Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (2/187)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

—when you have been intimate with one another, and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?” (21)

“And do not marry women whom your fathers married, except what has already passed. Indeed, it is an obscenity, incurs hatred, and is an evil way.” (22)

“And how could you take it back?” is phrased to express the enormity of such an act. “When you have been intimate with one another” refers to marital intercourse; but Allah is modest and employs an indirect expression. The root meaning of ifḍāʾ is to reach something without an intermediary.

“And they have taken from you a solemn covenant.” Al-Hasan, Ibn Sirin, al-Dahhak, and Qatadah said: This is the guardian’s statement at the time of the marriage contract: “I give her to you in marriage on the basis of what Allah has required of men toward women: that they either retain them honorably or release them graciously.” Al-Shaʿbi and Ikrimah said: It is that which was narrated from the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he said: “Fear Allah concerning women, for you have taken them as a trust from Allah, exalted is He, and made their private parts lawful to yourselves by the word of Allah, exalted is He.” (1)

His statement, exalted is He: “And do not marry women whom your fathers married.” The people of the pre-Islamic era used to marry their fathers’ wives. Al-Ashʿath ibn Sawwar said: Abu Qays, who was one of the righteous men of the Ansar, died. His son Qays then proposed to his father’s wife, and she said, “I have regarded you as a son, and you are among the righteous of your people. But I shall go to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and seek his instruction.” So she went to him and informed him, whereupon Allah, exalted is He, revealed: “And do not marry women whom your fathers married, except what has already passed.” (2)

It was said that this means: after what has passed. It was also said that its meaning is: but as for what has passed—that is, whatever took place in the pre-Islamic era is pardoned. “Indeed, it is an obscenity”: that is, it is an obscenity, and the word kāna is supplementary here. An obscenity is among the most heinous sins. “And incurs hatred”: that is, it brings about Allah’s hatred; maqt is the most intense form of hatred. “And is an evil way”: what an evil path it is. The Arabs used to call the child born to a man from his father’s wife a maqīt—“the despised one.” Among them were al-Ashʿath ibn Qays and Abu Muʿayt ibn Abi ʿAmr ibn Umayyah. (3)

Muhammad ibn ⦗81/b⦘ al-Hasan al-Marwazi informed us; Abu Sahl Muhammad ibn ʿAmr al-Sijzi informed us; Imam Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi narrated to us; Ahmad ibn Hisham al-Hadrami narrated to us; Ahmad ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbar al-ʿAtaridi narrated to us, from Hafs ibn Ghiyath, from al-Ashʿath ibn Sawwar, from ʿAdi ibn Thabit, from al-Bara ibn ʿAzib, who said: My maternal uncle passed by me carrying a banner. I asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent me to a man who married his father’s wife, to bring back his head.” (4)

(1) Part of Jabir's hadith concerning the Farewell Pilgrimage, recorded by Muslim in the Book of Pilgrimage, chapter: “The Pilgrimage of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,” no. 1218, vol. 2, pp. 886-892. (2) See al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 179. Al-Suyuti attributed it to al-Firyabi, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, al-Tabarani, and al-Bayhaqi. See al-Durr al-Manthur, vol. 2, p. 468. (3) In manuscript A: “asad” (lion). (4) This hadith has been transmitted in differing wordings. It was recorded by Abu Dawud in the Book of Legal Punishments, chapter: “A Man Who Commits Zina with a Woman Forbidden to Him in Marriage,” vol. 6, p. 267; by al-Tirmidhi in the Book of Legal Punishments, chapter: “What Has Been Reported Concerning One Who Marries His Father’s Wife,” vol. 4, p. 598, who graded it hasan gharib (fair and uncommon); by al-Nasai in the Book of Marriage, chapter: “Marriage to Women Whom Fathers Have Married,” vol. 6, pp. 109-110; by Ibn Majah in the Book of Legal Punishments, chapter: “One Who Marries His Father’s Wife after Him,” no. 2607, vol. 2, p. 869; by al-Daraqutni in the Book of Marriage, chapter: “A Man Who Marries His Father’s Wife,” vol. 2, p. 153; by Ahmad in al-Musnad, vol. 4, p. 295; and by the author of Sharh al-Sunnah, vol. 10, p. 305. It was graded hasan gharib, though its chain includes al-Ashath ibn Siwar al-Kindi, who is weak, as stated in al-Taqrib. Al-Mundhiri, after citing its narrations, said: “There is considerable disagreement concerning it.” Al-Shawkani said in Nayl al-Awtar, vol. 8, p. 322: “The hadith has numerous chains of transmission, some of which consist of narrators found in the Sahih.” Al-Albani graded it authentic in Irwa al-Ghalil, vol. 8, pp. 18-22.

﴿وَكَيْفَ تَأْخُذُونَهُ وَقَدْ أَفْضَى بَعْضُكُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ وَأَخَذْنَ مِنْكُمْ مِيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا (٢١) وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَمَقْتًا وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا (٢٢) ﴾ ﴿وَكَيْفَ تَأْخُذُونَهُ﴾ عَلَى طَرِيقِ الِاسْتِعْظَامِ، ﴿وَقَدْ أَفْضَى بَعْضُكُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ﴾ أَرَادَ بِهِ الْمُجَامَعَةَ، وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَيِيٌّ يُكَنِّي، وَأَصْلُ الْإِفْضَاءِ: الْوُصُولُ إِلَى الشَّيْءِ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَاسِطَةٍ. ﴿وَأَخَذْنَ مِنْكُمْ مِيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا﴾ قَالَ الْحَسَنُ وَابْنُ سِيرِينَ وَالضَّحَّاكُ وَقَتَادَةُ: هُوَ قَوْلُ الْوَلِيِّ عِنْدَ الْعَقْدِ: زَوَّجْتُكَهَا عَلَى مَا أَخَذَ اللَّهُ لِلنِّسَاءِ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ مِنْ إِمْسَاكٍ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٍ بِإِحْسَانٍ، وَقَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ وَعِكْرِمَةُ: هُوَ مَا رُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: "اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ فِي النِّسَاءِ فَإِنَّكُمْ أَخَذْتُمُوهُنَّ بِأَمَانَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَاسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ فُرُوجَهُنَّ بِكَلِمَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى " (١) . قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ﴾ كَانَ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَنْكِحُونَ أَزْوَاجَ آبَائِهِمْ، قَالَ الْأَشْعَثُ بْنُ سَوَّارٍ: تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو قَيْسٍ وَكَانَ مِنْ صَالِحِي الْأَنْصَارِ فَخَطَبَ ابْنُهُ قَيْسٌ امْرَأَةَ أَبِيهِ فَقَالَتْ: إِنِّي اتَّخَذْتُكَ وَلَدًا وَأَنْتَ مِنْ صَالِحِي قَوْمِكَ، وَلَكِنِّي آتِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَسْتَأْمِرْهُ، فَأَتَتْهُ فَأَخْبَرَتْهُ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ﴾ (٢) ، قِيلَ: بَعْدَ مَا سَلَفَ، وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ لَكِنْ مَا سَلَفَ، أَيْ: مَا مَضَى فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَهُوَ مَعْفُوٌّ عَنْهُ، ﴿إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً﴾ أَيْ: إِنَّهُ فَاحِشَةٌ، و"كَانَ" فِيهِ صِلَةٌ، وَالْفَاحِشَةُ أَقْبَحُ الْمَعَاصِي، ﴿وَمَقْتًا﴾ أَيْ: يُورِثُ مَقْتَ اللَّهِ، وَالْمَقْتُ: أَشَدُّ الْبُغْضِ، ﴿وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا﴾ وَبِئْسَ ذَلِكَ طَرِيقًا وَكَانَتِ الْعَرَبُ تَقُولُ لِوَلَدِ الرَّجُلِ مِنِ امْرَأَةِ أَبِيهِ ﴿مَقِيتٌ﴾ وَكَانَ مِنْهُمُ الْأَشْعَثُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ وَأَبُو مُعِيطِ بْنُ أَبِي عَمْرِو بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ (٣) . أَخْبَرَنَا محمد بن ٨١/ب الْحَسَنِ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو سَهْلٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو السِّجْزِيُّ، أَنَا الْإِمَامُ أَبُو سُلَيْمَانَ الْخَطَّابِيُّ، أَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ، أَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ الْعُطَارِدِيُّ، عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ، عَنْ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ سَوَّارٍ، عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ قَالَ: مَرَّ بِي خَالِي وَمَعَهُ لِوَاءٌ فَقُلْتُ: أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ؟ قَالَ: بَعَثَنِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِلَى رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةَ أَبِيهِ آتِيهِ بِرَأْسِهِ" (٤) .

(١) قطعة من حديث جابر في حجة الوداع، أخرجه مسلم في الحج، باب حجة النبي ﷺ برقم (١٢١٨) : ٢ / ٨٨٦ - ٨٩٢. (٢) انظر: أسباب النزول للواحدي ص ١٧٩، وعزاه السيوطي للفريابي وابن المنذر وابن أبي حاتم والطبراني والبيهقي. انظر الدر المنثور: ٢ / ٤٦٨. (٣) في أ: (أسد) . (٤) روي هذا الحديث بألفاظ مختلفة، فقد أخرجه أبو داود في الحدود، باب الرجل يزني بحريمه: ٦ / ٢٦٧، والترمذي في الحدود، باب ما جاء فيمن تزوج أمرأة أبيه: ٤ / ٥٩٨، وقال: حسن غريب، والنسائي في النكاح، باب نكاح ما نكح الآباء: ٦ / ١٠٩ - ١١٠، وابن ماجه في الحدود، باب من تزوج امرأة أبيه من بعده، برقم (٢٦٠٧) : ٢ / ٨٦٩، والدارقطني في النكاح، باب الرجل يتزوج امرأة أبيه: ٢ / ١٥٣، وأحمد في المسند: ٤ / ٢٩٥، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١٠ / ٣٠٥ وقال: هذا حديث حسن غريب، وفي سنده الأشعث بن سوار الكندي: ضعيف (التقريب) . وقال: المنذري بعد أن ساق رواياته: وقد اختلف في هذا اختلافا كثيرا. وقال الشوكاني في نيل الأوطار: ٨ / ٣٢٢: "وللحديث أسانيد كثيرة، ومنها ما رجاله رجال الصحيح" وصححه الألباني في إرواء الغليل: ٨ / ١٨ - ٢٢.