Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/381)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

the Exalted: “And if you were to ask them who created them, they would surely say, ‘Allah.’” (al-Zukhruf 43:87)

It has also been said that its meaning is: except that they submit to Me and humble themselves before Me. The linguistic meaning of worship is humility and compliance. Thus, every creature among jinn and mankind is subject to Allah’s decree and humbled before His will; no one has the power to depart from that for which he was created.

It has also been said that “except to worship Me” means: except to affirm My oneness. The believer affirms His oneness in hardship and ease, whereas the disbeliever affirms His oneness in hardship and affliction, but not in blessing and prosperity. This is demonstrated by His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He: “Then, when they board a ship, they call upon Allah, sincere to Him in religion.” (al-Ankabut 29:65)

“I do not seek from them any provision, nor do I seek that they should feed Me. Indeed, Allah is the Ever-Providing, the Possessor of Strength, the Firm. So those who have wronged will have a share like the share of their companions; so let them not seek to hasten it. Then woe to those who disbelieve because of their Day which they are promised.”

“I do not seek from them any provision”: that is, that they should provide for any of My creation, nor that they should provide for themselves. “Nor do I seek that they should feed Me”: that is, that they should feed any of My creation. Feeding is attributed to Himself because all creatures are Allah’s dependents, and whoever feeds a person’s dependents has fed that person. As mentioned in the hadith, Allah Most High says: “I asked you for food, but you did not feed Me.” (1) That is, you did not feed My servant. He then made clear that He alone, and none besides Him, is the Provider, saying:

“Indeed, Allah is the Ever-Providing”: that is, the Provider of all His creation. “The Possessor of Strength, the Firm”: He is the Strong, the Fully Capable, whose strength and power are consummate.

“So those who have wronged”: that is, the disbelievers among the people of Mecca, “will have a share”: a portion of punishment, “like the share of their companions”: like the portion of their companions who perished, from among the people of Noah, Aad, and Thamud. The original linguistic meaning of share is a large bucket filled with water; it was then used to mean a portion or allotment. “So let them not seek to hasten it”: that is, the punishment, for they have been deferred until the Day of Resurrection.

This is indicated by His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He: “Then woe to those who disbelieve because of their Day which they are promised.” That is, the Day of Resurrection. It has also been said that it refers to the Day of Badr.

(1) Part of a hadith reported by Muslim in al-Birr wa al-Silah wa al-Adab, chapter: “The Merit of Visiting the Sick,” no. 2569, 4:1990.

تَعَالَى: "وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ" (الزُّخْرُفِ-٨٧) . وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ إِلَّا لِيَخْضَعُوا إِلَيَّ وَيَتَذَلَّلُوا، وَمَعْنَى الْعِبَادَةِ فِي اللُّغَةِ: التَّذَلُّلُ وَالِانْقِيَادُ، فَكُلُّ مَخْلُوقٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ خَاضِعٌ لِقَضَاءِ اللَّهِ، مُتَذَلِّلٌ لِمَشِيئَتِهِ لَا يَمْلِكُ أَحَدٌ لِنَفْسِهِ خُرُوجًا عَمَّا خُلِقَ عَلَيْهِ. وَقِيلَ: "إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ" إِلَّا لِيُوَحِّدُونِي، فَأَمَّا الْمُؤْمِنُ فَيُوَحِّدُهُ فِي الشِّدَّةِ وَالرَّخَاءِ، وَأَمَّا الْكَافِرُ فَيُوَحِّدُهُ فِي الشِّدَّةِ وَالْبَلَاءِ دُونَ النِّعْمَةِ وَالرَّخَاءِ، بَيَانُهُ قَوْلُهُ ﷿: "فَإِذَا رَكِبُوا فِي الْفُلْكِ دَعَوُا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ". (الْعَنْكَبُوتِ-٦٥) . ﴿مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ (٥٧) إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ (٥٨) فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ذَنُوبًا مِثْلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصْحَابِهِمْ فَلَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونِ (٥٩) فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ يَوْمِهِمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ (٦٠) ﴾ ﴿مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ﴾ ، أَيْ: أَنْ يَرْزُقُوا أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِي وَلَا أَنْ يَرْزُقُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ، ﴿وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ﴾ ، أَيْ: أَنْ يُطْعِمُوا أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِي، وَإِنَّمَا أَسْنَدَ الْإِطْعَامَ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، لِأَنَّ الْخَلْقَ عِيَالُ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ أَطْعَمَ عِيَالَ أَحَدٍ فَقَدْ أَطْعَمَهُ. كَمَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: "اسْتَطْعَمْتُكَ فَلَمْ تُطْعِمْنِي" (١) أَيْ: لَمْ تُطْعِمْ عَبْدِي، ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ أَنَّ الرَّازِقَ هُوَ لَا غَيْرُهُ فَقَالَ: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ﴾ ، يَعْنِي: لِجَمِيعِ خَلْقِهِ، ﴿ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ﴾ ، وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْمُقْتَدِرُ الْمُبَالِغُ فِي الْقُوَّةِ وَالْقُدْرَةِ. ﴿فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا﴾ ، كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ، ﴿ذَنُوبًا﴾ ، نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْعَذَابِ ﴿مِثْلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصْحَابِهِمْ﴾ ، مِثْلَ نَصِيبِ أَصْحَابِهِمُ الَّذِينَ هَلَكُوا مَنْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ، وَأَصْلُ "الذَّنُوبِ" فِي اللُّغَةِ: الدَّلْوُ الْعَظِيمَةُ الْمَمْلُوءَةُ مَاءً، ثُمَّ اسْتُعْمِلَ فِي الْحَظِّ وَالنَّصِيبِ، ﴿فَلَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونِ﴾ ، بِالْعَذَابِ يَعْنِي أَنَّهُمْ أُخِّرُوا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ. يَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ يَوْمِهِمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ﴾ . يَعْنِي: يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَقِيلَ: يَوْمُ بَدْرٍ.

(١) قطعة من حديث أخرجه مسلم في البر والصلة والآداب، باب فضل عيادة المريض، برقم: (٢٥٦٩) : ٤ / ١٩٩٠.