Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/243)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il informed us; Ishaq ibn Ibrahim related to us; Abd al-Aziz ibn Abi Hazim narrated to me from his father, from Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Sa'idi, who said:

A man passed by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who asked a man sitting with him, “What do you think of this man?” He replied, “He is one of the eminent people. By Allah, if he proposes marriage, his proposal deserves to be accepted; and if he intercedes, his intercession deserves to be accepted.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, remained silent. Then another man passed by, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked, “What do you think of this man?” He replied, “O Messenger of Allah, this is a poor Muslim. If he proposes marriage, his proposal deserves not to be accepted; if he intercedes, his intercession deserves not to be accepted; and if he speaks, his words deserve not to be heard.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “This man is better than an earthful of men like that one.” (1)

“And Allah provides for whom He wills without measure.” Ibn Abbas said: This means abundantly, without limit, for everything that can be counted is little. That is, He grants abundance to whomever He wills and expands provision for whomever He wills among His servants. Al-Dahhak said: It means without consequence: He provides for him in this world and does not call him to account in the Hereafter.

It is also said that this refers back to Allah Most High: He restricts provision for whomever He wills and expands it for whomever He wills. He does not give every person according to his need; rather, He gives much to one who has no need of it, while not giving even a little to one who needs it. Therefore, none may object to Him, nor is He called to account for what He provides. It cannot be said, “Why did You give this one and deprive that one? And why did You give this one more than You gave the other?”

It is also said to mean that He does not fear the exhaustion of His treasuries and therefore need not calculate what comes forth from them. For a giver calculates only when he fears that his treasuries may be depleted.

Regarding His saying, “Mankind was one community”: that is, upon one religion. Mujahid said: It refers to Adam alone; he was a single community. The singular is referred to with the wording of the plural because he was the origin of offspring and the father of humankind. Then Allah Most High created Eve, and spread mankind from the two of them. They multiplied and remained Muslims until Cain killed Abel, whereupon they differed. “Then Allah sent the prophets.”

Al-Hasan and Ata said: From the time of Adam’s death until Noah was sent, mankind was one community, following the religion of disbelief, like cattle. Then Allah sent Noah and other prophets. (2)

Qatadah and Ikrimah said: From the time of Adam until Noah was sent—ten generations lay between them—they all followed one law of truth and guidance. Then they differed in Noah’s time, so Allah sent Noah to them. He was the first prophet to be sent, and after him Allah sent the prophets.

Al-Kalbi said: They were the people of Noah’s Ark. They were believers, then differed after Noah’s death.

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: In Abraham’s time, peace be upon him, mankind was one community, all of them disbelievers; so Allah sent Abraham and other prophets. It is also said that the Arabs followed the religion of Abraham until Amr ibn Luhayy altered it. And it is narrated from

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in the Book of Marriage, chapter: “Suitability in Religion,” 9:132. (2) This refutes the view of Qatada and Ikrimah. It is also narrated from Ibn Abbas as a report attributed to a Companion (mawquf), with an authentic chain of transmission according to al-Bukhari’s criteria. See Ibn Kathir, 1:443, with al-Wadi'i’s verification of the hadith sources.

أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْمَلِيحِيُّ أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النُّعَيْمِيُّ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَرَّ رَجُلٌ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لِرَجُلٍ عِنْدَهُ جَالِسٍ مَا رَأْيُكَ فِي هَذَا؟ فَقَالَ: رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَشْرَافِ النَّاسِ: هَذَا وَاللَّهِ حَرِيٌّ إِنْ خَطَبَ أَنْ يُنْكَحَ وَإِنْ شَفَعَ أَنْ يُشَفَّعَ، قَالَ: فَسَكَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، ثُمَّ مَرَّ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: مَا رَأْيُكَ فِي هَذَا؟ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ فُقَرَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ هَذَا حَرِيٌّ إِنْ خَطَبَ أَنْ لَا يُنْكَحَ وَإِنْ شَفَعَ أَنْ لَا يُشَفَّعَ وَإِنْ قَالَ أَنْ لَا يُسْمَعَ لِقَوْلِهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَذَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ مِلْءِ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَ هَذَا" (١) . ﴿وَاللَّهُ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: يَعْنِي كَثِيرًا بِغَيْرِ مِقْدَارٍ، لِأَنَّ كُلَّ مَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ الْحِسَابُ فَهُوَ قَلِيلٌ، يُرِيدُ: يُوَسِّعُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَبْسُطُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ، وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: يَعْنِي مِنْ غَيْرِ تَبِعَةٍ يَرْزُقُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَا يُحَاسِبُهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ، وَقِيلَ: هَذَا يَرْجِعُ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، مَعْنَاهُ: يُقَتِّرُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَبْسُطُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَلَا يُعْطِي كُلَّ أَحَدٍ بِقَدْرِ حَاجَتِهِ بَلْ يُعْطِي الْكَثِيرَ مَنْ لَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ وَلَا يُعْطِي الْقَلِيلَ مَنْ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ فَلَا يُعْتَرَضُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يُحَاسَبُ فِيمَا يَرْزُقُ وَلَا يُقَالُ لِمَ أَعْطَيْتَ هَذَا وَحَرَمْتَ هَذَا؟ وَلِمَ أَعْطَيْتَ هَذَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا أَعْطَيْتَ ذَاكَ؟ وَقِيلَ مَعْنَاهُ لا يخاف نفاذ خَزَائِنِهِ فَيَحْتَاجُ إِلَى حِسَابِ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا لِأَنَّ الْحِسَابَ مِنَ الْمُعْطِي إِنَّمَا يَكُونُ بِمَا يخاف من نفاذ خَزَائِنِهِ. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى ﴿كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً﴾ عَلَى دِينٍ وَاحِدٍ، قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: أَرَادَ آدَمَ وَحْدَهُ، كَانَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً، قَالَ سُمِّيَ الْوَاحِدُ بِلَفْظِ الْجَمْعِ لِأَنَّهُ أَصْلُ النَّسْلِ وَأَبُو الْبَشَرِ، ثُمَّ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى حَوَّاءَ وَنَشَرَ مِنْهُمَا النَّاسَ فَانْتَشَرُوا وَكَانُوا مُسْلِمِينَ إِلَى أَنْ قَتَلَ قَابِيلُ هَابِيلَ فَاخْتَلَفُوا ﴿فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ﴾ قَالَ الْحَسَنُ وَعَطَاءٌ: كَانَ النَّاسُ مِنْ وَقْتِ وَفَاةِ آدَمَ إِلَى مَبْعَثِ نُوحٍ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً عَلَى مِلَّةِ الْكُفْرِ أَمْثَالَ الْبَهَائِمِ، فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ نُوحًا وَغَيْرَهُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ (٢) . وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ وَعِكْرِمَةُ: كَانَ النَّاسُ مِنْ وَقْتِ آدَمَ إِلَى مَبْعَثِ نُوحٍ وَكَانَ بَيْنَهُمَا عَشَرَةُ قُرُونٍ كُلُّهُمْ عَلَى شَرِيعَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَالْهُدَى، ثُمَّ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي زَمَنِ نُوحٍ فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِمْ نُوحًا، فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ نَبِيٍّ بُعِثَ، ثُمَّ بَعَثَ بَعْدَهُ النَّبِيِّينَ. وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ هُمْ أَهْلُ سَفِينَةِ نُوحٍ كَانُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ ثُمَّ اخْتَلَفُوا بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ نُوحٍ. وَرُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ النَّاسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ﵇ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً كُفَّارًا كُلُّهُمْ فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَغَيْرَهُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ، وَقِيلَ: كَانَ الْعَرَبُ عَلَى دِينِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلَى أَنْ غَيَّرَهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ لُحَيٍّ. وَرُوِيَ عَنْ

(١) رواه البخاري: في النكاح باب الأكفاء في الدين ٩ / ١٣٢. (٢) يرد هذا قول قتادة وعكرمة وهو مروي عن ابن عباس موقوفا وإسناده صحيح على شرط البخاري (انظر ابن كثير: ١ / ٤٤٣ تخريج الوادعي) .