Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/389)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

against the prophets:

“Pharaoh and Thamud. (18) Yet those who disbelieve persist in denial, (19) while Allah encompasses them from behind. (20) Rather, it is a glorious Quran, (21) inscribed on a Preserved Tablet.” (22)

He then clarified who they were, saying: “Pharaoh and Thamud. Yet those among your people who disbelieve, O Muhammad, persist in denial; Allah encompasses them from behind. Rather, it is a glorious Quran, inscribed on a Preserved Tablet.” They deny you and the Quran in the same manner as the people of Pharaoh before them (1), and they have not taken warning from the disbelievers who came before them.

“Allah encompasses them from behind”: He knows them, and none of their deeds is hidden from Him. He is able to bring upon them what He brought upon those before them.

“Rather, it is a glorious Quran”: it is noble, exalted, and abundant in goodness; it is not, as the polytheists alleged, poetry or soothsaying.

“Inscribed on a Preserved Tablet”: Nafi recited “preserved” in the nominative case, as an adjective describing the Quran. The Quran is thus protected from alteration, change, and distortion. Allah, exalted is He, says: “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will surely preserve it.” The Tablet is the Mother of the Book, from which the scriptures were transcribed. It is protected from the devils and from any addition or omission.

Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Shurayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Tha‘labi informed us; al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Fanjawayh informed us; Makhlad ibn Ja‘far informed us; al-Hasan ibn ‘Alawiyy related to us; Isma‘il ibn ‘Isa informed us; Ishaq ibn Bishr related to us; Muqatil and Ibn Jurayj informed me, from Mujahid, from Ibn Abbas, who said: “At the top of the Tablet is written: There is no god but Allah alone; His religion is Islam; and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Whoever believes in Allah, affirms His promise to be true, and follows His messengers, He will admit him.” He said: “The Tablet is made of a white pearl. Its length is the distance between heaven and earth, and its width is the distance from east to west. Its borders are of pearl and ruby, its two covers are of red ruby, its pen is light, its writing is fastened to the Throne, and its base rests in the lap of an angel.” (2)

Muqatil said: “The Preserved Tablet is to the right of the Throne.”

(1) Omitted from manuscript B. (2) This report is mawquf (stopping at the Companion) with Ibn Abbas, and its chain includes Ishaq ibn Bishr. Ibn Hibban said: “His hadith may only be cited as a matter of amazement.” Al-Daraqutni said: “Abandoned.” Al-Dhahabi said: “He narrates grave reports from Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Jurayj, and al-Thawri.” See Ibn Hibban, al-Duafa, 1:37; al-Dhahabi, al-Mizan, 1:184. See also Ibn Kathir, 4:498.

عَلَى الْأَنْبِيَاءِ ﴿فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ (١٨) بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي تَكْذِيبٍ (١٩) وَاللَّهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ مُحِيطٌ (٢٠) بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَجِيدٌ (٢١) فِي لَوْحٍ مَحْفُوظٍ (٢٢) ﴾ ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ مَنْ هُمْ فَقَالَ: ﴿فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا﴾ مِنْ قَوْمِكَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ ﴿فِي تَكْذِيبٍ وَاللَّهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ مُحِيطٌ بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَجِيدٌ فِي لَوْحٍ مَحْفُوظٍ﴾ لَكَ وَلِلْقُرْآنِ كَدَأْبِ [آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ] (١) مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ، وَلَمْ يَعْتَبِرُوا بِمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَهُمْ مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ. ﴿وَاللَّهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ مُحِيطٌ﴾ ، عَالِمٌ بِهِمْ لَا يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ، يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يُنْزِلَ بِهِمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ بِمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَهُمْ. ﴿بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَجِيدٌ﴾ ، كَرِيمٌ شَرِيفٌ كَثِيرُ الْخَيْرِ، لَيْسَ كَمَا زَعَمَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ أَنَّهُ شِعْرٌ وَكِهَانَةٌ. ﴿فِي لَوْحٍ مَحْفُوظٍ﴾ ، قَرَأَ نَافِعٌ: "مَحْفُوظٌ" بِالرَّفْعِ عَلَى نَعْتِ الْقُرْآنِ، فَإِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ مَحْفُوظٌ مِنَ التَّبْدِيلِ وَالتَّغْيِيرِ وَالتَّحْرِيفِ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: "إِنَّا نَحْنُ، نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ، وَهُوَ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ، وَمِنْهُ نُسِخَ الْكُتُبُ، مَحْفُوظٌ مِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ، وَمِنَ الزِّيَادَةِ فِيهِ وَالنُّقْصَانِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الشُّرَيْحِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الثَّعْلَبِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ ابن مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ فَنْجَوَيْهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَخْلَدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلَوَيْهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عِيسَى، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي مُقَاتِلٌ وَابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: إِنَّ فِي صَدْرِ اللَّوْحِ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ، دِينُهُ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، فَمَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ ﷿ وَصَدَّقَ بِوَعْدِهِ وَاتَّبَعَ رُسُلَهُ أَدْخَلَهُ، قَالَ: وَاللَّوْحُ لَوْحٌ مِنْ دُرَّةٍ بَيْضَاءَ، طُولُهُ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ، وَعَرْضُهُ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ إِلَى الْمَغْرِبِ، وَحَافَّتَاهُ الدُّرُّ وَالْيَاقُوتُ، وَدَفَّتَاهُ يَاقُوتَةٌ حَمْرَاءُ، وَقَلَمُهُ نُورٌ، وَكَلَامُهُ مَعْقُودٌ بِالْعَرْشِ، وَأَصْلُهُ فِي حِجْرِ مَلَكٍ. (٢) قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: اللَّوْحُ الْمَحْفُوظُ عَنْ يَمِينِ الْعَرْشِ.

(١) ساقط من "ب". (٢) موقوف على ابن عباس وفيه إسحاق بن بشر، قال ابن حبان: لا يحل حديثه إلا على جهة التعجب وقال الدارقطني: متروك. وقال الذهبي: يروي العظائم عن ابن إسحاق وابن جريج والثوري. انظر: الضعفاء لابن حبان: ١\٣٧، الميزان للذهبي: ١\١٨٤. وراجع ابن كثير: ٤\٤٩٨.