Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/431)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

the others recited it with the third-person prefix. Allah, Most High, says: “Tomorrow they will know who is the insolent liar,” when the punishment descends upon them. Al-Kalbi said: This means on the Day of Resurrection. The mention of “tomorrow” conveys nearness, in accordance with customary human speech: they say, “With today comes tomorrow.”

“We will certainly send the she-camel”—that is, We will bring her forth and cause her to emerge from the rock they had specified. They had obstinately demanded of Salih that he bring forth for them from a rock a red, ten-month-pregnant she-camel. So Allah, Most High, said: “We will certainly send the she-camel as a trial for them”—that is, as an ordeal and a test for them. “So watch them”: wait and see what they will do. “And be patient”: be patient as you await them. It was also said: be patient with the harm that befalls you.

“And inform them that the water is to be shared between them”: between them and the she-camel; one day was hers and one day was theirs. He said “between them” because when the Arabs speak of human beings together with animals, they give precedence to human beings over animals. “Each share of water” means each allotted portion of water “is to be attended”: whoever’s turn it is comes to it. Thus, when it was her day, she came to her share of water; and when it was their day, they came to their share. The verbs “to attend” and “to be present” have the same meaning. Mujahid said: This means that they came to the water when the she-camel was absent; and when the she-camel came, they came for the milk.

“But they called their companion,” namely Qidar ibn Salif. “Then he took it up”: he set upon the she-camel with his sword. “And hamstrung her”: that is, he hamstrung the she-camel.

“So how severe were My punishment and My warnings!” He then explained their punishment, saying:

“Indeed, We sent against them a single blast.” Ata said: He meant the blast of Gabriel, peace be upon him. “And they became like dry twigs gathered by a builder of animal pens.” Ibn Abbas said: This is like a man who makes an enclosure for his sheep from trees and thorns to protect them from wild beasts; whatever falls from it and is trampled underfoot by the sheep is the dry debris. (1)

(1) See al-Qurtubi, 17:142.

الْآخَرُونَ بِالْيَاءِ، يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَدًا﴾ حِينَ يَنْزِلُ بِهِمُ الْعَذَابُ. وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: يَعْنِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ. وَذِكْرُ "الْغَدِ" لِلتَّقْرِيبِ عَلَى عَادَةِ النَّاسِ، يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ مَعَ الْيَوْمِ غَدًا ﴿مَنِ الْكَذَّابُ الْأَشِرُ﴾ . ﴿إِنَّا مُرْسِلُو النَّاقَةِ﴾ أَيْ: بَاعِثُوهَا وَمُخْرِجُوهَا مِنَ الْهَضْبَةِ الَّتِي سَأَلُوا، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ تَعَنَّتُوا عَلَى صَالِحٍ، فَسَأَلُوهُ أَنْ يُخْرِجَ لَهُمْ مِنْ صَخْرَةٍ نَاقَةً حَمْرَاءَ عَشْرَاءَ، فَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿إِنَّا مُرْسِلُو النَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةً لَهُمْ﴾ مِحْنَةً وَاخْتِبَارًا لَهُمْ ﴿فَارْتَقِبْهُمْ﴾ فَانْتَظَرَ مَا هُمْ صَانِعُونَ ﴿وَاصْطَبِرْ﴾ وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى ارْتِقَابِهِمْ، وَقِيلَ: عَلَى مَا يُصِيبُكَ مِنَ الْأَذَى. ﴿وَنَبِّئْهُمْ أَنَّ الْمَاءَ قِسْمَةٌ بَيْنَهُمْ﴾ وَبَيْنَ النَّاقَةِ يَوْمٌ لَهَا وَيَوْمٌ لَهُمْ، وَإِنَّمَا قَالَ بَيْنَهُمْ لِأَنَّ الْعَرَبَ إِذَا أَخْبَرَتْ عَنْ بَنِي آدَمَ وَعَنِ الْبَهَائِمِ غَلَّبَتْ بَنِي آدَمَ عَلَى الْبَهَائِمِ ﴿كُلُّ شِرْبٍ﴾ نَصِيبٍ مِنَ الْمَاءِ ﴿مُحْتَضَرٌ﴾ يَحْضُرُهُ مَنْ كَانَتْ نَوْبَتُهُ، فَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُهَا حَضَرَتْ شِرْبَهَا، وَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُهُمْ حَضَرُوا شِرْبَهُمْ، وَحَضَرَ وَاحْتَضَرَ بِمَعْنًى وَاحِدٍ، قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: يَعْنِي يَحْضُرُونَ الْمَاءَ إِذَا غَابَتِ النَّاقَةُ، فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ النَّاقَةُ حَضَرُوا اللَّبَنَ. ﴿فَنَادَوْا صَاحِبَهُمْ﴾ وَهُوَ قِدَارُ بْنُ سَالِفٍ ﴿فَتَعَاطَى﴾ فَتَنَاوُلَ النَّاقَةَ بِسَيْفِهِ ﴿فَعَقَرَ﴾ أَيْ: فَعَقَرَهَا. ﴿فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ﴾ ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ عَذَابَهُمْ فَقَالَ: ﴿إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً﴾ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: يُرِيدُ صَيْحَةَ جِبْرِيلَ ﵇ ﴿فَكَانُوا كَهَشِيمِ الْمُحْتَظِرِ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: هُوَ الرَّجُلُ يَجْعَلُ لِغَنَمِهِ حَظِيرَةً مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ وَالشَّوْكِ دُونَ السِّبَاعِ، فَمَا سَقَطَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَدَاسَتْهُ الْغَنَمُ فَهُوَ الْهَشِيمُ (١) .

(١) انظر القرطبي: ١٧ / ١٤٢.