Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (3/78)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Had they upheld the Torah and the Gospel” means: had they observed their rulings and limits and acted upon what they contain. “And what was sent down to them from their Lord” means the Quran; it is also said that it refers to the books of the prophets of the Children of Israel. “They would have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet.” It is said that what is above them is rain, and what is beneath their feet is the vegetation of the earth.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “I would have sent down rain upon them and brought forth for them the vegetation of the earth.”

Al-Farra’ said that this means an abundance of provision, just as it is said, “So-and-so is immersed in goodness from head to foot.” Its parallel is Allah’s saying: “Had the people of the towns believed and been mindful of Allah, We would have opened for them blessings from heaven and earth” (al-A‘raf, 96).

“Among them is a community that is upright,” meaning the believing People of the Book: Abdullah ibn Salam and his companions. Upright means just, neither excessive nor neglectful and harsh. Linguistically, moderation means balance in one’s actions, without excess or deficiency.

“But evil is what many of them do”—namely Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf and his companions. That is, how evil are their deeds. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “They committed vile deeds while denying the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.”

Concerning His saying, exalted is He, “O Messenger, convey what has been sent down to you from your Lord,” the verse: It is narrated from Masruq that Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “Whoever tells you that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, concealed anything of what Allah sent down has lied,” while Allah says, “O Messenger, convey what has been sent down to you from your Lord,” the verse (1). Al-Hasan narrated that when Allah sent His Messenger, he felt distressed, knowing that among the people would be those who denied him; so this verse was revealed (2).

It is also said that it was revealed concerning the censure of the Jews. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, called them to Islam, but they said, “We had submitted before you,” and began to mock him, saying, “Do you want us to take you as an object of worship, just as the Christians have taken Jesus son of Mary as an object of worship?” When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw this, he remained silent; then this verse was revealed, commanding him to say to them: “O People of the Book, you have no ground to stand on,” the verse.

It is also said that “Convey what has been sent down to you” refers to stoning and legal retribution, and that it was revealed concerning the story of the Jews.

It is also said that it was revealed concerning the matter of Zaynab bint Jahsh and his marriage to her.

And it is said that it concerns jihad, for the hypocrites disliked it, as Allah Most High says: “Whenever a decisive surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned in it, you see those in whose hearts is sickness looking at you with the look of one overcome by the agony of death.”

(1) Reported by al-Bukhari in al-Tafsir, chapter: “Ya ayyuhar-rasul balligh...” (“O Messenger, convey...”), from Surah al-Ma'idah, 8:275; and by Muslim in al-Iman, chapter on the meaning of Allah’s statement, “Wa laqad ra'ahu nazlatan ukhra” (“And indeed he saw him at another descent”), no. 177, 1:159. (2) Asbab al-Nuzul (Occasions of Revelation), by al-Wahidi, pp. 232-233; al-Durr al-Manthur, 3:116-117.

﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ﴾ يَعْنِي: أَقَامُوا أَحْكَامَهُمَا وَحُدُودَهُمَا وَعَمِلُوا بِمَا فِيهِمَا، ﴿وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ﴾ يَعْنِي: الْقُرْآنَ، وَقِيلَ: كُتُبُ أَنْبِيَاءِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، ﴿لَأَكَلُوا مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ﴾ قِيلَ: مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ هُوَ الْمَطَرُ، وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ نَبَاتُ الْأَرْضِ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄: لَأَنْزَلْتُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَطْرَ وَأَخْرَجْتُ لَهُمْ مِنْ نَبَاتِ الْأَرْضِ. وَقَالَ الْفِرَاءُ أَرَادَ بِهِ التَّوْسِعَةَ فِي الرِّزْقِ كَمَا يُقَالُ فُلَانٌ فِي الْخَيْرِ مِنْ قَرْنِهِ إِلَى قَدَمِهِ، وَنَظِيرُهُ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: "وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ" (الْأَعْرَافِ، ٩٦) . ﴿مِنْهُمْ أُمَّةٌ مُقْتَصِدَةٌ﴾ يَعْنِي: مُؤْمِنِي أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ سَلَامٍ وَأَصْحَابَهُ، مُقْتَصِدَةٌ أَيْ عَادِلَةٌ غَيْرُ غَالِيَةٍ، وَلَا مُقَصِّرَةٍ جَافِيَةٍ، وَمَعْنَى الِاقْتِصَادِ فِي اللُّغَةِ: الِاعْتِدَالُ فِي الْعَمَلِ مِنْ غَيْرِ غُلُوٍّ وَلَا تَقْصِيرٍ. ﴿وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ﴾ كَعْبُ بْنُ الْأَشْرَفِ وَأَصْحَابُهُ، ﴿سَاءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ بِئْسَ شَيْئًا عَمَلُهُمْ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄: عَمِلُوا الْقَبِيحَ مَعَ التَّكْذِيبِ بِالنَّبِيِّ ﷺ. قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ﴾ الْآيَةَ، رُوِيَ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ قَالَ: قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ﵂ مَنْ حَدَّثَكَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ كَتَمَ شَيْئًا مِمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: "يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ" الْآيَةَ (١) . رَوَى الْحَسَنُ: أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَمَّا بَعَثَ رَسُولَهُ ضَاقَ ذَرْعًا وَعَرَفَ أَنَّ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُكَذِّبُهُ، فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ (٢) . وَقِيلَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي عَيْبِ الْيَهُودِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ دَعَاهُمْ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، فَقَالُوا أَسْلَمْنَا قَبْلَكَ وَجَعَلُوا يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ بِهِ، فَيَقُولُونَ لَهُ: تُرِيدُ أَنْ نَتَّخِذَكَ حَنَانًا كَمَا اتَّخَذَتِ النَّصَارَى عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ حَنَانًا، فَلَمَّا رَأَى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ ذَلِكَ سَكَتَ فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ، وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُمْ: "يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَسْتُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ" الْآيَةَ. وَقِيلَ: بَلِّغَ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الرَّجْمِ وَالْقِصَاصِ، نَزَلَتْ فِي قِصَّةِ الْيَهُودِ. وَقِيلَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي أَمْرِ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ وَنِكَاحِهَا. وَقِيلَ: فِي الْجِهَادِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ كَرِهُوهُ، كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: "فَإِذَا أُنْزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ"

(١) أخرجه البخاري في التفسير، باب "يا أيها الرسول بلغ ... " من سورة المائدة: ٨ / ٢٧٥، ومسلم في الإيمان. باب معنى قول الله ﷿ "ولقد رآه نزلة أخرى" برقم (١٧٧) : ١ / ١٥٩. (٢) أسباب النزول للواحدي ص (٢٣٢-٢٣٣) ، الدر المنثور: ٣ / ١١٦-١١٧.