Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (238)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

“Had the People of the Book believed and feared Allah, We would surely have absolved them of their misdeeds and admitted them into Gardens of Bliss. * Had they upheld the Torah, the Gospel, and what was sent down to them from their Lord, they would have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet. Among them is a community that follows a moderate course, but many of them—evil indeed is what they do.”

[Then Allah Most High said]: “Had the People of the Book believed and feared Allah, We would surely have absolved them of their misdeeds and admitted them into Gardens of Bliss.” This is part of His generosity and bounty: after mentioning the vile deeds, faults, and false statements of the People of the Book, He called them to repentance, declaring that if they believed in Allah, His angels, all His Books, and all His messengers, and refrained from sins, He would absolve them of their misdeeds, whatever they might be, and admit them into Gardens of Bliss, containing whatever souls desire and eyes delight in.

“Had they upheld the Torah, the Gospel, and what was sent down to them from their Lord”—that is, had they observed their commands and prohibitions, as Allah urged and exhorted them to do.

Part of upholding them is believing in what they called to: belief in Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and in the Quran. Had they upheld this tremendous blessing that their Lord sent down to them—that is, for their benefit and out of care for them—“they would have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet.” That is, Allah would have poured out upon them ⦗239⦘ abundant provision, sent rain down upon them from the sky, and brought forth produce for them from the earth. As Allah Most High says: “Had the people of the towns believed and feared Allah, We would surely have opened up for them blessings from heaven and earth.”

“Among them”—that is, among the People of the Book—“is a community that follows a moderate course,” meaning that they act according to the Torah and the Gospel, though without great vigor or zeal. “But many of them—evil indeed is what they do.” That is, those among them who do evil are many; as for those among them who are foremost, few indeed are they.

﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَكَفَّرْنَا عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلأدْخَلْنَاهُمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ * وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإنْجِيلَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لأكَلُوا مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ مِنْهُمْ أُمَّةٌ مُقْتَصِدَةٌ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ سَاءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ . [ثم قال تعالى] : ﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَكَفَّرْنَا عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلأدْخَلْنَاهُمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ﴾ وهذا من كرمه وجوده، حيث ذكر قبائح أهل الكتاب ومعايبهم وأقوالهم الباطلة، دعاهم إلى التوبة، وأنهم لو آمنوا بالله وملائكته، وجميع كتبه، وجميع رسله، واتقوا المعاصي، لكفر عنهم سيئاتهم ولو كانت ما كانت، ولأدخلهم جنات النعيم التي فيها ما تشتهيه الأنفس وتلذ الأعين. ﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإنجِيلَ وَمَا أُنزلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِن رََّبِّهِمْ﴾ أي: قاموا بأوامرهما ونواهيهما، كما ندبهم الله وحثهم. ومن إقامتهما الإيمان بما دعيا إليه، من الإيمان بمحمد ﷺ وبالقرآن، فلو قاموا بهذه النعمة العظيمة التي أنزلها ربهم إليهم، أي: لأجلهم وللاعتناء بهم ﴿لأكَلُوا مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ﴾ أي: لأدر الله عليهم ⦗٢٣٩⦘ الرزق، ولأمطر عليهم السماء، وأنبت لهم الأرض كما قال تعالى: ﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأرْضِ﴾ . ﴿مِنْهُمْ﴾ أي: من أهل الكتاب ﴿أُمَّةٌ مُّقْتَصِدَةٌ﴾ أي: عاملة بالتوراة والإنجيل، عملا غير قوي ولا نشيط، ﴿وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ سَاءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ أي: والمسيء منهم الكثير. وأما السابقون منهم فقليل ما هم.