Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (2/259)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

—the hypocrites. When they returned, some of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, said to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, “Kill them, for they are hypocrites.” Others said, “Pardon them, for they have professed Islam.”

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nuaymi narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Ismail narrated to us; Abu al-Walid narrated to us; Shubah narrated to us from Adi ibn Thabit, who said: I heard Abd Allah ibn Yazid narrate from Zayd ibn Thabit, who said: When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, set out for Uhud, some of those who had gone out with him turned back. The Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, were then divided into two groups: one group said, “We should fight them,” while the other said, “We should not fight them.” Thereupon the following was revealed: “So what is the matter with you that you are divided into two factions concerning the hypocrites, while Allah has cast them back for what they have earned?” He also said, “Indeed, Taybah expels sins just as fire removes the dross from silver.” (1)

Mujahid said: A group of people went to Medina and embraced Islam, then apostatized. They sought the Messenger of Allah’s permission, peace and blessings be upon him, to go to Mecca in order to bring back merchandise that they traded in. They left and remained in Mecca, and the Muslims differed concerning them. One party said, “They are hypocrites,” while another said, “They are believers.” (2)

Others said: It was revealed concerning some men of Quraysh who came to Medina and embraced Islam, then regretted doing so. They went out as though seeking recreation, until they had moved some distance away from Medina. They then wrote to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: “We remain upon the faith in which we parted from you, but we found Medina unhealthy and longed for our homeland.” They subsequently set out with merchandise of theirs toward Syria. When news of this reached the Muslims, some of them said, “Let us go out against them, kill them, and seize what they have with them, for they have forsaken our religion.” Another group said, “How can you kill people who are upon your religion merely because they have not abandoned their homes?” This took place before the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while he remained silent, forbidding neither of the two groups. Then this verse was revealed. (4)

Others said: They were people who embraced Islam in Mecca but did not emigrate, and who supported the polytheists. Thus it was revealed: “So what is the matter with you,” O assembly of believers, “that you are divided into two factions concerning the hypocrites?” That is, you have become two factions regarding them—two groups. “While Allah has cast them back”: that is, He turned them upside down and returned them to disbelief, “for what they have earned”—because of their impure deeds. “Do you seek to guide”: that is, to direct aright, “those whom Allah has led astray?” It has also been said that its meaning is: Do you claim that these people are rightly guided when Allah has led them astray? “Whoever Allah leads astray”: that is, whomever Allah diverts from guidance, “you will never find for him a way”: that is, a path to the truth.

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in Tafsir, Surat al-Nisa, chapter: “What is the matter with you that you are divided into two groups concerning the hypocrites...?” 8:256; and by Muslim at the beginning of the Book on the Characteristics of the Hypocrites, no. 2776, 4:2142. (2) See al-Tabari, 9:9-10; al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 161. (3) In manuscript B: “ba'udu” (they became distant). (4) See al-Tabari, 9:12-13; Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 161. (5) See al-Tabari, 9:10-11.

مِنَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوا قَالَ بَعْضُ الصَّحَابَةِ ﵃ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ: اقْتُلْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ مُنَافِقُونَ، وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: اعْفُ عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ تَكَلَّمُوا بِالْإِسْلَامِ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ الْمُلَيْحِيُّ، أَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النُّعَيْمِيُّ، أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، أَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، أَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ يَزِيدَ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ: لِمَا خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِلَى أُحُدٍ رَجَعَ نَاسٌ مِمَّنْ خَرَجَ مَعَهُ وَكَانَ أَصْحَابُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِرْقَتَيْنِ، فِرْقَةٌ تَقُولُ نُقَاتِلُهُمْ وَفِرْقَةٌ تَقُولُ لَا نُقَاتِلُهُمْ، فَنَزَلَتْ: ﴿فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَاللَّهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ بِمَا كَسَبُوا﴾ وَقَالَ: "إِنَّهَا طَيْبَةُ تَنْفِي الذُّنُوبَ كَمَا تَنْفِي النَّارُ خَبَثَ الْفِضَّةِ" (١) . وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: قَوْمٌ خَرَجُوا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ وَأَسْلَمُوا ثُمَّ ارْتَدُّوا وَاسْتَأْذَنُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى مَكَّةَ لِيَأْتُوا بِبَضَائِعٍ لَهُمْ يَتَّجِرُونَ فِيهَا فَخَرَجُوا وَأَقَامُوا بِمَكَّةَ، فَاخْتَلَفَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فِيهِمْ، فَقَائِلٌ يَقُولُ: هُمْ مُنَافِقُونَ، وَقَائِلٌ يَقُولُ: هُمْ مُؤْمِنُونَ (٢) . وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: نَزَلَتْ فِي نَاسٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ قَدِمُوا الْمَدِينَةَ وَأَسْلَمُوا ثُمَّ نَدِمُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَخَرَجُوا كَهَيْئَةِ الْمُتَنَزِّهِينَ حَتَّى بَاعَدُوا (٣) مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ فَكَتَبُوا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ: إِنَّا عَلَى الَّذِي فَارَقْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ وَلَكِنَّا اجْتَوَيْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ وَاشْتَقْنَا إِلَى أَرْضِنَا، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ خَرَجُوا فِي تِجَارَةٍ لَهُمْ نَحْوَ الشَّامِ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: نَخْرُجُ إِلَيْهِمْ فَنَقْتُلُهُمْ وَنَأْخُذُ مَا مَعَهُمْ لِأَنَّهُمْ رَغِبُوا عَنْ دِينِنَا، وَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ: كَيْفَ تَقْتُلُونَ قَوْمًا عَلَى دِينِكُمْ إِنْ لَمْ يَذَرُوا دِيَارَهُمْ، وَكَانَ هَذَا بِعَيْنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَهُوَ سَاكِتٌ لَا يَنْهَى وَاحِدًا مِنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ، فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ (٤) . وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: هُمْ قَوْمٌ أَسْلَمُوا بِمَكَّةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يُهَاجِرُوا وَكَانُوا يُظَاهِرُونَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، فَنَزَلَتْ (٥) ﴿فَمَا لَكُمْ﴾ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ﴾ أَيْ: صِرْتُمْ فِيهِمْ فِئَتَيْنِ، أَيْ: فِرْقَتَيْنِ، ﴿وَاللَّهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ﴾ أَيْ: نَكَّسَهُمُ وَرَدَّهُمْ إِلَى الْكُفْرِ، ﴿بِمَا كَسَبُوا﴾ بِأَعْمَالِهِمْ غَيْرِ الزَّاكِيَةِ ﴿أَتُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَهْدُوا﴾ أَيْ: أَنْ تُرْشِدُوا ﴿مَنْ أَضَلَّ اللَّهُ﴾ وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ أَتَقُولُونَ أَنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ مُهْتَدُونَ وَقَدْ أَضَلَّهُمُ اللَّهُ، ﴿وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ﴾ أَيْ: مَنْ يُضْلِلْهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْهُدَى، ﴿فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُ سَبِيلًا﴾ أَيْ: طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْحَقِّ.

(١) أخرجه البخاري في التفسير، سورة النساء، باب "فما لكم في المنافقين فئتين. . " ٨ / ٢٥٦، ومسلم في أول كتاب صفات المنافقين برقم (٢٧٧٦) : ٤ / ٢١٤٢. (٢) انظر: الطبري: ٩ / ٩ - ١٠، أسباب النزول للواحدي ص (١٦١) . (٣) في ب: (بعدوا) . (٤) انظر: الطبري: ٩ / ١٢ - ١٣، أسباب النزول ص (١٦١) . (٥) انظر: الطبري: ٩ / ١٠ - ١١.