Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/92)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

among them who would protect their families and property. Since I lacked such a tie of kinship among them, I wished to establish a favor with them, so that they would protect my relatives. I did not do this out of apostasy from my religion, nor out of approval of disbelief after Islam.”

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Indeed, he has spoken truthfully to you.” Umar said: “O Messenger of Allah, let me strike the neck of this hypocrite.” He said: “He took part in Badr, and how do you know? Perhaps Allah looked upon [those who took part in Badr] (1) and said: ‘Do whatever you wish, for I have forgiven you.’” Allah Most High then revealed this surah: “O you who believe, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, showing them affection,” up to His words: “has certainly strayed from the straight path.” (2)

The exegetes said: This verse was revealed concerning Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah, as related in the hadith. Sarah, the freedwoman of Abu Amr ibn Sayfi ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, came to Medina from Mecca while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was preparing for the conquest of Mecca. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked her, “Have you come as a Muslim?” She replied, “No.” He asked, “Have you come as an emigrant?” She replied, “No.” He asked, “Then what has brought you here?”

She said, “You were my family, my clan, and my patrons; but my patrons have gone, and I have fallen into severe need. So I have come to you, that you may provide for me, clothe me, and furnish me with transport.” He said to her, “Where are the young men of Mecca?” She was a singer and a professional mourner. She said, “No one has asked anything of me since the Battle of Badr.” ⦗161a⦘ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then urged Banu Abd al-Muttalib and Banu al-Muttalib, and they gave her provisions, clothed her, and provided her with transport.

Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah, an ally of Banu Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza, came to her and wrote a letter with her to the people of Mecca. He gave her ten dinars and clothed her in a cloak, on condition that she deliver the letter to the people of Mecca. In the letter he wrote: “From Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah to the people of Mecca: The Messenger of Allah intends to attack you, so be on your guard.”

Sarah set out, and Gabriel descended and informed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of what she had done. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, dispatched Ali, Ammar, al-Zubayr, Talhah, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, and Abu Marthad as horsemen, saying to them: “Proceed until you reach the meadow of Khakh. There you will find a woman traveller carrying a letter from Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah to the polytheists. Take it from her and let her go; but if she does not hand it over to you, strike her neck.”

He said: They set out until they caught up with her at the place specified by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They said to her, “Where is the letter?” She swore by Allah that she had no letter with her. They searched her and examined her belongings, but found no letter with her, and they were about to return. Then Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “By Allah, neither have we been lied to nor has the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, been lied to.” He drew his sword and said: “Bring out the letter, or I will strip you bare and strike your neck.” When she saw that they were serious, she brought it out from her hair-braid, where she had concealed it.

(1) In manuscript A: “those who witnessed Badr.” (2) Narrated by al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad, chapter on the spy, 6:143; and Muslim, Kitab Fada'il al-Sahabah (The Virtues of the Companions), chapter on the virtues of the people of Badr and the account of Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah, no. 2494, 4:1941-1942.

يَحْمُونَ بِهَا أَهْلِيهِمْ وَأَمْوَالَهَمْ فَأَحْبَبْتُ -إِذْ فَاتَنِي ذَلِكَ مِنَ النَّسَبِ فِيهِمْ-أَنْ أَتَّخِذَ عِنْدَهُمْ يَدًا يَحْمُونَ قَرَابَتِي وَلَمْ أَفْعَلْهُ ارْتِدَادًا عَنْ دِينِي وَلَا رِضًا بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ الْإِسْلَامِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: أَمَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ صَدَقَكُمْ، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ دَعْنِي أَضْرِبْ عُنُقَ هَذَا الْمُنَافِقِ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ قَدْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى [مَنْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا] (١) فَقَالَ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكُمْ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ: "يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ" إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: "سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ" (٢) . قَالَ الْمُفَسِّرُونَ: نَزَلَتِ الْآيَةُ فِي حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ كَمَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ سَارَةَ مَوْلَاةَ أَبِي عَمْرِو بْنِ صَيْفِيِّ بْنِ هَاشِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ أَتَتِ الْمَدِينَةَ مِنْ مَكَّةَ، وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَتَجَهَّزُ لِفَتْحِ مَكَّةَ، فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمُسْلِمَةً جِئْتِ؟ قَالَتْ: لَا قَالَ أَمُهَاجِرَةً جِئْتِ؟ قَالَتْ: لَا قَالَ: فَمَا جَاءَ بِكِ قَالَتْ: كُنْتُمُ الْأَصْلَ وَالْعَشِيرَةَ وَالْمَوَالِيَ وَقَدْ ذَهَبَتْ مَوَالِيَّ وَقَدِ احْتَجْتُ حَاجَةً شَدِيدَةً فَقَدِمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِتُعْطُونِي وَتَكْسُوَنِي وَتَحْمِلُونِي، فَقَالَ لَهَا: وَأَيْنَ أَنْتِ مِنْ شُبَّانِ مَكَّةَ؟ وَكَانَتْ مُغَنِّيَةً نَائِحَةً، قَالَتْ: مَا طُلِبَ مني شيء ١٦١/أبَعْدَ وَقْعَةِ بَدْرٍ، فَحَثَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَبَنِي الْمُطَّلِبِ فَأَعْطَوْهَا نَفَقَةً وَكَسَوْهَا وَحَمَلُوهَا فَأَتَاهَا حَاطِبُ بْنُ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ حَلِيفُ بَنِي أَسَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعُزَّى، فَكَتَبَ مَعَهَا إِلَى أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ، وَأَعْطَاهَا عَشْرَةَ دَنَانِيرَ، وَكَسَاهَا بُرْدًا عَلَى أَنْ تُوصِلَ الْكِتَابَ إِلَى أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ، وَكَتَبَ فِي الْكِتَابِ: مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ، إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُرِيدُكُمْ، فَخُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ. فَخَرَجَتْ سَارَةُ، وَنَزَلَ جِبْرِيلُ فَأَخْبَرَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ بِمَا فَعَلَ، فَبَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلِيًّا وَعَمَّارًا وَالزُّبَيْرَ وَطَلْحَةَ وَالْمِقْدَادَ بْنَ الْأُسُودِ وَأَبَا مَرْثَدٍ فُرْسَانًا فَقَالَ لَهُمُ: انْطَلَقُوا حَتَّى تَأْتُوا "رَوْضَةَ خَاخٍ" فَإِنَّ بِهَا ظَعِينَةً مَعَهَا كِتَابٌ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ، فَخُذُوا مِنْهَا وَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهَا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَدْفَعْهُ إِلَيْكُمْ فَاضْرِبُوا عُنُقَهَا. قَالَ: فَخَرَجُوا حَتَّى أَدْرَكُوهَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالُوا لَهَا: أَيْنَ الْكِتَابُ؟ فَحَلَفَتْ بِاللَّهِ مَا مَعَهَا كِتَابٌ، فَبَحَثُوهَا وَفَتَّشُوا مَتَاعَهَا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا مَعَهَا كِتَابًا فَهَمُّوا بِالرُّجُوعِ، فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ ﵁: وَاللَّهِ مَا كَذَبْنَا وَلَا كَذَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَسَلَّ سَيْفَهُ فَقَالَ: أَخْرِجِي الْكِتَابَ وَإِلَّا لِأُجَرِّدَنَّكِ وَلَأَضْرِبَنَّ عُنُقَكِ. فَلَمَّا رَأَتِ الْجِدَّ أَخْرَجَتْهُ مِنْ ذُؤَابَتِهَا وَكَانَتْ قَدْ خَبَّأَتْهُ

(١) في "أ" (من شهد بدرا) . (٢) أخرجه البخاري في الجهاد، باب الجاسوس: ٦ / ١٤٣، ومسلم في فضائل الصحابة، باب من فضائل أهل بدر ﵃ وقصة حاطب بن أبي بلتعة برقم: (٢٤٩٤) : ٤ / ١٩٤١-١٩٤٢.