Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (657)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(26–27) “Has it not become clear to them how many generations We destroyed before them, through whose dwellings they now walk? Surely in that are signs. Will they not then listen? * Have they not seen how We drive water to barren land and thereby bring forth crops from which their livestock and they themselves eat? Will they not then see?”

That is, has it not become clear to these deniers of the Messenger “how many generations We destroyed before them,” and has this not guided them to what is right? Those generations followed the same path as they do. “Through whose dwellings they now walk,” seeing them with their own eyes, such as the peoples of Hūd and Sālih and the people of Lot.

“Surely in that are signs” from which the truthfulness of the messengers who came to them may be inferred, as may the falsity of the polytheism and evil they followed. They also show that whoever acts as they did will be treated as those of their kind before them were treated.

They further show that Allah Most High will recompense His servants and resurrect them for the Gathering and the Day of Calling. “Will they not then listen” to Allah’s signs, comprehend them, and benefit from them? Had they possessed sound hearing and sound judgment, they would not have persisted in a condition (1) that assuredly leads to destruction.

“Have they not seen” with their own eyes Our blessing and the perfection of Our wisdom: “how We drive water to barren land” in which there is no vegetation? Allah sends rain to land where it was not previously present, pouring water upon it from clouds or rivers. “And thereby bring forth crops”—that is, vegetation of various kinds—“from which their livestock” eat, namely vegetation for grazing animals, “and they themselves,” namely food for human beings.

“Will they not then see” the blessing by which Allah gives life to lands and people, so that they may perceive clearly and, through that sight and insight, be guided to the straight path? Yet blindness has overcome them and heedlessness has taken hold of them. They did not view it with the discerning eyes of men; they regarded it only heedlessly and as a matter of mere habit, and so they were not granted success in attaining good.

(1) This is the reading in manuscript B. Manuscript A reads: “in a condition that does not assuredly lead [to destruction].” The correct reading—and Allah knows best—is to omit “not.”

﴿٢٦ - ٢٧﴾ ﴿أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ يَمْشُونَ فِي مَسَاكِنِهِمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَاتٍ أَفَلا يَسْمَعُونَ * أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا نَسُوقُ الْمَاءَ إِلَى الأرْضِ الْجُرُزِ فَنُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعًا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ أَنْعَامُهُمْ وَأَنْفُسُهُمْ أَفَلا يُبْصِرُونَ﴾ . يعني: أولم يتبين لهؤلاء المكذبين للرسول، ويهدهم إلى الصواب. ﴿كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلَهُمْ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ﴾ الذين سلكوا مسلكهم، ﴿يَمْشُونَ فِي مَسَاكِنِهِمْ﴾ فيشاهدونها عيانًا، كقوم هود، وصالح، وقوم لوط. ﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَاتٍ﴾ يستدل بها، على صدق الرسل، التي جاءتهم، وبطلان ما هم عليه، من الشرك والشر، وعلى أن من فعل مثل فعلهم، فُعِلَ بهم، كما فُعِلَ بأشياعه من قبل. وعلى أن الله تعالى مجازي العباد، وباعثهم للحشر والتناد. ﴿أَفَلا يَسْمَعُونَ﴾ آيات الله، فيعونها، فينتفعون بها، فلو كان لهم سمع صحيح، وعقل رجيح، لم يقيموا على حالة (١) يجزم بها، بالهلاك. ﴿أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا﴾ بأبصارهم نعمتنا، وكمال حكمتنا ﴿أَنَّا نَسُوقُ الْمَاءَ إِلَى الأرْضِ الْجُرُزِ﴾ التي لا نبات فيها، فيسوق الله المطر، الذي لم يكن قبل موجودًا فيها، فيفرغه فيها، من السحاب، أو من الأنهار. ﴿فَنُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعًا﴾ أي: نباتًا، مختلف الأنواع ﴿تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ أَنْعَامُهُمْ﴾ وهو نبات البهائم ﴿وَأَنْفُسهمْ﴾ وهو طعام الآدميين. ﴿أَفَلا يُبْصِرُونَ﴾ تلك المنة، التي أحيا الله بها البلاد والعباد، فيستبصرون فيهتدون بذلك البصر، وتلك البصيرة، إلى الصراط المستقيم، ولكن غلب عليهم العمى، واستولت عليهم الغفلة، فلم يبصروا في ذلك، بصر الرجال، وإنما نظروا إلى ذلك، نظر الغفلة، ومجرد العادة، فلم يوفقوا للخير.

(١) كذا في ب، وفي أ: على حالة لم يجزم، والصواب -والله أعلم- حذف لم.