Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (2/185)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Concerning His saying, exalted is He: “It is they to whom Allah turns in forgiveness, and Allah is Ever-Knowing, All-Wise.

“But repentance is not accepted from those who persist in evil deeds until death comes to one of them and he says, ‘Now I repent’; nor from those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment. (18)

“O you who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will, nor to mistreat them in order to take back part of what you have given them, unless they commit a clear act of indecency. Live with them honorably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something in which Allah has placed much good.” (19)

Concerning His saying, “But repentance is not accepted from those who persist in evil deeds,” that is, acts of disobedience, “until death comes to one of them,” and he enters the agony of death, “and he says, ‘Now I repent’”: this is the state of being driven forth, when his soul is being taken away. At that point, the faith of a disbeliever is not accepted, nor is the repentance of a sinner. Allah Most High says: “But their faith could not benefit them once they had seen Our punishment.” (Ghafir 85) This is why Pharaoh’s faith did not benefit him when drowning overtook him. “Nor from those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared,” that is, made ready and prepared, “a painful punishment.”

Concerning His saying, “O you who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will”: this verse was revealed concerning the people of Madinah. During the pre-Islamic period and the early days of Islam, when a man died leaving a wife, his son from another wife, or one of his agnatic relatives, would cast his garment over that woman or over her tent. He would thereby acquire a greater right to her than she herself or anyone else. If he wished, he would marry her without giving her a new dower, apart from the original dower that the deceased had given her. If he wished, he would marry her off to someone else and take her dower. Or, if he wished, he would keep her from marrying, harming her until she ransomed herself from him with what she had inherited from the deceased; or she would die, whereupon he would inherit from her. But if the woman went to her family before her husband’s guardian cast his garment over her, then she had the greater right over herself.

They continued upon this practice until Abu Qays ibn al-Aslat al-Ansari died, leaving behind his wife, Kubayshah bint Ma'n al-Ansariyyah. A son of his from another wife, called Hisn—though Muqatil ibn Hayyan said that his name was Qays ibn Abi Qays—rose up and cast his garment over her, thereby inheriting the right to marry her. He then left her without supporting her, harming her so that she would ransom herself from him. Kubayshah came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: “O Messenger of Allah, Abu Qays has died, and his son has inherited the right to marry me. Yet he neither supports me, nor consummates the marriage with me, nor sets me free.” He said: “Remain in your house until Allah’s command concerning you comes.” Then Allah Most High revealed this verse:

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَأُولَئِكَ يَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا﴾ ﴿وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ وَلَا الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُولَئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا (١٨) يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَرِثُوا النِّسَاءَ كَرْهًا وَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذْهَبُوا بِبَعْضِ مَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِينَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ فَإِنْ كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا (١٩) ﴾ ﴿وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ﴾ يَعْنِي: الْمَعَاصِي ﴿حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ﴾ وَوَقَعَ فِي النَّزْعِ، ﴿قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ﴾ وَهِيَ حَالَةُ السَّوْقِ حِينَ تُسَاقُ رُوحُهُ، لَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْ كَافِرٍ إِيمَانٌ وَلَا مِنْ عَاصٍ تَوْبَةٌ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: "فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا" (غَافِرِ -٨٥) ، وَلِذَلِكَ لَمْ يَنْفَعُ إِيمَانُ فِرْعَوْنَ حِينَ أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ. ﴿وَلَا الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُولَئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا﴾ أَيْ: هَيَّأْنَا وَأَعْدَدْنَا، ﴿لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا﴾ ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَرِثُوا النِّسَاءَ كَرْهًا﴾ نَزَلَتْ فِي أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ كَانُوا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَفِي أَوَّلِ الْإِسْلَامِ، إِذَا مَاتَ الرَّجُلُ وَلَهُ امْرَأَةٌ جَاءَ ابْنُهُ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا أَوْ قَرِيبُهُ مِنْ عَصَبَتِهِ فَأَلْقَى ثَوْبَهُ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْمَرْأَةِ وَعَلَى خِبَائِهَا، فَصَارَ أَحَقَّ بِهَا مِنْ نَفْسِهَا وَمِنْ غَيْرِهِ، فَإِنْ شَاءَ تَزَوُّجَهَا بِغَيْرِ صَدَاقٍ إِلَّا الصَّدَاقَ الْأَوَّلَ الَّذِي أَصْدَقَهَا الْمَيِّتُ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ زَوَّجَهَا غَيْرَهُ وَأَخَذَ صَدَاقَهَا، وَإِنْ شَاءَ عَضَلَهَا وَمَنَعَهَا مِنَ الْأَزْوَاجِ يُضَارُّهَا لِتَفْتَدِيَ مِنْهُ بِمَا وَرِثَتْهُ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ، أَوْ تَمُوتَ هِيَ فَيَرِثُهَا، فَإِنْ ذَهَبَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهَا وَلِيُّ زَوْجِهَا ثَوْبَهُ فَهِيَ أَحَقُّ بِنَفْسِهَا، فَكَانُوا عَلَى هَذَا حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو قَيْسِ بْنُ الْأَسْلَتِ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ وَتَرَكَ امْرَأَتَهُ كُبَيْشَةَ بِنْتَ مَعْنٍ الْأَنْصَارِيَّةَ، فَقَامَ ابْنٌ لَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا يُقَالُ لَهُ حِصْنٌ، وَقَالَ مُقَاتِلُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ: اسْمُهُ قَيْسُ بْنُ أَبِي قَيْسٍ، فَطَرَحَ ثَوْبَهُ عَلَيْهَا فَوَرِثَ نِكَاحَهَا، ثُمَّ تَرَكَهَا وَلَمْ يُنْفِقْ عَلَيْهَا، يُضَارُّهَا لِتَفْتَدِيَ مِنْهُ، فَأَتَتْ كُبَيْشَةُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا قَيْسٍ تُوُفِّيَ وَوَرِثَ نِكَاحِي ابْنُهُ فَلَا هُوَ يُنْفِقُ عَلَيَّ وَلَا يَدْخُلُ بِي وَلَا يُخَلِّي سَبِيلِي، فَقَالَ: "اقْعُدِي فِي بَيْتِكِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ فِيكِ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ"، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ: