Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/289)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Surah al-Insan (Man)

Ata said: “It is Makkan.” (1) Mujahid and Qatadah said: “It is Madinan.” (2) Al-Hasan and Ikrimah said: “It is Madinan, except for one verse: ‘So be patient for the judgment of your Lord, and do not obey from among them any sinner or denier.’” (3)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

“Has there not come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing even mentioned? Indeed, We created man from a drop of mingled fluid, to test him; then We made him hearing and seeing.” (1–2)

“Has there not come upon man” means Adam, peace be upon him. “A period of time” means forty years, during which he lay as clay between Makkah and Taif, before the spirit was breathed into him. “When he was not a thing even mentioned” means that he was neither mentioned nor known ⦗180a⦘, nor was it known what his name was or what was intended of him. That is, he was something, but he was not mentioned—from the time Allah created him from clay until the spirit was breathed into him.

It is related that Umar heard a man reciting this verse: “When he was not a thing even mentioned,” and Umar said, “If only it had ended there!”—meaning, if only he had remained as he was. (4) Ibn Abbas said: “Then He created him after one hundred and twenty years.” “Indeed, We created man” means the descendants of Adam. “From a drop” means the semen of the man and the semen of the woman.

(1) Al-Nahhas narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: Surat al-Insan was revealed in Mecca. Ibn Mardawayh narrated from Ibn al-Zubayr that he said: Surat Hal Ata 'ala al-Insan was revealed in Mecca. See al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:365. (2) Ibn al-Durays, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Bayhaqi narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: Surat al-Insan was revealed in Medina. See al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:365. (3) The author of Zad al-Masir states, 8:427: Regarding Surat al-Insan, there are three views. The first is that it is entirely Medinan; this was held by the majority, including Mujahid and Qatadah. The second is that it is Meccan; this was held by Ibn Yasar and Muqatil, and was also attributed to Ibn Abbas. The third is that it contains both Meccan and Medinan verses. This view has two versions: first, that only one verse is Meccan, namely, “Do not obey from among them any sinner or ungrateful disbeliever,” while all the rest is Medinan; this was held by al-Hasan and Ikrimah. Second, that its beginning is Medinan up to the verse, “Indeed, We have sent down the Quran to you progressively,” and that from this verse to its end it is Meccan; this was reported by al-Mawardi. (4) In al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:366, al-Suyuti attributed it to Ibn al-Mubarak; Abu Ubayd in his Fada'il; Abd ibn Humayd; and Ibn al-Mundhir.

سُورَةُ الْإِنْسَانِ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: هِيَ مَكِّيَّةٌ (١) وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ وَقَتَادَةُ: مَدَنِيَّةٌ (٢) وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ وَعِكْرِمَةُ: هِيَ مَدَنِيَّةٌ إِلَّا آيَةً وَهِيَ قَوْلُهُ: "فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تُطِعْ مِنْهُمْ آثِمًا أَوْ كَفُورًا" (٣) بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الْإِنْسَانِ حِينٌ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْئًا مَذْكُورًا (١) إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا (٢) ﴾ ﴿هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الْإِنْسَانِ﴾ يَعْنِي آدَمَ ﵇ ﴿حِينٌ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ﴾ أَرْبَعُونَ سَنَةً مُلْقًى مِنْ طِينٍ بَيْنَ مَكَّةَ وَالطَّائِفِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُنْفَخَ فِيهِ الرُّوحُ ﴿لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْئًا مَذْكُورًا﴾ لَا يُذْكَرُ ولا يعرف ١٨٠/أوَلَا يُدْرَى مَا اسْمُهُ وَلَا مَا يُرَادُ بِهِ، يُرِيدُ: كَانَ شَيْئًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مَذْكُورًا، وَذَلِكَ مِنْ حِينِ خَلَقَهُ مِنْ طِينٍ إِلَى أَنْ [يُنْفَخَ] فِيهِ الرُّوحُ. رُوِيَ أَنَّ عُمَرَ سَمِعَ رَجُلًا يَقْرَأُ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ: "لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْئًا مَذْكُورًا" فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: لَيْتَهَا تَمَّتْ، يُرِيدُ: لَيْتَهُ بَقِيَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ (٤) قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: ثُمَّ خَلَقَهُ بَعْدَ عِشْرِينَ وَمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ. ﴿إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ﴾ يَعْنِي وَلَدَ آدَمَ ﴿مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ﴾ يَعْنِي: مَنِيِّ الرَّجُلِ وَمَنِيِّ الْمَرْأَةِ.

(١) أخرج النحاس عن ابن عباس قال: نزلت سورة الإنسان بمكة وأخرج ابن مردويه عن ابن الزبير قال: أنزلت بمكة سورة "هل أتى على الإنسان". انظر: الدر المنثور: ٨ / ٣٦٥. (٢) أخرج ابن الضريس وابن مردويه والبيهقي عن ابن عباس قال: نزلت سورة الإنسان بالمدينة. انظر: الدر المنثور: ٨ / ٣٦٥. (٣) قال صاحب زاد المسير: ٨ / ٤٢٧:وفيها ثلاثة أقوال - سورة الإنسان: أحدها: أنها مدنية كلها، قاله الجمهور، منهم: مجاهد وقتادة. والثاني: مكية، قاله ابن يسار، ومقاتل، وحكي عن ابن عباس. الثالث: أن فيها مكيا ومدنيا، ثم في ذلك قولان: أحدهما: أن المكي منها آية، وهو قوله تعالى: (ولا تطع منهم آثما أو كفورا) وباقيها جميعه مدني، قاله الحسن وعكرمة. والثاني: أن أولها مدني إلى قوله تعالى: (إنا نحن نزلنا عليك القرآن) ومن هذه الآية إلى آخرها مكي، حكاه الماوردي. (٤) عزاه السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٨ / ٣٦٦ لابن المبارك وأبي عبيد في "فضائله" وعبد بن حميد وابن المنذر.