Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/324)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Al-Suddi said: It is the soul when it sinks into the breast. (1)

Al-Hasan, Qatadah, and Ibn Kaysan said: They are the stars, which pass from one horizon to another: they rise, then they set. (2) ‘Ata’ and ‘Ikrimah said: They are the bows. (3) It was also said: They are the warrior-archers. (4)

“By those who draw out gently (2), and by those who glide along [as if] swimming (3).”

“By those who draw out gently”: [They are] (5) the angels who gently release the soul of the believer and then take it, just as a camel’s hobble is gently loosened from its leg. Al-Farra’ related this view, then said: “What I have heard from the Arabs is that they use anshaṭtu al-‘iqāl when I untie the hobble, and anshaṭtuhu when I fasten it with a slipknot.” In the hadith: “It is as though he has been released from a tether.” (7)

Ibn ‘Abbas said: It is the soul of the believer, which eagerly departs at the time of death because of the honor it sees; Paradise is shown to it before it dies.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said: They are the angels who draw forth the souls of the disbelievers from between the skin and the fingernails, until they bring them out through their mouths amid anguish and distress. Nasht means pulling and drawing out. One says, “I drew the bucket,” when one pulls it out. Al-Khalil said: Nasht and inshat mean drawing something toward oneself until it comes loose.

Mujahid said: It is death that draws out the souls. Al-Suddi said: It is the soul that is drawn from the feet—that is, pulled. Qatadah said: They are the stars, moving from one horizon to another—that is, going away. One says, “He journeyed from one land to another,” when he departed swiftly; and it is said, “A journeying donkey,” which travels from one land to another. ‘Ata’ and ‘Ikrimah said: They are [the lasso ropes]. (8)

“By those who glide along [as if] swimming”: They are the angels who take the souls of the believers, drawing them out ⦗184⦘ gently; then they leave them until they rest, like a swimmer who handles something gently in the water.

(1) Narrated by al-Tabari, 30:28. (2) See al-Tabari, 30:28. (3) See al-Tabari, 30:28. (4) The author of Zad al-Masir, 9:15, said: “Al-Tha'labi reported it.” (5) Manuscript B reads: “they.” (6) Ma'ani al-Quran by al-Farra', 3:230, with some modification to the wording. (7) Part of a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari in the Book of Hiring, in the chapter “What May Be Given for Ruqyah,” 4:453, on the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri. See Fath al-Bari, 4:456. (8) Manuscript B reads: “al-izhaq.” Al-awhaq is the plural of wahaq, with the ha either vowelless or vowelled: a rope with a noose at its end, used to catch animals or people. Al-Tabari, 30:28-29, cites most of the views mentioned and then gives preference to the following: “In my view, the soundest position is that Allah, exalted is His praise, swore by the nashitat, namely, those that move from one place to another and go there. Allah did not specify any one thing to the exclusion of another; rather, the oath encompasses all things that move about: the angels move from place to place, as do death, the stars, nooses, and wild cattle.” It should be noted that the majority hold that they are the angels, as stated by Ibn Kathir and Ibn al-Jawzi, and this is the more likely view.

وَقَالَ السُّدِّيُّ: هِيَ النَّفْسُ حِينَ تَغْرَقُ فِي الصَّدْرِ (١) وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ وَقَتَادَةُ وَابْنُ كَيْسَانَ: هِيَ النُّجُومُ تُنْزَعُ مِنْ أُفُقٍ إِلَى أُفُقٍ تَطْلُعُ ثُمَّ تَغِيبُ (٢) . وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ وَعِكْرِمَةُ: هِيَ الْقِسِيُّ (٣) . وَقِيلَ: الْغُزَاةُ الرُّمَاةُ (٤) . ﴿وَالنَّاشِطَاتِ نَشْطًا (٢) وَالسَّابِحَاتِ سَبْحًا (٣) ﴾ ﴿وَالنَّاشِطَاتِ نَشْطًا﴾ [هِيَ] (٥) الْمَلَائِكَةُ تُنْشِطُ نَفْسَ الْمُؤْمِنِ، أَيْ تَحِلُّ حَلًّا رَفِيقًا فَتَقْبِضُهَا، كَمَا يُنْشَطُ الْعِقَالُ مِنْ يَدِ الْبَعِيرِ، أَيْ يُحَلُّ بِرِفْقٍ، حَكَى الفَّراءُ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: وَالَّذِي سَمِعْتُ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ أَنْ يَقُولُوا: أَنْشَطْتُ الْعِقَالَ، إِذَا حَلَلْتُهُ، وَأَنْشَطْتُهُ: إِذَا عَقَدْتُهُ بِأُنْشُوطَةٍ (٦) . وَفِي الْحَدِيثِ: "كَأَنَّمَا أُنْشِطَ مِنْ عِقَالٍ" (٧) . وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: هِيَ نَفْسُ الْمُؤْمِنِ تَنْشَطُ لِلْخُرُوجِ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ، لِمَا يَرَى مِنَ الْكَرَامَةِ لِأَنَّهُ تُعْرَضُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ. وَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ: هِيَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تَنْشَطُ أَرْوَاحَ الْكُفَّارِ مِمَّا بَيْنَ الْجِلْدِ وَالْأَظْفَارِ حَتَّى تُخْرِجَهَا مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ بِالْكَرْبِ وَالْغَمِّ، وَالنَّشْطُ: الْجَذْبُ وَالنَّزْعُ، يُقَالُ: نَشَطْتُ الدَّلْوَ نَشْطًا إِذَا نَزَعْتُهَا قَالَ الْخَلِيلُ: النَّشْطُ وَالْإِنْشَاطُ مَدُّكَ الشَّيْءَ إِلَى نَفْسِكَ، حَتَّى يَنْحَلَّ. وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: هُوَ الْمَوْتُ يُنَشِّطُ النُّفُوسَ. وَقَالَ السُّدِّيُّ: هِيَ النَّفْسُ تَنْشَطُ مِنَ الْقَدَمَيْنِ أَيْ تُجْذَبُ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: هِيَ النُّجُومُ تَنْشَطُ مِنْ أُفُقٍ إِلَى أُفُقٍ، أَيْ تَذْهَبُ، يُقَالُ: نَشِطَ مِنْ بَلَدٍ إِلَى بَلَدٍ، إِذَا خَرَجَ فِي سُرْعَةٍ، وَيُقَالُ: حِمَارٌ نَاشِطٌ، يَنْشَطُ مِنْ بَلَدٍ إِلَى بَلَدٍ، وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ وَعِكْرِمَةُ: هِيَ [الْأَوْهَاقُ] (٨) . ﴿وَالسَّابِحَاتِ سَبْحًا﴾ هَمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَقْبِضُونَ أَرْوَاحَ المؤمنين يسلونها ١٨٤/أسُلًّا رَفِيقًا، ثُمَّ يَدَعُونَهَا حَتَّى تَسْتَرِيحَ كَالسَّابِحِ بِالشَّيْءِ فِي الْمَاءِ يَرْفُقُ بِهِ.

(١) أخرجه الطبري: ٣٠ / ٢٨. (٢) انظر الطبري: ٣٠ / ٢٨. (٣) انظر الطبري: ٣٠ / ٢٨. (٤) قال صاحب زاد المسير: ٩ / ١٥ "حكاه الثعلبي". (٥) في "ب" هم. (٦) معاني القرآن للفراء: ٣ / ٢٣٠ وقد تصرف في العبارة. (٧) قطعة من حديث أخرجه البخاري في الإجارة، باب ما يعطى في الرقية.. ٤ / ٤٥٣، عن أبي سعيد الخدري. وانظر: فتح الباري: ٤ / ٤٥٦. (٨) في "ب" الإزهاق. والأوهاق: جمع وهق - بسكون الهاء أو تحريكها - وهي الحبل المغارير في طرفه أنشوطة فتؤخذ فيه الدابة والإنسان. وقد ساق الطبري: ٣٠ / ٢٨-٢٩، أكثر الأقوال المذكورة ثم قال مرجحا: "والصواب من القول في ذلك عندي أن يقال: إن الله جل ثناؤه أقسم بالناشطات نشطا، وهي التي تنشط من موضع إلى موضع فتذهب إليه، ولم يخصص الله بذلك شيئا دون شيء، بل عم القسم بجميع الناشطات والملائكة تنشط من موضع إلى موضع، وكذلك الموت وكذلك النجوم والأوهاق وبقر الوحش أيضا تنشط". ويلاحظ أن الأكثرية على أنها الملائكة كما قال ابن كثير وابن الجوزي وهو أقرب.