Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/295)

“Have you not considered the chiefs among the Children of Israel after Moses, when they said to a prophet of theirs, ‘Appoint for us a king, and we will fight in the cause of Allah.’ He said, ‘Might it be that, if fighting is prescribed for you, you will not fight?’ They said, ‘Why should we not fight in the cause of Allah when we have been driven from our homes and our children?’ But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.” (246)

His saying, Exalted is He: “Have you not considered the chiefs among the Children of Israel?” The chiefs of a people are their leading figures and nobles. The basic meaning of mala’ is a group of people; it has no singular form derived from its own wording, like qawm (people), raht (clan), camels, horses, and army. Its plural is amla’.

“After Moses,” that is, after the death of Moses, peace be upon him. “When they said to a prophet of theirs”: the scholars differed as to the identity of that prophet. Qatadah said that he was Joshua son of Nun son of Ephraim son of Joseph, peace be upon him. Al-Suddi said: His name was Sham'un. His mother had prayed to Allah to grant her a boy, and Allah answered her supplication, so she gave birth to a boy and named him Sam'un, saying, “Allah Most High has heard my supplication.” In Hebrew, the letter sin becomes shin. He was Sham'un son of Safiyyah son of Alqamah, from the descendants of Levi son of Jacob.

The rest of the exegetes said: He was Ishmu'il, which in Hebrew is Isma'il son of Yal son of Alqamah. Muqatil said: He was from the lineage of Aaron. Mujahid said: He was Ishmu'il, which in Hebrew is Isma'il son of Yal son of Alqamah.

﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الْمَلَأِ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَى إِذْ قَالُوا لِنَبِيٍّ لَهُمُ ابْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَاتِلُوا قَالُوا وَمَا لَنَا أَلَّا نُقَاتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِنْ دِيَارِنَا وَأَبْنَائِنَا فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ (٢٤٦) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى ﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الْمَلَأِ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ﴾ وَالْمَلَأُ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ: وُجُوهُهُمْ وَأَشْرَافُهُمْ، وَأَصْلُ الْمَلَأِ الْجَمَاعَةُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَا وَاحِدَ لَهُ مِنْ لَفْظِهِ، كَالْقَوْمِ وَالرَّهْطِ وَالْإِبِلِ وَالْخَيْلِ وَالْجَيْشِ وَجَمْعُهُ أَمْلَاءٌ ﴿مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَى﴾ أَيْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِ مُوسَى ﴿إِذْ قَالُوا لِنَبِيٍّ لَهُمُ﴾ وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي ذَلِكَ النَّبِيِّ فَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ هُوَ يُوشَعُ بْنُ نُونِ بْنِ افْرَائِيمَ بْنِ يُوسُفَ ﵇ وَقَالَ السُّدِّيُّ: اسْمُهُ شَمْعُونُ، وَإِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ شَمْعُونَ، لِأَنَّ أُمَّهُ دَعَتِ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَرْزُقَهَا غُلَامًا فَاسْتَجَابَ اللَّهُ دُعَاءَهَا فَوَلَدَتْ غُلَامًا فَسَمَّتْهُ سَمْعُونَ تَقُولُ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى دُعَائِي وَالسِّينُ تَصِيرُ شِينًا بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ، وَهُوَ شَمْعُونُ بْنُ صَفِيَّةَ بْنِ عَلْقَمَةَ مِنْ وَلَدِ لَاوِي بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ، وَقَالَ سَائِرُ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ: هُوَ إِشْمَوِيلُ وَهُوَ بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ يَالَ بْنِ عَلْقَمَةَ، وَقَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: هُوَ مِنْ نَسْلِ هَارُونَ، وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: هُوَ إِشْمَوِيلُ وَهُوَ بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنَ يَالَ بْنِ عَلْقَمَةَ.