Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/135)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Surah Ghafir is Meccan. (1)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

“Ha-Mim. (1) The revelation of the Book is from Allah—the Almighty, the All-Knowing, (2) Forgiver of sin, Accepter of repentance, severe in punishment, Possessor of bounty. There is no god worthy of worship except Him; to Him is the final return.” (3)

Regarding His saying, Most High: “Ha-Mim”: the discussion of the disjointed letters has preceded. (2) Al-Suddi related from Ibn Abbas: “Ha-Mim is the Greatest Name of Allah.” Ikrimah narrated from him: “Alif-Lam-Ra, Ha-Mim, and Nun are the separate letters of ‘the Most Merciful.’” (3)

Sa'id ibn Jubayr and Ata al-Khurasani said: “Ha is the opening letter of His names: Hakim, the All-Wise; Hamid, the Praiseworthy; Hayy, the Ever-Living; Halim, the Forbearing; and Hannan, the Most Compassionate. Mim is the opening letter of His names: Malik, the Sovereign; Majid, the Most Glorious; and Mannan, the Bestower of abundant gifts.”

Al-Dahhak and al-Kisa'i said: “Its meaning is: He has decreed what is to occur,” as though they understood it to mean humma, with a dammah on the ha and a doubled mim. (4) Hamzah, al-Kisa'i, and Abu Bakr recited it Him, with a kasrah on the ha, whereas the others recited it with a fathah.

“The revelation of the Book is from Allah—the Almighty, the All-Knowing, Forgiver of sin”: that is, the Concealer of sin; “and Accepter of repentance”

(1) Ibn al-Durays, al-Nahhas, and al-Bayhaqi, in al-Dala'il, narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: “The seven Hawamim were revealed in Mecca.” Ibn Jarir narrated from al-Sha'bi that he said: Masruq informed me that they were revealed in Mecca. Ibn Mardawayh and al-Daylami narrated from Samurah ibn Jundub that he said: “All the Hawamim were revealed in Mecca.” Ibn Mardawayh narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: “Ha Mim (al-Mu'min) was revealed in Mecca.” See Al-Durr al-Manthur, 7:268. (2) See the preceding discussion, 1:58-59. (3) Reported by al-Tabari, 24:39. (4) The author of Al-Bahr al-Muhit, 7:447, said: “The discussion of these disjointed letters has preceded at the beginning of al-Baqarah. They have added various views concerning Ha Mim, reported from the early generations, which we have no need to mention due to their inconsistency and the lack of evidence establishing the soundness of any of them.”

سُورَةُ غَافِرٍ مَكِّيَّةٌ (١) بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿حم (١) تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ (٢) غَافِرِ الذَّنْبِ وَقَابِلِ التَّوْبِ شَدِيدِ الْعِقَابِ ذِي الطَّوْلِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ إِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ (٣) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿حم﴾ قَدْ سَبَقَ الْكَلَامُ فِي حُرُوفِ التَّهَجِّي (٢) . قَالَ الْسُّدِّيُّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: حم اسْمُ اللَّهِ الْأَعْظَمُ. وَرَوَى عِكْرِمَةُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: الر، وَحم، وَنون، حُرُوفُ "الرَّحْمَنِ" مُقَطَّعَةً (٣) . وَقَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ وَعَطَاءٌ الْخُرَاسَانِيُّ: الْحَاءُ افْتِتَاحُ أَسْمَائِهِ: حَكِيمٌ حَمِيدٌ حَيٌّ حَلِيمٌ حَنَّانٌ، وَالْمِيمُ افْتِتَاحُ أَسْمَائِهِ: مَالِكٌ مَجِيدٌ مَنَّانٌ. وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ وَالْكِسَائِيُّ: مَعْنَاهُ قَضَى مَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ كَأَنَّهُمَا أَشَارَا إِلَى أَنَّ مَعْنَاهُ: حُمَّ، بِضَمِّ الْحَاءِ وَتَشْدِيدِ الْمِيمِ (٤) . وَقَرَأَ حَمْزَةُ وَالْكِسَائِيُّ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ: حِم بِكَسْرِ الْحَاءِ، وَالْبَاقُونَ بِفَتْحِهَا. ﴿تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ غَافِرِ الذَّنْبِ﴾ سَاتِرِ الذَّنْبِ، ﴿وَقَابِلِ التَّوْبِ﴾

(١) أخرج ابن الضريس والنحاس والبيهقي في الدلائل عن ابن عباس ﵄ قال: أنزلت الحواميم السبع بمكة. وأخرج ابن جرير عن الشعبي ﵁ قال: أخبرني مسروق ﵁ أنها أنزلت بمكة. وأخرج ابن مردويه والديلمي عن سمرة بن جندب ﵁ قال: نزلت الحواميم جميعا بمكة. وأخرج ابن مردويه عن ابن عباس ﵄ قال: نزلت حم (المؤمن) بمكة، انظر: الدر المنثور: ٧ / ٢٦٨. (٢) راجع فيما سبق: ١ / ٥٨-٥٩. (٣) أخرجه الطبري: ٢٤ / ٣٩. (٤) قال صاحب البحر المحيط: ٧ / ٤٤٧: "تقدم الكلام على هذه الحروف المقطعة في أول البقرة، وقد زادوا في حاميم أقوالا وهي مروية عن السلف غنينا عن ذكرها لاضطرابها وعدم الدليل على صحة شيء منها".