Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (2/9)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

It has also been said that clear verses are those whose meaning is known, whose proofs are plain, and whose indications are manifest and unambiguous; whereas ambiguous verses are those whose knowledge is attained through examination, and concerning which ordinary people cannot distinguish the details of truth from falsehood. Some have said: the clear verse is that which independently conveys its meaning, while the ambiguous verse does not independently convey its meaning unless it is referred back to something else.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said in the narration of Badhan (1): “The ambiguous verses are the letters of the alphabet at the beginnings of the suras.” This was because a group of Jews, including Huyayy ibn Akhtab, Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf, and others like them, came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Huyayy said to him, “We have heard that Alif Lam Mim has been sent down to you. I adjure you by Allah: has it been sent down to you?” He replied, “Yes.” Huyayy said, “If that is true, then I know the duration of your community’s dominion: it is seventy-one years. Has anything else been sent down besides it?” He replied, “Yes: Alif Lam Mim Sad.” He said, “Then this is longer: it is one hundred and sixty-one years. Is there anything else?” He replied, “Yes: Alif Lam Ra.” He said, “This is longer: it is two hundred and seventy-one years. You have confused us, and we do not know whether to take its larger number or its smaller one; and we are among those who do not believe in this.” Thereupon Allah Most High revealed: “It is He who has sent down to you the Book. Some of its verses are clear; they are the foundation of the Book, while others are ambiguous.” (2)

“As for those in whose hearts is deviation,” that is, a turning away from the truth; and it has also been said: doubt. “They pursue what is ambiguous therein.” The scholars differed as to whom this verse refers. Al-Rabi‘ said: “They were the delegation from Najran, who disputed with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, concerning Jesus, peace be upon him. They said to him, ‘Do you not claim that he is Allah’s Word and a spirit from Him?’ He replied, ‘Indeed.’ They said, ‘That is enough for us.’ So Allah revealed this verse.”

Al-Kalbi said: “They were the Jews, who sought to know the term of this community and derive it through the numerical values of the letters.” Ibn Jurayj said: “They were the hypocrites.” Al-Hasan said: “They were the Kharijites.” Whenever Qatadah recited this verse, “As for those in whose hearts is deviation,” he would say: “If they are not the Haruriyyah and the Saba’iyyah, then I do not know who they are.” It has also been said: they are all religious innovators.

Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il informed us; Abdullah ibn Maslamah informed us; Yazid ibn Ibrahim al-Tustari informed us, from Ibn Abi Mulaykah, from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, from Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, recited this verse: “It is He who has sent down to you the Book. Some of its verses are clear; they are the foundation of the Book, while others are ambiguous”—up to His words, “people of understanding.” She said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “When you see those who pursue what is ambiguous therein, they are the ones Allah has named; so beware of them.” (3)

(1) Omitted in manuscript B. (2) Recorded at length by al-Tabari in his Tafsir, 1:216-218. Al-Suyuti states in al-Durr al-Manthur: “It was recorded by Ibn Ishaq, al-Bukhari in his Tarikh, and Ibn Jarir, with a weak chain of transmission.” Al-Durr al-Manthur, 1:57. Ibn Kathir also mentions it in his Tafsir, 1:76, and says: “This hadith revolves around Muhammad ibn al-Sa'ib al-Kalbi, whose sole reports are not accepted as proof.” See Shaykh Mahmud Muhammad Shakir’s notes on al-Tabari’s Tafsir, 1:218-220. (3) Recorded by al-Bukhari in the Book of Tafsir, in the commentary on Surat Al Imran, chapter: “Of it are verses that are decisive,” 8:209; and by Muslim in the Book of Knowledge, chapter: “The prohibition of following the ambiguous verses of the Quran and the warning against those who do so,” no. 2665, 4:2053. It was also recorded by the author in Sharh al-Sunnah, 1:220-221.

وَقِيلَ: الْمُحْكَمُ مَا يُعْرَفُ مَعْنَاهُ وَتَكُونُ حُجَجُهَا وَاضِحَةً وَدَلَائِلُهَا لَائِحَةً لَا تَشْتَبِهُ، وَالْمُتَشَابِهُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُدْرَكُ عِلْمُهُ بِالنَّظَرِ، وَلَا يَعْرِفُ الْعَوَامُّ تَفْصِيلَ الْحَقِّ فِيهِ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمُ: الْمُحْكَمُ مَا يَسْتَقِلُّ بِنَفْسِهِ فِي الْمَعْنَى وَالْمُتَشَابِهُ مَا لَا يَسْتَقِلُّ بِنَفْسِهِ إِلَّا بِرَدِّهِ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄ فِي رِوَايَةِ [بَاذَانَ] (١) الْمُتَشَابِهُ حُرُوفُ التَّهَجِّي فِي أَوَائِلِ السُّوَرِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ رَهْطًا مِنَ الْيَهُودِ مِنْهُمْ حُيَيُّ بْنُ أَخْطَبَ وَكَعْبُ بْنُ الْأَشْرَفِ وَنُظَرَاؤُهُمَا، أَتَوُا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَهُ حُيَيٌّ: بَلَغَنَا أَنَّهُ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْكَ ﴿الم﴾ فَنَنْشُدُكَ اللَّهَ أَنَزَلَتْ عَلَيْكَ؟ قَالَ: "نَعَمْ" قَالَ: فَإِنْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ حَقًّا فَإِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مُدَّةَ مُلْكِ أُمَّتِكَ، هِيَ إِحْدَى وَسَبْعُونَ سَنَةً فَهَلْ أُنْزِلَ غَيْرُهَا؟ قَالَ: "نَعَمْ ﴿المص﴾ " قَالَ: فَهَذِهِ أَكْثَرُ هِيَ إِحْدَى وَسِتُّونَ وَمِائَةُ سَنَةٍ، قَالَ: فَهَلْ غَيْرُهَا؟ قَالَ: "نَعَمْ ﴿الر﴾ ". قَالَ: هَذِهِ أَكْثَرُ هِيَ مِائَتَانِ وَإِحْدَى وَسَبْعُونَ سَنَةً وَلَقَدْ خَلَطْتَ عَلَيْنَا فَلَا نَدْرِي أَبِكَثِيرِهِ نَأْخُذُ أَمْ بِقَلِيلِهِ وَنَحْنُ مِمَّنْ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِهَذَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ﴾ (٢) . ﴿فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ﴾ أَيْ مَيْلٌ عَنِ الْحَقِّ وَقِيلَ شَكٌّ ﴿فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ﴾ وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي الْمَعْنِيِّ بِهَذِهِ الْآيَةِ. قَالَ الرَّبِيعُ: هُمْ وَفْدُ نَجْرَانَ خَاصَمُوا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فِي عِيسَى ﵇، وَقَالُوا لَهُ: أَلَسْتَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ كَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ؟ قَالَ: "بَلَى" قَالُوا: حَسْبُنَا، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ. وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: هُمُ الْيَهُودُ طَلَبُوا عِلْمَ أَجَلِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ وَاسْتِخْرَاجَهَا بِحِسَابِ الْجُمَّلِ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ: هُمُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ: هُمُ الْخَوَارِجُ، وَكَانَ قَتَادَةُ إِذَا قَرَأَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ: ﴿فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ﴾ قَالَ: إِنْ لَمْ يكونوا الحرورية والسبأية فَلَا أَدْرِي مَنْ هُمْ، وَقِيلَ: هُمْ جَمِيعُ الْمُبْتَدِعَةِ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْمُلَيْحِيُّ، أَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النُّعَيْمِيُّ، أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، أَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، أَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التُّسْتَرِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ﵄ قَالَتْ: تَلَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ﴾ -إِلَى قَوْلِهِ ﴿أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ﴾ قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: " فَإِذَا رَأَيْتِ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ فَأُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ سَمَّى اللَّهُ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ " (٣) .

(١) ساقط من "ب". (٢) أخرجه الطبري في التفسير مطولا: ١ / ٢١٦ - ٢١٨ وقال السيوطي في الدر المنثور: أخرجه ابن إسحاق والبخاري في تاريخه وابن جرير بسند ضعيف الدر المنثور ١ / ٥٧ وذكره ابن كثير في التفسير: ١ / ٧٦ وقال: هذا الحديث مداره على محمد بن السائب الكلبي وهو ممن لا يحتج بما انفرد به وانظر تعليق الشيخ محمود محمد شاكر على تفسير الطبري ١ / ٢١٨ - ٢٢٠. (٣) أخرجه البخاري في التفسير - في تفسير سورة آل عمران - باب: منه آيات محكمات: ٨ / ٢٠٩ ومسلم في العلم - باب: النهي عن اتباع متشابه القرآن والتحذير من متبعيه برقم: (٢٦٦٥) ٤ / ٢٠٥٣ والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١ / ٢٢٠ - ٢٢١.