Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/289)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Al-Zajjaj said: This means: Had We willed, We would have placed a mark upon the hypocrites by which you would recognize them.

Anas said: After this verse was revealed, nothing concerning the hypocrites remained hidden from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; he recognized them by their marks. (1)

“And you will surely recognize them by the tenor of their speech”: that is, by its meaning and intent.

The term lahn has two senses: correctness and error. The verb denoting correctness is laḥina, yalḥanu, laḥnan; thus, one is laḥin when he perceives something keenly. From this is the Prophet’s saying, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “Perhaps some of you are more eloquent in presenting their proof than others.” (2)

The verb denoting error is laḥana, yalḥanu, laḥnan; thus, one is lāḥin. Its basic meaning is to divert speech from its proper course.

The meaning is that you will recognize them from the insinuations by which they disparage your affair and that of the Muslims, and mock them. After this, whenever a hypocrite spoke in the presence of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he recognized him from his speech and inferred, from the import of his words, the corruption of what he concealed within himself.

“And Allah knows your deeds.”

“We shall surely test you until We make evident those among you who strive in jihad and those who are steadfast, and We shall test your reports. (31) Indeed, those who disbelieve, bar others from the way of Allah, and oppose the Messenger after guidance has become clear to them will not harm Allah in the least; and He will render their deeds worthless. (32)”

“We shall surely test you”: that is, We shall deal with you as one who tests, by commanding you to undertake jihad and fighting. “Until We make evident those among you who strive in jihad and those who are steadfast”: that is, with knowledge of actual occurrence. In other words, until the one who strives in jihad and the one who remains steadfast upon his religion become distinguishable from others. “And We shall test your reports”: that is, We shall bring them to light and disclose them through the refusal of those who refuse to fight and do not remain steadfast in jihad.

Abu Bakr, transmitting from ‘Asim, recited, “He will surely test you until He knows,” and “He tests,” with the ya’ in each instance, owing to His saying: [“And Allah knows your deeds.” The other reciters recited all of them with the nun, owing to His saying] (3): “Had We willed, We could have shown them to you.” Ya‘qub recited, “and We shall test,” with a sukūn on the waw, coordinating it with His saying, “We shall surely test you”; the other reciters read it with fatḥah, coordinating it with His saying, “until We know.”

“Indeed, those who disbelieve, bar others from the way of Allah, and oppose the Messenger after guidance has become clear to them will not harm Allah in the least”: rather, they only harm themselves. “And He will render their deeds worthless”: thus, they will receive no reward for them in the Hereafter,

(1) See: al-Qurtubi, 16/252. (2) Part of a hadith recorded by al-Bukhari in Kitab al-Shahadat (Book of Testimonies), chapter: “Whoever produces evidence after an oath,” 5/288; and by Muslim in Kitab al-Aqdiya (Book of Judicial Rulings), chapter: “Judging by outward appearances and a litigant's persuasive presentation of his proof,” no. 1713, 3/1337. (3) The text enclosed in parentheses is omitted from manuscript “A.”

قَالَ الزَّجَّاجُ: الْمَعْنَى: لَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ عَلَامَةً تَعْرِفُهُمْ بِهَا. قَالَ أَنَسٌ: مَا خَفِيَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ نُزُولِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ، كَانَ يَعْرِفُهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ (١) . ﴿وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِي لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ﴾ فِي مَعْنَاهُ وَمَقْصِدِهِ. "وَاللَّحْنُ": وَجْهَانِ صَوَابٌ وَخَطَأٌ، فَالْفِعْلُ مِنَ الصَّوَابِ: لَحِنَ يَلْحَنُ لَحْنًا فَهُوَ لَحِنٌ إِذَا فَطِنَ لِلشَّيْءِ، وَمِنْهُ قَوْلُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ: "وَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَلْحَنَ بِحُجَّتِهِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ". (٢) وَالْفِعْلُ مِنَ الْخَطَأِ لَحَنَ يَلْحَنُ لَحْنًا فَهُوَ لَاحِنٌ. وَالْأَصْلُ فِيهِ: إِزَالَةُ الْكَلَامِ عَنْ جِهَتِهِ. وَالْمَعْنَى: إِنَّكَ تَعْرِفُهُمْ فِيمَا يُعَرِّضُونَ بِهِ مِنْ تَهْجِينِ أَمْرِكَ وَأَمْرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالِاسْتِهْزَاءِ بِهِمْ، فَكَانَ بَعْدَ هَذَا لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ مُنَافِقٌ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ إِلَّا عَرَفَهُ بِقَوْلِهِ، وَيَسْتَدِلُّ بِفَحْوَى كَلَامِهِ عَلَى فَسَادِ دَخِيلَتِهِ. ﴿وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ أَعْمَالَكُمْ﴾ . ﴿وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّى نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَ أَخْبَارَكُمْ (٣١) إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَشَاقُّوا الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْهُدَى لَنْ يَضُرُّوا اللَّهَ شَيْئًا وَسَيُحْبِطُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ (٣٢) ﴾ ﴿وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ﴾ وَلِنُعَامِلَنَّكُمْ مُعَامَلَةَ الْمُخْتَبِرِ بِأَنْ نَأْمُرَكُمْ بِالْجِهَادِ وَالْقِتَالِ، ﴿حَتَّى نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ﴾ أَيْ: عِلْمَ الْوُجُودِ، يُرِيدُ: حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ الْمُجَاهِدُ وَالصَّابِرُ عَلَى دِينِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ، ﴿وَنَبْلُوَ أَخْبَارَكُمْ﴾ أَيْ نُظْهِرُهَا وَنَكْشِفُهَا بِإِبَاءِ مَنْ يَأْبَى الْقِتَالَ، وَلَا يَصْبِرُ عَلَى الْجِهَادِ. وَقَرَأَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ: "وَلَيَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ"، وَيَبْلُو بِالْيَاءِ فِيهِنَّ، لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ["وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ أَعْمَالَكُمْ"، وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ بِالنُّونِ فِيهِنَّ، لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى] (٣) "وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَأَرَيْنَاكَهُمْ"، وَقَرَأَ يَعْقُوبُ: "وَنَبْلُوا" سَاكِنَةَ الْوَاوِ، رَدًّا عَلَى قَوْلِهِ: "وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ" وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ بِالْفَتْحِ رَدًّا عَلَى قَوْلِهِ: "حَتَّى نَعْلَمَ". ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَشَاقُّوا الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْهُدَى لَنْ يَضُرُّوا اللَّهَ شَيْئًا﴾ إِنَّمَا يَضُرُّونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ، ﴿وَسَيُحْبِطُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ﴾ فَلَا يَرَوْنَ لَهَا ثَوَابًا فِي الْآخِرَةِ،

(١) انظر: القرطبي: ١٦ / ٢٥٢. (٢) قطعة من حديث أخرجه البخاري في الشهادات، باب من أقام البينة بعد اليمين. ٥ / ٢٨٨، ومسلم في الأقضية، باب: الحكم بالظاهر واللحن بالحجة برقم: (١٧١٣) : ٣ / ١٣٣٧. (٣) ما بين القوسين ساقط من "أ".