Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/249)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Surah al-Ahqaf is Meccan. (1)

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

“Ha Mim. (1) The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise. (2) We did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them except in truth and for an appointed term. Yet those who disbelieve turn away from that of which they have been warned. (3) Say, ‘Have you considered those whom you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth, or whether they have any share in the heavens. Bring me a Book before this, or a trace of knowledge, if you are truthful.’ (4) And who is more astray than one who invokes, besides Allah, those who will not answer him until the Day of Resurrection, while they are unaware of their invocation? (5)”

“Ha Mim. The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise. We did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them except in truth and for an appointed term”: that is, the Day of Resurrection. It is the appointed term at which the heavens and the earth will come to an end, indicating that they will perish. “Yet those who disbelieve turn away from that of which they have been warned”: namely, what they have been warned of in the Quran concerning resurrection and reckoning.

“Say, ‘Have you considered those whom you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth, or whether they have any share in the heavens. Bring me a Book before this’”: that is, a Book that came to you from Allah before the Quran, containing confirmation of what you claim; “or a trace of knowledge.” Al-Kalbi said: that is, a remnant of knowledge transmitted from the earlier generations—that is, attributed to them. Mujahid, Ikrimah, and Muqatil said: a narration from the prophets. Qatadah said: a particular portion of knowledge. The root of the word is athar, meaning transmission. One says, “I transmitted a report”; hence a report is called an athar. “If you are truthful.”

“And who is more astray than one who invokes, besides Allah, those who will not answer him”: meaning the idols, which do not answer their worshippers.

(1) Al-Suyuti attributed it in al-Durr al-Manthur, 7:433, to Ibn Mardawayh on the authority of Ibn Abbas, who said: Surah Ha-Mim al-Ahqaf was revealed in Mecca.

سُورَةُ الْأَحْقَافِ مَكِّيَّةٌ (١) بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿حم (١) تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ (٢) مَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَمَّا أُنْذِرُوا مُعْرِضُونَ (٣) قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ ائْتُونِي بِكِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ هَذَا أَوْ أَثَارَةٍ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ (٤) وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَنْ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَنْ دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ (٥) ﴾ ﴿حم تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ مَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى﴾ ، يَعْنِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَهُوَ الْأَجَلُ الَّذِي تَنْتَهِي إِلَيْهِ السَّمَوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ، وَهُوَ إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى فَنَائِهِمَا، ﴿وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَمَّا أُنْذِرُوا﴾ خُوِّفُوا بِهِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ مِنَ الْبَعْثِ وَالْحِسَابِ، ﴿مُعْرِضُونَ﴾ . ﴿قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ ائْتُونِي بِكِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ هَذَا﴾ أَيْ بِكِتَابٍ جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ قَبْلَ الْقُرْآنِ فِيهِ بَيَانُ مَا تَقُولُونَ، ﴿أَوْ أَثَارَةٍ مِنْ عِلْمٍ﴾ قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: أَيْ بَقِيَّةٍ مِنْ عِلْمٍ يُؤْثَرُ عَنِ الْأَوَّلِينَ، أَيْ يُسْنَدُ إِلَيْهِمْ. قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ وَعِكْرِمَةُ وَمُقَاتِلٌ: رِوَايَةٌ عَنِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: خَاصَّةٌ مِنْ عِلْمٍ. وَأَصْلُ الْكَلِمَةِ مِنَ الْأَثَرِ وَهُوَ الرِّوَايَةُ، يُقَالُ: أَثَرْتُ الْحَدِيثَ أَثَرًا وَأَثَارَةً، وَمِنْهُ قِيلَ لِلْخَبَرِ: أَثَرٌ. ﴿إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾ . ﴿وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَنْ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ﴾ يَعْنِي الْأَصْنَامَ لَا تُجِيبُ عَابِدِيهَا

(١) عزاه السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٧ / ٤٣٣ لابن مردويه عن ابن عباس قال: نزلت بمكة سورة (حم) الأحقاف.