Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (136)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(81–82) “And remember when Allah took the covenant of the prophets: ‘Whatever Scripture and wisdom I give you, if a messenger then comes to you confirming what you have, you must believe in him and support him.’ He said, ‘Do you affirm this and accept My solemn covenant on that basis?’ They said, ‘We affirm it.’ He said, ‘Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses. Whoever turns away after that—it is they who are the rebellious transgressors.’”

Allah Most High informs us that He took from the prophets their solemn and binding covenant in view of what He had given them of His revealed Scripture and the wisdom that distinguishes truth from falsehood and guidance from misguidance: if Allah sent a messenger confirming what they possessed, they were to believe in him, affirm his truthfulness, and require the same commitment from their nations. Allah thus obligated the prophets—peace and blessings be upon them—to believe in and affirm one another, because everything they possessed came from Allah, and everything that comes from Allah must be affirmed and believed. They were therefore like a single entity.

Accordingly, it is known that Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—is the last of them. Had all the prophets—peace and blessings be upon them—lived to see him, they would have been obligated to believe in him, follow him, and support him. He would have been their leader, the foremost among them, and the one they followed. This noble verse is therefore one of the greatest proofs of his lofty rank and eminent standing, and of the fact that he is the best and the master of the prophets—peace and blessings be upon him. When Allah Most High called upon them to affirm this ⦗137⦘, “They said, ‘We affirm it,’” meaning: We accept what You have commanded us wholeheartedly.

Allah said to them, “Then bear witness” to this against yourselves and your nations. He then said, “And I am with you among the witnesses. Whoever turns away after that”—after this covenant and solemn pledge, attested by Allah and His messengers—“it is they who are the rebellious transgressors.” Accordingly, all those who claim to follow the prophets—such as the Jews, the Christians, and those who follow them—have turned away from this weighty covenant and deserve the transgression that entails eternal abiding in the Fire if they do not believe in Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him.

﴿٨١ - ٨٢﴾ ﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُمْ مِنْ كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُصَدِّقٌ لِمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنْصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ إِصْرِي قَالُوا أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُوا وَأَنَا مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ * فَمَنْ تَوَلَّى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ﴾ . يخبر تعالى أنه أخذ ميثاق النبيين وعهدهم المؤكد بسبب ما أعطاهم من كتاب الله المنزل، والحكمة الفاصلة بين الحق والباطل والهدى والضلال، إنه إن بعث الله رسولا مصدقا لما معهم أن يؤمنوا به ويصدقوه ويأخذوا ذلك على أممهم، فالأنبياء عليهم الصلاة والسلام قد أوجب الله عليهم أن يؤمن بعضهم ببعض، ويصدق بعضهم بعضا لأن جميع ما عندهم هو من عند الله، وكل ما من عند الله يجب التصديق به والإيمان، فهم كالشيء الواحد، فعلى هذا قد علم أن محمدا ﷺ هو خاتمهم، فكل الأنبياء عليهم الصلاة والسلام لو أدركوه لوجب عليهم الإيمان به واتباعه ونصرته، وكان هو إمامهم ومقدمهم ومتبوعهم، فهذه الآية الكريمة من أعظم الدلائل على علو مرتبته وجلالة قدره، وأنه أفضل الأنبياء وسيدهم ﷺ لما قررهم تعالى ⦗١٣٧⦘ ﴿قالوا أقررنا﴾ أي: قبلنا ما أمرتنا به على الرأس والعين ﴿قال﴾ الله لهم: ﴿فاشهدوا﴾ على أنفسكم وعلى أممكم بذلك، قال ﴿وأنا معكم من الشاهدين فمن تولى بعد ذلك﴾ العهد والميثاق المؤكد بالشهادة من الله ومن رسله ﴿فأولئك هم الفاسقون﴾ فعلى هذا كل من ادعى أنه من أتباع الأنبياء كاليهود والنصارى ومن تبعهم، فقد تولوا عن هذا الميثاق الغليظ، واستحقوا الفسق الموجب للخلود في النار إن لم يؤمنوا بمحمد ﷺ.