Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/358)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Allah’s way—“among those who passed on before”—that is, among the earlier prophets: He does not take them to task for what He has made lawful for them.

Al-Kalbi and Muqatil said: This refers to David, when He joined him to the woman he loved; likewise, He joined Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to Zaynab.

It was also said that by “the established way” He meant marriage, for it is among the practices of the prophets, peace be upon them. It was also said that it refers to having many wives, like David and Solomon, peace be upon them. (1)

“And Allah’s command is a decree determined”: a decree decreed, inevitable and already ordained.

“Those who convey the messages of Allah, fear Him, and fear no one but Allah. And sufficient is Allah as a Reckoner (39). Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. And Allah has full knowledge of all things (40).”

“Those who convey the messages of Allah”—that is, Allah’s established way with the prophets who convey the messages of Allah—(2) “and fear Him and fear no one but Allah”: they do not fear what people may say or their reproach concerning what Allah has made lawful for them and made obligatory upon them. “And sufficient is Allah as a Reckoner”: He preserves the deeds of His creation and calls them to account for them.

Then, when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, married Zaynab, the people said, “Muhammad has married the wife of his son.” So Allah, exalted is He, revealed: “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men”—(3) meaning Zayd ibn Harithah; that is, he is not the father of any of your men whom he did not beget, such that marrying their wives after they have separated from them would be forbidden to him.

If it is said: Did he not have sons—al-Qasim, al-Tayyib, al-Tahir, and Ibrahim—and likewise al-Hasan and al-Husayn, for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said of al-Hasan, “This son of mine is a chief”? It is said: They were young and had not become men.

The sound interpretation is what we have stated: that He meant, “the father of any of your men.” (4)

“But is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets”: Allah sealed prophethood through him. Asim recited “the Seal” with the letter ta pronounced with fathah, as a noun, meaning the last of them. The others recited it with the letter ta pronounced with kasrah, as an active participle, because Allah sealed the line of prophets through him; thus, he is their seal.

(1) See al-Bahr al-Muhit, 7/235-236, which states that the Jews disparaged him - i.e., the Prophet - for his numerous marriages and wives, so Allah refuted them with His saying: “the established way of Allah.” (2) The material within the parentheses is an addition from manuscript “B.” (3) See al-Tabari, 22/16. (4) See Masa'il al-Razi wa-Ajwibatuha min Ghara'ib Ay al-Tanzil, p. 282.

سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ، ﴿فِي الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلُ﴾ أَيْ: فِي الْأَنْبِيَاءِ الْمَاضِينَ أَنْ لَا يُؤَاخِذَهُمْ بِمَا أَحَلَّ لَهُمْ. قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ، وَمُقَاتِلٌ: أَرَادَ دَاوُدَ حِينَ جَمَعَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْمَرْأَةِ الَّتِي هَوِيَهَا فَكَذَلِكَ جَمَعَ بَيْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَبَيْنَ زَيْنَبَ. وَقِيلَ: أَشَارَ بِالسُّنَّةِ إِلَى النِّكَاحِ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ سُنَّةِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ ﵈. وَقِيلَ: إِلَى كَثْرَةِ الْأَزْوَاجِ مِثْلَ دَاوُدَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ ﵉. (١) ﴿وَكَانَ أَمْرُ، اللَّهِ قَدَرًا مَقْدُورًا﴾ قَضَاءً مَقْضِيًا كَائِنًا مَاضِيًا. ﴿الَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَخْشَوْنَهُ وَلَا يَخْشَوْنَ أَحَدًا إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ حَسِيبًا (٣٩) مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا (٤٠) ﴾ ﴿الَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالَاتِ اللَّهِ﴾ [يَعْنِي سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَنْبِيَاءِ الَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالَاتِ اللَّهِ] (٢) ﴿وَيَخْشَوْنَهُ وَلَا يَخْشَوْنَ أَحَدًا إِلَّا اللَّهَ﴾ لَا يَخْشَوْنَ قَالَةَ النَّاسِ وَلَائِمَتَهُمْ فِيمَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ وَفَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ، ﴿وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ حَسِيبًا﴾ حَافِظًا لِأَعْمَالِ خَلْقِهِ وَمُحَاسِبَهُمْ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمَّا تَزَوَّجَ زَيْنَبَ قَالَ النَّاسُ: إِنْ مُحَمَّدًا تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةَ ابْنِهِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷿: ﴿مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ﴾ (٣) يَعْنِي: زَيْدَ بْنَ حَارِثَةَ، أَيْ: لَيْسَ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمُ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلِدْهُمْ فَيَحْرُمَ عَلَيْهِ نِكَاحُ زَوْجَتِهِ بَعْدَ فِرَاقِهِ إِيَّاهَا. فَإِنْ قِيلَ: أَلَيْسَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ أَبْنَاءٌ: الْقَاسِمُ، وَالطَّيِّبُ، وَالطَّاهِرُ، وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ، وَكَذَلِكَ: الْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ، فَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لِلْحَسَنِ: إِنَّ ابْنِي هَذَا سَيِّدٌ؟ . قِيلَ: هَؤُلَاءِ كَانُوا صِغَارًا لَمْ يَكُونُوا رِجَالًا. وَالصَّحِيحُ مَا قُلْنَا: إِنَّهُ أَرَادَ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ (٤) . ﴿وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ﴾ خَتَمَ اللَّهُ بِهِ النُّبُوَّةَ، وَقَرَأَ عَاصِمٌ: "خَاتَمَ" بِفَتْحِ التَّاءِ عَلَى الِاسْمِ، أَيْ: آخِرَهُمْ، وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ بِكَسْرِ التَّاءِ عَلَى الْفَاعِلِ، لِأَنَّهُ خَتَمَ بِهِ النَّبِيِّينَ فَهُوَ خَاتَمُهُمْ.

(١) انظر: البحر المحيط: ٧ / ٢٣٥-٢٣٦ وفيه: أن اليهود عابوه أي: النبي ﷺ -بكثرة النكاح وكثرة الأزواج فرد الله عليهم بقوله: "سنة الله". (٢) ما بين القوسين زيادة من "ب". (٣) انظر: الطبري: ٢٢ / ١٦. (٤) انظر: مسائل الرازي وأجوبتها من غرائب آي التنزيل ص (٢٨٢) .