Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/314)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Then, if her child survived, she would place him among the Jews. Islam came while such children were among them. ⦗45⦘ When Banu al-Nadir were expelled, a number of the children of the Ansar were among them. The Ansar wanted to take them back, saying, “They are our sons and our brothers.” Then this verse was revealed: “There is no compulsion in religion.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Give your children the choice: if they choose you, then they belong with you; but if they choose them, then send them away with them.” (1)

Mujahid said: Some people of the Aws had been fostered among the Jews. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded the expulsion of Banu al-Nadir, those who had been fostered among them said, “We shall certainly go with them and follow their religion.” Their families prevented them, and so the verse, “There is no compulsion in religion,” was revealed. (2)

Masruq said: A man of the Ansar, from Banu Salim ibn Awf, had two sons who had become Christians before the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent. They then came to Medina with a group of Christians carrying food. Their father clung to them and said, “I will not let you go until you embrace Islam.” They brought their dispute before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and the father said, “O Messenger of Allah, shall a part of me enter the Fire while I look on?” Thereupon Allah Most High revealed, “There is no compulsion in religion,” and he let them go. (3)

Qatadah and Ata said: It was revealed concerning the People of the Book when they agreed to pay the jizya. The Arabs were an unlettered people who had no scripture, so nothing but Islam was accepted from them. Once they had embraced Islam, willingly or under compulsion, Allah Most High revealed: “There is no compulsion in religion.” He then commanded that the People of the Book be fought until they embraced Islam or agreed to pay the jizya. Whoever among them paid the jizya was not to be compelled to embrace Islam. It was also said that this applied initially, before fighting was commanded, and was then abrogated by the Sword Verse. This was the view of Ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him.

“The right course has become distinct from error”: that is, faith from disbelief, and truth from falsehood. “So whoever disbelieves in false deities”: that is, Satan. It was also said: everything worshipped besides Allah Most High is a false deity. And it was said: everything that causes a person to transgress. The word is an intensive form derived from transgression; its final t is added in place of the third root letter, as in hanut and tabut, where the t replaces the feminine h.

“And believes in Allah has surely grasped the firmest handhold”: that is, he has held fast and sought protection in the secure, unbreakable bond of religion. The word “firmest” is the feminine form of “most firm.” It was also said that the firmest handhold is the means that leads to Allah Most High’s pleasure. “Which will never break”: it will never be severed. “And Allah is All-Hearing”—it was said, of your calling them to Islam—“All-Knowing,” of your eagerness for their faith.

(1) Al-Tabari recorded it in his Tafsir, 5:409-410, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr as a mursal report; and al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan, 9:186. In al-Durr al-Manthur, al-Suyuti attributed it to Sa'id ibn Mansur, Abd ibn Humayd, and Ibn al-Mundhir. See also Tafsir al-Nasai, 1:273, 276; al-Nahhas, Ma'ani al-Quran, 1:266; and al-Shawkani's useful discussion of this verse in Fath al-Qadir, 1:275. Al-Wahidi narrated part of it through his chain, omitting the Prophet's statement, peace and blessings be upon him: “Your companions have been given a choice ...” See Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 77. (2) Al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 78; al-Tabari, Tafsir, 5:411. In al-Wahidi's Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 77, Mujahid said: “This verse was revealed concerning a man from the Ansar who had a black slave named Subayh and used to compel him to accept Islam.” (3) In al-Kafi al-Shaf, p. 23, Ibn Hajar attributed it to al-Wahidi in Asbab al-Nuzul; al-Baghawi did likewise. It is found in al-Wahidi, p. 78, without a chain of transmission.

فَإِذَا عَاشَ وَلَدُهَا جَعَلَتْهُ فِي الْيَهُودِ، فَجَاءَ الْإِسْلَامُ وفيهم منهم ٤٥/أفَلَمَّا أُجْلِيَتْ بَنُو النَّضِيرِ كَانَ فِيهِمْ عَدَدٌ مِنْ أَوْلَادِ الْأَنْصَارِ فَأَرَادَتِ الْأَنْصَارُ اسْتِرْدَادَهُمْ وَقَالُوا: هُمْ أَبْنَاؤُنَا وَإِخْوَانُنَا فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ ﴿لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ﴾ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ "خَيِّرُوا أَصْحَابَكُمْ فَإِنِ اخْتَارُوكُمْ فَهُمْ مِنْكُمْ وَإِنِ اخْتَارُوهُمْ فَأَجْلُوهُمْ مَعَهُمْ" (١) . وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: كَانَ نَاسٌ مُسْتَرْضَعِينَ فِي الْيَهُودِ مِنَ الْأَوْسِ فَلَمَّا أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِإِجْلَاءِ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ قَالَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا مُسْتَرْضَعِينَ فِيهِمْ: لَنَذْهَبَنَّ مَعَهُمْ وَلَنَدِينَنَّ بِدِينِهِمْ، فَمَنَعَهُمْ أَهْلُوهُمْ، فَنَزَلَتْ ﴿لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ﴾ (٢) . وَقَالَ مَسْرُوقٌ: كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ مِنْ بَنِي سَالِمِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ ابْنَانِ فَتَنَصَّرَا قَبْلَ مَبْعَثِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ثُمَّ قَدِمَا الْمَدِينَةَ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنَ النَّصَارَى يَحْمِلُونَ الطَّعَامَ فَلَزِمَهُمَا أَبُوهُمَا وَقَالَ: لَا أَدَعُكُمَا حَتَّى تُسْلِمَا، فَتَخَاصَمَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيَدْخُلُ بِعْضِي النَّارَ وَأَنَا أَنْظُرُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ﴿لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ﴾ فَخَلَّى سَبِيلَهُمَا (٣) . وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ وَعَطَاءٌ: نَزَلَتْ فِي أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِذَا قَبِلُوا الْجِزْيَةَ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْعَرَبَ كَانَتْ أُمَّةً أُمِّيَّةً لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ كِتَابٌ فَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا الْإِسْلَامَ، فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمُوا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ﴾ فَأَمَرَ بِقِتَالِ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَى أَنْ يُسْلِمُوا أَوْ يُقِرُّوا بِالْجِزْيَةِ فَمَنْ أَعْطَى مِنْهُمُ الْجِزْيَةَ لَمْ يُكْرَهْ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَقِيلَ كَانَ هَذَا فِي الِابْتِدَاءِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُؤْمَرَ بِالْقِتَالِ فَصَارَتْ مَنْسُوخَةً بِآيَةِ السَّيْفِ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ﵁ ﴿قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ﴾ أَيِ الْإِيمَانُ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَالْحَقُّ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ ﴿فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ﴾ يَعْنِي الشَّيْطَانَ، وَقِيلَ: كُلُّ مَا عُبِدَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَهُوَ طَاغُوتٌ، وَقِيلَ كُلُّ مَا يُطْغِي الْإِنْسَانَ، فَاعُولٌ مِنَ الطُّغْيَانِ، زِيدَتِ التَّاءُ فِيهِ بَدَلًا مِنْ لَامِ الْفِعْلِ، كَقَوْلِهِمْ حَانُوتٌ وَتَابُوتٌ، فَالتَّاءُ فِيهَا مُبْدَلَةٌ مِنْ هَاءِ التَّأْنِيثِ ﴿وَيُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ﴾ أَيْ تَمَسَّكَ وَاعْتَصَمَ بِالْعَقْدِ الْوَثِيقِ الْمُحْكَمِ فِي الدِّينِ، وَالْوُثْقَى تَأْنِيثُ الْأَوْثَقِ وَقِيلَ الْعُرْوَةُ الْوُثْقَى السَّبَبُ الَّذِي يُوصِلُ إِلَى رِضَا اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿لَا انْفِصَامَ لَهَا﴾ لَا انْقِطَاعَ لَهَا ﴿وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ﴾ قِيلَ: لِدُعَائِكَ إِيَّاهُمْ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ ﴿عَلِيمٌ﴾ بِحِرْصِكَ عَلَى إِيمَانِهِمْ.

(١) أخرجه الطبري في التفسير: ٥ / ٤٠٩-٤١٠ عن سعد بن جبير مرسلا، والبيهقي في السنن: ٩ / ١٨٦، ونسبه السيوطي في الدر المنثور إلى سعيد بن منصور وعبد بن حميد وابن المنذر. وانظر تفسير النسائي ١ / ٢٧٣،٢٧٦، والنحاس في معاني القرآن ١ / ٢٦٦ وللشوكاني كلام مفيد حول هذه الآية فلينظر فتح القدرير ١ / ٢٧٥. وأخرج الواحدي بسنده قطعة منه دون قول النبي ﷺ "قد خير أصحابكم ... أسباب النزول ص٧٧. (٢) أسباب النزول للواحدي ص٧٨، تفسير الطبري ٥ / ٤١١، وفي أسباب النزول للواحدي ص٧٧ قال مجاهد: نزلت هذه الآية في رجل من الأنصار كان له غلام أسود يقال له: صبيح، وكان يكرهه على الإسلام. (٣) عزاه ابن حجر في الكافي الشاف ص (٢٣) للواحدي في أسباب النزول وكذلك البغوي، وهو عند الواحدي في ص٧٨ دون سند.