Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (1/69)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Allah extinguished their fire”; rather, He described it as the removal of their light, because fire consists of light and heat: their light is taken away, while its heat remains upon them. Mujahid said: “The fire’s illumination is their turning towards the Muslims and towards guidance, while the loss of their light is their turning towards the polytheists and towards misguidance.” ‘Ata’ and Muhammad ibn Ka‘b said: This was revealed concerning the Jews: they had awaited the advent of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and sought victory over the Arab polytheists through him; but when he came forth, they disbelieved in him. Then Allah described them, saying:

“Deaf”—that is, deaf to the truth, unable to accept it; and since they do not accept it, it is as though they have not heard it. “Mute”—silent concerning the truth, not speaking it; or, because they concealed what was contrary to what they outwardly professed, it is as though they had not spoken the truth. “Blind”—that is, they have no inner perception; and whoever has no inner perception is like one who has no sight. “So they will not return” from misguidance to the truth.

“Or like a rainstorm from the sky, within which are darkness, thunder, and lightning. They thrust their fingers into their ears against the thunderclaps, for fear of death; yet Allah encompasses the disbelievers (19). The lightning almost snatches away their sight: whenever it lights their way, they walk in it, but whenever darkness falls over them, they stand still. Had Allah willed, He could have taken away their hearing and sight. Indeed, Allah has power over all things (20).”

“Or like a rainstorm”: that is, like people caught in a rainstorm. This is another parable which Allah, exalted is He, sets forth for the hypocrites, conveying a different meaning. If you wish, you may compare them to the one who kindled a fire; and if you wish, to the people of the rainstorm. It was also said 7/b that “or” here has the sense of “and,” meaning, “and like a rainstorm,” as in His saying, “or more,” meaning, “and more.” A rainstorm is rain; indeed, anything that descends from above to below is called a rainstorm. It is an intensive form derived from a verb meaning “to descend.” “From the sky”: that is, from the clouds. It was said that it means the sky itself. Everything above you and casts its shade over you is called sky. It is a generic noun that may be singular or plural.

“Within it”: that is, within the rainstorm. It was also said: within the sky—that is, within the clouds—and this is why the pronoun is masculine. It was also said that “sky” may be treated as either masculine or feminine. Allah the Exalted says: “The sky will be split apart by it” (al-Muzzammil 73:18), and He says: “When the sky is split apart” (al-Infitar 82:1). “Darknesses” is the plural of “darkness.” “Thunder” is the sound heard from the clouds. “Lightning” is the fire that emerges from them.

‘Ali, Ibn ‘Abbas, and most of the exegetes, may Allah be pleased with them, said: Thunder is the name of an angel who drives the clouds, and lightning is the gleam of a whip of light with which the angel urges the clouds. It was also said that the sound is the angel’s driving of the clouds; and it was said that it is the angel’s glorification of Allah. It was also said that thunder is the angel’s speech and lightning his laughter. Mujahid said: Thunder is the name of the angel, and his voice too is called thunder, and lightning is

(1) The reports mentioned were not cited by Ibn Kathir or al-Suyuti in al-Durr al-Manthur; rather, al-Qurtubi cited some of them. Most are subject to criticism, as noted by Professor Mahmud Shakir in his annotation to al-Tabari's commentary on the verse, “or like a rainstorm from the sky, containing darkness, thunder, and lightning.” Since no evidence has been transmitted for what has been mentioned, judgment should be withheld, for these cosmic phenomena and what follows them are connected to laws and patterns, some of which have been explained by specialists in this field. See Muhammad ibn Muhammad Abu Shahbah, Isra'iliyyat and Fabricated Reports in Books of Tafsir, pp. 414-417.

أَطْفَأَ اللَّهُ نَارَهُمْ لَكِنْ عَبَّرَ بِإِذْهَابِ النُّورِ عَنْهُ لِأَنَّ النُّورَ نُورٌ وَحَرَارَةٌ فَيَذْهَبُ نُورُهُمْ وَتَبْقَى الْحَرَارَةُ عَلَيْهِمْ. وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: إِضَاءَةُ النَّارِ إِقْبَالُهُمْ إِلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْهُدَى وَذَهَابُ نُورِهِمْ إِقْبَالُهُمْ إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَالضَّلَالَةِ وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَعْبٍ: نَزَلَتْ فِي الْيَهُودِ. وَانْتِظَارِهِمْ خُرُوجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَاسْتِفْتَاحِهِمْ بِهِ عَلَى مُشْرِكِي الْعَرَبِ فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ كَفَرُوا بِهِ ثُمَّ وَصَفَهُمُ اللَّهُ فَقَالَ: ﴿صُمٌّ﴾ أَيْ هُمْ صُمٌّ عَنِ الْحَقِّ لَا يَقْبَلُونَهُ وَإِذَا لَمْ يَقْبَلُوا فَكَأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَسْمَعُوا ﴿بُكْمٌ﴾ خُرْسٌ عَنِ الْحَقِّ لَا يَقُولُونَهُ أَوْ أَنَّهُمْ لَمَّا أَبْطَنُوا خِلَافَ مَا أَظْهَرُوا فَكَأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَنْطِقُوا بِالْحَقِّ ﴿عُمْيٌ﴾ أَيْ لَا بَصَائِرَ لَهُمْ وَمَنْ لَا بَصِيرَةَ لَهُ كَمَنْ لَا بَصَرَ لَهُ ﴿فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ﴾ عَنِ الضَّلَالَةِ إِلَى الْحَقِّ. ﴿أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فِيهِ ظُلُمَاتٌ وَرَعْدٌ وَبَرْقٌ يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ مِنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ وَاللَّهُ مُحِيطٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ (١٩) يَكَادُ الْبَرْقُ يَخْطَفُ أَبْصَارَهُمْ كُلَّمَا أَضَاءَ لَهُمْ مَشَوْا فِيهِ وَإِذَا أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ قَامُوا وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَارِهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (٢٠) ﴾ ﴿أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ﴾ أَيْ كَأَصْحَابِ صَيِّبٍ وَهَذَا مَثَلٌ آخَرُ ضَرَبَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِلْمُنَافِقِينَ بِمَعْنًى آخَرَ إِنْ شِئْتَ مَثِّلْهُمْ بِالْمُسْتَوْقَدِ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ بِأَهْلِ الصيب وقيل ٧/ب أَوْ بِمَعْنَى الْوَاوِ يُرِيدُ وَكَصَيِّبٍ كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: "أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ" بِمَعْنَى وَيَزِيدُونَ وَالصَّيِّبُ الْمَطَرُ وَكُلُّ مَا نَزَلْ مِنَ الْأَعْلَى إِلَى الْأَسْفَلِ فَهُوَ صَيِّبٌ =فَعِيلٌ مِنْ صَابَ يَصُوبُ أَيْ نَزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَيْ مِنَ السَّحَابِ قِيلَ هِيَ السَّمَاءُ بِعَيْنِهَا وَالسَّمَاءُ كُلُّ مَا عَلَاكَ فَأَظَلَّكَ وَهِيَ مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ الْأَجْنَاسِ يَكُونُ وَاحِدًا وَجَمْعًا ﴿فِيهِ﴾ أَيْ فِي الصَّيِّبِ وَقِيلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَيْ مِنَ السَّحَابِ وَلِذَلِكَ ذَكَّرَهُ وَقِيلَ السَّمَاءُ يُذَكَّرُ وَيُؤَنَّثُ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: "السَّمَاءُ مُنْفَطِرٌ بِهِ" (١٨-الْمُزَّمِّلِ) وَقَالَ "إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انْفَطَرَتْ" (١-الِانْفِطَارِ) ﴿ظُلُمَاتٌ﴾ جَمْعُ ظُلْمَةٍ ﴿وَرَعْدٌ﴾ الصَّوْتُ الَّذِي يُسْمَعُ مِنَ السَّحَابِ ﴿وَبَرْقٌ﴾ النَّارُ الَّتِي تَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ. قَالَ عَلِيٌّ وَابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَكْثَرُ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ ﵃: الرَّعْدُ اسْمُ مَلَكٍ يَسُوقُ السَّحَابَ وَالْبَرْقُ لَمَعَانُ سَوْطٍ مِنْ نُورٍ يَزْجُرُ بِهِ الْمَلَكُ السَّحَابَ. وَقِيلَ الصَّوْتُ زَجْرُ السَّحَابِ وَقِيلَ تَسْبِيحُ الْمَلَكِ. وَقِيلَ الرَّعْدُ نُطْقُ الْمَلَكِ وَالْبَرْقُ ضَحِكُهُ. وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ الرَّعْدُ اسْمُ الْمَلَكِ وَيُقَالُ لِصَوْتِهِ أَيْضًا رَعْدٌ (١) وَالْبَرْقُ

(١) الأخبار التي ذكرت لم يذكرها ابن كثير ولا السيوطي في الدر المنثور وإنما ذكر بعضها القرطبي وأكثرها لا يخلو من مقال كما في تعليق الأستاذ محمود شاكر على الطبري عند تفسير قوله تعالى (أو كصيب من السماء فيه ظلمات ورعد وبرق) الآية تفسير الطبري: وما دام لم يرد دليل على ما ذكر فيتوقف في ذلك لأن هذه الظواهر الكونية وما بعدها مرتبطة بنواميس وسنن صار بعضها مفسرا عند علماء هذا المجال. وانظر: الإسرائيليات والموضوعات في كتب التفسير للشيخ محمد بن محمد أبو شهبة ص ٤١٤-٤١٧.