Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/292)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Mingled fluids” means mixtures; its singular is mashj or mashīj, like khidn and khadīn.

Ibn Abbas, al-Hasan, Mujahid, and al-Rabi said: It means the fluid of the man and the fluid of the woman (1), which mingle in the womb, and from them the child is formed. The man’s fluid is thick and white, while the woman’s fluid is thin and yellow. Whichever of them predominates over the other, the child resembles it. Whatever consists of sinews and bones comes from the man’s seminal fluid, while whatever consists of flesh, blood, and hair comes from the woman’s fluid. (2)

Al-Dahhak said: By “mingled fluids,” He meant the differing colors of the seminal fluid: the man’s fluid may be white, red, or yellow, while the woman’s may be green, red, or yellow. (3) This is also the report of al-Walibi from Ibn Abbas. Al-Kalbi likewise said: “Mingled fluids” are whiteness mixed with redness and yellowness. Yaman said: Any two colors that are mixed together are mingled fluids. Ibn Masud said: They are the veins found in the seminal fluid.

Al-Hasan said: It is seminal fluid mixed with blood—the blood of menstruation. When a woman becomes pregnant, menstruation ceases.

Qatadah said: They are the stages of creation: seminal fluid, then a clinging clot, then a lump of flesh, then bone, then He clothes it with flesh, and then brings it forth as another creation. (4)

“We test him” means: We test him through commands and prohibitions. “Then We made him hearing and seeing.” Some scholars of Arabic said that the wording involves an inversion; its intended sense is: “Then We made him hearing and seeing in order to test him,” (5) because testing only takes place after the completion of creation.

“Indeed, We guided him to the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful. Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains, shackles, and a blazing Fire.” (3–4)

“Indeed, We guided him to the way” means: We made clear to him the path of truth and falsehood, guidance and misguidance, and made known to him the way of good and evil. “Whether he be grateful or ungrateful” means: either a believing and blessed person, or a disbelieving and wretched one. It was also said that the meaning concerns requital; that is, We made the path clear to him, whether he gave thanks or disbelieved. (6) He then explained what awaits the two groups, saying: “Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains”—that is, in Hell. The people of Medina recited:

(1) In manuscript A: “and the woman.” (2) See Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Tibyan fi Aqsam al-Quran (Clarification of the Oaths in the Quran), pp. 334-338; and Muhammad Ali al-Bar, Khalq al-Insan (The Creation of Man), p. 390 and following. (3) Omitted in manuscript B. (4) After citing the aforementioned views, Ibn Jarir stated in support of the preferred view: 29:203-205: “The view closest to what is correct is that of those who held that the meaning of ‘a mixed drop’ is the drop of the man and the drop of the woman, for Allah described the drop as mixed. Once it passes on and becomes an alaqah (clinging clot), it has changed from the state of being a drop; so how could it be a mixed drop while it is an alaqah? As for those who said that the man’s drop is white and red, it is known that the man’s drop is of one light color, whitish with a tinge of red. Since it is one color, it cannot be diverse colors. I believe that those who said it refers to the veins within the drop intended this meaning.” (5) See al-Farra, Ma'ani al-Quran (Meanings of the Quran), 3:214. (6) See al-Farra, Ma'ani al-Quran (Meanings of the Quran), 3:214.

﴿أَمْشَاجٍ﴾ أَخْلَاطٍ، وَاحِدُهَا: مَشْجٌ ومَشِيجٌ، مِثْلُ خِدْنٍ وَخَدِينٍ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَالْحَسَنُ، وَمُجَاهِدٌ وَالرَّبِيعُ: يَعْنِي مَاءَ الرَّجُلِ [وَمَاءَ الْمَرْأَةِ] (١) يَخْتَلِطَانِ فِي الرَّحِمِ فَيَكُونُ مِنْهُمَا الْوَلَدُ، فَمَاءُ الرَّجُلِ أَبْيَضُ غَلِيظٌ وَمَاءُ الْمَرْأَةِ أَصْفَرُ رَقِيقٌ، فَأَيُّهُمَا عَلَا صَاحِبَهُ كَانَ الشَّبَهُ لَهُ، وَمَا كَانَ مِنْ عَصَبٍ وَعَظْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْ نُطْفَةِ الرَّجُلِ، وَمَا كَانَ مِنْ لَحْمٍ وَدَمٍ وَشَعْرٍ فَمِنْ مَاءِ الْمَرْأَةِ (٢) . وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: أَرَادَ بِالْأَمْشَاجِ اخْتِلَافُ أَلْوَانِ النُّطْفَةِ، فَنُطْفَةُ الرَّجُلِ بَيْضَاءُ وَحَمْرَاءُ وَصَفْرَاءُ، وَنُطْفَةُ الْمَرْأَةِ خَضْرَاءُ وَحَمْرَاءُ [وَصَفْرَاءُ] (٣) وَهِيَ رِوَايَةُ الْوَالِبِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ. وَكَذَلِكَ قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: قَالَ: الْأَمْشَاجُ الْبَيَاضُ فِي الْحُمْرَةِ وَالصُّفْرَةِ. وَقَالَ يَمَانٌ: كُلُّ لَوْنَيْنِ اخْتَلَطَا فَهُوَ أَمْشَاجٌ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: هِيَ الْعُرُوقُ الَّتِي تَكُونُ فِي النُّطْفَةِ. وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ: نُطْفَةٌ مُشِجَتْ بِدَمٍ، وَهُوَ دَمُ الْحَيْضَةِ، فَإِذَا حَبِلَتِ ارْتَفَعَ الْحَيْضُ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: هِيَ أَطْوَارُ الْخَلْقِ نُطْفَةٌ، ثُمَّ عَلَقَةٌ، ثُمَّ مُضْغَةٌ، ثُمَّ [عَظْمًا] ثُمَّ يَكْسُوهُ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ يُنْشِئُهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ (٤) . ﴿نَبْتَلِيهِ﴾ نَخْتَبِرُهُ بِالْأَمْرِ وَالنَّهْيِ ﴿فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا﴾ قَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ: فِيهِ تَقْدِيمٌ وَتَأْخِيرٌ، مَجَازُهُ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا لِنَبْتَلِيَهُ (٥) لِأَنَّ الِابْتِلَاءَ لَا يَقَعُ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمَامِ الْخِلْقَةِ. ﴿إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا (٣) إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ سَلَاسِلَا وَأَغْلَالًا وَسَعِيرًا (٤) ﴾ ﴿إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ﴾ أَيْ بَيَّنَّا لَهُ سَبِيلَ الْحَقِّ وَالْبَاطِلِ وَالْهُدَى وَالضَّلَالَةِ، وَعَرَّفْنَاهُ طَرِيقَ الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ ﴿إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا﴾ إِمَّا مُؤْمِنًا سَعِيدًا وَإِمَّا كَافِرًا شَقِيًّا. وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَى الْكَلَامِ الْجَزَاءُ، يَعْنِي: بَيَّنَّا لَهُ الطَّرِيقَ إِنْ شَكَرَ أَوْ كَفَرَ (٦) . ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ مَا لِلْفَرِيقَيْنِ فَقَالَ: ﴿إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ سَلَاسِلَ﴾ يَعْنِي: فِي جَهَنَّمَ قَرَأَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ

(١) في "أ" والمرأة. (٢) راجع التبيان في أقسام القرآن لابن القيم ص (٣٣٤-٣٣٨) خلق الإنسان للدكتور محمد علي البار ص (٣٩٠ وما بعدها) . (٣) ساقط من "ب". (٤) قال ابن جرير مرجحا بعد أن ساق الأقوال المذكورة: ٢٩ / ٢٠٣-٢٠٥: "وأشبه هذه الأقوال بالصواب قول من قال: معنى ذلك (من نطفة أمشاج) نطفة الرجل ونطفة المرأة، لأن الله وصف النطفة بأنها أمشاج، وهي إذا انتقلت فصارت علقة، فقد استحالت عن معنى النطفة فكيف تكون نطفة أمشاجا وهي علقة؟ وأما الذين قالوا: إن نطفة الرجل بيضاء وحمراء، فإن المعروف من نطفة الرجل أنها سحراء على لون واحد، وهي بيضاء تضرب إلى الحمرة، وإذا كانت لونا واحدا لم تكن ألوانا مختلفة، واحسب أن الذين قالوا: هي العروق التي في النطفة قصدوا هذا المعنى". (٥) انظر: معاني القرآن للفراء: ٣ / ٢١٤. (٦) انظر: معاني القرآن للفراء: ٣ / ٢١٤.