Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/28)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“And in them they have other benefits and drinks. Will they not then give thanks? (73) Yet they have taken, besides Allah, gods, hoping that they may be helped. (74) They are unable to help them, though they are an assembled host in their service. (75) So do not let their words grieve you. Indeed, We know what they conceal and what they declare. (76) Does man not see that We created him from a drop of fluid, yet behold, he is an open disputant? (77)”

“And in them they have other benefits,” from their wool, camel hair, hair, and offspring; “and drinks,” from their milk. “Will they not then give thanks” to the Lord (1) for these blessings?

“Yet they have taken, besides Allah, gods, hoping that they may be helped”—that is, hoping that they will protect them from Allah’s punishment. But this will never be so.

“They are unable to help them.” Ibn Abbas said: “The idols are unable to help them or protect them from punishment.” “Though they are an assembled host in their service”: that is, the disbelievers are a host in the service of the idols: they become angry on their behalf and bring them forth in this world, while the idols bring them no good and are unable to help them. It is also said that this refers to the Hereafter: every object worshipped besides Allah Most High will be brought forth along with its followers who worshipped it, as though they were an assembled host in the Fire.

“So do not let their words grieve you”—meaning, the words of the disbelievers of Mecca in denying you. “Indeed, We know what they conceal”: the denial they harbour within themselves; “and what they declare”: their worship of idols, or the abuse which they utter with their tongues.

His saying, Exalted is He: “Does man not see that We created him from a drop of fluid, yet behold, he is an open disputant?”—that is, one who argues falsely—“open,” plainly contentious. That is, he was created from a drop of fluid, then he disputes; so why does he not reflect upon the beginning of his creation, such that he abandons disputation?

This was revealed concerning Ubayy ibn Khalaf al-Jumahi, who disputed with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in denying the resurrection. He came to him with a decayed bone, crushed it in his hand, and said, “Do you think Allah will bring this to life after it has decayed?” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, replied, “Yes—and He will resurrect you and admit you into the Fire.” So Allah revealed these verses (2).

(1) Omitted from manuscript B. (2) Reported by al-Tabari, 23:30, and by al-Wahidi in Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 423. Al-Hakim, 2:429, and Ibn Abi Hatim also reported that the verse was revealed concerning al-As ibn Wa'il. Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir mentioned both reports, 3:582, then said: “In any case, whether this verse was revealed concerning Ubayy ibn Khalaf, al-As ibn Wa'il, or both of them, it is general in meaning and applies to everyone who denies the resurrection. The definite article in His saying, Exalted is He, ‘Does man not see...,’ is generic and encompasses every denier of the resurrection.”

﴿وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مَنَافِعُ وَمَشَارِبُ أَفَلَا يَشْكُرُونَ (٧٣) وَاتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً لَعَلَّهُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ (٧٤) لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُمْ جُنْدٌ مُحْضَرُونَ (٧٥) فَلَا يَحْزُنْكَ قَوْلُهُمْ إِنَّا نَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ (٧٦) أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الْإِنْسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُبِينٌ (٧٧) ﴾ ﴿وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مَنَافِعُ﴾ مِنْ أَصْوَافِهَا وَأَوْبَارِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَا وَنَسْلِهَا ﴿وَمَشَارِبُ﴾ مِنْ أَلْبَانِهَا ﴿أَفَلَا يَشْكُرُونَ﴾ رَبَّ (١) هَذِهِ النِّعَمِ. ﴿وَاتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً لَعَلَّهُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ﴾ يَعْنِي: لِتَمْنَعَهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ، وَلَا يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ قَطُّ. ﴿لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَهُمْ﴾ ٩٤/أقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: لَا تَقْدِرُ الْأَصْنَامُ عَلَى نَصْرِهِمْ وَمَنْعِهِمْ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ. ﴿وَهُمْ لَهُمْ جُنْدٌ مُحْضَرُونَ﴾ أَيْ: الْكُفَّارُ جُنْدٌ لِلْأَصْنَامِ يَغْضَبُونَ لَهَا وَيُحْضِرُونَهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَهِيَ لَا تَسُوقُ إِلَيْهِمْ خَيْرًا، وَلَا تَسْتَطِيعُ لَهُمْ نَصْرًا. وَقِيلَ: هَذَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ، يُؤْتَى بِكُلِّ مَعْبُودٍ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمَعَهُ أَتْبَاعُهُ الَّذِينَ عَبَدُوهُ كَأَنَّهُمْ جُنْدٌ مُحْضَرُونَ فِي النَّارِ. ﴿فَلَا يَحْزُنْكَ قَوْلُهُمْ﴾ يَعْنِي: قَوْلَ كُفَّارِ مَكَّةَ فِي تَكْذِيبِكَ ﴿إِنَّا نَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ﴾ فِي ضَمَائِرِهِمْ مِنَ التَّكْذِيبِ ﴿وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ﴾ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ الْأَصْنَامِ أَوْ مَا يُعْلِنُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ مِنَ الْأَذَى. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الْإِنْسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ﴾ جَدِلٌ بِالْبَاطِلِ ﴿مُبِينٌ﴾ بَيِّنُ الْخُصُومَةِ، يَعْنِي: أَنَّهُ مَخْلُوقٌ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ يُخَاصِمُ فَكَيْفَ لَا يَتَفَكَّرُ فِي بَدْءِ خَلْقِهِ حَتَّى يَدَعَ الْخُصُومَةَ. نَزَلَتْ فِي أُبَيِّ بْنِ خَلَفٍ الْجُمَحِيِّ خَاصَمَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فِي إِنْكَارِ الْبَعْثِ، وَأَتَاهُ بِعَظْمٍ قَدْ بَلِيَ فَفَتَّتَهُ بِيَدِهِ، وَقَالَ: أَتُرَى يُحْيِي الله هذا بعد ما رَمَّ؟ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: "نَعَمْ وَيَبْعَثُكَ وَيُدْخِلُكَ النَّارَ" فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ هَذِهِ الْآيَاتِ (٢) .

(١) ساقطة من "ب". (٢) أخرجه الطبري: ٢٣ / ٣٠، والواحدي في أسباب النزول ص (٤٢٣) . وأخرج الحاكم: ٢ / ٤٢٩ وابن أبي الحاتم أن الآية نزلت في العاص بن وائل. وقد ذكر الحافظ ابن كثير الروايتين: ٣ / ٥٨٢ ثم قال: "وعلى كل تقدير سواء كانت هذه الآية قد نزلت في أبي بن خلف أو العاص بن وائل أو فيهما، فهي عامة في كل من أنكر البعث، والألف واللام في قوله تعالى: (أولم ير الإنسان) للجنس يعم كل منكر للبعث".