Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (3/185)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Ikrimah and al-Kalbi said: It was revealed concerning Ammar ibn Yasir and Abu Jahl (1).

“Thus has what they used to do of disbelief and disobedience been made pleasing to the disbelievers.” Ibn Abbas said: This means that Satan made the worship of idols appear pleasing to them.

“And thus We have placed in every town its foremost criminals, so that they may plot therein. Yet they plot only against themselves, though they do not realize it. (123) And when a sign comes to them, they say, ‘We will never believe until we are given the like of what Allah’s messengers were given.’ Allah knows best where to place His message. Humiliation before Allah and a severe punishment will befall those who committed crimes, because of what they used to plot. (124)”

Concerning His saying, Exalted is He: “And thus We have placed in every town its foremost criminals”: that is, just as the wicked among the people of Mecca are its foremost people, so too We have made the wicked of every town its foremost people—that is, its leading figures. It is the plural of “greater,” like “more excellent” and “the most excellent,” and “black” and “the blackest.” This is Allah’s way: in every town, He made the followers of the messengers to be its weak and lowly people, as He said in the account of Noah, peace be upon him: “Should we believe you while the lowest follow you?” (al-Shu'ara, 111). And He made its wicked people its foremost figures, “so that they may plot therein.” This was because they stationed four men on each of the roads leading into Mecca in order to turn people away from believing in Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They would say to every newcomer: “Beware of this man, for he is a soothsayer, a magician, and a liar.” “Yet they plot only against themselves,” because the evil consequences of their plotting return upon them, “though they do not realize” that this is so.

Concerning His saying, Exalted is He: “And when a sign comes to them, they say, ‘We will never believe until we are given the like of what Allah’s messengers were given’”: that is, the prophethood given to Allah’s messengers. This was because al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah said, “If prophethood were true, I would be more deserving of it than you, for I am older than you and possess greater wealth.” So Allah, Exalted is He, revealed this verse (3).

Muqatil said: It was revealed concerning Abu Jahl. He said, “The sons of Abd Manaf contended with us for honour, until we became like two racehorses in competition. They said, ‘A prophet from among us receives revelation.’ By Allah, we shall never believe in him or follow him, unless revelation comes to us just as it comes to him.” So Allah, Exalted is He, revealed: “And when a sign comes to them” (4)—that is, a proof of the truthfulness of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—they say, meaning Abu Jahl, “We will never believe until we are given the like of what Allah’s messengers were given,” meaning Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

(1) Reported by al-Tabari, 22/90; Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Abi Hatim. See al-Durr al-Manthur, 3/352. (2) In manuscript B: ummah (community). (3) See al-Durr al-Manthur, 3/353. (4) Ibn Ishaq relates the account in al-Sirah, 1/315-316, but does not state that it was the occasion for the revelation of the verse.

وَقَالَ عِكْرِمَةُ وَالْكَلْبِيُّ: نَزَلَتْ فِي عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ وَأَبِي جَهْلٍ (١) . ﴿كَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَالْمَعْصِيَةِ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: يُرِيدُ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ عِبَادَةَ الْأَصْنَامِ. ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَابِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُوا فِيهَا وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلَّا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ (١٢٣) وَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ قَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ حَتَّى نُؤْتَى مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا صَغَارٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَمْكُرُونَ (١٢٤) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَابِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا﴾ أَيْ: كَمَا أَنَّ فُسَّاقَ مَكَّةَ أَكَابِرُهَا، كَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فُسَّاقَ كَلِّ [قَرْيَةٍ] (٢) أَكَابِرَهَا، أَيْ: عُظَمَاءَهَا، جَمْعُ أَكْبَرَ، مِثْلُ أَفْضَلَ وَأَفَاضِلَ، وَأَسُودَ وَأَسَاوِدَ، وَذَلِكَ سُنَّةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّهُ جَعَلَ فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَتْبَاعَ الرُّسُلِ ضُعَفَاءَهُمْ، كَمَا قَالَ فِي قِصَّةِ نُوحٍ ﵇: (أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الْأَرْذَلُونَ) (الشُّعَرَاءِ، ١١١) ، وَجَعَلَ فُسَّاقَهُمْ أَكَابِرَهُمْ، ﴿لِيَمْكُرُوا فِيهَا﴾ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ أَجْلَسُوا عَلَى كُلِّ طَرِيقٍ مِنْ طُرُقِ مَكَّةَ أَرْبَعَةَ نَفَرٍ لِيَصْرِفُوا النَّاسَ عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ بِمُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، يَقُولُونَ لِكُلِّ مَنْ يُقْدِمُ: إِيَّاكَ وَهَذَا الرَّجُلَ فَإِنَّهُ كَاهِنٌ سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ. ﴿وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلَّا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ﴾ لِأَنَّ وَبَالَ مَكْرِهِمْ يَعُودُ عَلَيْهِمْ ﴿وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾ أَنَّهُ كَذَلِكَ. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ قَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ حَتَّى نُؤْتَى مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ﴾ يَعْنِي: مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ مِنَ النُّبُوَّةِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ الْمُغِيرَةِ قَالَ: لَوْ كَانَتِ النُّبُوَّةُ حَقًّا لَكُنْتُ أَوْلَى بِهَا مِنْكَ، لِأَنِّي أَكْبَرُ مِنْكَ سِنًّا وَأَكْثَرُ مِنْكَ مَالًا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ (٣) . وَقَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: نَزَلَتْ فِي أَبِي جَهْلٍ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: زَاحَمَنَا بَنُو عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ فِي الشَّرَفِ حَتَّى إِنَّا صِرْنَا كَفَرَسَيْ رِهَانٍ، قَالُوا: مِنَّا نَبِيٌّ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ، وَاللَّهِ لَا نُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَلَا نَتَّبِعُهُ أَبَدًا إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِيَنَا وَحْيٌ كَمَا يَأْتِيهِ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷿: ﴿وَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ﴾ (٤) حُجَّةٌ عَلَى صِدْقِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ قَالُوا: يَعْنِي أَبَا جَهْلٍ، ﴿لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ حَتَّى نُؤْتَى مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ﴾ يَعْنِي: مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ.

(١) أخرجه الطبري: ٢٢ / ٩٠، وابن أبي شيبة وابن المنذر وابن أبي حاتم، انظر: الدر المنثور: ٣ / ٣٥٢. (٢) في "ب": (أمة) . (٣) انظر: الدر المنثور: ٣ / ٣٥٣. (٤) أخرج القصة ابن إسحاق، السيرة: ١ / ٣١٥-٣١٦، ولم يذكر أنها سبب لنزول الآية.