Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/35)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“And as a protection from every rebellious devil, so that they cannot eavesdrop on the Highest Assembly, but are pelted from every side—driven away. Theirs is an unceasing punishment, except for one who snatches a word by stealth and is then pursued by a piercing flame. So ask them: are they a mightier creation, or those whom We have created? Indeed, We created them from sticky clay.”

“And as a protection”: that is, We have protected it with a protection ⦗94/b⦘ “from every rebellious devil”—every defiant one among them. They are pelted with these stars.

“They cannot eavesdrop”: Hamzah, al-Kisa’i, and Hafs recited it with the letters s and m doubled, meaning: they do not seek to eavesdrop; the prefix t is assimilated into the s. The other reciters read it with an unvocalized s and an ungeminated m. “On the Highest Assembly”: that is, the angelic scribes.

The Highest Assembly are the angels, because they are in heaven. Its meaning is that the devils are unable to listen to the Highest Assembly. “And they are pelted”: that is, they are cast away. “From every side”: from every region of heaven, by shooting stars. “Driven away”: they are kept away from the gatherings of the angels. One says, “He drove him away,” when he expelled and banished him. “Theirs is an unceasing punishment”: that is, a lasting punishment. Muqatil said: It lasts until the first blast, for they are burned and driven mad.

“Except for one who snatches a word by stealth”: that is, one who furtively steals a word from the speech of the angels. “And is then pursued”: that is, caught up with. “By a piercing flame”: a bright and powerful star which does not miss him; it kills him, burns him, or drives him mad. They return to eavesdropping despite knowing that they cannot attain it, hoping to escape unharmed and achieve their aim, like those who sail the sea. Ata said: The star by which the devils are pelted is called piercing because it pierces them.

“So ask them”: that is, ask the people of Makkah, “Are they a mightier creation, or those whom We have created?” That is, the heavens, the earth, and the mountains. This is a question intended as an affirmation: these things are a mightier creation, as He says: “Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of humankind” (Surah Ghafir, 57); and He says: “Are you a mightier creation, or is the heaven? He built it” (Surah al-Nazi'at, 27).

It was also said that “or those whom We have created” refers to the former nations, since “who” is used of rational beings. He is saying: These are not more perfectly fashioned than other nations, whom We destroyed because of their sins. So what is there to protect these people from punishment? He then mentions the creation of man, saying:

“Indeed, We created them from sticky clay”: that is, fine, pure, adhesive clay which clings to the hand. It means clinging; the letter m has been substituted with b, as though it clings to the hand. Mujahid and al-Dahhak said: foul-smelling.

﴿وَحِفْظًا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ مَارِدٍ (٧) لَا يَسَّمَّعُونَ إِلَى الْمَلَإِ الْأَعْلَى وَيُقْذَفُونَ مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبٍ (٨) دُحُورًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ وَاصِبٌ (٩) إِلَّا مَنْ خَطِفَ الْخَطْفَةَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ ثَاقِبٌ (١٠) فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمْ مَنْ خَلَقْنَا إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِنْ طِينٍ لَازِبٍ (١١) ﴾ ﴿وَحِفْظًا﴾ أَيْ: وحفظناها حفظا ٩٤/ب ﴿مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ مَارِدٍ﴾ مُتَمَرِّدٍ يُرْمَوْنَ بِهَا. ﴿لَا يَسَّمَّعُونَ﴾ قَرَأَ حَمْزَةُ، وَالْكِسَائِيُّ، وَحَفْصٌ: "يَسَّمَّعُونَ" بِتَشْدِيدِ السِّينِ وَالْمِيمِ، أَيْ: لَا يَتَسَمَّعُونَ، فَأُدْغِمَتِ التَّاءُ فِي السِّينِ، وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ بسكون السين خفيف الْمِيمِ، ﴿إِلَى الْمَلَإِ الْأَعْلَى﴾ أَيْ: إِلَى الْكَتَبَةِ من الملائكة. و"الملأ الْأَعْلَى" هُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ لِأَنَّهُمْ فِي السَّمَاءِ، وَمَعْنَاهُ: أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ الِاسْتِمَاعَ إِلَى الْمَلَأِ الْأَعْلَى، ﴿وَيُقْذَفُونَ﴾ يُرْمَوْنَ، ﴿مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبٍ﴾ مِنْ آفَاقِ السَّمَاءِ بِالشُّهُبِ. ﴿دُحُورًا﴾ يُبْعِدُونَهُمْ عَنْ مَجَالِسِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ، يُقَالُ: دَحَرَهُ دَحْرًا وَدُحُورًا، إِذَا طَرَدَهُ وَأَبْعَدَهُ، ﴿وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ وَاصِبٌ﴾ دَائِمٌ، قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: دَائِمٌ إِلَى النَّفْخَةِ الْأُولَى، لِأَنَّهُمْ يُحْرَقُونَ وَيَتَخَبَّلُونَ. ﴿إِلَّا مَنْ خَطِفَ الْخَطْفَةَ﴾ اخْتَلَسَ الْكَلِمَةَ مِنْ كَلَامِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُسَارَقَةً، ﴿فَأَتْبَعَهُ﴾ لَحِقَهُ، ﴿شِهَابٌ ثَاقِبٌ﴾ كَوْكَبٌ مُضِيءٌ قَوِيٌّ لَا يُخْطِئُهُ يَقْتُلُهُ، أَوْ يَحْرِقُهُ أَوْ يُخْبِلُهُ، وَإِنَّمَا يَعُودُونَ إِلَى اسْتِرَاقِ السَّمْعِ مَعَ عِلْمِهِمْ بِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْهِ طَمَعًا فِي السَّلَامَةِ وَنَيْلِ الْمُرَادِ، كَرَاكِبِ الْبَحْرِ، قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: سُمِّيَ النَّجْمُ الَّذِي يُرْمَى بِهِ الشَّيَاطِينُ ثَاقِبًا لِأَنَّهُ يَثْقُبُهُمْ. ﴿فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ﴾ أَيْ: سَلْهُمْ، يَعْنِي: أَهْلَ مَكَّةَ، ﴿أَهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمْ مَنْ خَلَقْنَا﴾ يعني: من السموات وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ، وَهَذَا اسْتِفْهَامٌ بِمَعْنَى التَّقْرِيرِ، أَيْ: هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءُ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا كَمَا قال: "لخلق السموات وَالْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ" (غَافِرٍ -٥٧) وَقَالَ: "أَأَنْتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ السَّمَاءُ بَنَاهَا" (النَّازِعَاتِ -٢٧) . وَقِيلَ: "أَمْ مَنْ خَلَقْنَا" يَعْنِي: مِنَ الْأُمَمِ الْخَالِيَةِ، لِأَنَّ "مَنْ" يُذْكَرُ فِيمَنْ يَعْقِلُ، يَقُولُ: إِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ لَيْسُوا بِأَحْكَمَ خَلْقًا مَنْ غَيْرِهِمْ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ، وَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ فَمَا الَّذِي يُؤَمِّنُ هَؤُلَاءِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ؟ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ خَلْقَ الْإِنْسَانِ، فَقَالَ: ﴿إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِنْ طِينٍ لَازِبٍ﴾ يَعْنِي: جِيدٌ حُرٌّ لَاصِقٌ يَعْلَقُ بِالْيَدِ، وَمَعْنَاهُ اللَّازِمُ، أُبْدِلَ الْمِيمُ بَاءً كَأَنَّهُ يَلْزَمُ الْيَدَ. وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ وَالضَّحَّاكُ: مُنْتِنٌ.