Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/110)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

he had called upon Allah to remove. “And he sets up rivals alongside Allah”—that is, idols—“so that he may stray from His way”: that is, from Allah’s religion.

“Say” to this disbeliever: “Enjoy your disbelief for a little while,” in this world until your appointed term; “surely you are among the inhabitants of the Fire.” It was said that this was revealed concerning Utbah ibn Rabi'ah. Muqatil said: “[It was revealed] (1) concerning Abu Hudhayfah ibn al-Mughirah al-Makhzumi.” It was also said that it is general, applying to every disbeliever (2).

“Or is one who is devoutly obedient during the hours of the night, prostrating and standing, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord? Say, ‘Are those who know equal to those who do not know?’ Only people of understanding take heed. (9)”

Concerning “Or is one who is devoutly obedient,” Ibn Kathir, Nafi', and Hamzah recited it as a-man, with a light mīm (the letter m), while the others recited it with a geminated mīm. Those who recited it with a geminated mīm have two possible explanations.

The first is that the mīm in am is an added connective letter, making the statement an interrogative whose answer is omitted. Its sense is: Is one who is devoutly obedient like one who is not devoutly obedient? This is like His saying: “Is one whose breast Allah has expanded to Islam...” (Quran 39:22), meaning: like one whose breast He has not expanded.

The second explanation is that it is coordinated with the preceding interrogative. Its sense is: Is the one who sets up rivals alongside Allah better, or the one who is devoutly obedient? As for the one who recited it with a light mīm, it consists of an interrogative alif prefixed to man; its meaning is: Is this one like the one who sets up rivals alongside Allah?

It was also said that the alif in a-man serves as a vocative particle, its sense being: “O one who is devoutly obedient.” The Arabs use the alif for calling out just as they use yā, saying a-banī fulān (“O sons of So-and-so”) and yā banī fulān (“O sons of So-and-so”). Thus, the meaning of the verse would be: “Say, ‘Enjoy your disbelief for a little while; surely you are among the inhabitants of the Fire.’ O one who is devoutly obedient during the hours of the night, surely you are among the people of Paradise.” This was said by Ibn Abbas.

In a narration from Ata', it is said to have been revealed concerning Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (3).

Al-Dahhak said: It was revealed concerning Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them (4).

(1) Omitted in manuscript B. (2) See Zad al-Masir, 7:165. (3) Cited by al-Wahidi in Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 426. (4) See al-Bahr al-Muhit, 7:419.

كَانَ يَدْعُو اللَّهَ إِلَى كَشْفِهِ، ﴿وَجَعَلَ لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا﴾ يَعْنِي: الْأَوْثَانَ، ﴿لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ﴾ لِيَزِلَّ عَنْ دِينِ اللَّهِ. ﴿قُلْ﴾ لِهَذَا الْكَافِرِ: ﴿تَمَتَّعْ بِكُفْرِكَ قَلِيلًا﴾ فِي الدُّنْيَا إِلَى أَجَلِكَ، ﴿إِنَّكَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ﴾ قِيلَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي عُتْبَةَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، وَقَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: [نَزَلَتْ] (١) فِي أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ الْمَخْزُومِيِّ. وَقِيلَ: عَامٌّ فِي كُلِّ كَافِرٍ (٢) . ﴿أَمْ مَنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الْآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ (٩) ﴾ ﴿أَمْ مَنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ﴾ قَرَأَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ وَنَافِعٌ وَحَمْزَةُ: "أَمَنْ" بِتَخْفِيفِ الْمِيمِ، وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ بِتَشْدِيدِهَا، فَمَنْ شَدَّدَ فَلَهُ وَجْهَانِ: أَحَدُهُمَا: أَنْ تَكُونَ الْمِيمُ فِي "أَمْ" صِلَةً، فَيَكُونُ مَعْنَى الْكَلَامِ اسْتِفْهَامًا وَجَوَابُهُ مَحْذُوفًا مَجَازُهُ: أَمَّنَ هُوَ قَانِتٌ كَمَنْ هُوَ غَيْرُ قَانِتٍ؟ كَقَوْلِهِ: "أَفَمَنْ شَرَحَ اللَّهُ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ" (الزُّمَرِ-٢٢) يَعْنِي كَمَنْ لَمْ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ. وَالْوَجْهُ الْآخَرُ: أَنَّهُ عَطَفَ عَلَى الِاسْتِفْهَامِ، مَجَازُهُ: الَّذِي جَعَلَ لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا خَيْرٌ أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ؟ وَمَنْ قَرَأَ بِالتَّخْفِيفِ فَهُوَ أَلِفُ اسْتِفْهَامٍ دَخَلَتْ عَلَى مَنْ، مَعْنَاهُ: أَهَذَا كَالَّذِي جَعَلَ لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا؟ وَقِيلَ: الْأَلِفُ فِي "أَمَنْ" بِمَعْنَى حَرْفِ النِّدَاءِ، تَقْدِيرُهُ: يَا مَنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ، وَالْعَرَبُ تُنَادِي بِالْأَلِفِ كَمَا تُنَادِي بِالْيَاءِ، فَتَقُولُ: أَبَنِي فَلَانٍ وَيَا بَنِي فُلَانٍ، فَيَكُونُ مَعْنَى الْآيَةِ: قُلْ تَمَتَّعْ بِكُفْرِكَ قَلِيلًا إِنَّكَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ، يَا مَنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ ﴿آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ﴾ إِنَّكَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، قَالَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ. وَفِي رِوَايَةِ عَطَاءٍ: نَزَلَتْ فِي أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصَّدِيقِ (٣) . وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: نَزَلَتْ فِي أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمْرَ ﵄ (٤) .

(١) ساقط من "ب". (٢) انظر: زاد المسير: ٧ / ١٦٥. (٣) ذكره الواحدي في أسباب النزول، ص ٤٢٦. (٤) انظر: البحر المحيط: ٧ / ٤١٩.