Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/297)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Thus, the construction with an appears in His saying: “What is the matter with you that you are not among those who prostrate?” (al-Hijr 15:32); and its omission appears in His saying: “What is the matter with you that you do not believe in Allah?” (al-Hadid 57:8). Al-Kisa’i said: Its meaning is, “What excuse do we have for not fighting?” The preposition “in” has been omitted. Al-Farra’ said: That is, “What prevents us from not fighting in the cause of Allah?”—as in His saying: “What prevented you from prostrating?” (al-A‘raf 7:12). Al-Akhfash said: Here, an is superfluous; the meaning is, “What is the matter with us that we do not fight in the cause of Allah?”

“And we have been driven from our homes and our children”—that is, those among them over whom the enemy had prevailed were driven from their homes. The apparent meaning of the wording is general, while its intended meaning is particular, for those who said to their prophet, “Appoint for us a king, and we shall fight in the cause of Allah,” were living in their homes and homelands. Rather, it was only those among them who had been taken captive that were driven out. The meaning of the verse is that, in reply to their prophet, they said: “We had only held back from fighting when we were secure in our land and our enemy had not gained the upper hand over us. But now that this has happened to us, we shall obey our Lord in fighting and protect our women and children.”

Allah Most High said: “Yet when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away”—that is, they turned away from fighting and neglected Allah’s command—“except for a few of them”: those who crossed the river with Talut and were content with a single handful, as will be mentioned, if Allah Most High wills. “And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.”

“And their prophet said to them, ‘Indeed, Allah has appointed Talut as a king over you.’ They said, ‘How can he have kingship over us when we are more entitled to kingship than he, and he has not been given abundance of wealth?’ He said, ‘Indeed, Allah has chosen him over you and increased him greatly in knowledge and stature. And Allah grants His kingship to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.’” (2:247)

“And their prophet said to them, ‘Indeed, Allah has appointed Talut as a king over you.’” This was because Ishmu’il asked Allah Most High to appoint a king for them. He was given a staff and a horn (1) containing holy oil, and was told: “The one among you who is to be king will be as tall as this staff. Look at this horn containing the oil: when a man enters upon you and the oil in the horn wells up (2), he is the king of the Children of Israel. Anoint his head with it and make him king over them.”

Talut’s name in Hebrew was Sha’ul son of Qays, of the descendants of Benjamin son of Jacob. He was called Talut because of his height; he stood a head and shoulders taller than anyone else. He was a tanner who worked leather (3), according to Wahb. Al-Suddi said: He was a water-carrier, drawing water from the Nile with his donkey. It was also said that he was a donkey-driver. Wahb said instead: Some donkeys belonging to Talut’s father had strayed, so he sent Talut and one of his servants to look for them. They passed by Ishmu’il’s house, and the servant said to Talut, “Why do we not go in to this prophet and ask him about the donkeys, so that he may direct us and supplicate for us?” They entered upon him, and while they were telling him about the donkeys, the oil in the horn welled up. Ishmu’il, peace be upon him, rose and measured

(1) He meant the qinninah, a small container used for oil and perfume; it seems that they used to make such containers from cow horns and the like. (2) The expression nasha al-ma' (the water made a sound), nashshan or nashishan, is used when water makes a sound as it boils. (3) A hide is called ladim when, after its initial tanning, it is returned to the tanning process a second time.

فَالْإِثْبَاتُ كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: "مَا لَكَ أَنْ لَا تَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ" (٣٢-الْحِجْرِ) وَالْحَذْفُ كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: "مَا لَكُمْ لَا تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ" (٨-الْحَدِيدِ) وَقَالَ الْكِسَائِيُّ: مَعْنَاهُ وَمَا لَنَا فِي أَنْ لَا نُقَاتِلَ فَحَذَفَ "فِي" وَقَالَ الْفَرَّاءُ: أَيْ وَمَا يَمْنَعُنَا أَنْ لَا نُقَاتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: "مَا مَنَعَكَ أن لا تَسْجُدَ" (١٢-الْأَعْرَافِ) وَقَالَ الْأَخْفَشُ: "أَنْ" هَاهُنَا زَائِدَةٌ مَعْنَاهُ: وَمَا لَنَا لَا نُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ﴿وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِنْ دِيَارِنَا وَأَبْنَائِنَا﴾ أَيْ أُخْرِجَ مَنْ غُلِبَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ، ظَاهِرُ الْكَلَامِ الْعُمُومُ وَبَاطِنُهُ الْخُصُوصُ، لِأَنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا لِنَبِيِّهِمُ: ابْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَانُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ وَأَوْطَانِهِمْ وَإِنَّمَا أُخْرِجَ مَنْ أُسِرَ مِنْهُمْ، وَمَعْنَى الْآيَةِ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا مُجِيبِينَ لِنَبِيِّهِمْ: إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَزْهَدُ فِي الْجِهَادِ إِذْ كُنَّا مَمْنُوعِينَ فِي بِلَادِنَا لَا يَظْهَرُ عَلَيْنَا عَدُوُّنَا، فَأَمَّا إِذَا بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ مِنَّا فَنُطِيعُ رَبَّنَا فِي الْجِهَادِ وَنَمْنَعُ نِسَاءَنَا وَأَوْلَادَنَا. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا﴾ أَعْرَضُوا عَنِ الْجِهَادِ وَضَيَّعُوا أَمْرَ اللَّهِ ﴿إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ﴾ الَّذِينَ عَبَرُوا النَّهْرَ مَعَ طَالُوتَ وَاقْتَصَرُوا عَلَى الْغُرْفَةِ عَلَى مَا سَيَأْتِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، ﴿وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ﴾ ﴿وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا قَالُوا أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِنَ الْمَالِ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ (٢٤٧) ﴾ ﴿وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا﴾ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ إِشْمَوِيلَ سَأَلَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ لَهُمْ مَلِكًا فَأَتَى بِعَصَا وَقَرْنٍ (١) فِيهِ دُهْنُ الْقُدْسِ وَقِيلَ: لَهُ إِنَّ صَاحِبَكُمُ الَّذِي يَكُونُ مَلِكًا طَوُلُهُ طُولُ هَذِهِ الْعَصَا وَانْظُرْ هَذَا الْقَرْنَ الَّذِي فِيهِ الدُّهْنُ فَإِذَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْكَ رَجُلٌ فَنَشَّ (٢) الدُّهْنُ الَّذِي فِي الْقَرْنِ فَهُوَ مَلِكُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَادَّهِنْ بِهِ رَأْسَهُ وَمَلِّكْهُ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَكَانَ طَالُوتُ اسْمُهُ بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ شَاوِلُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ مِنْ أَوْلَادِ بِنْيَامِينَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ سُمِّيَ طَالُوتَ لِطُولِهِ وَكَانَ أَطْوَلَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَحَدٍ بِرَأْسِهِ وَمَنْكِبَيْهِ، وَكَانَ رَجُلًا دَبَّاغًا يَعْمَلُ الْأَدِيمَ (٣) قَالَهُ وَهْبٌ، وَقَالَ السُّدِّيُّ: كَانَ رَجُلًا سَقَّاءً يَسْقِي عَلَى حِمَارٍ لَهُ مِنَ النِّيلِ فَضَلَّ حِمَارُهُ فَخَرَجَ فِي طَلَبِهِ، وَقِيلَ كَانَ خَرَبَنْدَجًا، وَقَالَ وَهْبٌ: بَلْ ضَلَّتْ حُمُرٌ لِأَبِي طَالُوتَ فَأَرْسَلَهُ وَغُلَامًا لَهُ فِي طَلَبِهَا فَمَرَّ بِبَيْتِ إِشْمَوِيلَ فَقَالَ الْغُلَامُ لِطَالُوتَ: لَوْ دَخَلْنَا عَلَى هَذَا النَّبِيِّ فَسَأَلْنَاهُ عَنْ أَمْرِ الْحُمُرِ لِيُرْشِدَنَا وَيَدْعُوَ لَنَا، فَدَخَلَا عَلَيْهِ فَبَيْنَمَا هُمَا عِنْدَهُ يَذْكُرَانِ لَهُ شَأْنَ الْحُمُرِ إِذْ نَشَّ الدُّهْنُ الَّذِي فِي الْقَرْنِ فَقَامَ إِشْمَوِيلُ ﵇ فَقَاسَ

(١) أراد القنينة التي يكون فيها الدهن والطيب، وكأنهم كانوا يتخذونها من قرون البقر وغيرها. (٢) نش الماء ينش نشا ونشيشأ: إذا صوت عند الغليان. (٣) الجلد أول ما يدبغ فإذا رد في الدباغ مرة أخرى فهو اللديم.