Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/241)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

from the truth. Ibn ‘Abbas said: They are those who set up a rival to Allah. It is said: the verb aqsata means to act justly, and one who does so is a muqsiṭ; whereas qasata means to act unjustly, and one who does so is a qāsiṭ. “So whoever submits, those are the ones who have sought right guidance”: that is, they have aimed for and pursued the path of truth.

“And as for the unjust, they will be fuel for Hell (15). And if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant water to drink (16), so that We might test them thereby. And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord, He will lead him into an ever-increasing torment (17).”

“As for the unjust”—those who disbelieved—“they will be fuel for Hell”: they will be the fuel of the Fire on the Day of Resurrection. Then He returns to the disbelievers of Mecca and says: “And if they had remained straight on the way.” The commentators differed over its interpretation. Some said: If they had remained steadfast upon the way of truth, faith, and guidance—thus being believing and obedient—“We would have given them abundant water to drink,” that is, plentiful water. Muqatil said: This was after He had withheld rain from them for seven years.

They said that its meaning is: Had they believed, We would have granted them abundance in this world, given them plentiful wealth and an easy life. Abundant water is used as a metaphor because all goodness and provision lie in rainfall, as He says: “And if only they had upheld the Torah, the Gospel, and what was revealed to them from their Lord, they would have eaten from above them”—to the end of the verse (al-Ma’idah 5:66). And He says: “And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened for them blessings from heaven”—to the end of the verse (al-A‘raf 7:96).

His saying, “so that We might test them thereby,” means: so that We may test how they give thanks for what they have been granted. This is the view of Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib, ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah, al-Dahhak, Qatadah, Muqatil, and al-Hasan.

Others said that its meaning is: If they had remained steadfast upon the way of disbelief and misguidance, We would have given them abundant wealth and expanded their provision, so that We might test them thereby—as a punishment for them and a gradual leading-on—until they become tempted by it, whereupon We would punish them. This is the view of al-Rabi‘ ibn Anas, Zayd ibn Aslam, al-Kalbi, and Ibn Kaysan, as Allah says: “Then, when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened for them the gates of every thing”—to the end of the verse (al-An‘am 6:44).

“And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord, He will lead him into an ever-increasing torment.” The scholars of Kufa and Ya‘qub recited “He will lead him” with the letter ya’, while the others recited it with the letter nun, meaning: We will admit him. “Into an ever-increasing torment.” Ibn ‘Abbas said: arduous. The meaning is: a torment marked by hardship. Qatadah said: There is no rest in it. Muqatil said: There is no joy in it. Al-Hasan said: It only increases in severity. Its underlying sense is that climbing is arduous for people (1).

(1) In manuscript B: "al-Insan" (Man).

عَنِ الْحَقِّ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: هُمُ الَّذِينَ جَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ نِدًّا، يُقَالُ: أَقْسَطَ الرَّجُلُ إِذَا عدل فهو مسقط، وَقِسْطٌ إِذَا جَارَ فَهُوَ قَاسِطٌ ﴿فَمَنْ أَسْلَمَ فَأُولَئِكَ تَحَرَّوْا رَشَدًا﴾ أَيْ: قَصَدُوا طَرِيقَ الْحَقِّ وَتَوَخَّوْهُ. ﴿وَأَمَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ فَكَانُوا لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبًا (١٥) وَأَنْ لَوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُمْ مَاءً غَدَقًا (١٦) لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَمَنْ يُعْرِضْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِ يَسْلُكْهُ عَذَابًا صَعَدًا (١٧) ﴾ ﴿وَأَمَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ﴾ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ﴿فَكَانُوا لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبًا﴾ كَانُوا وَقُودَ النَّارِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ. ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى كُفَّارِ مَكَّةَ فَقَالَ: ﴿وَأَنْ لَوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ﴾ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي تَأْوِيلِهَا فَقَالَ قَوْمٌ: لَوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى طَرِيقَةِ الْحَقِّ وَالْإِيمَانِ وَالْهُدَى فَكَانُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ مُطِيعِينَ ﴿لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُمْ مَاءً غَدَقًا﴾ كَثِيرًا قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: وَذَلِكَ بَعْدَمَا رَفَعَ عَنْهُمُ الْمَطَرَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ. وَقَالُوا مَعْنَاهُ لَوْ آمَنُوا لَوَسَّعْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَأَعْطَيْنَاهُمْ مَالًا كَثِيرًا وَعَيْشًا رَغَدًا وَضَرْبُ الْمَاءِ الْغَدَقِ مَثَلًا لِأَنَّ الْخَيْرَ وَالرِّزْقَ كُلَّهُ فِي الْمَطَرِ، كَمَا قَالَ: "وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لَأَكَلُوا مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ" الْآيَةَ (الْمَائِدَةِ-٦٦) وَقَالَ: "وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ" الْآيَةَ (الْأَعْرَافِ-٩٦) . وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ﴾ أَيْ: لِنَخْتَبِرَهُمْ كَيْفَ شُكْرُهُمْ فِيمَا خُوِّلُوا. وَهَذَا قَوْلُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ وَعَطَاءِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ وَالضَّحَّاكِ وَقَتَادَةَ وَمُقَاتِلٍ وَالْحَسَنِ. وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ: مَعْنَاهَا وَأَنْ لَوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى طَرِيقَةِ الْكُفْرِ وَالضَّلَالَةِ لَأَعْطَيْنَاهُمْ مَالًا كَثِيرًا وَلَوَسَّعْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ، عُقُوبَةً لَهُمْ وَاسْتِدْرَاجًا حَتَّى يَفْتَتِنُوا بِهَا فَنُعَذِّبَهُمْ، وَهَذَا قَوْلُ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ وَزَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ وَالْكَلْبِيِّ وَابْنِ كَيْسَانَ، كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ: "فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ" الْآيَةَ (الْأَنْعَامِ-٤٤) . ﴿وَمَنْ يُعْرِضْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِ يَسْلُكْهُ﴾ قَرَأَ أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ وَيَعْقُوبُ: "يَسْلُكْهُ" بِالْيَاءِ وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ بِالنُّونِ، أَيْ: نُدْخِلْهُ ﴿عَذَابًا صَعَدًا﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: شَاقًّا وَالْمَعْنَى ذَا صَعَدٍ أَيْ: ذَا مَشَقَّةٍ. قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: لَا رَاحَةَ فِيهِ. وَقَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: لَا فَرَحَ فِيهِ. قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: لَا يَزْدَادُ إِلَّا شِدَّةً. وَالْأَصْلُ فِيهِ أَنَّ الصُّعُودَ يَشُقُّ عَلَى [النَّاسُ] (١) .

(١) في "ب" الإنسان.