Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (2/246)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Had We decreed for them, ‘Kill yourselves’ or ‘Leave your homes,’ they would not have done so, except for a few of them. But if they had done what they were instructed to do, it would have been better for them and more strengthening for them. (66) Then We would certainly have given them, from Us, a tremendous reward, (67) and We would certainly have guided them to a straight path. (68) Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger will be with those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor: the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs, and the righteous. What excellent companions they are! (69)”

His saying, Exalted is He: “Had We decreed” means: had We prescribed and made obligatory. “Kill yourselves,” as We commanded the Children of Israel; “or leave your homes,” as We commanded the Children of Israel to depart from Egypt. “They would not have done so” means that We imposed upon them only obedience to the Messenger and acceptance of his judgment; had We imposed upon them killing and leaving their homes, they would not have done it. “Except for a few of them”: this was revealed concerning Thabit ibn Qays, who was among the few exempted by Allah. Al-Hasan and Muqatil said: When this verse was revealed, Umar, Ammar ibn Yasir, Abdullah ibn Masud, and a number of the Prophet’s Companions—who were the few referred to—said, “By Allah, had He commanded us, we would have done it. Praise be to Allah, who has spared us.” This reached the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said: “Among my community are men whose faith is more firmly established in their hearts than immovable mountains.” (1)

Ibn Amir and the people of Syria recited “except for a few” in the accusative case, as an exception; this is likewise how it appears in the Syrian codex. It has also been said that an ellipsis is understood, its sense being: except that there should be a few among them. The others recited “a few” in the nominative case, referring to the implied subject in “they would have done so”; that is: except for a small group who would have done it. “But if they had done what they were instructed to do”—namely, obeying the Messenger and accepting his judgment—“it would have been better for them and more strengthening for them”: that is, more conducive to confirming and validating their faith.

“Then We would certainly have given them, from Us, a tremendous reward”: an abundant recompense.

“And We would certainly have guided them to a straight path”: that is, to the straight path.

(1) Al-Tha'labi related this from al-Hasan and Muqatil. See: al-Kafi al-Shaf, p. 46; Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 1:523.

﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّا كَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَنِ اقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ أَوِ اخْرُجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ مَا فَعَلُوهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ مِنْهُمْ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُوا مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا (٦٦) وَإِذًا لَآتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنْ لَدُنَّا أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا (٦٧) وَلَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا (٦٨) وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءَ وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَئِكَ رَفِيقًا (٦٩) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّا كَتَبْنَا﴾ أَيْ: فَرَضْنَا وَأَوْجَبْنَا، ﴿عَلَيْهِمْ أَنِ اقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ﴾ كَمَا أَمَرْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ﴿أَوِ اخْرُجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ﴾ كَمَا أَمَرْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ بِالْخُرُوجِ مِنْ مِصْرَ، ﴿مَا فَعَلُوهُ﴾ مَعْنَاهُ: أَنَّا مَا كَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَّا طَاعَةَ الرَّسُولِ وَالرِّضَى بِحُكْمِهِ، وَلَوْ كَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَتْلَ وَالْخُرُوجَ عَنِ الدَّوْرِ مَا كَانَ يَفْعَلُهُ، ﴿إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ مِنْهُمْ﴾ نَزَلَتْ فِي ثَابِتِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ وَهُوَ مِنَ الْقَلِيلِ الَّذِي اسْتَثْنَى اللَّهُ، قَالَ الْحَسَنُ وَمُقَاتِلٌ لِمَا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ قَالَ عُمَرُ وَعَمَّارُ بْنُ يَاسِرٍ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ وَنَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَهُمُ الْقَلِيلُ، وَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَمَرَنَا لَفَعَلْنَا وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي عَافَانَا، فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: "إِنَّ مِنْ أُمَّتِي لَرِجَالًا الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ أَثْبَتُ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ الرَّوَاسِي" (١) . قَرَأَ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ وَأَهْلُ الشَّامِ ﴿إِلَّا قَلِيلًا﴾ بِالنَّصْبِ عَلَى الِاسْتِثْنَاءِ، وَكَذَلِكَ هُوَ فِي مُصْحَفِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، وَقِيلَ: فِيهِ إِضْمَارٌ، تَقْدِيرُهُ: إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ، وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ قَلِيلٌ بِالرَّفْعِ عَلَى الضَّمِيرِ الْفَاعِلِ فِي قَوْلِهِ ﴿فَعَلُوهُ﴾ تَقْدِيرُهُ: إِلَّا نَفَرٌ قَلِيلٌ فَعَلُوهُ، ﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُوا مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ﴾ مِنْ طَاعَةِ الرَّسُولِ وَالرِّضَى بِحُكْمِهِ، ﴿لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا﴾ تَحْقِيقًا وَتَصْدِيقًا لِإِيمَانِهِمْ. ﴿وَإِذًا لَآتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنْ لَدُنَّا أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا﴾ ثَوَابًا وَافِرًا. ﴿وَلَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا﴾ أَيْ: إِلَى الصِّرَاطِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ.

(١) ذكر ذلك الثعلبي عن الحسن ومقاتل. انظر: الكافي الشاف ص ٤٦، تفسير ابن كثير: ١ / ٥٢٣.