Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/407)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

It was also said that tanā’ush, with hamzah, derives from nabsh, meaning movement performed slowly. One may say, “He came nabshan,” meaning slowly and late. Thus, the meaning is: How could they make any move regarding something over which they have no power? Ibn Abbas said: “They will ask to be returned to this world, and it will be said: How could they be returned to this world?” (1)

“From a far-off place”: that is, from the Hereafter back to this world.

“Though they had previously disbelieved in it and made conjectures about the unseen from a far-off place. And a barrier will be set between them and what they desire, just as was done with their like before. Indeed, they were in troubling doubt.” (53–54)

“Though they had previously disbelieved in it”: that is, in the Quran. It was also said: in Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, before they witnessed the punishment and the terrors of the Resurrection. “And made conjectures about the unseen from a far-off place”: Mujahid said: “They cast aspersions upon Muhammad based on conjecture, not certainty,” such as their saying, “He is a sorcerer, a poet, and a soothsayer.” The meaning of “the unseen” here is conjecture, because knowledge of it was hidden from them. The “far-off place” refers to how remote they were from knowing what they said. In other words, they accused Muhammad of things of which they had no knowledge, from a position of utter ignorance.

Qatadah said: “They speak on the basis of conjecture, saying: There is no resurrection, no Paradise, and no Fire.”

“And a barrier will be set between them and what they desire”: that is, faith, repentance, and returning to this world. It was also said: the pleasures and adornment of this worldly life. “Just as was done with their like”: that is, with their counterparts and those disbelievers who had been in a similar condition before them. “Before”: that is, their faith and repentance were not accepted at the time of despair. “Indeed, they were in doubt”: concerning the resurrection and the descent of punishment upon them—“troubling”: a doubt that filled them with suspicion and misgiving.

(1) See al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:715.

وَقِيلَ التَّنَاوُشُ بِالْهَمْزَةِ مِنَ النَّبْشِ وَهُوَ حَرَكَةٌ فِي إِبْطَاءٍ، يُقَالُ: جَاءَ نَبْشًا أَيْ: مُبْطِئًا مُتَأَخِّرًا، وَالْمَعْنَى مِنْ أَيْنَ لَهُمُ الْحَرَكَةُ فِيمَا لَا حِيلَةَ لَهُمْ فِيهِ، وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: يَسْأَلُونَ الرَّدَّ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا فَيُقَالُ وَأَنَّى لَهُمُ الرَّدُّ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا. (١) ﴿مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ﴾ أَيْ: مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا. ﴿وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا بِهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَيَقْذِفُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ (٥٣) وَحِيَلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ كَمَا فُعِلَ بِأَشْيَاعِهِمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا فِي شَكٍّ مُرِيبٍ (٥٤) ﴾ ﴿وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا بِهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ﴾ أَيْ: بِالْقُرْآنِ، وَقِيلَ: بِمُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُعَايِنُوا الْعَذَابَ وَأَهْوَالَ الْقِيَامَةِ، ﴿وَيَقْذِفُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ﴾ قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: يَرْمُونَ مُحَمَّدًا بِالظَّنِّ لَا بِالْيَقِينِ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُمْ سَاحِرٌ وَشَاعِرٌ وَكَاهِنٌ، وَمَعْنَى الْغَيْبِ: هُوَ الظَّنُّ لِأَنَّهُ غَابَ عِلْمُهُ عَنْهُمْ، وَالْمَكَانُ الْبَعِيدُ: بُعْدُهُمْ عَنْ عِلْمِ مَا يَقُولُونَ، وَالْمَعْنَى يَرْمُونَ مُحَمَّدًا بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: يَرْجُمُونَ بِالظَّنِّ يَقُولُونَ لَا بَعْثَ وَلَا جَنَّةَ وَلَا نَارَ. ﴿وَحِيَلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ﴾ ، أَيِ: الْإِيمَانِ وَالتَّوْبَةِ وَالرُّجُوعِ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا. وَقِيلَ: نَعِيمُ الدُّنْيَا وَزَهْرَتُهَا، ﴿كَمَا فُعِلَ بِأَشْيَاعِهِمْ﴾ ، أَيْ: بِنُظَرَائِهِمْ وَمَنْ كَانَ عَلَى مِثْلِ حَالِهِمْ مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ، ﴿مِنْ قَبْلُ﴾ ،أَيْ: لَمْ يُقْبَلْ مِنْهُمُ الْإِيمَانُ وَالتَّوْبَةُ فِي وَقْتِ الْيَأْسِ، ﴿إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا فِي شَكٍّ﴾ ، مِنَ الْبَعْثِ وَنُزُولِ الْعَذَابِ بِهِمْ، ﴿مُرِيبٍ﴾ ، مُوقِعٍ لَهُمُ الرِّيبَةَ وَالتُّهْمَةَ.

(١) انظر: الدر المنثور: ٦ / ٧١٥.