Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (2/109)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

with nearly as much forgiveness, provided that you do not associate anything with Me. O son of Adam, if you were to sin until your sins reached the clouds of the sky, then seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you.” (1)

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Abu al-Hasan Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Hasani al-Sharifi informed us; Abu al-Azhar Ahmad ibn al-Azhar informed us; Ibrahim ibn al-Hakam ibn Aban informed us: My father related to me, from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Allah, exalted is He, says: “Whoever knows that I have the power to forgive sins, I forgive him, and I do not mind, so long as he does not associate anything with Me.” (2)

Thabit al-Bunani said: It reached me that Iblis wept when this verse was revealed: “And those who, when they commit an indecency...” to the end of the verse.

“Many ways of life have passed away before your time. Travel through the land and see what was the fate of those who denied the truth. (137) This is a clear statement to all people, guidance, and instruction for the God-fearing. (138)”

Concerning His saying, “Many ways of life have passed away before your time”: Ata said, “Laws.” Al-Kalbi said, “For every community there passed a way and a course that they followed.” Mujahid said, “Before you, precedents of destruction have passed among those who denied before you.” It was also said that “ways” means nations, and that a way may mean a nation. The poet said:

“No excellence have people witnessed like your excellence,
Nor have they seen your like among bygone nations.”

It was also said that it means the people of these precedents. A sunnah is a path followed in both good and evil. Thus, it is said, “So-and-so instituted a good practice and a bad practice,” when he performs an act in good or evil that others then emulate.

The meaning of the verse is: My established ways regarding the former disbelieving nations before you have already passed: I granted them respite and led them on gradually until the decree concerning them reached the term that I had appointed for their destruction, and until I gave My Prophets victory over them. “Travel through the land and see what was the fate of those who denied the truth”: that is, the final outcome of those who denied. This was in connection with the Battle of Uhud. Allah, exalted is He, says: I grant them respite and lead them on gradually until the appointed term that I have fixed arrives—for the victory of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his allies, and the destruction of his enemies.

“This” means this Quran: “a clear statement to all people” in general, “guidance” from misguidance, “and instruction for the God-fearing”—

(1) Imam Ahmad recorded it in al-Musnad, 5:154; and al-Darimi in al-Riqaq, under “When the Servant Draws Near to Allah,” 2:322. It has a supporting report in al-Tirmidhi’s al-Da'awat, under “The Forgiveness of Sins, However Great,” 9:524-525. The author also recorded it in Sharh al-Sunnah, 5:75. (2) Al-Hakim recorded it in al-Mustadrak, 4:262, and said: “This hadith has an authentic chain of transmission.” Al-Dhahabi objected, saying: “Al-Adani is weak.” The author also recorded it in Sharh al-Sunnah, 14:388. Ibn Hajar said in al-Taqrib, 1:34: “Ibrahim ibn al-Hakam al-Adani: weak; he narrates mursal reports as connected.”

بِقُرَابِهَا مَغْفِرَةً بَعْدَ أَنْ لَا تُشْرِكَ بِي شَيْئًا، ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ إِنْ تُذْنِبْ حَتَّى تَبْلُغَ ذُنُوبُكَ عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ تَسْتَغْفِرُنِي أَغْفِرُ لَكَ" (١) . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ الْمُلَيْحِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ الْحَسَنِيُّ الشَّرَفِيُّ، أَنَا أَبُو الْأَزْهَرِ، أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْأَزْهَرِ أَخْبَرَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ أَبَانَ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: " مَنْ عَلِمَ أَنِّي ذُو قُدْرَةٍ عَلَى مَغْفِرَةِ الذُّنُوبِ غَفَرْتُ لَهُ وَلَا أُبَالِي مَا لَمْ يُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا" (٢) قَالَ ثَابِتٌ الْبُنَانِيُّ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ إِبْلِيسَ بَكَى حِينَ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ ﴿وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً﴾ إِلَى آخِرِهَا. ﴿قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ سُنَنٌ فَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُروا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ (١٣٧) هَذَا بَيَانٌ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَمَوْعِظَةٌ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ (١٣٨) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ سُنَنٌ﴾ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: شَرَائِعُ، وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: مَضَتْ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ سُنَّةٌ وَمِنْهَاجٌ إِذَا اتَّبَعُوهَا ﵃، وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ سُنَنٌ بِالْهَلَاكِ فِيمَنْ كَذَّبَ قَبْلَكُمْ، وَقِيلَ: سُنَنٌ أَيْ: أُمَمٌ وَالسُّنَّةُ: الْأُمَّةُ قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ: مَا عَايَنَ النَّاسُ مِنْ فَضْلٍ كَفَضْلِكُمُ ... وَلَا رَأَوْا مِثْلَكُمْ فِي سَالِفِ السُّنَنِ وَقِيلَ مَعْنَاهُ: أَهْلُ السُّنَنِ، وَالسُّنَّةُ هِيَ: الطَّرِيقَةُ الْمُتَّبَعَةُ فِي الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ، يُقَالُ: سَنَّ فُلَانٌ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً وَسُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً إِذَا عَمِلَ عَمَلًا اقْتُدِيَ بِهِ مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَشَرٍّ. وَمَعْنَى الْآيَةِ: قَدْ مَضَتْ وَسَلَفَتْ مِنِّي سُنَنٌ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ الْمَاضِيَةِ الْكَافِرَةِ، بِإِمْهَالِي وَاسْتِدْرَاجِي إِيَّاهُمْ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْكِتَابُ فِيهِمْ أَجَلِي الَّذِي أَجَّلْتُهُ لِإِهْلَاكِهِمْ، وَإِدَالَةِ أَنْبِيَائِي عَلَيْهِمْ. ﴿فَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُروا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ﴾ أَيْ: آخِرُ أَمْرِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ، وَهَذَا فِي حَرْبِ أُحُدٍ، يَقُولُ اللَّهُ ﷿: فَأَنَا أُمْهِلُهُمْ وَأَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ أَجَلِي الَّذِي أَجَّلْتُ فِي نُصْرَةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَأَوْلِيَائِهِ وَإِهْلَاكِ أَعْدَائِهِ. ﴿هَذَا﴾ أَيْ: هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ، ﴿بَيَانٌ لِلنَّاسِ﴾ عَامَّةً، ﴿وَهُدًى﴾ مِنَ الضَّلَالَةِ، ﴿وَمَوْعِظَةٌ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾

(١) أخرجه الإمام أحمد في المسند: ٥ / ١٥٤، والدارمي في الرقاق باب إذا تقرب العبد إلى الله: ٢ / ٣٢٢. وله شاهد عند الترمذي في الدعوات باب غفران الذنوب مهما عظمت: ٩ / ٥٢٤ - ٥٢٥. وأخرجه المصنف في شرح السنة: ٥ / ٧٥. (٢) أخرجه الحاكم في المستدرك: ٤ / ٢٦٢. وقال: هذا حديث صحيح الإسناد وتعقبه الذهبي فقال: العدني واه. وأخرجه المصنف في شرح السنة: ١٤ / ٣٨٨. قال ابن حجر في التقريب: ١ / ٣٤ "وإبراهيم بن الحكم العدني: ضعيف وصل مراسيل".