Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (2/48)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

His saying, exalted is He: “The truth is from your Lord”—that is, it is the truth. It was also said: the truth has come to you from your Lord—“so do not be among those who doubt.” The address is directed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while what is intended is his community.

“So whoever disputes with you concerning him after the knowledge that has come to you, say: ‘Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves; then let us earnestly pray and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars’” (61).

His saying, glorified and exalted is He, “So whoever disputes with you concerning him,” means: whoever argues with you concerning Jesus, or concerning the truth, “after the knowledge that has come to you”—namely, that Jesus is Allah’s servant and His Messenger—“say: ‘Come.’” Its original form is ta‘ālayū, a reciprocal verb derived from elevation. The vowel ḍammah was deemed too difficult upon the letter yā’, and so it was omitted. Al-Farra’ said: It has the sense of ta‘āl—as though he were saying, “Rise up.”

His saying, “let us call,” is in the jussive form as the response to the imperative, and its sign of jussive mood is the omission of the final wāw. “Our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves”: It was said that by “our sons” he meant al-Hasan and al-Husayn; by “our women,” Fatimah; and by “ourselves,” he meant himself and Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. The Arabs call a man’s paternal cousin his own self, as Allah Most High says, “Do not insult yourselves” (al-Hujurat, 11), meaning, your brethren. It was also said that this is general, referring to the entire body of people who follow the religion.

“Then let us earnestly pray”: Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: “That is, let us humble ourselves in supplication.” Al-Kalbi said: “Let us exert ourselves and be emphatic in supplication.” Al-Kisa’i and Abu Ubaydah said: “Let us invoke curses upon one another.” Earnest prayer here means mutual imprecation. One says, “May Allah’s curse be upon him,” meaning, His malediction. “And invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars”—among us and among you—concerning the matter of Jesus.

When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, recited this verse to the delegation of Najran and called them to mutual imprecation, they said, “Let us return and consider our affair, then we will come to you tomorrow.” They then conferred privately among themselves and said to al-Aqib, who was their chief adviser, “O Abd al-Masih, what do you think?” He said, “By Allah, you Christians well know that Muhammad is a Messenger sent as a prophet. By Allah, no people have ever invoked curses upon a prophet without their elders perishing and their young being destroyed. If you do this, we shall surely perish. But if you insist on remaining upon what you maintain concerning your companion, then bid the man farewell and return to your land.”

They came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the morning, while he had al-Husayn in his arms and was holding al-Hasan by the hand. Fatimah was walking behind him, and Ali behind her. He was saying to them, “When I supplicate, say ‘Amin.’” The bishop of Najran said, “O Christians, I see faces such that, if they asked Allah to remove a mountain from its place, He would remove it. So do not engage in mutual imprecation, lest you perish and not a single Christian remain upon the face of the earth until the Day of Resurrection.”

They said, “O Abu al-Qasim, we have decided not to invoke curses upon one another with you. We shall leave you upon your religion, and remain firm upon ours.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ⦗60/a⦘ “If you refuse mutual imprecation, then embrace Islam; you will then have the same rights as the Muslims and bear the same duties as they do.” They refused, so he said, “Then I declare war against you.” They said, “We have no strength to wage war against the Arabs. Rather, we will make peace with you on condition that you do not attack us, frighten us, or turn us away from our religion, in return for our paying you two thousand suits of clothing each year: one thousand in Safar and one thousand in Rajab.”

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, made peace with them on those terms and said, “By Him in Whose hand is my soul, punishment had drawn near to the people of Najran. Had they invoked curses upon one another, they would have been transformed into apes and swine; the valley would have blazed with fire around them; and Allah would have exterminated Najran and its people, even the birds upon the trees. Before a year had passed over all the Christians, they would all have perished.” (1)

(1) Ibn Hajar states in al-Kafi al-Shaf: Abu Nuaym transmitted it in Dala'il al-Nubuwwah through Muhammad ibn Marwan al-Suddi, from al-Kalbi, from Abu Salih, from Ibn Abbas, in its full version. Ibn Marwan, however, is abandoned as a narrator and accused of lying. Abu Nuaym then transmitted a similar report from al-Shabi as a mursal report, including: “If you refuse the mutual imprecation, then submit to Islam. . . .” See al-Kafi al-Shaf, p. 26. Al-Tabari also transmitted it in his Tafsir, 6:479–480, through Ibn Ishaq, from Muhammad ibn Jafar ibn al-Zubayr, in his commentary on the verse, “This is indeed the true account,” citing it as a mursal report. See also al-Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur, 2:229–233; and Ibn Kathir, 1:371–372.

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ﴾ أَيْ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَقِيلَ جَاءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ﴿فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ﴾ الشَّاكِّينَ الْخِطَابُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَالْمُرَادُ أُمَّتُهُ. ﴿فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنْفُسَنَا وَأَنْفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ (٦١) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ﴾ أَيْ جَادَلَكَ فِي عِيسَى أَوْ فِي الْحَقِّ ﴿مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ﴾ بِأَنَّ عِيسَى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ ﴿فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا﴾ وَأَصْلُهُ تَعَالَيُوا تَفَاعَلُوا مِنَ الْعُلُوِّ فَاسْتُثْقِلَتِ الضَّمَّةُ عَلَى الْيَاءِ فَحُذِفَتْ، قَالَ الْفَرَّاءُ: بِمَعْنَى تَعَالٍ كَأَنَّهُ يَقُولُ: ارْتَفِعْ. قَوْلُهُ ﴿نَدْعُ﴾ جُزِمَ لِجَوَابِ الْأَمْرِ وَعَلَامَةُ الْجَزْمِ سُقُوطُ الْوَاوِ ﴿أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنْفُسَنَا وَأَنْفُسَكُمْ﴾ قِيلَ: أَبْنَاءَنَا أَرَادَ الْحَسَنَ وَالْحُسَيْنَ، وَنِسَاءَنَا فَاطِمَةَ. وَأَنْفُسَنَا عَنَى نَفْسَهُ وَعَلِيًّا ﵁ وَالْعَرَبُ تُسَمِّي ابْنَ عَمِّ الرَّجُلِ نَفْسَهُ، كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: " وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ " (١١ -الْحُجُرَاتِ) يُرِيدُ إِخْوَانَكُمْ وَقِيلَ هُوَ عَلَى الْعُمُومِ الْجَمَاعَةُ أَهْلُ الدِّينِ ﴿ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄: أَيْ نَتَضَرَّعُ فِي الدُّعَاءِ، وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: نَجْتَهِدُ وَنُبَالِغُ فِي الدُّعَاءِ، وَقَالَ الْكِسَائِيُّ وَأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ: نَلْتَعِنُ وَالِابْتِهَالُ الِالْتِعَانُ يُقَالُ: عَلَيْهِ بَهْلَةُ اللَّهِ أَيْ لَعْنَتُهُ: ﴿فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ﴾ مِنَّا وَمِنْكُمْ فِي أَمْرِ عِيسَى، فَلَمَّا قَرَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ عَلَى وَفْدِ نَجْرَانَ وَدَعَاهُمْ إِلَى الْمُبَاهَلَةِ قَالُوا: حَتَّى نَرْجِعَ وَنَنْظُرَ فِي أَمْرِنَا ثُمَّ نَأْتِيكَ غَدًا، فَخَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ فَقَالُوا لِلْعَاقِبِ وَكَانَ ذَا رَأْيِهِمْ: يَا عَبْدَ الْمَسِيحِ مَا تَرَى؟ قَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَرَفْتُمْ يَا مَعْشَرَ النَّصَارَى أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ، وَاللَّهِ مَا لَاعَنَ قَوْمٌ نَبِيًّا قَطُّ فَعَاشَ كَبِيرُهُمْ وَلَا نَبَتَ صَغِيرُهُمْ، وَلَئِنْ فَعَلْتُمْ ذَلِكَ لَنَهْلِكَنَّ فَإِنْ أَبَيْتُمْ إِلَّا الْإِقَامَةَ عَلَى مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ فِي صَاحِبِكُمْ فَوَادِعُوا الرَّجُلَ وَانْصَرِفُوا إِلَى بِلَادِكُمْ، فَأَتَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَدْ غَدَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُحْتَضِنًا لِلْحُسَيْنِ آخِذًا بِيَدِ الْحَسَنِ وَفَاطِمَةُ تَمْشِي خَلْفَهُ وَعَلِيٌّ خَلْفَهَا وَهُوَ يَقُولُ لَهُمْ: "إِذَا أَنَا دَعَوْتُ فَأَمِّنُوا" فَقَالَ أُسْقُفُّ نَجْرَانَ: يَا مَعْشَرَ النَّصَارَى إِنِّي لِأَرَى وُجُوهًا لَوْ سَأَلُوا اللَّهَ أَنْ يُزِيلَ جَبَلًا مِنْ مَكَانِهِ لِأَزَالَهُ فَلَا تَبْتَهِلُوا فَتَهْلَكُوا وَلَا يَبْقَى عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ مِنْكُمْ نَصْرَانِيٌّ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، فَقَالُوا يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ: قَدْ رَأَيْنَا أَنْ لَا نُلَاعِنَكَ وَأَنْ نَتْرُكَكَ عَلَى دِينِكَ وَنَثْبُتَ عَلَى دِينِنَا، فَقَالَ رسول الله ﷺ: ٦٠/أ /"فَإِنْ أَبَيْتُمُ الْمُبَاهَلَةَ فَأَسْلِمُوا يَكُنْ لَكُمْ مَا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَلَيْكُمْ مَا عَلَيْهِمْ" فَأَبَوْا فَقَالَ: "فَإِنِّي أُنَابِذُكُمْ" فَقَالُوا: مَا لَنَا بِحَرْبِ الْعَرَبِ طَاقَةٌ، وَلَكِنَّا نُصَالِحُكَ عَلَى أَنْ لَا تَغْزُوَنَا وَلَا تُخِيفَنَا وَلَا تَرُدَّنَا عَنْ دِينِنَا عَلَى أَنْ نُؤَدِّيَ إِلَيْكَ كُلَّ عَامٍ أَلْفَيْ حُلَّةٍ أَلْفًا فِي صَفَرَ وَأَلْفًا فِي رَجَبٍ، فَصَالَحَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَقَالَ: "وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ الْعَذَابَ قَدْ تَدَلَّى عَلَى أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ وَلَوْ تَلَاعَنُوا لَمُسِخُوا قِرَدَةً وَخَنَازِيرَ وَلَاضْطَرَمَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْوَادِي نَارًا، وَلَاسْتَأْصَلَ اللَّهُ نَجْرَانَ وَأَهْلَهُ حَتَّى الطَّيْرَ عَلَى الشَّجَرِ، وَلَمَا حَالَ الْحَوْلُ عَلَى النَّصَارَى كُلِّهِمْ حَتَّى هَلَكُوا" (١) .

(١) قال ابن حجر في الكافي الشاف أخرجه أبو نعيم في دلائل النبوة من طريق محمد بن مروان السدي عن الكلبي عن أبي صالح عن ابن عباس بطوله وابن مروان متروك متهم بالكذب. ثم أخرج أبو نعيم نحوه عن الشعبي مرسلا ومنه: (فإن أبيتم المباهلة فأسلموا. . . .) انظر الكافي الشاف ص ٢٦. وأخرجه الطبري في التفسير ٦ / ٤٧٩ - ٤٨٠ من طريق ابن إسحاق عن محمد بن جعفر ابن الزبير في قوله تعالى: (إن هذا لهو القصص الحق) فذكره مرسلا. وانظر: الدر المنثور للسيوطي: ٢ / ٢٢٩ - ٢٣٣ وابن كثير: ١ / ٣٧١ - ٣٧٢.