Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/332)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Surah ‘Abasa is Makkan. (1)

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.

“He frowned and turned away (1) because the blind man came to him.” (2)

“He frowned”: he scowled. “And turned away”: he turned his face aside. “Because the blind man came to him”: that is, because the blind man came to him. (2) He was Ibn Umm Maktum, whose name was ‘Abd Allah ibn Shurayh ibn Malik ibn Rabi‘ah al-Fihri, of Banu ‘Amir ibn Lu’ayy.

This occurred when he came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was speaking privately with ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, Ubayy ibn Khalaf, and his brother Umayyah, calling them to Allah and hoping that they would embrace Islam. Ibn Umm Maktum said, “O Messenger of Allah, (3) recite to me and teach me from what Allah has taught you.” He began calling out to him and repeating his call, unaware that he was occupied with others, until displeasure became visible on the face of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, because he had interrupted his conversation.

He thought to himself, “These chiefs will say: His followers are only the blind, the slaves, and the lowly.” So his face frowned, and he turned away from him, giving his attention to the people with whom he was speaking. Thereupon Allah sent down these verses.

After that, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would honor him. Whenever he saw him, he would say, “Welcome to the man on whose account my Lord reproached me,” and would ask him, “Do you need anything?” He appointed him as his deputy over Medina twice (4) during two campaigns which he undertook.

Anas ibn Malik said: “I saw him on the day of al-Qadisiyyah, wearing a coat of mail, and with him…”

(1) Ibn al-Durays, al-Nahhas, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Bayhaqi, in al-Dala'il, narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: Surat Abasa was revealed in Mecca. See al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:415. (2) The text within parentheses is an addition from manuscript “B.” (3) The text within parentheses is an addition from manuscript “B.” (4) See al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 517. Ibn Hajar said in al-Kafi al-Shaf, p. 181: “Al-Tha'labi mentioned it without an isnad (chain of transmission). Ibn Abi Hatim transmitted a similar report through al-Awfi from Ibn Abbas, but without the phrase ‘the chiefs of Quraysh’ and without the account of Ibn Umm Maktum’s lineage. Al-Tabari likewise transmitted it through Sa'id from Qatadah, who said: ‘It was related to us...’” He then cited it. See also the reports in al-Sahih al-Musnad min Asbab al-Nuzul by al-Wadi'i, p. 169.

سُورَةُ عَبَسَ مَكِّيَّةٌ (١) بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى (١) أَنْ جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَى (٢) ﴾ ﴿عَبَسَ﴾ كَلَحَ ﴿وَتَوَلَّى﴾ أَعْرَضَ بِوَجْهِهِ. ﴿أَنْ جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَى﴾ [أَيْ: لِأَنْ جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَى] (٢) وَهُوَ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ، وَاسْمُهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ شُرَيْحِ بْنِ مَالِكِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ الْفِهْرِيُّ مِنْ بني عامر بَنِي لُؤَيٍّ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَهُوَ يُنَاجِي عُتْبَةَ بْنَ رَبِيعَةَ، وَأَبَا جَهْلِ بْنَ هِشَامٍ، وَالْعَبَّاسَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، وَأُبَيَّ بْنَ خَلَفٍ، وَأَخَاهُ أُمَيَّةَ، يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ، يَرْجُو إِسْلَامَهُمْ، فَقَالَ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ: [يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ] (٣) أَقْرِئْنِي وَعَلِّمْنِي مِمَّا عَلَّمَكَ اللَّهُ، فَجَعَلَ يُنَادِيهِ وَيُكَرِّرُ النِّدَاءَ، وَلَا يَدْرِي أَنَّهُ مُقْبِلٌ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ حَتَّى ظَهَرَتِ الْكَرَاهِيَةُ فِي وَجْهِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِقَطْعِهِ كَلَامَهُ، وَقَالَ فِي نَفْسِهِ: يَقُولُ هَؤُلَاءِ الصَّنَادِيدُ: إِنَّمَا أَتْبَاعُهُ الْعِمْيَانُ وَالْعَبِيدُ وَالسَّفَلَةُ، فَعَبَسَ وَجْهُهُ وَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ، وَأَقْبَلَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ يُكَلِّمُهُمْ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ هَذِهِ الْآيَاتِ، فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ يُكْرِمُهُ، وَإِذَا رَآهُ قَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِمَنْ عَاتَبَنِي فِيهِ رَبِّي، وَيَقُولُ لَهُ: هَلْ لَكَ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ؟ وَاسْتَخْلَفَهُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ مَرَّتَيْنِ (٤) فِي غَزْوَتَيْنِ غَزَاهُمَا، قَالَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ: فَرَأَيْتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقَادِسِيَّةِ عَلَيْهِ دِرْعٌ وَمَعَهُ

(١) أخرج ابن الضريس، والنحاس، وابن مردويه والبيهقي في "الدلائل" عن ابن عباس قال: نزلت سورة عبس بمكة. انظر: الدر المنثور: ٨ / ٤١٥. (٢) ما بين القوسين زيادة من "ب". (٣) ما بين القوسين زيادة من "ب". (٤) انظر: الواحدي في أسباب النزول صفحة (٥١٧) . وقال ابن حجر في "الكافي الشاف" صفحة (١٨١) : "ذكره الثعلبي بلا إسناد، وأخرجه ابن أبي حاتم من رواية العوفي عن ابن عباس نحوه دون قوله: (صناديد قريش) ودون سياق نسب ابن أم مكتوم، وكذا أخرجه الطبري من رواية سعيد عن قتادة. قال: ذكر لنا.." فذكره. وانظر الروايات في الصحيح المسند من أسباب النزول للوادعي صفحة (١٦٩) .