Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/344)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“O you who believe, avoid much suspicion. Indeed, some suspicion is sinful. Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another. Would any of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would surely detest it. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is ever Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful.” (12)

“O you who believe, avoid much suspicion.” It is said that this verse was revealed concerning two men who backbit their companion. Whenever the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went on a military expedition or travelled, he would assign a needy man to two well-off men, so that he could serve them. He would go ahead of them to the stopping-place and prepare for them whatever food and drink they needed.

On one of his journeys, he assigned Salman al-Farisi to two men. Salman went ahead to the stopping-place, but sleep overcame him and he fell asleep, without preparing anything for them. When they arrived, they said to him, “Have you not prepared anything?” He replied, “No; sleep overcame me.” They said to him, “Go to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and ask him for food for us.”

Salman came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked him for food. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, “Go to Usama ibn Zayd and tell him: if he has any surplus food and condiment, let him give you some.” Usama was the Messenger of Allah’s steward and was responsible for his travel provisions. Salman went to him, and Usama said, “I have nothing.” Salman then returned to the two men and informed them.

They said, “Usama had food, but he was miserly.” Then they sent Salman to a group of the Companions, but he found nothing with them. When he returned, they said, “Had we sent you to the well of Sumayhah, its water would have disappeared.” Then they went to spy, to see whether Usama had what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had instructed him to give them.

When they came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he said to them, “Why do I see the green traces of meat in your mouths?” They replied, “By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we have not eaten any meat today.” He said, “Rather, you have spent the day eating the flesh of Salman

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ (١٢) ﴾ ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ﴾ قِيلَ: نَزَلَتِ الْآيَةُ فِي رَجُلَيْنِ اغْتَابَا رَفِيقَهُمَا، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ إِذَا غَزَا أَوْ سَافَرَ ضَمَّ الرَّجُلَ الْمُحْتَاجَ إِلَى رَجُلَيْنِ مُوسِرَيْنِ يَخْدِمُهُمَا، وَيَتَقَدَّمُ لَهُمَا إِلَى الْمَنْزِلِ فَيُهَيِّئُ لَهُمَا مَا يُصْلِحُهُمَا مِنَ الطَّعَامِ وَالشَّرَابِ، فَضَمَّ سَلْمَانَ الْفَارِسِيَّ إِلَى رَجُلَيْنِ فِي بَعْضِ أَسْفَارِهِ، فَتَقَدَّمَ سَلْمَانُ إِلَى الْمَنْزِلِ فَغَلَبَتْهُ عَيْنَاهُ فَنَامَ فَلَمْ يُهَيِّئْ لَهُمَا شَيْئًا، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَا قَالَا لَهُ: مَا صَنَعْتَ شَيْئًا؟ قَالَ: لَا غَلَبَتْنِي عَيْنَايَ، قَالَا لَهُ: انْطَلِقْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَاطْلُبْ لَنَا مِنْهُ طَعَامًا، فَجَاءَ سَلْمَانُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَسَأَلَهُ طَعَامًا، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: انْطَلِقْ إِلَى أُسَامَةَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ، وَقُلْ لَهُ: إِنْ كَانَ عِنْدَهُ فَضْلٌ مِنْ طَعَامٍ وَإِدَامٍ فَلْيُعْطِكَ، وَكَانَ أُسَامَةُ خَازِنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَعَلَى رَحْلِهِ، فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ: مَا عِنْدِي شَيْءٌ، فَرَجَعَ سَلْمَانُ إِلَيْهِمَا وَأَخْبَرَهُمَا، فَقَالَا كَانَ عِنْدَ أُسَامَةَ طَعَامٌ وَلَكِنْ بَخِلَ، فَبَعَثَا سَلْمَانَ إِلَى طَائِفَةٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ عِنْدَهُمْ شَيْئًا، فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ قَالَا لَوْ بَعَثْنَاكَ إِلَى بِئْرِ سُمَيْحَةَ لَغَارَ مَاؤُهَا، ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَا يَتَجَسَّسَانِ، هَلْ عِنْدَ أُسَامَةَ مَا أَمَرَ لَهُمَا بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ؟ فَلَمَّا جَاءَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قال لهما: "مالي أَرَى خُضْرَةَ اللَّحْمِ فِي أَفْوَاهِكُمَا"، قَالَا وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا تَنَاوَلْنَا يَوْمَنَا هَذَا لَحْمًا، قَالَ: بَلْ ظَلَلْتُمْ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمَ سَلْمَانَ