Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/376)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

The meaning of causing harm is disobeying Allah Most High’s command and committing acts of disobedience. It is expressed in terms familiar among people in their dealings with one another, whereas Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is far above being harmed by anyone. As for harming the Messenger, Ibn Abbas said: It was when his face was wounded and his incisor was broken. It was also said: by calling him a poet, a sorcerer, one taught by others, and a madman.

“And those who harm believing men and believing women without their having done anything to deserve it have certainly borne a slander and a manifest sin. (58) O Prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and the believing women to draw their outer garments over themselves. That is more suitable, so that they may be recognized and not harmed. And Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (59)”

“And those who harm believing men and believing women without their having done anything to deserve it”: that is, without knowing of anything that would justify harming them. Mujahid said: They speak ill of them and accuse them without any offense on their part. “They have certainly borne a slander and a manifest sin.”

Muqatil said: This was revealed concerning Ali ibn Abi Talib, for some of the hypocrites used to harm and insult him. (1)

It was also said that it was revealed concerning Aishah. (2)

Al-Dahhak and al-Kalbi said: It was revealed concerning the fornicators who used to walk through the streets of Medina, following women when they went out at night to attend to their needs. They would make lewd gestures at a woman; if she remained silent, they would follow her, but if she rebuked them, they would leave her alone. They sought only slave women, but they could not distinguish a free woman from a slave woman, since they all dressed alike: both free women and slave women would go out wearing a shift and a head covering. The women complained of this to their husbands, who mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Then this verse was revealed: “And those who harm believing men and believing women,” (3) to the end of the verse.

Then He forbade free women from resembling slave women, saying—majestic is His praise: “O Prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and the believing women to draw their outer garments over themselves.” Outer garments are wraps with which a woman covers herself over her shift and head covering.

Ibn Abbas and Abu Ubaydah said: He commanded believing women to cover their heads and faces with their outer garments, leaving only one eye exposed, so that they would be recognized as free women.

(1) Cited by al-Wahidi in Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 420; the material in parentheses has been supplied from it. See also al-Qurtubi, 14:420. (2) See the preceding commentary on Surat al-Nur, verse 11 and what follows. (3) Cited by al-Wahidi in Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 420. He said: “The evidence for its soundness is His saying: ‘O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters...’” He then cited, with his chain of transmission, from Haytham, from Husayn, from Abu Malik, who said: “The believing women would go out at night to relieve themselves, and the hypocrites would accost and harass them; then this verse was revealed.” See also al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:659; Ibn Kathir, 3:519-520.

وَمَعْنَى الْأَذَى: هُوَ مُخَالَفَةُ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَارْتِكَابُ مَعَاصِيهِ، ذَكَرَهُ عَلَى مَا يَتَعَارَفُهُ النَّاسُ بَيْنَهُمْ، وَاللَّهُ ﷿ مُنَزَّهٌ عَنْ أَنْ يَلْحَقَهُ أَذَىً مِنْ أَحَدٍ، وَإِيذَاءُ الرَّسُولِ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: هُوَ أَنَّهُ شُجَّ فِي وَجْهِهِ وَكُسِرَتْ رُبَاعِيَّتُهُ. وَقِيلَ: شَاعِرٌ، سَاحِرٌ، مُعَلَّمٌ، مَجْنُونٌ. ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ بِغَيْرِ مَا اكْتَسَبُوا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلُوا بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا (٥٨) يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا (٥٩) ﴾ ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ بِغَيْرِ مَا اكْتَسَبُوا﴾ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ عَلِمُوا مَا أَوْجَبَ أَذَاهُمْ، وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: يَقَعُونَ فِيهِمْ وَيَرْمُونَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ جُرْمٍ، ﴿فَقَدِ احْتَمَلُوا بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا﴾ وَقَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: نَزَلَتْ فِي عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ [وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ نَاسًا مِنَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ] كَانُوا يُؤْذُونَهُ وَيَشْتُمُونَهُ (١) . وَقِيلَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي شَأْنِ عَائِشَةَ (٢) . وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ، وَالْكَلْبِيُّ: نَزَلَتْ فِي الزُّنَاةِ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَمْشُونَ فِي طُرُقِ الْمَدِينَةِ يَتَّبِعُونَ النِّسَاءَ إِذَا بَرَزْنَ بِاللَّيْلِ لِقَضَاءِ حَوَائِجِهِنَّ، فَيَغْمِزُونَ الْمَرْأَةَ، فَإِنْ سَكَتَتِ اتَّبَعُوهَا، وَإِنْ زَجَرَتْهُمُ انْتَهَوْا عَنْهَا، وَلَمْ يَكُونُوا يَطْلُبُونَ إِلَّا الْإِمَاءَ، وَلَكِنْ كَانُوا لَا يَعْرِفُونَ الْحُرَّةَ مِنَ الْأَمَةِ لِأَنَّ زِيَّ الْكُلِّ كَانَ وَاحِدًا، يَخْرُجْنَ فِي دِرْعٍ وَخِمَارٍ، الْحُرَّةُ وَالْأَمَةُ، فَشَكَوْنَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَزْوَاجِهِنَّ، فَذَكَرُوا ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ﴾ (٣) الْآيَةَ. ثُمَّ نَهَى الْحَرَائِرَ أَنْ يَتَشَبَّهْنَ بِالْإِمَاءِ فَقَالَ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ﴾ جَمْعُ الْجِلْبَابِ، وَهُوَ الْمُلَاءَةُ الَّتِي تَشْتَمِلُ بِهَا الْمَرْأَةُ فَوْقَ الدِّرْعِ وَالْخِمَارِ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ: أَمَرَ نِسَاءَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أن يغطين رؤوسهن ووجوهن بِالْجَلَابِيبِ إِلَّا عَيْنًا وَاحِدَةً لِيُعْلَمَ أَنَّهُنَّ حَرَائِرُ.

(١) ذكره الواحدي في أسباب النزول ص (٤٢٠) ، وما بين القوسين استدركناه منه، وانظر: القرطبي: ١٤ / ٤٢٠. (٢) راجع فيما سبق تفسير سورة النور: الآية (١١) وما بعدها. (٣) ذكره الواحدي في أسباب النزول ص (٤٢٠) ، وقال: الدليل على صحة هذا قوله تعالى: (يا أيها النبي قل لأزواجك وبناتك..الآية) وساق بإسناده عن هيثم عن حصين عن أبي مالك قال: كانت النساء المؤمنات يخرجن بالليل إلى حاجتهن، وكان المنافقون يتعرضون لهن ويؤذونهن فنزلت هذه الآية، وانظر: الدر المنثور ٦ / ٦٥٩، ابن كثير: ٣ / ٥١٩-٥٢٠.