Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (471)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(13–14) “We relate to you their story in truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. * We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and declared, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We shall never invoke any god besides Him; if we did, we would indeed have uttered an outrageous falsehood.’”

This begins the detailed account of their story. Allah relates it to His Prophet in truth and with complete veracity, without doubt or uncertainty of any kind. “They were young men who believed in their Lord.” The plural form used here is a plural of paucity, indicating that they numbered fewer than ten. They “believed” in Allah alone, without partner, unlike their people. Allah rewarded them for their faith by increasing them in guidance. In other words, because they had initially been guided to faith, Allah increased them in guidance—namely, beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds—as the Exalted says: “And Allah increases those who are guided in guidance.”

⦗472⦘

“We strengthened their hearts”—that is, We granted them patience and steadfastness and made their hearts tranquil in that distressing situation. This was part of His kindness and benevolence toward them: He enabled them to attain faith and guidance, patience and steadfastness, and tranquility.

“When they stood up and declared, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth.’” That is, the One who created us, provides for us, governs our affairs, and nurtures us is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, uniquely responsible for creating these immense creatures—not those idols and images, which neither create nor provide and possess no power to bring benefit or harm, death, life, or resurrection. Thus, they used Allah’s exclusive Lordship as proof of His exclusive right to worship. They therefore said: “We shall never invoke any god besides Him”—that is, any created being whatsoever. “If we did”—that is, if we invoked other gods alongside Him after knowing that He is the Lord and God, and that worship is neither permissible nor fitting for anyone but Him—“we would indeed have uttered an outrageous falsehood”: a gross departure from the truth and a path far removed from what is right. They thus combined affirmation of Allah’s exclusive Lordship and His exclusive right to worship with commitment to both, while making clear that this is the truth and that everything else is falsehood. This demonstrates the perfection of their knowledge of their Lord and the increase in guidance that Allah bestowed upon them.

﴿١٣-١٤﴾ ﴿نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى * وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ لَنْ نَدْعُوَ مِنْ دُونِهِ إِلَهًا لَقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا﴾ . هذا شروع في تفصيل قصتهم، وأن الله يقصها على نبيه بالحق والصدق، الذي ما فيه شك ولا شبهة بوجه من الوجوه، ﴿إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ﴾ وهذا من جموع القلة، يدل ذلك على أنهم دون العشرة، ﴿آمَنُوا﴾ بالله وحده لا شريك له من دون قومهم، فشكر الله لهم إيمانهم، فزادهم هدى، أي: بسبب أصل اهتدائهم إلى الإيمان، زادهم الله من الهدى، الذي هو العلم النافع، والعمل الصالح، كما قال تعالى: ﴿ويزيد الله الذين اهتدوا هدى﴾ ⦗٤٧٢⦘ ﴿وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ﴾ أي صبرناهم وثبتناهم، وجعلنا قلوبهم مطمئنة في تلك الحالة المزعجة، وهذا من لطفه تعالى بهم وبره، أن وفقهم للإيمان والهدى، والصبر والثبات، والطمأنينة. ﴿إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ﴾ أي: الذي خلقنا ورزقنا، ودبرنا وربانا، هو خالق السماوات والأرض، المنفرد بخلق هذه المخلوقات العظيمة، لا تلك الأوثان والأصنام، التي لا تخلق ولا ترزق، ولا تملك نفعا ولا ضرا، ولا موتا ولا حياة ولا نشورا، فاستدلوا بتوحيد الربوبية على توحيد الإلهية، ولهذا قالوا: ﴿لَنْ نَدْعُوَ مِنْ دُونِهِ إِلَهًا﴾ أي: من سائر المخلوقات ﴿لَقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا﴾ أي: إن دعونا معه آلهة، بعد ما علمنا أنه الرب الإله الذي لا تجوز ولا تنبغي العبادة، إلا له ﴿شَطَطًا﴾ أي: ميلا عظيما عن الحق، وطريقا بعيدة عن الصواب، فجمعوا بين الإقرار بتوحيد الربوبية، وتوحيد الإلهية، والتزام ذلك، وبيان أنه الحق وما سواه باطل، وهذا دليل على كمال معرفتهم بربهم، وزيادة الهدى من الله لهم.