Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/363)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“How many a generation We destroyed before them, who were greater than them in might and had travelled throughout the lands. Was there any place of escape? Indeed, in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or listens while fully attentive.” (36–37)

“Who feared the Most Merciful in the unseen”: the grammatical position of “whoever” is genitive (1), as an adjective qualifying the oft-returning servant. The meaning of the verse is: whoever feared the Most Merciful and obeyed Him despite not seeing Him. Al-Dahhak and Al-Suddi said: that is, in private, where no one sees him. Al-Hasan said: when he has drawn the curtain and shut the door. “And came with a penitent heart”: a sincere heart, turning towards obedience to Allah.

“Enter it” [that is, those possessing these qualities will be told: “Enter it”] (2)—that is, enter Paradise—“in peace,” safe from punishment and sorrow. It was also said: with greetings of peace from Allah and His angels upon them. And it was said: secure from the passing away of blessings. “That is the Day of Eternity.”

“They will have whatever they wish therein”: they will ask Allah, exalted is He, until their requests come to an end, and they will be given whatever they wish. Then Allah will grant them, from His bounty, that which they did not ask for. This is His saying: “and with Us is more,” meaning an increase in bliss beyond anything that had occurred to them. Jabir and Anas said: it is beholding the Noble Face of Allah.

His saying, exalted is He: “How many a generation We destroyed before them, who were greater than them in might and had travelled throughout the lands”: they journeyed, travelled, moved about, and roamed. Its root is from a pathway, as though they had followed every road. “Was there any place of escape?” Yet they found no escape from Allah’s decree. It was also said that “Was there any place of escape?” means: was there any refuge from death? Yet they found no refuge from it. This is a warning (3) to the people of Mecca: they are upon a path like theirs and will find no escape from death. They will die, then proceed to Allah’s punishment.

“Indeed, in that”—in the lessons and the destruction of the towns that I have mentioned—“is a reminder”: an admonition and an exhortation, “for whoever has a heart.”

(1) In manuscript A, it is in the nominative. (2) The text within the parentheses is an addition from manuscript B. (3) In manuscript A: “therein is a warning.”

﴿وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ بَطْشًا فَنَقَّبُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ هَلْ مِنْ مَحِيصٍ (٣٦) إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ (٣٧) ﴾ ﴿مَنْ خَشِيَ الرَّحْمَنَ بِالْغَيْبِ﴾ مَحَلُّ "مَنْ" جَرٌّ (١) عَلَى نَعْتِ الْأَوَّابِ. وَمَعْنَى الْآيَةِ: مَنْ خَافَ الرَّحْمَنَ وَأَطَاعَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ وَلَمْ يَرَهُ. وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ وَالسُّدِّيُّ: يَعْنِي فِي الْخَلْوَةِ حَيْثُ لَا يَرَاهُ أَحَدٌ. قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: إِذَا أَرْخَى السِّتْرَ وَأَغْلَقَ الْبَابَ. ﴿وَجَاءَ بِقَلْبٍ مُنِيبٍ﴾ مُخْلِصٍ مُقْبِلٍ إِلَى طَاعَةَ اللَّهِ. ﴿ادْخُلُوهَا﴾ [أَيْ: يُقَالُ لِأَهْلِ هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ: ادْخُلُوهَا] (٢) أَيِ ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ ﴿بِسَلَامٍ﴾ بِسَلَامَةٍ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَالْهُمُومِ. وَقِيلَ بِسَلَامٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ. وَقِيلَ: بِسَلَامَةٍ مِنْ زَوَالِ النِّعَمِ، ﴿ذَلِكَ يَوْمُ الْخُلُودِ﴾ . ﴿لَهُمْ مَا يَشَاءُونَ فِيهَا﴾ ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ يَسْأَلُونَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى حَتَّى تَنْتَهِيَ مَسْأَلَتُهُمْ فيعطون ما شاؤوا، ثُمَّ يَزِيدُهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ مَا لَمْ يَسْأَلُوهُ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ: ﴿وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌ﴾ ، يَعْنِي الزِّيَادَةَ لَهُمْ فِي النَّعِيمِ مَا لَمْ يَخْطُرْ بِبَالِهِمْ. وَقَالَ جَابِرٌ وَأَنَسٌ: هُوَ النَّظَرُ إِلَى وَجْهِ اللَّهِ الْكَرِيمِ. قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ بَطْشًا فَنَقَّبُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ﴾ ، ضَرَبُوا وَسَارُوا وَتَقَلَّبُوا وَطَافُوا، وَأَصْلُهُ مِنَ النَّقْبِ، وَهُوَ الطَّرِيقُ كَأَنَّهُمْ سَلَكُوا كُلَّ طَرِيقٍ، ﴿هَلْ مِنْ مَحِيصٍ﴾ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا مَحِيصًا مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ. وَقِيلَ: "هَلْ مِنْ مَحِيصٍ" مَفَرٍّ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ؟ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا [مِنْهُ مَفَرًّا، وَهَذَا إِنْذَارٌ] (٣) لِأَهْلِ مَكَّةَ وَأَنَّهُمْ عَلَى مِثْلِ سَبِيلِهِمْ لَا يَجِدُونَ مَفَرًّا عَنِ الْمَوْتِ يَمُوتُونَ، فَيَصِيرُونَ إِلَى عَذَابِ اللَّهِ. ﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ﴾ ، فِيمَا ذَكَرْتُ مِنَ الْعِبَرِ وَإِهْلَاكِ الْقُرَى، ﴿لَذِكْرَى﴾ ، تَذْكِرَةً وَعِظَةً، ﴿لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ﴾

(١) في "أ" رفع. (٢) ما بين القوسين زيادة من "ب". (٣) في "أ": فيه إنذارا.