Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (641)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(33–35) “When adversity touches people, they call upon their Lord, turning to Him in repentance. Then, when He lets them taste mercy from Him, at once a group of them associate partners with their Lord—* showing ingratitude for what We have given them. So enjoy yourselves, for you will soon know. * Or have We sent down to them an authority that speaks in support of what they associate with Him?”

“When adversity touches people”—such as illness, fear of destruction, or the like—“they call upon their Lord, turning to Him in repentance.” In that state, they forget what they used to associate with Him, for they know that none but Allah can remove adversity.

“Then, when He lets them taste mercy from Him” by curing them of illness and granting them security from fear, “at once a group of them” renounce the repentance ⦗642⦘ they had shown and associate with Him those who neither warded harm away from them nor benefited them, and who can neither impoverish nor enrich. All of this is ingratitude for what Allah has given them and graciously bestowed upon them, when He saved them, delivered them from distress, and relieved them of hardship. Why, then, did they not respond to this immense blessing with gratitude and remain sincerely devoted to Him in every circumstance?

“Or have We sent down to them an authority?” That is, a manifest proof. “That speaks in support of what they associate with Him”—telling them: “Remain steadfast in your polytheism and persist in your doubt, for what you follow is the truth, while that to which the messengers call you is falsehood.”

Do they possess such an authority that would warrant their firm adherence to polytheism? Or have rational and revealed proofs, the heavenly scriptures, the noble messengers, and the foremost of humankind emphatically forbidden it, warned against following the paths leading to it, and judged anyone who commits it to be unsound in both reason and religion?

Thus, these people practice polytheism without any proof or evidence. It is based solely on the desires of their souls and the promptings of Satan.

﴿٣٣ - ٣٥﴾ ﴿وَإِذَا مَسَّ النَّاسَ ضُرٌّ دَعَوْا رَبَّهُمْ مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا أَذَاقَهُمْ مِنْهُ رَحْمَةً إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ بِرَبِّهِمْ يُشْرِكُونَ * لِيَكْفُرُوا بِمَا آتَيْنَاهُمْ فَتَمَتَّعُوا فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ * أَمْ أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانًا فَهُوَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا كَانُوا بِهِ يُشْرِكُونَ﴾ . ﴿وَإِذَا مَسَّ النَّاسَ ضُرٌّ﴾ مرض أو خوف من هلاك ونحوه. ﴿دَعَوْا رَبَّهُمْ مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ﴾ ونسوا ما كانوا به يشركون في تلك الحال لعلمهم أنه لا يكشف الضر إلا الله. ﴿ثُمَّ إِذَا أَذَاقَهُمْ مِنْهُ رَحْمَةً﴾ شفاهم من مرضهم وآمنهم من خوفهم، ﴿إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ﴾ ينقضون تلك الإنابة ⦗٦٤٢⦘ التي صدرت منهم ويشركون به من لا دفع عنهم ولا أغنى، ولا أفقر ولا أغنى، وكل هذا كفر بما آتاهم الله ومَنَّ به عليهم حيث أنجاهم، وأنقذهم من الشدة وأزال عنهم المشقة، فهلا قابلوا هذه النعمة الجليلة بالشكر والدوام على الإخلاص له في جميع الأحوال؟. ﴿أَمْ أَنزلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانًا﴾ أي: حجة ظاهرة ﴿فَهُوَ﴾ أي: ذلك السلطان، ﴿يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا كَانُوا بِهِ يُشْرِكُونَ﴾ ويقول لهم: اثبتوا على شرككم واستمروا على شككم فإن ما أنتم عليه هو الحق وما دعتكم الرسل إليه باطل. فهل ذلك السلطان موجود عندهم حتى يوجب لهم شدة التمسك بالشرك؟ أم البراهين العقلية والسمعية والكتب السماوية والرسل الكرام وسادات الأنام، قد نهوا أشد النهي عن ذلك وحذروا من سلوك طرقه الموصلة إليه وحكموا بفساد عقل ودين من ارتكبه؟. فشرك هؤلاء بغير حجة ولا برهان وإنما هو أهواء النفوس، ونزغات الشيطان.