Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/393)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Or do they have a stairway by which they listen? Then let their listener bring clear proof. Or does He have daughters while you have sons? Or do you ask them for payment, so that they are weighed down by debt? Or do they possess knowledge of the unseen, so that they write it down? Or do they intend a plot? Then it is those who disbelieve who will be plotted against.” (38–42)

“Or do they have a stairway”—that is, a ladder or ascent leading to heaven—“by which they listen,” meaning that they listen to revelation upon it. This is like His saying: “I will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm trees” (20:71), meaning, upon them. Its meaning is: Do they have a stairway by which they ascend to heaven, listen to revelation, and thus know from revelation that what they follow is true, so that they hold fast to it? “Then let their listener,” if they claim this, “bring clear proof”—that is, an evident argument.

“Or does He have daughters while you have sons?” This is a condemnation of them for assigning to Allah what they themselves disliked, as in His saying: “Ask them, then: are daughters for your Lord while sons are for them?” (37:149).

“Or do you ask them for payment”—a recompense for what you have brought them and the religion to which you call them—“so that they are weighed down by debt?” That payment which you ask of them has burdened them and prevented them from accepting Islam.

“Or do they possess knowledge of the unseen?” That is, knowledge of what is hidden from them, such that they know that what the Messenger tells them concerning the Day of Resurrection and the resurrection is false.

Qatadah said: This is an answer to their statement, “We await for him the calamity of time.” He says: Do they possess knowledge of the unseen, such that they know Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, will die before them? “So that they write it down,” meaning: they pass judgment, for writing can mean judgment. The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said to two men who brought a dispute before him: “I will judge between you according to the Book of Allah.” (1) That is, according to Allah’s judgment.

Ibn Abbas said: Its meaning is: Or do they possess the Preserved Tablet, such that they write down what it contains and inform people of it?

“Or do they intend a plot”—a scheme against you in order to destroy you? “Then it is those who disbelieve who will be plotted against.” That is, they will be requited for their plotting. The meaning is that its harm will return upon them and their plot will encompass them. For they plotted against him in Dar al-Nadwah (the Council House), and were then killed at Badr.

(1) Part of a hadith recorded by al-Bukhari in Kitab al-Sulh (Reconciliation), chapter: “If they agree to an unjust settlement, the settlement is invalid,” 5:301; by Muslim in Kitab al-Hudud (Prescribed Punishments), chapter: “One Who Confesses to Himself That He Committed Zina (Adultery or Fornication),” nos. 1697-1698, 3:1324-1325; and by the compiler in Sharh al-Sunnah, 10:274-275.

﴿أَمْ لَهُمْ سُلَّمٌ يَسْتَمِعُونَ فِيهِ فَلْيَأْتِ مُسْتَمِعُهُمْ بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ (٣٨) أَمْ لَهُ الْبَنَاتُ وَلَكُمُ الْبْنُونَ (٣٩) أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُمْ مِنْ مَغْرَمٍ مُثْقَلُونَ (٤٠) أَمْ عِنْدَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ (٤١) أَمْ يُرِيدُونَ كَيْدًا فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هُمُ الْمَكِيدُونَ (٤٢) ﴾ ﴿أَمْ لَهُمْ سُلَّمٌ﴾ مَرْقًى وَمِصْعَدٌ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، ﴿يَسْتَمِعُونَ فِيهِ﴾ أَيْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْيَ، كَقَوْلِهِ: "وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ" (طه-٧١) أَيْ: عَلَيْهَا، مَعْنَاهُ: أَلَهُمْ سُلَّمٌ يَرْتَقُونَ بِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، فَيَسْتَمِعُونَ الْوَحْيَ وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ مَا هُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَقٌّ بِالْوَحْيِ، فَهُمْ مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ بِهِ كَذَلِكَ؟ ﴿فَلْيَأْتِ مُسْتَمِعُهُمْ﴾ إِنِ ادَّعَوْا ذَلِكَ، ﴿بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ﴾ حُجَّةٍ بَيِّنَةٍ. ﴿أَمْ لَهُ الْبَنَاتُ وَلَكُمُ الْبَنُونَ﴾ هَذَا إِنْكَارٌ عَلَيْهِمْ حِينَ جَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ مَا يَكْرَهُونَ، كَقَوْلِهِ: "فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَلِرَبِّكَ الْبَنَاتُ وَلَهُمُ الْبْنُونَ" (الصَّافَّاتِ-١٤٩) . ﴿أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا﴾ جُعْلًا عَلَى مَا جِئْتَهُمْ بِهِ وَدَعَوْتَهُمْ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الدِّينِ، ﴿فَهُمْ مِنْ مَغْرَمٍ مُثْقَلُونَ﴾ أَثْقَلَهُمْ ذَلِكَ الْمَغْرَمُ الَّذِي تَسْأَلُهُمْ، فَمَنَعَهُمْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ. ﴿أَمْ عِنْدَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ﴾ أَيْ: عِلْمُ مَا غَابَ عَنْهُمْ، حَتَّى عَلِمُوا أَنَّ مَا يُخْبِرُهُمُ الرَّسُولُ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالْبَعْثِ بَاطِلٌ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: هَذَا جَوَابٌ لِقَوْلِهِمْ: "نَتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ"، يَقُولُ: أَعِنْدَهُمْ عِلْمُ الْغَيْبِ حَتَّى عَلِمُوا أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ يَمُوتُ قَبْلَهُمْ؟ ﴿فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ﴾ أَيْ: يَحْكُمُونَ، وَالْكِتَابُ: الْحُكْمُ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لِلرَّجُلَيْنِ اللَّذَيْنِ تَخَاصَمَا إِلَيْهِ: "أَقْضِي بَيْنَكُمَا بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ" (١) أَيْ بِحُكْمِ اللَّهِ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: مَعْنَاهُ أَمْ عِنْدَهُمُ اللَّوْحُ الْمَحْفُوظُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ مَا فِيهِ وَيُخْبِرُونَ النَّاسَ بِهِ؟ ﴿أَمْ يُرِيدُونَ كَيْدًا﴾ مَكْرًا بِكَ لِيُهْلِكُوكَ؟ ﴿فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هُمُ الْمَكِيدُونَ﴾ أَيْ: هُمُ الْمَجْزِيُّونَ بِكَيْدِهِمْ، يُرِيدُ أَنَّ ضَرَرَ ذَلِكَ يَعُودُ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَيَحِيقُ مَكْرُهُمْ بِهِمْ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ مَكَرُوا بِهِ فِي دَارِ النَّدْوَةِ فَقُتِلُوا بِبَدْرٍ.

(١) قطعة من حديث أخرجه البخاري في الصلح، باب إذا اصطلحوا على صلح جور فالصلح مردود: ٥ / ٣٠١، ومسلم في الحدود، باب من اعترف على نفسه بالزنا برقم (١٦٩٧-١٦٩٨) ٣ / ١٣٢٤-١٣٢٥، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١٠ / ٢٧٤-٢٧٥.