Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (3/70)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Ibn Mas‘ud said: “At first we disliked this, but in the end we praised him for it.”

Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash said: “I heard Abu Husayn say: ‘No child born after the prophets was better than Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. In fighting the apostates, he assumed the role of one of the prophets.’”

Three factions had apostatized during the lifetime of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Among them were Banu Madhhij (1), whose leader was Dhu al-Khimar, Abhalah ibn Ka‘b al-‘Ansi, known as al-Aswad. He was a soothsayer and a charlatan who claimed prophethood in Yemen and seized control of its lands. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, wrote to Mu‘adh ibn Jabal and the Muslims with him, commanding them to urge the people to hold fast to their religion and to rise up to fight al-Aswad. Fayruz al-Daylami killed him in his bed.

Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: News of it came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, from heaven on the very night that he was killed. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Al-Aswad was killed last night by a blessed man.” It was said, “Who was he?” He said: “Fayruz—Fayruz has triumphed!” (2) Thus, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, gave his Companions glad tidings of al-Aswad’s destruction, and he passed away the following day. News (3) of al-‘Ansi’s death reached Madinah at the end of the month of Rabi‘ al-Awwal, after Usamah had set out. This was the first victory to reach Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him (4).

The second faction was Banu Hanifah in al-Yamamah, whose leader was Musaylimah the Liar; his name was Thumamah ibn Qays (5). He had claimed prophethood during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, toward the end of the tenth year, alleging that he had been made a partner with Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in prophethood. He wrote to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: “From Musaylimah, the Messenger of Allah, to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. To proceed: half of the land belongs to me, and half belongs to you.” He sent this message (6) to him with two of his companions. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked them, “Do you bear witness that Musaylimah is the Messenger of Allah?” They said, “Yes.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said (7): “Were it not that envoys are not to be killed, I would have struck off both your heads.”

He then replied: “From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Musaylimah the Liar. To proceed: indeed, the earth belongs to Allah; He causes whom He wills of His servants to inherit it, and the final outcome is for the righteous.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then fell ill and passed away. Abu Bakr sent Khalid ibn al-Walid against Musaylimah the Liar with a large army, until Allah destroyed him at the hands of Wahshi, the slave of Mut‘im ibn ‘Adi—the one who had killed Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib—after a fierce battle. Wahshi used to say: “In the Age of Ignorance, I killed the best of people; and in Islam, I killed the worst of people.” (8)

(1) In manuscript B: “Banu Madhhajah.” (2) Omitted from manuscript B. (3) Omitted from manuscript B. (4) See Tarikh al-Tabari, 3:227 ff.; al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, 6:305-311; Usd al-Ghabah by Ibn al-Athir, 4:371; and Tafsir al-Tabari, 10:424-425. (5) Omitted from manuscript B. (6) Added from manuscript B. (7) Added from manuscript B. (8) See Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Jihad, Chapter on Messengers, 4:64; al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, 5:51 and 6:200; and Sirah Ibn Hisham, 2:600.

قَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: كَرِهْنَا ذَلِكَ فِي الِابْتِدَاءِ ثُمَّ حَمِدْنَاهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الِانْتِهَاءِ. قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا حُصَيْنٍ يَقُولُ: مَا وُلِدَ بَعْدَ النَّبِيِّينَ مَوْلُودٌ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ﵁، لَقَدْ قَامَ مَقَامَ نَبِيٍّ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ فِي قِتَالِ أَهْلِ الرِّدَّةِ. وَكَانَ قَدِ ارْتَدَّ فِي حَيَاةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ثَلَاثُ فِرَقٍ: مِنْهُمْ [بَنُو مَذْحِجٍ] (١) وَرَئِيسُهُمْ ذُو الْخِمَارِ، عَبْهَلَةُ بْنُ كَعْبٍ، الْعَنْسِيُّ، وَيُلَقَّبُ بِالْأَسْوَدِ، وَكَانَ كَاهِنًا مُشَعْبِذًا فَتَنَبَّأَ بِالْيَمَنِ وَاسْتَوْلَى عَلَى بِلَادِهَا، فَكَتَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَحُثُّوا النَّاسَ عَلَى التَّمَسُّكِ بِدِينِهِمْ، وَعَلَى النُّهُوضِ إِلَى حَرْبِ الْأَسْوَدِ، فَقَتَلَهُ فَيْرُوزُ الدَّيْلَمِيُّ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ، قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ ﵁ فَأَتَى الْخَبَرُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ اللَّيْلَةَ الَّتِي قُتِلَ فِيهَا، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: "قُتِلَ الْأَسْوَدُ الْبَارِحَةَ قَتْلَهُ رَجُلٌ مُبَارَكٌ"، قِيلَ: وَمَنْ هُوَ؟ قال: "فيروز، [فازفيروز] (٢) فَبَشَّرَّ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَصْحَابَهُ بِهَلَاكِ الْأَسْوَدِ، وَقُبِضَ ﷺ مِنَ الْغَدِ؛ وَأَتَى [خَبَرُ] (٣) مَقْتَلِ الْعَنْسِيِّ الْمَدِينَةَ فِي آخِرِ شَهْرِ رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ بَعْدَمَا خَرَجَ أُسَامَةُ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ أَوَّلَ فَتْحٍ جَاءَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ﵁ (٤) . وَالْفِرْقَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ: بَنُو حَنِيفَةَ بِالْيَمَامَةِ، وَرَئِيسُهُمْ مُسَيْلِمَةُ الْكَذَّابُ، [وَاسْمُهُ ثُمَامَةُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ] (٥) وَكَانَ قَدْ تَنَبَّأَ فِي حَيَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي آخِرِ سَنَةِ عَشْرٍ، وَزَعَمَ أَنَّهُ أُشْرِكَ مَعَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ فِي النُّبُوَّةِ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ مُسَيْلِمَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ الْأَرْضَ نِصْفُهَا لِي وَنِصْفُهَا لَكَ، وَبَعَثَ [بِذَلِكَ] (٦) إِلَيْهِ مَعَ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: [أَتَشْهَدَانِ أَنَّ مُسَيْلِمَةَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَا نَعَمْ. قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ] (٧) "لَوْلَا أَنَّ الرُّسُلَ لَا تُقْتَلُ لَضَرَبْتُ أَعْنَاقَكُمَا"، ثُمَّ أَجَابَ: "مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ إِلَى مُسَيْلِمَةَ الْكَذَّابِ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ الأرض لله يروثها مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ، وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ"، وَمَرِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَتُوُفِّيَ، فَبَعَثَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ خَالِدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ إِلَى مُسَيْلِمَةَ الْكَذَّابِ فِي جَيْشٍ كَثِيرٍ حَتَّى أَهْلَكَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى يَدَيْ وَحْشِيٍّ، غُلَامِ مُطَعِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ الَّذِي قَتَلَ حَمْزَةَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، بَعْدَ حَرْبٍ شَدِيدٍ، وَكَانَ وَحْشِيٌّ يَقُولُ: قَتَلْتُ خَيْرَ النَّاسِ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَشَرَّ النَّاسِ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ (٨) .

(١) في "ب": (بنو مدحة) . (٢) ساقط من "ب". (٣) ساقط من "ب". (٤) انظر: تاريخ الطبري: ٣ / ٢٢٧ وما بعدها، البداية والنهاية ٦ / ٣٠٥-٣١١ أسد الغابة لابن الأثير: ٤ / ٣٧١. تفسير الطبري: ١٠ / ٤٢٤-٤٢٥. (٥) ساقط من "ب". (٦) زيادة من "ب". (٧) زيادة من "ب". (٨) انظر: سنن أبي داود، كتاب الجهاد، باب الرسل: ٤ / ٦٤، البداية والنهاية: ٥ / ٥١، ٦ / ٢٠٠، سيرة ابن هشام: ٢ / ٦٠٠.