائِطٌ فَلَيْسَ بِحَدِيقَةٍ، ﴿ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ﴾ أَيْ: مَنْظَرٍ حَسَنٍ، وَالْبَهْجَةُ: الْحُسْنُ يَبْتَهِجُ بِهِ مَنْ يَرَاهُ، ﴿مَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُنْبِتُوا شَجَرَهَا﴾ أَيْ: مَا يَنْبَغِي لَكُمْ، لِأَنَّكُمْ لَا تَقْدِرُونَ عَلَيْهَا. ﴿أَإِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ﴾ اسْتِفْهَامٌ عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْإِنْكَارِ، أَيْ: هَلْ مَعَهُ مَعْبُودٌ سِوَاهُ أَعَانَهُ عَلَى صُنْعِهِ؟ بَلْ لَيْسَ مَعَهُ إِلَهٌ. ﴿بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ﴾ يَعْنِي كُفَّارَ مَكَّةَ، ﴿يَعْدِلُونَ﴾ يُشْرِكُونَ. ﴿أَمَّنْ جَعَلَ الْأَرْضَ قَرَارًا﴾ لَا تَمِيدُ بِأَهْلِهَا، ﴿وَجَعَلَ خِلَالَهَا﴾ وَسَطَهَا (٥) ﴿أَنْهَارًا﴾ تَطْرُدُ بِالْمِيَاهِ، ﴿وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَاسِيَ﴾ جِبَالًا ثَوَابِتَ، ﴿وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ﴾ الْعَذْبِ وَالْمَالِحِ، ﴿حَاجِزًا﴾

(١) وهو مروي عن عبد الرحمن بن زيد، ورواه أبو صالح عن ابن عباس. انظر: زاد المسير: ٦ / ١٨٤، ابن كثير: ٣ / ٣٧٠. (٢) رواه الطبري عن ابن عباس وسفيان الثوري وهو رواية السدي. قال ابن كثير: ولا منافاة بينهما، فإنهم إذا كانوا من عباد الله الذين اصطفى، فالأنبياء بطريق الأولى والأحرى، والقصد أن الله تعالى أمر رسوله ﷺ ومن اتبعه بعد ذكره لهم ما فعل بأوليائه من النجاة والنصر والتأييد، وما أحل بأعدائه من الخزي والنكال والقهر، أن يحمدوه على جميع أفعاله، وأن يسلموا على عباده المصطفين الأخيار. انظر: الطبري: ٢٠ / ٢، زاد المسير: ٦ / ١٨٥، الدر المنثور: ٦ / ٣٧٠ تفسير ابن كثير: ٣ / ٣٧٠، معاني القرآن للنحاس: ٥ / ١٤٣. (٣) انظر: زاد المسير: ٦ / ١٨٥ فقد عزاه لابن السائب. (٤) فيما روى عطاء عن ابن عباس: أنهم الذين وحدوا الله وآمنوا به. انظر: زاد المسير: ٦ / ١٨٥. (٥) ساقط من "أ".