Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/302)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Al-Suddi said: They were four thousand. Others said: They were three hundred and some ten-odd men, and this is the authentic view.

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nuʿaymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Ismaʿil informed us; Abd Allah ibn Rajaʾ informed us; Israʾil informed us, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Baraʾ, who said: We, the Companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say that the number of those who took part at Badr was equal to the number of Saul’s companions who crossed the river with him; and none crossed with him except three hundred and some ten-odd believers. (1)

It is also narrated as three hundred and thirteen. ⦗43a⦘ When they reached the river and thirst had overcome them, all of them drank from it except this small number. Whoever scooped up a handful, as Allah had commanded, found his heart strengthened and his faith sound; he crossed the river safely, and that single handful sufficed for his own drinking, his provisions, and his animals. As for those who drank and disobeyed Allah’s command, their lips turned black, thirst overcame them, and they were not quenched. They remained on the riverbank, lacked the courage to face the enemy, did not cross over, and did not witness the victory.

It is also said that all of them crossed, but that only those who had not drunk took part in the fighting.

“Then, when he crossed it”—that is, the river—“he”—that is, Saul—“and those who believed with him”—that is, the few—“said”: that is, those who had drunk and disobeyed Allah’s command, who were people of doubt and hypocrisy, said, “We have no strength today to face Goliath and his troops.” Ibn Abbas and al-Suddi said: They turned away and did not cross.

“Those who were certain”—that is, those who were certain—“that they would meet Allah”: these were the ones who remained steadfast with Saul. “How often has a small company”—a group; it is a collective noun having no singular of its own form. Its plurals are fiʾat, fiʾun in the nominative, and fiʾin in the genitive and accusative—“overcome a large company by Allah’s permission,” that is, by His decree and will. “And Allah is with the steadfast,” through victory and aid.

“When they came out against Goliath and his troops, they said, ‘Our Lord, pour down upon us patience, make our feet firm, and grant us victory over the disbelieving people.’” (250)

“When they came out”: that is, Saul and his troops—the believers—against Goliath and his troops, the polytheists. To come out means to go out into open ground, that is, land which is exposed and level. “They said, ‘Our Lord, pour down upon us’”: that is, send down and pour upon us “patience, and make our feet firm”: that is, make our hearts firm; “and grant us victory over the disbelieving people.”

“So they defeated them by Allah’s permission, and David killed Goliath; and Allah gave him kingship and wisdom, and taught him of what He willed. Were it not that Allah repels some people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted. But Allah is Bountiful to all worlds. Those are the verses of Allah which We recite to you in truth, and you are surely among the messengers.” (251–252)

“So they defeated them by Allah’s permission”: that is, by the knowledge of Allah Most High. “And David killed Goliath.” As for how he killed him, the exegetes (2) said:

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in Kitab al-Maghazi, chapter: “The Number of the Companions at Badr,” 7:290. (2) These exegetical views are, in their entirety, from the Isra'iliyyat (Israelite reports). What we possess in the Quran and Sunnah renders us independent of them. Nothing in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, supports what they have mentioned, and we have no need of any of this in order to understand and reflect upon the Quran; therefore, pay it no heed. Ibn Kathir also stated that this is among the reports mentioned in the Isra'iliyyat. See Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 1:537, Dar al-Arqam edition; al-Isra'iliyyat wa al-Mawdu'at (Israelite and Fabricated Reports), by Shaykh Abu Shahbah, pp. 248-49.

السِّدِّيُّ: كَانُوا أَرْبَعَةَ آلَافٍ وَقَالَ غَيْرُهُ: ثَلَاثَمِائَةٍ وَبِضْعَةَ عَشَرَ وَهُوَ الصَّحِيحُ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ الْمَلِيحِيُّ أَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النُّعَيْمِيُّ أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ أَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ رَجَاءٍ أَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ قَالَ: كُنَّا أَصْحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ نَتَحَدَّثُ أَنَّ عِدَّةَ أَصْحَابِ بَدْرٍ عَلَى عِدَّةِ أَصْحَابِ طَالُوتَ الَّذِينَ جَاوَزُوا مَعَهُ النَّهْرَ وَلَمْ يُجَاوِزْ مَعَهُ إِلَّا مُؤْمِنٌ بِضْعَةَ عَشَرَ وَثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ (١) . وَيُرْوَى ثَلَاثَمِائَةٍ وثلاثة عشر ٤٣/أفَلَمَّا وَصَلُوا إِلَى النَّهْرِ وَقَدْ أُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعَطَشُ فَشَرِبَ مِنْهُ الْكُلُّ إِلَّا هَذَا الْعَدَدَ الْقَلِيلَ فَمَنِ اغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةً كَمَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ قَوِيَ قَلْبُهُ وَصَحَّ إِيمَانُهُ وَعَبَرَ النَّهْرَ سَالِمًا وَكَفَتْهُ تِلْكَ الْغُرْفَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ لِشُرْبِهِ وَحَمْلِهِ وَدَوَابَّهُ، وَالَّذِينَ شَرِبُوا وَخَالَفُوا أَمْرَ اللَّهِ اسْوَدَّتْ شِفَاهُهُمْ وَغَلَبَهُمُ الْعَطَشُ فَلَمْ يَرْوُوا وَبَقُوا عَلَى شَطِّ النَّهْرِ وَجَبَنُوا عَنْ لِقَاءِ الْعَدُوِّ فَلَمْ يُجَاوِزُوا وَلَمْ يَشْهَدُوا الْفَتْحَ. وَقِيلَ كُلُّهُمْ جَاوَزُوا وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَحْضُرِ الْقِتَالَ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَشْرَبُوا ﴿فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُ﴾ يَعْنِي النَّهْرَ ﴿هُوَ﴾ يَعْنِي طَالُوتَ ﴿وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ﴾ يَعْنِي الْقَلِيلَ ﴿قَالُوا﴾ يَعْنِي الَّذِينَ شَرِبُوا وَخَالَفُوا أَمْرَ اللَّهِ، وَكَانُوا أَهْلَ شَكٍّ وَنِفَاقٍ ﴿لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا الْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄ وَالسُّدِّيُّ: فَانْحَرَفُوا وَلَمْ يُجَاوِزُوا ﴿قَالَ الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ﴾ يَسْتَيْقِنُونَ ﴿أَنَّهُمْ مُلَاقُو اللَّهِ﴾ الَّذِينَ ثَبَتُوا مَعَ طَالُوتَ ﴿كَمْ مِنْ فِئَةٍ﴾ جَمَاعَةٍ وَهِيَ جَمْعٌ لَا وَاحِدَ لَهُ مِنْ لَفْظِهِ وَجَمْعُهُ فِئَاتٌ وَفِئُونَ فِي الرَّفْعِ وَفِئِينَ فِي الْخَفْضِ وَالنَّصْبِ ﴿قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ﴾ بِقَضَائِهِ وَإِرَادَتِهِ ﴿وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ﴾ بِالنَّصْرِ وَالْمَعُونَةِ. ﴿وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ (٢٥٠) ﴾ ﴿وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا﴾ يَعْنِي طَالُوتَ وَجُنُودَهُ يَعْنِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِ﴾ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَمَعْنَى بَرَزُوا صَارُوا بِالْبِرَازِ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ مَا ظَهَرَ وَاسْتَوَى ﴿قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا﴾ أَنْزَلَ وَاصْبُبْ ﴿صَبْرًا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا﴾ قُلُوبَنَا ﴿وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾ ﴿فَهَزَمُوهُمْ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُدُ جَالُوتَ وَآتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ (٢٥١) تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ (٢٥٢) ﴾ ﴿فَهَزَمُوهُمْ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ﴾ أَيْ بِعِلْمِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ﴿وَقَتَلَ دَاوُدُ جَالُوتَ﴾ وَصِفَةُ قَتْلِهِ: قَالَ أَهْلُ التَّفْسِيرِ (٢)

(١) رواه البخاري في المغازي: باب: عدة أصحاب بدر. ٧ / ٢٩٠. (٢) هذه الأقوال عن أهل التفسير بمجملها من الإسرائيليات، ونحن في غنية عنه مما ف أيدينا من الكتاب والسنة، وليس في كتاب الله ولا في سنة رسول الله ﷺ ما يدل على ما ذكروه، ولسنا في حاجة إلى شيء من هذا في فهم القرآن وتدبره، فلا تلق إليه بالا ... وقد ذكر ابن كثير ﵀ أن ذلك مما ذكر في الإسرائيليات انظر تفسير ابن كثير ١ / ٥٣٧ طبع دار الأرقم. الإسرائيليات والموضوعات لشيخ أبي شهبة ص٢٤٨-٢٤٩.