Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (216)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(172, 173) “The Messiah would never disdain to be a servant of Allah, nor would the angels brought near to Him. Whoever disdains His worship and acts arrogantly—He will gather them all before Him. As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, He will pay them their rewards in full and give them even more out of His bounty. But as for those who disdain and act arrogantly, He will punish them with a painful punishment, and they will find no protector or helper besides Allah.”

After mentioning the Christians’ excess regarding Jesus, peace be upon him, and stating that he is His servant and messenger, Allah Most High explains here that Jesus does not disdain to worship his Lord; that is, he does not refuse to worship Him out of aversion. Neither does he, “nor do the angels brought near to Him.” Allah thus declares them free of disdain; a fortiori, He declares them free of arrogance, for negating a quality entails affirming its opposite.

In other words, Jesus and the angels brought near to Allah desire to worship their Lord, love doing so, and strive in His worship as befits their respective states. This has secured for them immense honor and tremendous success. ⦗217⦘ They did not disdain to be servants under His lordship or devoted to His divinity; rather, they recognize their need for this as surpassing every other need.

No one should imagine that elevating Jesus or any other created being above the rank in which Allah placed him, and declaring him too exalted for worship, constitutes perfection. Rather, this is deficiency itself and warrants blame and punishment. Hence He says: “Whoever disdains His worship and acts arrogantly—He will gather them all before Him.” That is, He will gather all creation before Him: those who disdain and act arrogantly, as well as His believing servants. He will then judge between them with His just judgment and decisive recompense.

He then details His judgment concerning them, saying: “As for those who believe and do righteous deeds”—that is, those who combine the faith commanded of them with righteous deeds, both obligatory and recommended, encompassing the rights of Allah and the rights of His servants—“He will pay them their rewards in full”; that is, the rewards He has ordained for their deeds, each according to his faith and deeds.

“And give them even more out of His bounty”: rewards that their deeds did not merit, their actions could not attain, and their hearts never imagined. This includes all the food, drink, spouses, beautiful sights, and joy in Paradise, as well as the bliss of the heart and soul and the bliss of the body. Indeed, it includes every religious and worldly good that Allah has made consequent upon faith and righteous deeds.

“But as for those who disdain and act arrogantly”—that is, who disdain to worship Allah Most High—“He will punish them with a painful punishment”: Allah’s displeasure and wrath, and the kindled Fire that reaches the hearts.

“And they will find no protector or helper besides Allah.” That is, they will find no created being to take charge of them and secure what they seek, nor anyone to help them and repel what they fear. Rather, the Most Merciful of those who show mercy will have forsaken them and left them to abide forever in their punishment. No one can overturn the judgment Allah Most High has passed or alter His decree.

﴿١٧٢، ١٧٣﴾ ﴿لَنْ يَسْتَنْكِفَ الْمَسِيحُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَبْدًا لِلَّهِ وَلا الْمَلائِكَةُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ وَمَنْ يَسْتَنْكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعًا * فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْتَنْكَفُوا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا فَيُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا وَلا يَجِدُونَ لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلا نَصِيرًا﴾ . لما ذكر تعالى غلو النصارى في عيسى ﵇، وذكر أنه عبده ورسوله، ذكر هنا أنه لا يستنكف عن عبادة ربه، أي: لا يمتنع عنها رغبة عنها، لا هو ﴿وَلا الْمَلائِكَةُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ﴾ فنزههم عن الاستنكاف وتنزيههم عن الاستكبار من باب أولى، ونفي الشيء فيه إثبات ضده. أي: فعيسى والملائكة المقربون قد رغبوا في عبادة ربهم، وأحبوها وسعوا فيها بما يليق بأحوالهم، فأوجب لهم ذلك الشرف العظيم والفوز العظيم، ⦗٢١٧⦘ فلم يستنكفوا أن يكونوا عبيدا لربوبيته ولا لإلهيته، بل يرون افتقارهم لذلك فوق كل افتقار. ولا يظن أن رفع عيسى أو غيره من الخلق فوق مرتبته التي أنزله الله فيها وترفعه عن العبادة كمالا بل هو النقص بعينه، وهو محل الذم والعقاب، ولهذا قال: ﴿وَمَن يَسْتَنكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعًا﴾ أي: فسيحشر الخلق كلهم إليه، المستنكفين والمستكبرين وعباده المؤمنين، فيحكم بينهم بحكمه العدل، وجزائه الفصل. ثم فصل حكمه فيهم فقال: ﴿فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ﴾ أي: جمعوا بين الإيمان المأمور به، وعمل الصالحات من واجبات ومستحبات، من حقوق الله وحقوق عباده. ﴿فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ﴾ أي: الأجور التي رتبها على الأعمال، كُلٌّ بحسب إيمانه وعمله. ﴿وَيَزِيدُهُم مِن فَضْلِهِ﴾ من الثواب الذي لم تنله أعمالهم ولم تصل إليه أفعالهم، ولم يخطر على قلوبهم. ودخل في ذلك كل ما في الجنة من المآكل والمشارب، والمناكح، والمناظر والسرور، ونعيم القلب والروح، ونعيم البدن، بل يدخل في ذلك كل خير ديني ودنيوي رتب على الإيمان والعمل الصالح. ﴿وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْتَنكَفُوا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا﴾ أي: عن عبادة الله تعالى ﴿فَيُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا﴾ وهو سخط الله وغضبه، والنار الموقدة التي تطلع على الأفئدة. ﴿وَلا يَجِدُونَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلا نَصِيرًا﴾ أي: لا يجدون أحدا من الخلق يتولاهم فيحصل لهم المطلوب، ولا مَن ينصرهم فيدفع عنهم المرهوب، بل قد تخلى عنهم أرحم الراحمين، وتركهم في عذابهم خالدين، وما حكم به تعالى فلا رادّ لحكمه ولا مغيّر لقضائه.