Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/168)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

al-Hanafi related to us; Ikrimah ibn Ammar related to us, from Simak [ibn Zumayl] (1), who said: Abdullah ibn Abbas related to us; Umar ibn al-Khattab related to me, saying: “When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, withdrew from his wives”—and he mentioned the hadith. He said: “I entered upon him and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, what hardship can the matter of these women cause you? If you have divorced them, then Allah is with you, as are His angels, Gabriel, Michael, myself, Abu Bakr, and the believers.’

Rarely did I say anything—and I praise Allah Most High—without hoping that Allah would confirm the words I had spoken. Then this verse was revealed: ‘Perhaps his Lord, if he divorces you, will replace you with wives better than you.’ ‘And if you two support one another against him, then Allah is indeed his Protector, as are Gabriel and the righteous believers; and, moreover, the angels are his supporters’ (2).

His words, “And if you two support one another against him,” mean: if you two join together and cooperate in harming the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The Kufan reciters read it with a single ẓa, while the others read it with a doubled ẓa.

“Then Allah is indeed his Protector,” that is, his guardian and helper; “as are Gabriel and the righteous believers.” It is reported from Ibn Masud and Ubayy ibn Kab that “the righteous believers” are Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them (3). Al-Kalbi said: They are the sincere ones who are not hypocrites. “And, moreover, the angels are his supporters.” Muqatil said: After Allah, Gabriel, and the righteous believers, the angels are supporters—that is, helpers of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. This is an instance of a singular term conveying a plural meaning, as in His words: “And excellent are those as companions!” (Women 4:69).

“Perhaps his Lord, if he divorces you, will replace you with wives better than you: women submissive to Allah, believing, devoutly obedient, repentant, worshipping, fasting, previously married and virgins” (5).

“Perhaps his Lord, if he divorces you”: that is, it is certain from Allah that, if His Messenger divorces you, He will replace you with wives better than you—“women submissive to Allah,” obediently submitting to Him; “believing,” affirming Allah’s oneness; “devoutly obedient,” that is, obedient. It was also said: women who supplicate; and it was said: women who pray. “Repentant, worshipping, fasting”: that is, fasting women. Zayd ibn Aslam said: emigrants. It was also said: women who travel with him wherever he travels. “Previously married and virgins.”

This is an affirmation of divine power, not a statement that it would actually occur, for He said, “if he divorces you,” while He knew that he would not divorce them. This is like His saying: “And if you turn away, He will replace…”

(1) Thus it appears in manuscripts A and B as “Ibn Abi Zumayl”; both are incorrect. The correct reading is “Abi Zumayl,” as found in al-Tahdhib and in Muslim. (2) An excerpt from a lengthy hadith narrated by Muslim in al-Talaq, chapter: “Ila, withdrawal from women, and giving them the choice,” no. 1479, 2:1105-1108. (3) In al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:223, al-Suyuti attributed it to Ibn Asakir. In the introduction to al-Jami, he indicated that attribution to Ibn Asakir is a sign of weakness.

الْحَنَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ سِمَاكِ [بْنِ زُمَيْلٍ] (١) حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ قَالَ: لَمَّا اعْتَزَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نِسَاءَهُ وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ. وَقَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا يَشُقُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ شَأْنِ النِّسَاءِ؟ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ طَلَّقْتَهُنَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَكَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ وَجِبْرِيلُ وَمِيكَائِيلُ وَأَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ مَعَكَ. وَقَلَّمَا تَكَلَّمْتُ -وَأَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى -بِكَلَامٍ إِلَّا رَجَوْتُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُصَدِّقُ قَوْلِي الَّذِي أَقُولُ، وَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ: "عَسَى رَبُّهُ إِنْ طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَنْ يُبْدِلَهُ أَزْوَاجًا خَيْرًا مِنْكُنَّ". "وَإِنْ تَظَاهَرَا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ مَوْلَاهُ وَجِبْرِيلُ وَصَالِحُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ" (٢) . قَوْلُهُ: ﴿وَإِنْ تَظَاهَرَا عَلَيْهِ﴾ أَيْ تَتَظَاهَرَا وَتَتَعَاوَنَا عَلَى أَذَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ. قَرَأَ أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ بِتَخْفِيفِ الظَّاءِ، وَالْآخَرُونَ بِتَشْدِيدِهَا. ﴿فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ مَوْلَاهُ﴾ أَيْ وَلِيُّهُ وَنَاصِرُهُ: ﴿وَجِبْرِيلُ وَصَالِحُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ رُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَأُبِيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ: ﴿وَصَالِحُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ ﵄ (٣) قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: هُمُ الْمُخْلِصُونَ الَّذِي لَيْسُوا بِمُنَافِقِينَ. ﴿وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ﴾ قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: بَعْدَ اللَّهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ "وَصَالِحُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ" أَيْ: أَعْوَانٌ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ. وَهَذَا مِنَ الْوَاحِدِ الَّذِي يُؤَدِّي عَنِ الْجَمْعِ، كَقَوْلِهِ: "وَحَسُنَ أُولَئِكَ رَفِيقًا" (النَّسِاءِ-٦٩) . ﴿عَسَى رَبُّهُ إِنْ طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَنْ يُبْدِلَهُ أَزْوَاجًا خَيْرًا مِنْكُنَّ مُسْلِمَاتٍ مُؤْمِنَاتٍ قَانِتَاتٍ تَائِبَاتٍ عَابِدَاتٍ سَائِحَاتٍ ثَيِّبَاتٍ وَأَبْكَارًا (٥) ﴾ ﴿عَسَى رَبُّهُ إِنْ طَلَّقَكُنَّ﴾ أَيْ: وَاجِبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ إِنْ طَلَّقَكُنَّ رَسُولُهُ ﴿أَنْ يُبْدِلَهُ أَزْوَاجًا خَيْرًا مِنْكُنَّ مُسْلِمَاتٍ﴾ خَاضِعَاتٍ لِلَّهِ بِالطَّاعَةِ ﴿مُؤْمِنَاتٍ﴾ مُصَدِّقَاتٍ بِتَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ ﴿قَانِتَاتٍ﴾ طَائِعَاتٍ، وَقِيلَ: دَاعِيَاتٍ. وَقِيلَ: مُصَلِّيَاتٍ ﴿تَائِبَاتٍ عَابِدَاتٍ سَائِحَاتٍ﴾ صَائِمَاتٍ، وَقَالَ زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ: مُهَاجِرَاتٍ وَقِيلَ: يَسِحْنَ مَعَهُ حَيْثُ مَا سَاحَ ﴿ثَيِّبَاتٍ وَأَبْكَارًا﴾ وَهَذَا فِي الْإِخْبَارِ عَنِ الْقُدْرَةِ لَا عَنِ الْكَوْنِ لِأَنَّهُ قَالَ: "إِنْ طَلَّقَكُنَّ" وَقَدْ عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ لَا يُطَلِّقُهُنَّ وَهَذَا كَقَوْلِهِ: "وَإِنْ تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ

(١) هكذا في "أ" وفي "ب" (ابن أبي زميل) وكلاهما خطأ والصحيح (أبي زميل) كما في التهذيب وعند مسلم. (٢) قطعة من حديث طويل أخرجه مسلم في الطلاق، باب في الإيلاء واعتزال النساء وتخييرهن ... برقم (١٤٧٩) ٢ / ١١٠٥-١١٠٨. (٣) عزاه السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٨ / ٢٢٣ لابن عساكر، وقد أشار في مقدمة الجامع إلى أن العزو لابن عساكر مؤذن بالضعف.