Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/498)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Surah al-Zalzalah (The Earthquake) is Makkan. (1)

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

“When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake, (1) and the earth brings forth its burdens, (2) and man says, ‘What is the matter with it?’ (3) On that Day, it will report its news.” (4)

“When the earth is shaken”: the earth will be shaken violently at the coming of the Hour. “With its earthquake”: with its shaking. “And the earth brings forth its burdens”: its dead and its treasures, casting them upon its surface.

Isma‘il ibn ‘Abd al-Qahir informed us; ‘Abd al-Ghafir ibn Muhammad informed us; Muhammad ibn ‘Isa al-Juludi informed us; Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Sufyan related to us; Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj related to us; Wasil ibn ‘Abd al-A‘la related to us; Muhammad ibn Fudayl related to us from his father, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “The earth will cast forth pieces of its liver, like pillars (3) of gold and silver. Then the murderer will come and say, ‘For this I killed.’ The one who severed kinship ties will come and say, ‘For this I severed my ties of kinship.’ The thief will come and say, ‘For this my hand was cut off.’ Then they will leave it and take nothing from it.” (4)

“And man says, ‘What is the matter with it?’” It has been said that the verse involves an inversion in sequence; its intended order is: “On that Day, it will report its news,” whereupon man will say, “What is the matter with it?” That is, the earth will tell of what was done upon it.

(1) Al-Suyuti states in al-Durr al-Manthur, 8/590, on the authority of Ibn Abbas and Qatadah that the surah was revealed in Madinah. Ibn al-Jawzi states in Zad al-Masir, 9/201: “There are two views concerning it: the first is that it is Madinan, as held by Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, Muqatil, and the majority; the second is that it is Makkan, as held by Ibn Masud, Jabir, and Ata.” Most of its verses display the characteristics of Makkan verses. And Allah knows best. (2) Omitted from manuscript “A.” (3) Asatin is the plural of ustuwanah, meaning a pillar or column; he was likened to a pillar because of his great size. (4) Recorded by Muslim in Zakat, in the chapter on encouraging charity before a time comes when no one will accept it, no. 1013, 2/709.

سُورَةُ الزَّلْزَلَةِ مَكِّيَّةٌ (١) بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا (١) وَأَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا (٢) وَقَالَ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا لَهَا (٣) يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا (٤) ﴾ ﴿إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ﴾ حُرِّكَتِ [الْأَرْضُ] (٢) حَرَكَةً شَدِيدَةً لِقِيَامِ السَّاعَةِ، ﴿زِلْزَالَهَا﴾ تَحْرِيكَهَا. ﴿وَأَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا﴾ مَوْتَاهَا وَكُنُوزَهَا فَتُلْقِيهَا عَلَى ظَهْرِهَا. أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْقَاهِرِ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْغَافِرِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى الْجُلُودِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُفْيَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ الْحَجَّاجِ، حَدَّثَنَا وَاصِلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْأَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: "تَقِيءُ الْأَرْضُ أَفْلَاذَ كَبِدِهَا أَمْثَالَ [الْأُسْطُوَانِ] (٣) مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ، فَيَجِيءُ الْقَاتِلُ فَيَقُولُ: فِي هَذَا قَتَلْتُ، وَيَجِيءُ الْقَاطِعُ فَيَقُولُ: فِي هَذَا قَطَعْتُ رَحِمِي، وَيَجِيءُ السَّارِقُ فَيَقُولُ: فِي هَذَا قُطِعَتْ يَدِي، ثُمَّ يَدَعُونَهُ فَلَا يَأْخُذُونَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا" (٤) . ﴿وَقَالَ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا لَهَا﴾ ؟ قِيلَ: فِي الْآيَةِ تَقْدِيمٌ وَتَأْخِيرٌ تَقْدِيرُهُ: ﴿يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا﴾ فَيَقُولُ الْإِنْسَانُ: "مَا لَهَا "، أَيْ تُخْبَرُ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا عُمِلَ عَلَيْهَا.

(١) ذكر السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٨ / ٥٩٠ عن ابن عباس وعن قتادة أن السورة مدنية. وقال ابن الجوزي في زاد المسير: ٩ / ٢٠١ "وفيها قولان: أحدهما: أنها مدنية: قاله ابن عباس وقتادة، ومقاتل والجمهور. والثاني: مكية، قاله ابن مسعود، وجابر، وعطاء". والغالب على آياتها خصائص الآيات المكية والله أعلم. (٢) ساقط من "أ". (٣) جمع أسطوانة وهي السارية أو العمود، وشبهه بالأسطوانة لعظمه. (٤) أخرجه مسلم في الزكاة، باب الترغيب في الصدقة قبل أن لا يوجد من لا يقبلها برقم: (١٠١٣) : ٢ / ٧٠٩١.