Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/113)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“And follow the best of it.” Al-Suddi said: “They follow the best of what they are commanded, and act upon it.” It was also said: Allah Most High mentions in the Quran taking redress from a wrongdoer, and He mentions pardon; pardon is the better of the two courses. It was also said: He mentions binding obligations and concessions, and they follow what is best—namely, the binding obligations. And it was said: They listen to the Quran and to other speech, then follow the Quran.

Ata’ reported from Ibn Abbas: Abu Bakr believed in the Prophet, and then Uthman, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Talhah, al-Zubayr, Sad ibn Abi Waqqas, and Said ibn Zayd came to him. They asked him, and he informed them of his faith, whereupon they believed. Then it was revealed concerning them: (1) “So give glad tidings to My servants—those who listen to the word and follow the best of it.” All of it is good. “Those are the ones Allah has guided, and they are people of understanding.”

Ibn Zayd said: “As for those who shun false deities”—the two verses—was revealed concerning three men who, in the Age of Ignorance, used to say, “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah”: Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, and Salman the Persian. (2) The best statement is the declaration, “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.”

“Can you then save from the Fire one upon whom the decree of punishment has become binding?” Ibn Abbas said: It refers to one whom Allah knew beforehand to be among the people of the Fire. It was also said that the decree of punishment is His statement: “I will surely fill Hell”; and it was said: (3) His statement: “These are in the Fire, and I do not mind.” (4) “Can you then save one who is in the Fire?” That is, you are unable to do so. Ibn Abbas said: He meant Abu Lahab and his son.

“But those who fear their Lord will have lofty chambers above which are other lofty chambers, built high”: that is, elevated dwellings in Paradise, with dwellings yet higher above them. “Beneath which rivers flow: a promise from Allah. Allah never fails His promise”: that is, Allah has promised them those lofty chambers and dwellings—a promise He will not fail.

(1) Cited by al-Wahidi in Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 426. (2) Reported by al-Tabari, 23:207. Al-Suyuti, in al-Durr al-Manthur, 7:217, additionally attributed it to Ibn Abi Hatim. (3) Omitted from manuscript B. (4) Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad, 5:239, on the authority of Muadh ibn Jabal, that “the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, recited this verse: ‘The companions of the right and the companions of the left.’ He then clasped his hands into two fists and said: ‘These are in Paradise, and I do not mind; and these are in the Fire, and I do not mind.’” See Majma al-Zawaid, 7:185-186.

﴿فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ﴾ قَالَ الْسُّدِّيُّ: أَحْسُنُ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ فَيَعْمَلُونَ بِهِ. وَقِيلَ: هُوَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى ذَكَرَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ الِانْتِصَارَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِ وَذَكَرَ الْعَفْوَ، وَالْعَفْوُ أَحْسَنُ الْأَمْرَيْنِ. وَقِيلَ: ذَكَرَ الْعَزَائِمَ وَالرُّخَصَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ الْأَحْسَنَ وَهُوَ الْعَزَائِمُ. وَقِيلَ: يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَغَيْرَ الْقُرْآنِ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ. وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: آمَنَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ بِالنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَجَاءَهُ عُثْمَانُ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ، وَطَلْحَةُ، وَالزُّبَيْرُ، وَسَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ، وَسَعِيدُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، فَسَأَلُوهُ فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ بِإِيمَانِهِ فَآمَنُوا، فَنَزَلَتْ فيهم (١) : "فبشر عباد الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ" وَكُلُّهُ حَسَنٌ. ﴿أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ﴾ . وَقَالَ ابْنُ زَيْدٍ: نَزَلَتْ "وَالَّذِينَ اجْتَنَبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ" الْآيَتَانِ، فِي ثَلَاثَةِ نَفَرٍ كَانُوا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَقُولُونَ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ: زَيْدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بن نفيل، وأبو ذَرٍّ الْغِفَارِيِّ، وَسَلْمَانَ الْفَارِسِيِّ (٢) . وَالْأَحْسَنُ: قَوْلُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ. ﴿أَفَمَنْ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄: مَنْ سَبَقَ فِي عِلْمِ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ. وَقِيلَ: كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ [قَوْلُهُ: "لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ"، وَقِيلَ:] (٣) قَوْلُهُ: "هَؤُلَاءِ فِي النَّارِ وَلَا أُبَالِي" (٤) . ﴿أَفَأَنْتَ تُنْقِذُ مَنْ فِي النَّارِ﴾ أَيْ: لَا تَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: يُرِيدُ أَبَا لَهَبٍ وَوَلَدَهُ. ﴿لَكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ غُرَفٌ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا غُرَفٌ مَبْنِيَّةٌ﴾ أَيْ: مَنَازِلُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ رَفِيعَةٌ، وَفَوْقَهَا مَنَازِلُ أَرْفَعُ مِنْهَا، ﴿تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ الْمِيعَادَ﴾ أَيْ: وَعَدَهُمُ اللَّهُ تِلْكَ الْغُرَفَ وَالْمَنَازِلَ وَعْدًا لَا يُخْلِفُهُ.

(١) ذكره الواحدي في أسباب النزول ص ٤٢٦. (٢) أخرجه الطبري: ٢٣ / ٢٠٧، وزاد السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٧ / ٢١٧ نسبته لابن أبي حاتم. (٣) ساقط من "ب". (٤) أخرج الإمام أحمد في مسنده: ٥ / ٢٣٩ عن معاذ بن جبل: "أن رسول الله ﷺ تلا هذه الآية أصحاب اليمين وأصحاب الشمال فقبض بيده قبضتين فقال: هذه في الجنة ولا أبالي، وهذه في النار ولا أبالي"، وانظر: مجمع الزوائد: ٧ / ١٨٥-١٨٦.