Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (535)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(15) “Whoever thinks that Allah will never grant him victory in this world and the Hereafter, let him extend a rope to heaven, then cut off [that victory], and see whether his scheme will dispel what enrages him.”

That is, whoever thinks that Allah will not grant His Messenger victory and that his religion will disappear should know that victory comes down from Allah in heaven. So let the one who thinks this “extend a rope”—that is, a cord—“to heaven,” climb up to it, and “then cut off” the victory descending from heaven upon the Messenger (1).

“And see whether his scheme will dispel”—meaning his plots against the Messenger, his warfare against him, and his determination to abolish his religion—“what enrages him,” namely, the ascendancy of the Messenger’s religion. This question is intended as a negation: [namely, that] the measures he takes can never soothe his rage.

The meaning of this noble verse is: O enemy of the Messenger Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who strives to extinguish his religion and ignorantly thinks that his efforts will benefit him in some way, know that no matter what measures you take or how intensely you plot against the Messenger, this will neither dispel your rage nor soothe your anguish. You have no power to accomplish that. We shall, however, suggest a plan by which you may soothe your rage and cut off victory from the Messenger—if that is possible. Approach the matter through its proper door and pursue it by its means: take a rope of palm fiber or some other material, fasten it in heaven, and climb it until you reach the gates through which victory descends. Then block them, close them, and cut them off. Only then will you soothe your rage. This is the plan and the stratagem. Apart from this, do not imagine that you can soothe your rage by any other means, regardless of which created beings come to your aid.

This noble verse contains an unmistakable promise and glad tidings that Allah will grant victory to His religion, His Messenger, and His believing servants. It also drives the disbelievers to despair—those who seek to extinguish Allah’s light with their mouths, though Allah will perfect His light even if the disbelievers hate it; that is, even if they strive as hard as they possibly can.

(1) In the margin of B: “‘Let him extend a rope to heaven, then cut off’—that is, cut off victory from the Messenger.”

﴿١٥﴾ ﴿مَنْ كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَنْ لَنْ يَنْصُرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ بِسَبَبٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ لِيَقْطَعْ فَلْيَنْظُرْ هَلْ يُذْهِبَنَّ كَيْدُهُ مَا يَغِيظُ﴾ . أي: من كان يظن أن الله لا ينصر رسوله، وأن دينه سيضمحل، فإن النصر من الله ينزل من السماء ﴿فَلْيَمْدُدْ﴾ ذلك الظان ﴿بِسَبَبٍ﴾ أي: حبل ﴿إِلَى السَّمَاءِ﴾ وليرقى إليها ﴿ثُمَّ لِيَقْطَعْ﴾ النصر النازل عليه من السماء (١) . ﴿فَلْيَنْظُرْ هَلْ يُذْهِبَنَّ كَيْدُهُ﴾ أي: ما يكيد به الرسول، ويعمله من محاربته، والحرص على إبطال دينه، ما يغيظه من ظهور دينه، وهذا استفهام بمعنى النفي [وأنه] ، لا يقدر على شفاء غيظه بما يعمله من الأسباب. ومعنى هذه الآية الكريمة: يا أيها المعادي للرسول محمد ﷺ، الساعي في إطفاء دينه، الذي يظن بجهله، أن سعيه سيفيده شيئا، اعلم أنك مهما فعلت من الأسباب، وسعيت في كيد الرسول، فإن ذلك لا يذهب غيظك، ولا يشفي كمدك، فليس لك قدرة في ذلك، ولكن سنشير عليك برأي، تتمكن به من شفاء غيظك، ومن قطع النصر عن الرسول -إن كان ممكنا- ائت الأمر مع بابه، وارتق إليه بأسبابه، اعمد إلى حبل من ليف أو غيره، ثم علقه في السماء، ثم اصعد به حتى تصل إلى الأبواب التي ينزل منها النصر، فسدها وأغلقها واقطعها، فبهذه الحال تشفي غيظك، فهذا هو الرأي: والمكيدة، وأما ما سوى هذه الحال فلا يخطر ببالك أنك تشفي بها غيظك، ولو ساعدك من ساعدك من الخلق. وهذه الآية الكريمة، فيها من الوعد والبشارة بنصر الله لدينه ولرسوله وعباده المؤمنين ما لا يخفى، ومن تأييس الكافرين، الذين يريدون أن يطفئوا نور الله بأفواههم، والله متم نوره، ولو كره الكافرون، أي: وسعوا مهما أمكنهم.

(١) في هامش ب ("فليمدد بسبب إلى السماء ثم ليقطع" النصر عن الرسول)