Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/210)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“And you were not on the western side when We decreed the command to Moses, nor were you among the witnesses. But We brought forth generations after him, and long ages passed over them. Nor did you reside among the people of Midian, reciting Our verses to them; rather, We sent you as a messenger.” (44–45)

His saying, Most High: “And We gave Moses the Scripture, after We had destroyed the former generations” means the people of Noah, ‘Ad, Thamud, and others besides them, who came before Moses; “as enlightenment for the people,” so that they might see by means of that Scripture and be guided through it; “and guidance” away from misguidance for whoever acts upon it; “and mercy” for whoever believes in it; “so that they might take heed,” through the admonitions and clear proofs it contains.

“And you were not,” O Muhammad (1), “on the western side,” meaning, on the side of the western mountain. This was stated by Qatadah and al-Suddi. Al-Kalbi said: on the side of the western valley. Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: it refers to the place where Moses spoke privately with his Lord. “When We decreed the command to Moses,” meaning, We entrusted him with it and established the matter with him concerning the mission to Pharaoh and his people. “Nor were you among the witnesses”—that is, those present at that place, such that you could recount it from yourself.

“But We brought forth generations,” that is, We created nations after Moses, peace be upon him, “and long ages passed over them,” meaning, their respite became prolonged, so they forgot Allah’s covenant and abandoned His command. Allah, Most High, had indeed taken covenants from Moses and his people concerning Muhammad, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and belief in him. Then, when a long time had passed over them and generations succeeded one another, they forgot those covenants and neglected to fulfil them. “Nor did you reside,” that is, dwell, “among the people of Midian,” as Moses and Shu‘ayb had dwelt among them, “reciting Our verses to them,” reminding them of the promise and the warning. Muqatil said: That is, you did not witness the people of Midian so as to recite their account to the people of Mecca. “Rather, We sent you as a messenger,” meaning, We sent you as a messenger and revealed to you a Book containing these accounts, which you recite to them. Had it not been for that, you would not have known them or informed them of them.

(1) Omitted from manuscript "A."

﴿وَمَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى الْأَمْرَ وَمَا كُنْتَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ (٤٤) وَلَكِنَّا أَنْشَأْنَا قُرُونًا فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعُمُرُ وَمَا كُنْتَ ثَاوِيًا فِي أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ تَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا وَلَكِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ (٤٥) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الْأُولَى﴾ يَعْنِي: قَوْمَ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَغَيْرَهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ مُوسَى، ﴿بَصَائِرَ لِلنَّاسِ﴾ أَيْ: لِيُبْصِرُوا بِذَلِكَ الْكِتَابَ وَيَهْتَدُوا بِهِ، ﴿وَهُدًى﴾ الضَّلَالَةِ لِمَنْ عَمِلَ بِهِ، ﴿وَرَحْمَةً﴾ لِمَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ، ﴿لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ﴾ بِمَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْمَوَاعِظِ وَالْبَصَائِرِ. ﴿وَمَا كُنْتَ﴾ يَا مُحَمَّدُ (١) ، ﴿بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ﴾ يَعْنِي: بِجَانِبِ الْجَبَلِ الْغَرْبِيِّ، قَالَهُ قَتَادَةُ وَالسُّدِّيُّ، وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: بِجَانِبِ الْوَادِي الْغَرْبِيِّ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄: يُرِيدُ حَيْثُ نَاجَى مُوسَى رَبَّهُ، ﴿إِذْ قَضَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى الْأَمْرَ﴾ يَعْنِي عَهِدْنَا إِلَيْهِ وَأَحْكَمْنَا الْأَمْرَ مَعَهُ بِالرِّسَالَةِ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَقَوْمِهِ، ﴿وَمَا كُنْتَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ﴾ الْحَاضِرِينَ ذَلِكَ الْمَقَامَ فَتَذْكُرُهُ مِنْ ذَاتِ نَفْسِكَ. ﴿وَلَكِنَّا أَنْشَأْنَا قُرُونًا﴾ خَلَقْنَا أُمَمًا بَعْدَ مُوسَى ﵇، ﴿فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعُمُرُ﴾ أَيْ: طَالَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمُهْلَةُ فَنَسُوا عَهْدَ اللَّهِ وَتَرَكُوا أَمْرَهُ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ عَهِدَ إِلَى مُوسَى وَقَوْمِهِ عُهُودًا فِي مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَالْإِيمَانِ بِهِ، فَلَمَّا طَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعُمُرُ وَخُلِّفَتِ الْقُرُونَ بَعْدَ الْقُرُونِ نَسُوا تِلْكَ الْعُهُودَ وَتَرَكُوا الْوَفَاءَ بِهَا. ﴿وَمَا كُنْتَ ثَاوِيًا﴾ مُقِيمًا، ﴿فِي أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ﴾ كَمَقَامِ مُوسَى وَشُعَيْبٍ فِيهِمْ، ﴿تَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا﴾ تُذَكِّرُهُمْ بِالْوَعْدِ وَالْوَعِيدِ، قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: يَقُولُ لَمْ تَشْهَدْ أَهْلَ مَدْيَنَ فَتَقْرَأْ عَلَى أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ خَبَرَهُمْ، ﴿وَلَكِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ﴾ أَيْ: أَرْسَلْنَاكَ رَسُولًا وَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ كِتَابًا فِيهِ هَذِهِ الْأَخْبَارُ، فَتَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَوْلَا ذَلِكَ لَمَا عَلِمْتَهَا وَلَمْ تُخْبِرْهُمْ بِهَا.

(١) ساقط من "أ".