Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/64)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Indeed, those who disbelieve—it is all the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them: they will not believe. (6) Allah has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and over their eyes is a covering; and for them is a tremendous punishment. (7) And among the people are those who say, ‘We believe in Allah and in the Last Day,’ yet they are not believers. (8) They seek to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive none but themselves, though they do not perceive it. (9) In their hearts is a disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they used to lie.” (10)

Concerning His saying, “Indeed, those who disbelieve”: this refers to the Arab polytheists. Al-Kalbi said: It refers to the Jews. Disbelief is denial, and its linguistic origin is covering. Thus, the night is called a concealer because it covers things with its darkness, and a farmer is called a concealer because he covers the seed with soil. The disbeliever covers up the truth through his denial.

Disbelief is of four kinds: disbelief of outright denial, disbelief of rejection, disbelief of obstinacy, and hypocritical disbelief. Disbelief of outright denial is for a person not to know Allah at all, nor acknowledge Him. Disbelief of rejection is for one to know Allah Most High in his heart but not profess this with his tongue, as in the disbelief of Iblis and of the Jews. (1) Allah Most High says: “Then, when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it” (2:89).

Disbelief of obstinacy is for one to know Allah in his heart and acknowledge Him with his tongue, yet not adhere to His religion, as in the disbelief of Abu Talib, when he said:

“I have surely known that the religion of Muhammad
is the best religion among mankind.

Were it not for reproach, or fear of abuse,
you would find me openly and readily affirming it.”

As for hypocritical disbelief, it is for one to profess faith with the tongue while not believing in the heart. All these types are alike in that whoever meets Allah Most High with any one of them will not be forgiven.

Concerning His saying, “It is all the same to them”: that is, it is equal in their view. “Whether you warn them”: that is, whether you frighten and caution them. Warning is conveying information together with causing fear and giving caution. Everyone who warns is one who teaches, but not everyone who teaches is one who warns. Ibn ‘Amir, ‘Asim, Hamzah, and al-Kisa’i pronounce both hamzas distinctly in a-andhartahum (“have you warned them?”), as they do with every two hamzas that occur at the beginning of a word; the others soften the second one. Am is a coordinating particle used with an interrogative. Lam is a jussive particle that precedes only a verb, since the jussive form is particular to verbs. “You do not warn them: they will not believe.” This verse concerns people for whom the decree of wretchedness had been established in Allah’s prior knowledge. He then mentions the reason for their abandoning faith.

Thus He says, “Allah has sealed”: Allah has stamped “their hearts,” so that they neither take in any good nor understand it.

(1) From manuscript B.

﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنْذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنْذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ (٦) خَتَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَى سَمْعِهِمْ وَعَلَى أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (٧) وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَمَا هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ (٨) يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ (٩) فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ (١٠) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا﴾ يَعْنِي مُشْرِكِي الْعَرَبِ قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: يَعْنِي الْيَهُودَ. وَالْكُفْرُ هُوَ الْجُحُودُ وَأَصْلُهُ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَهُوَ السَّتْرُ وَمِنْهُ سُمِّيَ اللَّيْلُ كَافِرًا لِأَنَّهُ يَسْتُرُ الْأَشْيَاءَ بظلمته وسمي الزارع كَافِرًا لِأَنَّهُ يَسْتُرُ الْحَبَّ بِالتُّرَابِ وَالْكَافِرُ يَسْتُرُ الْحَقَّ بِجُحُودِهِ. وَالْكُفْرُ عَلَى أَرْبَعَةِ أَنْحَاءٍ: كُفْرُ إِنْكَارٍ، وَكُفْرُ جَحُودٍ، وَكُفْرُ عِنَادٍ، وَكُفْرُ نِفَاقٍ. فَكُفْرُ الْإِنْكَارِ: أَنْ لَا يَعْرِفَ اللَّهَ أَصْلًا وَلَا يَعْتَرِفَ بِهِ، وَكُفْرُ الْجَحُودِ هُوَ: أَنْ يَعْرِفَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى بِقَلْبِهِ وَلَا يُقِرُّ بِلِسَانِهِ كَكُفْرِ إِبْلِيسَ (وَكُفْرِ) (١) الْيَهُودِ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: "فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ مَا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ" (٨٩-الْبَقَرَةِ) وَكُفْرُ الْعِنَادِ هُوَ: أَنْ يَعْرِفَ اللَّهَ بِقَلْبِهِ وَيَعْتَرِفَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَلَا يَدِينُ بِهِ كَكُفْرِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ حَيْثُ يَقُولُ: وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ بِأَنَّ دِينَ مُحَمَّدٍ ... مِنْ خَيْرِ أَدْيَانِ الْبَرِيَّةِ دِينًا لَوْلَا الْمَلَامَةُ أَوْ حَذَارِ مَسَبَّةٍ ... لَوَجَدْتَنِي سَمْحًا بِذَاكَ مُبِينًا وَأَمَّا كُفْرُ النِّفَاقِ: فَهُوَ أَنَّ يُقِرَّ بِاللِّسَانِ وَلَا يَعْتَقِدَ بِالْقَلْبِ، وَجَمِيعُ هَذِهِ الْأَنْوَاعِ سَوَاءٌ فِي أَنَّ مَنْ لَقِيَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى بِوَاحِدٍ مِنْهَا لَا يُغْفَرُ لَهُ. قَوْلُهُ ﴿سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ﴾ أَيْ: مُتَسَاوٍ لَدَيْهِمْ ﴿أَأَنْذَرْتَهُمْ﴾ خَوَّفْتَهُمْ وَحَذَّرْتَهُمْ وَالْإِنْذَارُ إِعْلَامٌ مَعَ تَخْوِيفٍ وَتَحْذِيرٍ وَكُلُّ مُنْذِرٍ مُعَلِّمٌ وَلَيْسَ كُلُّ مُعَلِّمٍ مُنْذِرًا وَحَقَّقَ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ وَعَاصِمٌ وَحَمْزَةُ وَالْكِسَائِيُّ الْهَمْزَتَيْنِ فِي "أَأَنْذَرْتَهُمْ" وَكَذَلِكَ كَلُّ هَمْزَتَيْنِ تَقَعَانِ فِي أَوَّلِ الْكَلِمَةِ وَالْآخَرُونَ يُلَيِّنُونَ الثَّانِيَةَ ﴿أَمْ﴾ حَرْفُ عَطْفٍ عَلَى الِاسْتِفْهَامِ (لَمْ) حَرْفُ جَزْمٍ لَا تَلِي إِلَّا الْفِعْلَ لِأَنَّ الْجَزْمَ يَخْتَصُّ بِالْأَفْعَالِ ﴿تُنْذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾ وَهَذِهِ الْآيَةُ فِي أَقْوَامٍ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ الشَّقَاوَةِ فِي سَابِقِ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ سَبَبَ تَرْكِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ فَقَالَ ﴿خَتَمَ اللَّهُ﴾ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ ﴿عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ﴾ فَلَا تَعِي خَيْرًا وَلَا تَفْهَمُهُ.

(١) من ب.