Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/140)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nuaymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il related to us; Sulayman ibn Harb related to us; Hammad related to us, from Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Anas [from Anas] (1), that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allah has appointed an angel over the womb, who says: ‘My Lord, a drop of fluid; my Lord, a clot; my Lord, a lump of flesh.’ Then, when Allah intends to complete its creation, he says: ‘My Lord, male or female? Wretched or blessed? What will its provision be? What will its lifespan be?’ Thus it is written while it is still in its mother’s womb.” (2)

A group said: The meaning of the verse is that Allah created mankind, and then they disbelieved or believed. This is because Allah, Exalted is He, mentioned their creation and then described them according to their own actions, saying: “Then among you are disbelievers and among you are believers,” just as Allah Most High says: “And Allah created every living creature from water; then among them are those that walk...” (al-Nur 45). Allah created them, while walking is their own act.

They then differed concerning its interpretation. It is related from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that he said: “Among you are disbelievers” during their lives, yet believers in the end; “and among you are believers” during their lives, yet disbelievers in the end.

Ata ibn Abi Rabah said: Among you are those who disbelieve in Allah while believing in the stars, and among you are those who believe in Allah while disbelieving in the stars. (3)

It was also said—165/b—that among you are those who disbelieve that Allah Most High created them—this being the view of the Materialists—and among you are those who believe that Allah created them. (4)

In sum: Allah created the disbeliever, while his disbelief is an act that he performs and acquires; and He created the believer, while his faith is an act that he performs and acquires. Thus, each of the two groups has acquisition and choice, yet his acquisition and choice are by Allah’s decree and will. After Allah has created him, the believer chooses faith because Allah Most High willed this for him, decreed it for him, and knew it of him. Likewise, after Allah Most High has created him, the disbeliever chooses disbelief because Allah Most High willed this for him, decreed it for him, and knew it of him. This is the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama‘ah: whoever follows it has attained the truth and is safe from the doctrines of absolute compulsion and denial of divine decree.

(1) Omitted from manuscript B. (2) Reported by al-Bukhari at the beginning of the Book of al-Qadar, 11:477; and in the Book of Menstruation, chapter: “Formed and Unformed...”; by Muslim in the Book of al-Qadar, no. 2646, 4:2038; and in al-Musannaf, Sharh al-Sunnah, 1:127-128. (3) See al-Bahr al-Muhit, 8:276-277. (4) See al-Bahr al-Muhit, 8:277.

أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْمَلِيحِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النَّعِيمِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ [عَنْ أَنَسٍ] (١) عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: "وَكَّلَ اللَّهُ بِالرَّحِمِ مَلَكًا فَيَقُولُ: أَيْ رَبِّ نُطْفَةٌ أَيْ رَبِّ عَلَقَةٌ، أَيْ رَبِّ مُضْغَةٌ، فَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَقْضِيَ خَلْقَهَا قَالَ: يَا رَبِّ أَذَكَرٌ أَمْ أُنْثَى أَشَقِيٌّ أَمْ سَعِيدٌ؟ فَمَا الرِّزْقُ فَمَا الْأَجَلُ؟ فَيُكْتَبُ كَذَلِكَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ" (٢) وَقَالَ جَمَاعَةٌ: مَعْنَى الْآيَةِ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا وَآمَنُوا لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى ذَكَرَ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ وَصَفَهُمْ بِفِعْلِهِمْ، فَقَالَ: "فَمِنْكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ" كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: "وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَابَّةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِي" (النُّورِ-٤٥) وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَهُمْ وَالْمَشْيُ فِعْلُهُمْ. ثُمَّ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي تَأْوِيلِهَا: رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: "فَمِنْكُمْ كَافِرٌ" فِي حَيَاتِهِ "مُؤْمِنٌ" فِي الْعَاقِبَةِ "وَمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ" فِي حَيَاتِهِ كَافِرٌ فِي الْعَاقِبَةِ. وَقَالَ عَطَاءُ بْنُ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ: فَمِنْكُمْ كَافِرٌ بِاللَّهِ مُؤْمِنٌ بِالْكَوَاكِبِ، وَمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ بِاللَّهِ كَافِرٌ بالكواكب (٣) . وقيل ١٦٥/ب فَمِنْكُمْ كَافِرٌ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى خَلَقَهُ، وَهُوَ مَذْهَبُ الدَّهْرِيَّةِ، وَمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَهُ (٤) وَجُمْلَةُ الْقَوْلِ فِيهِ: أَنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ الْكَافِرَ وَكُفْرُهُ فِعْلٌ لَهُ وَكَسْبٌ وَخَلَقَ الْمُؤْمِنَ وَإِيمَانُهُ فِعْلٌ لَهُ وَكَسْبٌ فَلِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَسْبٌ وَاخْتِيَارٌ وَكَسْبُهُ وَاخْتِيَارُهُ بِتَقْدِيرِ اللَّهِ وَمَشِيئَتِهِ فَالْمُؤْمِنُ بَعْدَ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ إِيَّاهُ يَخْتَارُ الْإِيمَانَ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَرَادَ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ وَقَدَّرَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلِمَهُ مِنْهُ، وَالْكَافِرُ بَعْدَ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى إِيَّاهُ يَخْتَارُ الْكُفْرَ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَرَادَ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ وَقَدَّرَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلِمَهُ مِنْهُ. وَهَذَا طَرِيقُ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ مَنْ سَلَكَهُ أَصَابَ الْحَقَّ وَسَلِمَ مِنَ الْجَبْرِ وَالْقَدَرِ.

(١) ساقط من "ب". (٢) أخرجه البخاري في أول القدر: ١١ / ٤٧٧، وفي الحيض، باب مخلقة وغير مخلقة..، ومسلم في القدر برقم: (٢٦٤٦) : ٤ / ٢٠٣٨، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١ / ١٢٧-١٢٨. (٣) انظر البحر المحيط: ٨ / ٢٧٦-٢٧٧. (٤) انظر البحر المحيط: ٨ / ٢٧٧.