Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (2/198)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Quraysh, and we flogged one of the slave women belonging to the government (1) fifty lashes for fornication.

According to the majority of scholars, there is no difference in the prescribed punishment for a slave whether he has been married or not. Some, however, held that an unmarried slave is not subject to the prescribed punishment if he commits fornication, because Allah, Exalted is He, says: “If they commit an indecency, then they shall receive half the punishment prescribed for chaste women.” This was also related from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and was the view of Tawus.

According to the others, iḥṣān—being safeguarded—here means Islam. Even if marriage is what is intended, this does not mean that marriage is a condition for the prescribed punishment to become obligatory upon a slave. Rather, it draws attention to the fact that a slave, even if married, is not to be stoned; his prescribed punishment is only flogging, unlike a free person. ⦗83/a⦘ Thus, the prescribed punishment for a female slave is established by this verse, while the report clarifies that it consists of flogging. This is what Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us: Ahmad ibn Abdullah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il informed us; Abd al-Aziz ibn Abdullah narrated to me; al-Layth narrated to me from Sa'id—meaning al-Maqburi—from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say:

“If the slave woman of one of you commits fornication and her fornication is established, let him administer the prescribed punishment by flogging her, and let him not reproach her. Then, if she commits fornication again, let him administer the prescribed punishment by flogging her and let him not reproach her. Then, if she commits fornication a third time and her fornication is established, let him sell her, even if only for a rope of hair.” (2)

Allah’s saying: “This”—meaning, marriage to a slave woman when one cannot afford to marry a free woman—“is for those among you who fear falling into sin,” meaning fornication: that is, the hardship resulting from overwhelming desire. “But if you are patient,” refraining from marrying slave women while preserving your chastity, “that is better for you,” lest a child be born into slavery. “And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

“Allah intends to make clear to you, to guide you in the ways of those before you, and to turn to you in mercy. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (26)

Allah’s saying, “Allah intends to make clear to you,” means: He intends to clarify for you. This is like His saying: “I have been commanded to deal justly among you” (Al-Shura - 15), meaning: to deal justly; and His saying: “We have been commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds” (Al-An'am - 71). Elsewhere He says: “I have been commanded to submit” (Ghafir - 66).

The meaning of the verse is that Allah intends to make clear to you—that is, to clarify for you the laws of your religion and what serves your welfare. Ata said: “He makes clear to you what draws you nearer to Him.” Al-Kalbi said: “He makes clear to you that patiently refraining from marrying slave women is better for you.” “And to guide you,” that is, to direct you; “in the ways,” meaning the laws, “of those before you,” regarding the prohibition of mothers, daughters, and sisters, for these were forbidden to those who came before you.

(1) The plural of walidah; that is, a female slave. (2) Reported by al-Bukhari in The Book of Sales, chapter: “The Sale of a Mudabbar,” 4:421; by Muslim in The Book of Legal Punishments, chapter: “Stoning Jews under Muslim Protection for Adultery,” no. 1703, 3:1328; and by the author in Sharh al-Sunnah, 10:297.

قُرَيْشٍ فَجَلَدْنَا وَلَائِدَ مِنْ وَلَائِدِ (١) الْإِمَارَةِ خَمْسِينَ فِي الزِّنَا. وَلَا فَرْقَ فِي حَدِّ الْمَمْلُوكِ بَيْنَ مَنْ تَزَوَّجَ أَوْ لَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْ عِنْدَ أَكْثَرِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ، وَذَهَبَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى أَنَّهُ لَا حَدَّ عَلَى مَنْ لَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْ مِنَ الْمَمَالِيكِ إِذَا زَنَى، لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ: ﴿فَإِنْ أَتَيْنَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ فَعَلَيْهِنَّ نِصْفُ مَا عَلَى الْمُحْصَنَاتِ﴾ وَرَوِيَ ذَلِكَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄، وَبِهِ قَالَ طَاوُسٌ. وَمَعْنَى الْإِحْصَانُ عِنْدَ الْآخَرِينَ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْمُرَادُ مِنْهُ التَّزْوِيجَ فَلَيْسَ الْمُرَادُ مِنْهُ أَنَّ التَّزْوِيجَ شَرْطٌ لِوُجُوبِ الْحَدِّ عَلَيْهِ، بَلِ الْمُرَادُ مِنْهُ التَّنْبِيهُ عَلَى أَنَّ الْمَمْلُوكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُحْصَنًا بِالتَّزْوِيجِ فَلَا رَجْمَ عَلَيْهِ، إِنَّمَا حَدُّهُ الْجِلْدُ بخلاف الحرّ، ٨٣/أفَحَدُّ الْأَمَةِ ثَابِتٌ بِهَذِهِ الْآيَةِ، وَبَيَانُ أَنَّهُ بِالْجِلْدِ فِي الْخَبَرِ وَهُوَ مَا أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْمُلَيْحِيُّ، أَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النُّعَيْمِيُّ، أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، أَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ يَعْنِي الْمُقْبُرِيَّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ﵃ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ: "إِذَا زَنَتْ أَمَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ فَتَبَيِّنَ زِنَاهَا فَلْيَجْلِدْهَا الْحَدَّ وَلَا يُثَرِّبْ عَلَيْهَا، ثُمَّ إِنْ زَنَتْ فَلْيَجْلِدْهَا الْحَدَّ وَلاَ يُثَرِّبْ ثُمَّ إِنْ زَنَتِ الثَّالِثَةَ فَتَبَيَّنَ زِنَاهَا فَلْيَبِعْهَا وَلَوْ بِحَبْلٍ مِنْ شَعَرٍ" (٢) . قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿ذَلِكَ﴾ يَعْنِي: نِكَاحَ الْأَمَةِ عِنْدَ عَدَمِ الطَّوْلِ، ﴿لِمَنْ خَشِيَ الْعَنَتَ مِنْكُمْ﴾ يَعْنِي: الزِّنَا، يُرِيدُ الْمَشَقَّةَ لِغَلَبَةِ الشَّهْوَةِ، ﴿وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا﴾ عَنْ نِكَاحِ الْإِمَاءِ مُتَعَفِّفِينَ، ﴿خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ﴾ لِئَلَّا يُخْلَقُ الْوَلَدُ رَقِيقًا ﴿وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ ﴿يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَيَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (٢٦) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ﴾ أَيْ: أَنْ يُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ، كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: "وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَعْدِلَ بَيْنَكُمُ" (الشُّورَى -١٥) أَيْ: أَنَّ أَعْدَلَ، وَقَوْلُهُ: "وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ" (الْأَنْعَامِ -٧١) ، وَقَالَ فِي مَوْضِعٍ آخَرَ "وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُسْلِمَ" (غَافِرٍ -٦٦) . وَمَعْنَى الْآيَةِ: يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ، أَيْ: يُوَضِّحَ لَكُمْ شَرَائِعَ دِينِكُمْ وَمَصَالِحَ أُمُورِكُمْ، قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ مَا يُقَرِّبُكُمْ مِنْهُ، قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ أَنَّ الصَّبْرَ عَنْ نِكَاحِ الْإِمَاءِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ، ﴿وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ﴾ وَيُرْشِدَكُمْ، ﴿سُنَنَ﴾ شَرَائِعَ، ﴿الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ﴾ فِي تَحْرِيمِ الْأُمَّهَاتِ وَالْبَنَاتِ وَالْأَخَوَاتِ، فَإِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مُحَرَّمَةً عَلَى مَنْ قَبِلَكُمْ.

(١) جمع وليدة، وهي: الأمة. (٢) أخرجه البخاري في البيوع، باب بيع المدبر: ٤ / ٤٢١، ومسلم في الحدود، باب رجم اليهود أهل الذمة في الزنا برقم (١٧٠٣) : ٣ / ١٣٢٨، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١٠ / ٢٩٧.