Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/60)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“O you who believe, when you wish to consult the Messenger privately, offer charity before your consultation. That is better and purer for you. But if you cannot find the means, then Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (12)

His saying, exalted is He: “O you who believe, when you wish to consult the Messenger privately, offer charity before your consultation”—that is, before your private consultation. Ibn Abbas said: “People used to ask the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, many questions, until they caused him hardship. So Allah wished to lighten the burden upon His Prophet, restrain them, and deter them from this; thus, He commanded them to give charity before consulting the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, privately.” (1)

Muqatil ibn Hayyan said: “It was revealed concerning the wealthy, who would come to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and frequently consult him privately, thereby taking precedence over the poor in the gatherings, until the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, disliked their prolonged sitting and private consultations with him. When they saw this, they ceased consulting him privately. As for those in hardship, they could find nothing to give, while those in ease withheld it miserly. This became burdensome for the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, so the concession was revealed.” (2)

Mujahid said: “They were prohibited from consulting him privately until they gave charity, and no one consulted him privately except Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. He gave a dinar in charity and consulted him; then the concession was revealed.” Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, would say: “There is a verse in the Book of Allah which no one before me acted upon, and which no one after me will act upon: the verse concerning private consultation.” (3)

It is also related from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: “When this verse was revealed, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, summoned me and said, ‘Would a dinar be suitable?’ I said, ‘They would not be able to afford it.’ He said, ‘Then how much?’ I said, ‘A single grain, or a grain of barley.’ He said, ‘You are setting it very low.’ Then the following was revealed: ‘Are you reluctant to offer charity before your private consultations?’” Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Because of me, Allah lightened this ruling for this Ummah.” (4)

“That is better for you”—meaning, offering charity before private consultation—“and purer. But if you cannot find the means, then Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful”—meaning that the poor, who cannot find anything to give in charity, are excused.

(1) Al-Suyuti attributed it in Al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:83, to Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and Ibn Mardawayh. See al-Tabari, 28:20-21. (2) See al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 476. (3) Recorded by al-Tabari, 28:19-20, and Ibn Kathir, 4:327. (4) Recorded by al-Tirmidhi in Tafsir, “Commentary on Surat al-Mujadilah,” 9:192-194. He said: “This is a hasan gharib hadith.” It was also recorded by al-Tabari, 28:21; Abu Ya'la, 1:223; and Ibn Hibban in Mawarid al-Zam'an, no. 1764, p. 437. Its chain includes Ali ibn Alqamah, whom Ibn Hibban mentioned in Al-Majruhin, 2:109, saying: “He is munkar al-hadith; he alone narrates from Ali reports that do not resemble Ali’s hadith.” Al-Dhahabi mentioned him in Al-Mizan, 3:146, and said: “There is doubt concerning his hadith.” He cited this hadith, which al-Uqayli included in Al-Du'afa.

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نَاجَيْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ نَجْوَاكُمْ صَدَقَةً ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَأَطْهَرُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ (١٢) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﷿ ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نَاجَيْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ نَجْوَاكُمْ صَدَقَةً﴾ أَمَامَ مُنَاجَاتِكُمْ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ النَّاسَ سَأَلُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَكْثَرُوا حَتَّى شَقُّوا عَلَيْهِ فَأَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُخَفِّفَ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ وَيُثَبِّطَهُمْ وَيَرْدَعَهُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يُقَدِّمُوا صَدَقَةً عَلَى الْمُنَاجَاةِ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ ﷺ (١) . وَقَالَ مُقَاتِلُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي الْأَغْنِيَاءِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَأْتُونَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَيُكْثِرُونَ مُنَاجَاتَهُ وَيَغْلِبُونَ الْفُقَرَاءَ عَلَى الْمَجَالِسِ، حَتَّى كَرِهَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ طُولَ جُلُوسِهِمْ وَمُنَاجَاتِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا ذَلِكَ انْتَهَوْا عَنْ مُنَاجَاتِهِ، فَأَمَّا أَهْلُ الْعُسْرَةِ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا شَيْئًا وَأَمَّا أَهْلُ الْمُيَسَّرَةِ فَضَنُّوا وَاشْتَدَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَنَزَلَتِ الرُّخْصَةُ (٢) . قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: نُهُوا عَنِ الْمُنَاجَاةِ حَتَّى يَتَصَدَّقُوا فَلَمْ يُنَاجِهِ إِلَّا عَلِيٌّ ﵁ تَصَدَّقَ بِدِينَارٍ وَنَاجَاهُ ثُمَّ نَزَلَتِ الرُّخْصَةُ فَكَانَ عَلِيٌّ ﵁ يَقُولُ: آيَةٌ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ بِهَا أَحَدٌ قَبْلِي وَلَا يَعْمَلُ بِهَا أَحَدٌ بَعْدِي وَهِيَ آيَةُ الْمُنَاجَاةِ (٣) وَرُوِيَ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ﵁ قَالَ: لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ دَعَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: أَمَا تَرَى دِينَارًا؟ قُلْتُ: لَا يُطِيقُونَهُ قَالَ: فَكَمْ؟ قُلْتُ: حَبَّةً أَوْ شَعِيرَةً، قَالَ: إِنَّكَ لَزَهِيدٌ، فَنَزَلَتْ: "أَأَشْفَقْتُمْ أَنْ تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ نَجْوَاكُمْ صَدَقَاتٍ" قَالَ عَلِيٌّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ: فَبِي قَدْ خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ (٤) . ﴿ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ﴾ يَعْنِي: تَقْدِيمُ الصَّدَقَةِ عَلَى الْمُنَاجَاةِ ﴿وَأَطْهَرُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ يَعْنِي الْفُقَرَاءَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ مَا يَتَصَدَّقُونَ بِهِ مَعْفُوٌّ عَنْهُمْ.

(١) عزاه السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٨ / ٨٣ لابن المنذر وابن أبي حاتم وابن مردويه وانظر: الطبري: ٢٨ / ٢٠ - ٢١. (٢) انظر: الواحدي في أسباب النزول ص (٤٧٦) . (٣) أخرجه الطبري: ٢٨ / ١٩ - ٢٠، وابن كثير: ٤ / ٣٢٧. (٤) أخرجه الترمذي في التقسير - تفسير سورة المجادلة - ٩ / ١٩٢ - ١٩٤ وقال: " هذا حديث حسن غريب" والطبري: ٢٨ / ٢١، وأبو يعلى: ١ / ٢٢٣، وابن حبان في موارد الظمآن برقم: (١٧٦٤) صفحة: (٤٣٧) وفيه علي بن علقمة ذكره ابن حبان في المجروحين: (٢ / ١٠٩) وقال: "منكر الحديث ينفرد عن علي بما لا يشبه حديثه". وذكره الذهبي في الميزان: (٣ / ١٤٦) وقال: "في حديثه نظر"، وساق له هذا الحديث الذي ذكره العقيلي في الضعفاء.