Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (491)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

As for Allah’s mercy to him, it lay in Allah singling him out for His revelation and bestowing upon him what He bestowed upon the messengers of firm resolve. As for His mercy to his mother, it lay in the honor, favorable praise, and immense benefits she received. As for His mercy to humanity, one of His greatest blessings upon them was that He sent among them a messenger who recited His verses to them, purified them, and taught them the Scripture and wisdom, so that they might believe in him and obey him, thereby attaining happiness in this world and the Hereafter.

“And it was”—that is, the existence of Jesus, peace be upon him, in this manner—“a matter already decreed,” ordained beforehand. This divine decree and determination therefore had inevitably to come to pass. Gabriel, peace be upon him, then blew into the opening of her garment.

⦗492⦘

(22–26) “So she conceived him and withdrew with him to a remote place. Then the pains of labor drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, ‘Would that I had died before this and been utterly forgotten!’ Then he called to her from below her, ‘Do not grieve. Your Lord has placed a stream beneath you. Shake the trunk of the palm tree toward yourself, and it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon you.’”

That is, when she became pregnant with Jesus, peace be upon him, she feared disgrace and withdrew far from the people “to a remote place.” When the time of delivery drew near, the pains of labor drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. The pain of childbirth afflicted her, as did the pain of being alone without food or drink and the anguish caused by what people would say. Fearing that she would be unable to endure it, she wished that she had died before this event and had been utterly forgotten, never to be mentioned. This wish arose from that distressing situation; there was neither good nor benefit for her in it. Rather, good and benefit lay in what had been decreed to take place.

At that moment, the angel calmed her fear, steadied her heart, and called to her from below her—perhaps from a place lower than where she was. He said to her: “Do not grieve”—that is, do not be distressed or troubled—“for your Lord has placed a stream beneath you,” meaning a stream from which you may drink.

“Shake the trunk of the palm tree toward yourself, and it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon you”—that is, dates that are fresh, delicious, and nourishing.

أما رحمة الله به فلما خصه الله بوحيه ومن عليه بما من به على أولي العزم وأما رحمته بوالدته فلما حصل لها من الفخر والثناء الحسن والمنافع العظيمة وأما رحمته بالناس فإن أكبر نعمه عليهم أن بعث فيهم رسولا يتلو عليهم آياته ويزكيهم ويعلمهم الكتاب والحكمة فيؤمنون به ويطيعونه وتحصل لهم سعادة الدنيا والآخرة ﴿وَكَانَ﴾ أي وجود عيسى ﵇ على هذه الحالة ﴿أَمْرًا مَقْضِيًّا﴾ قضاء سابقا فلا بد من نفوذ هذا التقدير والقضاء فنفخ جبريل ﵇ في جيبها ⦗٤٩٢⦘ ﴿٢٢ - ٢٦﴾ ﴿فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَانْتَبَذَتْ بِهِ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا * فَأَجَاءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ إِلَى جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا وَكُنْتُ نَسْيًا مَنْسِيًّا * فَنَادَاهَا مِنْ تَحْتِهَا أَلا تَحْزَنِي قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا * وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا﴾ . أي: لما حملت بعيسى ﵇، خافت من الفضيحة، فتباعدت عن الناس ﴿مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا﴾ فلما قرب ولادها، ألجأها المخاض إلى جذع نخلة، فلما آلمها وجع الولادة، ووجع الانفراد عن الطعام والشراب، ووجع قلبها من قالة الناس، وخافت عدم صبرها، تمنت أنها ماتت قبل هذا الحادث، وكانت نسيا منسيا فلا تذكر. وهذا التمني بناء على ذلك المزعج، وليس في هذه الأمنية خير لها ولا مصلحة، وإنما الخير والمصلحة بتقدير ما حصل. فحينئذ سكن الملك روعها وثبت جأشها وناداها من تحتها، لعله في مكان أنزل من مكانها، وقال لها: لا تحزني، أي: لا تجزعي ولا تهتمي، فـ ﴿قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا﴾ أي: نهرا تشربين منه. ﴿وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا﴾ أي: طريا لذيذا نافعا