Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/356)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

This is the more preferable view and the one more fitting to the station of the Prophets, and it accords with the wording of the verse. For Allah knew that He would disclose and make manifest what he had concealed, yet He disclosed nothing other than His marrying her to him, saying, “We married her to you.” Had what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, concealed been his love for her or his wish that she be divorced, Allah would have disclosed that as well. For it is not possible that He should inform him that He would disclose something, then conceal it and not disclose it. This shows that he was reproached only for concealing what Allah had informed him: that she would become his wife. He concealed it only out of modesty, lest he say to Zayd, “The woman who is now under your care and married to you will become my wife.” This is a sound and satisfactory view.

Even if the other view is accepted—that he concealed his love for her, or his intention to marry her if Zayd divorced her—it does not impugn the station of the Prophets. For a servant is not blameworthy for thoughts that arise in his heart concerning such matters, so long as he does not intend thereby to commit sins. Affection and the inclination of the soul are part of human nature.

His words, “Keep your wife and fear Allah,” were an instruction to do what is right, and his apprehension involved no sin.

As for His saying, “Allah has more right that you fear Him,” this does not mean that he had not feared Allah in what had preceded. For he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “I am the one among you with the greatest fear of Allah and the greatest mindfulness of Him.” Rather, when Allah mentioned fear of people, He stated that He, exalted is He, has more right to be feared in all circumstances and in every matter.

His words, exalted is He, “Then, when Zayd had fulfilled his need of her, We married her to you,” mean: when he had fulfilled his marital need with her. The fulfillment of that need is mentioned so that it may be known that the wife of an adopted son becomes lawful after the marriage has been consummated.

Anas said: Zaynab would pride herself before the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, “Your families gave you in marriage, whereas Allah married me to him from above the seven heavens.” (1)

Al-Shabi said: Zaynab used to say to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “I have three distinctions over you which none of your other wives can claim: my grandfather and your grandfather are one; Allah married me to you in heaven; and Gabriel, peace be upon him, was the messenger.” (2)

Ismail ibn Abd al-Qahir informed us; Abd al-Ghaffar ibn Muhammad informed us; Muhammad ibn Isa al-Juludi informed us; Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Sufyan informed us; Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj informed us; Muhammad ibn Hatim ibn Maymun related to me; Bahz informed us; Sulayman ibn al-Mughirah informed us, from Thabit, from Anas, who said:

When Zaynab’s waiting period had ended, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Zayd, “Speak to her on my behalf.” Zayd said: So I went to her while she was preparing her dough. When I saw her, she became so imposing in my heart that I could not look at her, because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had mentioned her. So I turned my back to her and stepped back on my heels, then said, “O Zaynab, the Messenger of Allah has sent me to propose to you.”

She said, “I will not do anything until I seek my Lord’s counsel.” Then she rose and went to her place of prayer. The Quran was revealed, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came and entered upon her without seeking permission.

(1) Reported by al-Bukhari in Kitab al-Tawhid, chapter: “His Throne was upon the water,” 13/403-404. (2) Reported by al-Tabari, 22/14. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar stated in Fath al-Bari, 13/412: “It was reported by al-Tabari and Abu al-Qasim al-Tahawi in his book al-Hujjah wa al-Tibyan, through a mursal narration from al-Sha'bi.”

وَهَذَا هُوَ الْأَوْلَى وَالْأَلْيَقُ بِحَالِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَهُوَ مُطَابِقٌ لِلتِّلَاوَةِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ يُبْدِي وَيُظْهِرُ مَا أَخْفَاهُ وَلَمْ يُظْهِرْ غَيْرَ تَزْوِيجِهَا مِنْهُ فَقَالَ: "زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا" فَلَوْ كَانَ الَّذِي أَضْمَرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَحَبَّتَهَا أَوْ إِرَادَةَ طَلَاقِهَا لَكَانَ يُظْهِرُ ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُخْبِرَ أَنَّهُ يُظْهِرُهُ ثُمَّ يَكْتُمُهُ فَلَا يَظْهِرُهُ، فَدَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ إِنَّمَا عُوتِبَ عَلَى إِخْفَاءِ مَا أَعْلَمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهَا سَتَكُونُ زَوْجَةً لَهُ، وَإِنَّمَا أَخْفَاهُ اسْتِحْيَاءً أَنْ يَقُولَ لِزَيْدٍ: الَّتِي تَحْتَكَ وَفِي نِكَاحِكَ سَتَكُونُ امْرَأَتِي، وَهَذَا قَوْلٌ حَسَنٌ مُرْضٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْقَوْلُ الْآخَرُ وَهُوَ أَنَّهُ أَخْفَى مَحَبَّتَهَا أَوْ نِكَاحَهَا لَوْ طَلَّقَهَا لَا يَقْدَحُ فِي حَالِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، لِأَنَّ الْعَبْدَ غَيْرُ مَلُومٍ عَلَى مَا يَقَعُ فِي قَلْبِهِ فِي مِثْلِ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ مَا لَمْ يَقْصِدْ فِيهِ الْمَآثِمَ، لِأَنَّ الْوُدَّ وَمَيْلَ النَّفْسِ مِنْ طَبْعِ الْبَشَرِ. وَقَوْلُهُ: "أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ" أَمْرٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَهُوَ خَشْيَةٌ لَا إِثْمَ فِيهِ. وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ﴾ لَمْ يُرِدْ بِهِ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَخْشَى اللَّهَ فِيمَا سَبَقَ فَإِنَّهُ ﵇ قَدْ قَالَ: "أَنَا أَخْشَاكُمْ لِلَّهِ وَأَتْقَاكُمْ لَهُ"، وَلَكِنَّهُ لَمَّا ذَكَرَ الْخَشْيَةَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ذَكَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَحَقُّ بِالْخَشْيَةِ فِي عُمُومِ الْأَحْوَالِ وَفِي جَمِيعِ الْأَشْيَاءِ. قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا﴾ أَيْ: حَاجَةً مِنْ نِكَاحِهَا، ﴿زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا﴾ وَذَكَرَ قَضَاءَ الْوَطَرِ لِيُعْلَمَ أَنَّ زَوْجَةَ الْمُتَبَنَّى تَحِلُّ بَعْدَ الدُّخُولِ بِهَا. قَالَ أَنَسٌ: كَانَتْ زَيْنَبُ تَفْتَخِرُ عَلَى أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَتَقُولُ: زَوَّجَكُنَّ أَهَالِيكُنَّ وَزَوَّجَنِي اللَّهُ مِنْ فَوْقِ سَبْعِ سَمَوَاتٍ. (١) وَقَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ: كَانَتْ زَيْنَبُ تَقُولُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ: إِنِّي لَأَدْلُ عَلَيْكَ بِثَلَاثٍ مَا مِنْ نِسَائِكَ امْرَأَةٌ تَدْلُ بِهِنَّ: جَدِّي وَجَدُّكَ وَاحِدٌ، أَنِّي أَنْكَحَنِيكَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ، وَإِنَّ السَّفِيرَ لَجِبْرِيلُ ﵇ (٢) . أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْقَاهِرِ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْغَفَّارِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى الْجُلُودِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُفْيَانَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ الْحَجَّاجِ، حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمِ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا بَهْزٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: لَمَّا انْقَضَتْ عِدَّةُ زَيْنَبَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِزَيْدٍ: "فَاذْكُرْهَا عَلَيَّ"، قَالَ: فَانْطَلَقَ زَيْدٌ حَتَّى أَتَاهَا وَهِيَ تُخَمِّرُ عَجِينَهَا، قَالَ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهَا عَظُمَتْ فِي صَدْرِي حَتَّى مَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا لِأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَكَرَهَا، فَوَلَّيْتُهَا ظَهْرِي وَنَكَصْتُ عَلَى عَقِبِي، فَقُلْتُ: يَا زَيْنَبُ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَذْكُرُكِ. قَالَتْ: مَا أَنَا بِصَانِعَةٍ شَيْئًا حَتَّى أُؤَامِرَ رَبِّي، فَقَامَتْ إِلَى مَسْجِدِهَا، وَنَزَلَ الْقُرْآنُ، وَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا بِغَيْرِ إِذْنٍ.

(١) أخرجه البخاري في التوحيد، باب: وكان عرشه على الماء: ١٣ / ٤٠٣-٤٠٤. (٢) أخرجه الطبري: ٢٢ / ١٤، قال الحافظ ابن حجر في الفتح: ١٣ / ٤١٢: أخرجه الطبري وأبو القاسم الطحاوي في كتاب "الحجة والتبيان" من مرسل الشعبي.