Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/57)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“When there are three of you, two should not converse privately to the exclusion of the third without his permission, for that would grieve him.” (1)

“O you who believe, when you are told, ‘Make room in the gatherings,’ then make room; Allah will make room for you. And when you are told, ‘Rise,’ then rise; Allah will raise in rank those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge. And Allah is fully aware of what you do.” (11)

Regarding His saying, exalted is He: “O you who believe, when you are told, ‘Make room in the gatherings,’ then make room”—the verse: Muqatil ibn Hayyan said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to honor those among the Emigrants and the Helpers who had taken part in Badr. One day, some of them came after others had already reached the gathering. They stood before the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, greeted him, and he returned their greeting. Then they greeted the people, who returned their greeting. They remained standing, waiting for room to be made for them, but no one made room. This distressed the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, so he said to those around him, “Rise, so-and-so; and you, so-and-so.” He had a number of men leave their places equal to the number of the people of Badr who were standing before him. Those made to leave their seats found this difficult, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw their displeasure on their faces. Thereupon Allah revealed this verse. (2)

Al-Kalbi said: It was revealed concerning Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas. We have mentioned his story in Surah al-Hujurat. (3) Qatadah said: They used to compete for places in the gathering of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Whenever they saw someone approaching them, they were reluctant to give up their places; so Allah commanded them to make room for one another. (4)

It was also said that this occurred on a Friday, and Allah, exalted is He, revealed: “O you who believe, when you are told, ‘Make room...’”

“O you who believe, when you are told, ‘Make room...’”—that is, make space in the gathering. Al-Hasan and Asim recited it as “in the gatherings,” in the plural, since each person is seated in a gathering; its meaning is that every man should make room in his own place. The others recited it as “in the gathering,” in the singular, because what is intended is the gathering of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. “Then make room”: make space. One says, “He made room,” when he widened the space in a gathering. “Allah will make room for you”: Allah will expand Paradise and its gatherings for you.

(1) Recorded by Muslim in The Book of Greetings, chapter: “The prohibition of two people conversing privately to the exclusion of a third without his consent,” no. 2184, 4:1718; and by the compiler in Sharh al-Sunnah, 13:90. (2) Al-Suyuti attributed it in al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:81, to Ibn Abi Hatim. See al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 475; Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 4:325. (3) Regarding His saying, exalted is He, “O you who believe, let not one people ridicule another people...” Ibn Abbas said: It was revealed concerning Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas. He was hard of hearing, and when he came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, after the people had already taken their places, they would make room for him until he could sit beside him and hear what he said. One day, he came after having missed a rak'ah (unit of prayer) of the Fajr prayer. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, finished the prayer, his Companions took their places, and each man was reluctant to give up his seat; scarcely anyone would make room for another. Thus, when a man came and found no place to sit, he would remain standing. After Thabit had finished the prayer, he approached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, stepping over the people’s shoulders and saying, “Make room, make room.” They continued making room for him until he reached the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with one man between them. He said to him, “Make room.” The man replied, “You have found a place, so sit.” Thabit then sat behind him in anger. When it became light, Thabit nudged the man and asked, “Who is this?” He replied, “I am so-and-so.” Thabit said, “The son of so-and-so,” mentioning a mother for whom he had been taunted in the pre-Islamic period. The man lowered his head in shame, and Allah, Most High, revealed this verse. (4) Recorded by al-Tabari, 28:17.

"إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَاثَةً فَلَا يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ الثَّالِثِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُحْزِنُهُ" (١) . ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا فِي الْمَجَالِسِ فَافْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَإِذَا قِيلَ انْشُزُوا فَانْشُزُوا يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ (١١) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﷿ ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا فِي الْمَجَالِسِ فَافْسَحُوا﴾ الْآيَةَ قَالَ مُقَاتِلُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُكْرِمُ أَهْلَ بَدْرٍ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ، فَجَاءَ نَاسٌ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمًا وَقَدْ سُبِقُوا إِلَى الْمَجْلِسِ فَقَامُوا حِيَالَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَسَلَّمُوا عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ، ثُمَّ سَلَّمُوا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ فَرَدُّوا عَلَيْهِمْ، فَقَامُوا عَلَى أَرْجُلِهِمْ يَنْتَظِرُونَ أَنْ يُوَسَّعَ لَهُمْ، فَلَمْ يُفْسِحُوا لَهُمْ فَشَقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، فَقَالَ لِمَنْ حَوْلَهُ: قُمْ يَا فُلَانُ وَأَنْتَ يَا فُلَانُ، فَأَقَامَ مِنَ الْمَجْلِسِ بِقَدْرِ النَّفَرِ الَّذِينَ قَامُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنْ أَهَّلِ بَدْرٍ، فَشَقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى مَنْ أُقِيمَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ وَعَرَفَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الْكَرَاهِيَةَ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ (٢) . وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: نَزَلَتْ فِي ثَابِتِ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ شَمَّاسٍ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرْنَا فِي سُورَةِ الْحُجُرَاتِ قِصَّتَهُ (٣) . وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: كَانُوا يَتَنَافَسُونَ فِي مَجْلِسِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَكَانُوا إِذَا رَأَوْا مَنْ جَاءَهُمْ مُقْبِلًا ضَنُّوا بِمَجْلِسِهِمْ فَأَمَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُفْسِحَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ (٤) . وَقِيلَ: كَانَ ذَلِكَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷿: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا﴾ ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا﴾ أَيْ تَوَسَّعُوا فِي الْمَجْلِسِ، قَرَأَ الْحَسَنُ وَعَاصِمٌ: "فِي الْمَجَالِسِ" لِأَنَّ الْكُلَّ جَالِسٌ مَجْلِسًا مَعْنَاهُ: لِيَتَفَسَّحْ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ. وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ: "فِي الْمَجْلِسِ" عَلَى التَّوْحِيدِ لِأَنَّ الْمُرَادَ مِنْهُ مَجْلِسُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ﴿فَافْسَحُوا﴾ أَوْسِعُوا، يُقَالُ: فَسَحَ يَفْسَحُ فَسْحًا: إِذَا وَسَّعَ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ ﴿يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ﴾ يُوَسِّعُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْجَنَّةَ وَالْمَجَالِسَ فِيهَا.

(١) أخرجه مسلم في السلام، باب تحريم مناجاة الاثنين دون الثالث بغير رضاه برقم (٢١٨٤) : ٤ / ١٧١٨، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١٣ / ٩٠. (٢) عزاه السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٨ / ٨١ لابن أبي حاتم. وانظر: الواحدي في أسباب النزول، ص (٤٧٥) تفسير ابن كثير: ٤ / ٣٢٥. (٣) وقوله ﷿ (يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا يَسْخَرْ قَومٌ) الآية، قال ابن عباس: نزلت في ثابت بن قيس بن شماس وذلك أنه كان في أذنه وقر، فكان إذا أتى رسول الله ﷺ وقد سبقوه بالمجلس أوسعوا له حتى يجلس إلى جنبه، فيسمع ما يقول، فأقبل ذات يوم وقد فاتته [ركعة من صلاة الفجر] . فلما انصرف النبي ﷺ من الصلاة أخذ أصحابه مجالسهم، فضن كل رجل بمجلسه فلا يكاد يُوسّع أحدٌ لأحد، فكان الرجل إذا جاء فلم يجد مجلسًا يجلس فيه قام قائمًا كما هو، فلما فرغ ثابت من الصلاة أقبل نحو رسول الله ﷺ يتخطى رقاب الناس، ويقول: تفسحوا تفسحوا، فجعلوا يتفسحون له حتى انتهى إلى رسول الله ﷺ وبينه وبينه رجل، فقال له: تفسح، فقال الرجل: قد أصبتَ مجلسًا فاجلس، فجلس ثابت خلفه مغضبًا، فلما انجلت الظلمة غمز ثابت الرجل، فقال: من هذا؟ قال: أنا فلان، فقال ثابت: ابن فلانة، وذكر أُمًّا له كان يعير بها في الجاهلية، فنكَّسَ الرجل رأسه واستحيا، فأنزل الله تعالى هذه الآية. (٤) أخرجه الطبري: ٢٨ / ١٧.