Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (152)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(152) “Allah certainly fulfilled His promise to you when, by His permission, you were striking them down, until you lost heart, disputed over the command, and disobeyed after He had shown you what you loved. Some of you desired this world, and some of you desired the Hereafter. Then He turned you away from them to test you. Yet He has surely pardoned you, and Allah is abundant in grace toward the believers.”

That is, “Allah certainly fulfilled His promise to you” of victory. He granted you victory over them until they turned their backs and fled, and you began killing them. Then you yourselves became the cause of your own setback and aided your enemies against yourselves. When weakness and faintheartedness overtook you and “you disputed over the command,” thereby forsaking Allah’s command to remain united and avoid division, you differed among yourselves. Some said, “We should remain at the post where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stationed us.” Others said, “Why should we remain here when the enemy has been routed and there is no longer any danger?” Thus you disobeyed the Messenger and abandoned his command after Allah had shown you what you loved—the rout of your enemies—for the duty incumbent upon one whom Allah has favored with what he loves is greater than that incumbent upon others.

Therefore, particularly in such circumstances—and generally in all circumstances—it is obligatory to obey Allah and His Messenger.

“Some of you desired this world.” These were the people whose desire brought these consequences upon them. “And some of you desired the Hereafter.” These were those who adhered to the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and remained steadfast where they had been ordered to remain.

“Then He turned you away from them.” That is, after these things occurred among you, Allah turned your faces away from them, and the advantage passed to your enemy. This was a test and trial from Allah, so that the believer might be distinguished from the disbeliever and the obedient from the disobedient, and so that Allah might expiate through this calamity what had proceeded from you. Hence He said, “Yet He has surely pardoned you, and Allah is abundant in grace toward the believers.” That is, He bestows tremendous grace upon them: He has blessed them with Islam, guided them to its teachings, pardoned their sins, and rewarded them for their afflictions.

Part of His grace toward the believers is that He never decrees any blessing or affliction for them without its being good for them. If prosperity befalls them and they give thanks, He rewards them with the reward of the grateful; and if adversity befalls them and they remain patient, He rewards them with the reward of the patient.

﴿١٥٢﴾ ﴿وَلَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ إِذْ تَحُسُّونَهُمْ بِإِذْنِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا فَشِلْتُمْ وَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الأمْرِ وَعَصَيْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَرَاكُمْ مَا تُحِبُّونَ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ صَرَفَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا عَنْكُمْ وَاللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ . أي: ﴿ولقد صدقكم الله وعده﴾ بالنصر، فنصركم عليهم، حتى ولوكم أكتافهم، وطفقتم فيهم قتلا حتى صرتم سببا لأنفسكم، وعونا لأعدائكم عليكم، فلما حصل منكم الفشل وهو الضعف والخور ﴿وتنازعتم في الأمر﴾ الذي فيه ترك أمر الله بالائتلاف وعدم الاختلاف، فاختلفتم، فمن قائل نقيم في مركزنا الذي جعلنا فيه النبي ﷺ، ومن قائل: ما مقامنا فيه وقد انهزم العدو، ولم يبق محذور، فعصيتم الرسول، وتركتم أمره من بعد ما أراكم الله ما تحبون وهو انخذال أعدائكم؛ لأن الواجب على من أنعم الله عليه بما أحب، أعظم من غيره. فالواجب في هذه الحال خصوصًا، وفي غيرها عموما، امتثال أمر الله ورسوله. ﴿منكم من يريد الدنيا﴾ وهم الذين أوجب لهم ذلك ما أوجب، ﴿ومنكم من يريد الآخرة﴾ وهم الذين لزموا أمر رسول الله ﷺ وثبتوا حيث أمروا. ﴿ثم صرفكم عنهم﴾ أي: بعدما وجدت هذه الأمور منكم، صرف الله وجوهكم عنهم، فصار الوجه لعدوكم، ابتلاء من الله لكم وامتحانا، ليتبين المؤمن من الكافر، والطائع من العاصي، وليكفر الله عنكم بهذه المصيبة ما صدر منكم، فلهذا قال: ﴿ولقد عفا عنكم والله ذو فضل على المؤمنين﴾ أي: ذو فضل عظيم عليهم، حيث منَّ عليهم بالإسلام، وهداهم لشرائعه، وعفا عنهم سيئاتهم، وأثابهم على مصيباتهم. ومن فضله على المؤمنين أنه لا يقدّر عليهم خيرا ولا مصيبة، إلا كان خيرا لهم. إن أصابتهم سراء فشكروا جازاهم جزاء الشاكرين، وإن أصابتهم ضراء فصبروا، جازاهم جزاء الصابرين.