Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/338)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“The unaware”—that is, one who does not know their condition—“deem them wealthy because of their restraint,” meaning because they refrain from asking, ⦗49/A⦘or because of their contentment. Taʿaffuf denotes deliberately maintaining chastity of conduct; it derives from ʿiffah, which means refraining. One says, “He refrained from a thing,” when he held himself back from it; and “he practised restraint,” when he made an effort to hold himself back.

“You recognize them by their mark.” Sima, simiya, and simah all mean a sign by which something is recognized. The scholars differed over its meaning here. Mujahid said: It is humility and meekness. Al-Suddi said: The visible effects of hardship caused by need and poverty. Al-Dahhak said: The yellowness of their complexions from hunger and distress. It was also said: the shabbiness of their clothing.

“They do not beg people persistently.” ʿAtaʾ said: If they have a midday meal, they do not ask for an evening meal; and if they have an evening meal, they do not ask for a midday meal. It was also said that it means they do not ask people persistently at all, since He said, “because of their restraint,” and restraint means abandoning begging. Moreover, He said, “You recognize them by their mark.” Had begging been their habit, there would have been no need to recognize them by a sign. Thus, the meaning of the verse is that they do not beg in a manner involving persistence. Ilhaf means insistence and importunity.

Abu al-Qasim ʿAbd al-Karim ibn Hawazin al-Qushayri informed us; Abu Saʿid Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Ismaʿili informed us; Muhammad ibn Yaʿqub informed us; Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Hakam informed us; Anas ibn ʿIyad informed us, from Hisham ibn ʿUrwah, from his father, from al-Zubayr, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “For one of you to take his rope, go out, and return carrying a bundle of firewood on his back—thereby preserving his dignity through it—is better for him than asking people for what they possess, whether they give him or refuse him.” (1)

Abu al-Hasan al-Sarakhsī informed us; Zahir ibn Ahmad informed us; Abu Ishaq al-Hashimi informed us; Abu Musʿab informed us, from Malik, from Abu al-Zinad, from al-Aʿraj, from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The needy person is not the one who goes about among people and is turned away by a morsel or two, or a date or two.” They asked, “Then who is the needy person, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “The one who does not find enough to suffice him, whose condition is not noticed so that charity is given to him, and who does not stand up to beg people.” (2)

It is also related from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said: “Whoever begs while possessing an uqiyyah, or its equivalent, has begged importunately.” (3)

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in the Book of Zakat, chapter: Refraining from Begging, 3:335; and by the compiler in Sharh al-Sunnah, 6:112-113. (2) Narrated by al-Bukhari in the Book of Zakat, chapter: Allah Most High's saying, “They do not ask people importunately,” 3:340; and in the Book of Tafsir. Muslim also narrated it in the Book of Zakat, chapter: The needy person who has no means and is not recognized, so that charity is given to him, no. 1039, 2:719. The compiler also cited it in Sharh al-Sunnah, 6:86. (3) Narrated by Abu Dawud in the Book of Zakat, chapter: Those Eligible to Receive Charity and the Limit of Sufficiency, 2:229, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, with the wording: “Whoever asks while possessing one uqiyyah has begged importunately.” Al-Mundhiri made no comment on it. Al-Nasa'i also narrated it in the Book of Zakat, chapter: When One Has No Dirhams but Possesses Their Equivalent, 5:98-99. Ahmad narrated it at 4:36 and 5:430—the latter's wording being his—from Ata ibn Yasar, from a man of Banu Asad. The compiler also cited it in Sharh al-Sunnah, 6:84; its chain of transmission is sound.

﴿الْجَاهِل﴾ بحالهم ﴿أَغْنِيَاءَ مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِ﴾ أَيْ مِنْ تَعَفُّفِهِمْ عن السؤال ٤٩/أوَقَنَاعَتِهِمْ يَظُنُّ مَنْ لَا يَعْرِفُ حَالَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَغْنِيَاءُ، وَالتَّعَفُّفُ التَّفَعُّلُ مِنَ الْعِفَّةِ وَهِيَ التَّرْكُ يُقَالُ: عَفَّ عَنِ الشَّيْءِ إِذَا كَفَّ عَنْهُ وَتَعَفَّفَ إِذَا تَكَلَّفَ فِي الْإِمْسَاكِ. ﴿تَعْرِفُهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ﴾ السِّيمَاءُ وَالسِّيمِيَاءُ وَالسِّمَةُ: الْعَلَامَةُ الَّتِي يُعْرَفُ بِهَا الشَّيْءُ، وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي مَعْنَاهَا هَاهُنَا، فَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: هِيَ التَّخَشُّعُ وَالتَّوَاضُعُ، وَقَالَ السُّدِّيُّ: أَثَرُ الْجُهْدِ مِنَ الْحَاجَةِ وَالْفَقْرِ، وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: صُفْرَةُ أَلْوَانِهِمْ مِنَ الْجُوعِ وَالضُّرِّ وَقِيلَ رَثَاثَةُ ثِيَابِهِمْ، ﴿لَا يَسْأَلُونَ النَّاسَ إِلْحَافًا﴾ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: إِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَهُمْ غَدَاءٌ لَا يَسْأَلُونَ عَشَاءً، وَإِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَهُمْ عَشَاءٌ لَا يَسْأَلُونَ غَدَاءً، وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ لَا يَسْأَلُونَ النَّاسَ إِلْحَافًا أَصْلًا لِأَنَّهُ قَالَ: مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِ، وَالتَّعَفُّفِ تَرْكُ السُّؤَالِ، وَلِأَنَّهُ قَالَ: تَعْرِفُهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ، وَلَوْ كَانَتِ الْمَسْأَلَةُ مِنْ شَأْنِهِمْ لَمَا كَانَتْ إِلَى مَعْرِفَتِهِمْ بِالْعَلَامَةِ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ، فَمَعْنَى الْآيَةِ، لَيْسَ لَهُمْ سُؤَالٌ فَيَقَعُ فِيهِ إِلْحَافٌ، وَالْإِلْحَافُ: الْإِلْحَاحُ وَاللَّجَاجُ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ عَبْدُ الْكَرِيمِ بْنُ هَوَازِنَ الْقُشَيْرِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْإِسْمَاعِيلِيِّ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ أَخْبَرَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ "لَأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ فَيَذْهَبَ فَيَأْتِيَ بِحُزْمَةِ حَطَبٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَكُفَّ اللَّهُ بِهَا وَجْهَهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ أَعْطَوْهُ أَوْ مَنَعُوهُ" (١) . أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ السَّرَخْسِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا زَاهِرُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ الْهَاشِمِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُصْعَبٍ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ﵁ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: "لَيْسَ الْمِسْكِينُ بِهَذَا الطَّوَّافِ الَّذِي يَطُوفُ عَلَى النَّاسِ، تَرُدُّهُ اللُّقْمَةُ وَاللُّقْمَتَانِ وَالتَّمْرَةُ وَالتَّمْرَتَانِ" قَالُوا: فَمَنِ الْمِسْكِينُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: "الَّذِي لَا يَجِدُ غِنًى فَيُغْنِيهِ، وَلَا يُفْطَنُ لَهُ فَيُتَصَدَّقُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَقُومُ فَيَسْأَلُ النَّاسَ" (٢) . وَرُوِيَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: "مَنْ سَأَلَ وَلَهُ أُوقِيَّةٌ أَوْ عِدْلُهَا فَقَدْ سَأَلَ إِلْحَافًا" (٣) .

(١) رواه البخاري في الزكاة. باب: الاستعفاف عن المسألة ٣ / ٣٣٥. والمصنف في شرح السنة ٦ / ١١٢-١١٣. (٢) رواه البخاري: في الزكاة - باب: قول الله تعالى (لا يسألون الناس إلحافا) ٣ / ٣٤٠ وفي التفسير. ومسلم: في الزكاة - باب: المسكين الذي لا يجد غنى ولا يفطن له فيتصدق عليه يرقم (١٠٣٩) ٢ / ٧١٩. والمصنف في شرح السنة: ٦ / ٨٦. (٣) رواه أبو داود: في الزكاة - باب: من يعطى من الصدقة وحد الغنى ٢ / ٢٢٩ عن أبي سعيد الخدري بلفظ (من سأل وله أوقية فقد ألحف) وسكت عنه المنذري. والنسائي: في الزكاة - باب: إذا لم يكن له دراهم وكان له عدلها ٥ / ٩٨-٩٩. وأحمد: ٤ / ٣٦ و٥ / ٤٣٠ واللفظ له عن عطاء بن يسار عن رجل من بني أسد. والمصنف في شرح السنة: ٦ / ٨٤ وإسناده صحيح.