Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (311)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

“Say, ‘I have no power to benefit or harm myself except as Allah wills. Had I known the unseen, I would have acquired abundant good, and no harm would have touched me. I am only a warner and a bearer of glad tidings to people who believe.’”

“Say, ‘I have no power to benefit or harm myself,’ for I am needy and subject to my Lord’s direction. No good comes to me except from Allah, and none but He wards off evil from me. I possess no knowledge except what Allah Most High has taught me.

“Had I known the unseen, I would have acquired abundant good, and no harm would have touched me.” That is, I would have taken the measures that I knew would bring me benefit and serve my interests, and I would have guarded against everything leading to harm or adversity, since I would have known things before they occurred and known what they would lead to.

But because I do not possess such knowledge, harm may befall me, and some worldly interests and benefits may elude me. This is the clearest proof that I have no knowledge of the unseen.

“I am only a warner”: I warn of punishments in matters of religion, in this world, and in the Hereafter; I explain the deeds that lead to them and caution against them.

“And a bearer of glad tidings” of reward both immediate and deferred, by explaining the deeds that lead to it and encouraging people to perform them. Yet not everyone accepts these glad tidings and warnings. Only the believers accept them and benefit from them.

These noble verses expose the ignorance of anyone who turns to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and supplicates to him in order to obtain some benefit or avert some harm. He has no control whatsoever over the affair; he cannot benefit anyone whom Allah does not benefit, nor can he avert harm from anyone for whom Allah does not avert it. He possesses no knowledge except what Allah Most High has taught him.

He benefits only those who accept the glad tidings and warnings with which he was sent and act accordingly. This is the benefit he confers, peace and blessings be upon him—a benefit surpassing that of fathers and mothers, close friends and brothers—for he urged Allah’s servants toward every good, warned them against every evil, and explained it all to them with the utmost clarity and lucidity.

﴿قُلْ لا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلا ضَرًّا إِلا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ إِنْ أَنَا إِلا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾ . ﴿قُلْ لا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلا ضَرًّا﴾ فإني فقير مدبر، لا يأتيني خير إلا من الله، ولا يدفع عني الشر إلا هو، وليس لي من العلم إلا ما علمني الله تعالى. ﴿وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ﴾ أي: لفعلت الأسباب التي أعلم أنها تنتج لي المصالح والمنافع، ولحذرت من كل ما يفضي إلى سوء ومكروه، لعلمي بالأشياء قبل كونها، وعلمي بما تفضي إليه. ولكني - لعدم علمي - قد ينالني ما ينالني من السوء، وقد يفوتني ما يفوتني من مصالح الدنيا ومنافعها، فهذا أدل دليل على أني لا علم لي بالغيب. ﴿إِنْ أَنَا إِلا نَذِيرٌ﴾ أنذر العقوبات الدينية والدنيوية والأخروية، وأبين الأعمال المفضية إلى ذلك، وأحذر منها. ﴿وَبَشِيرٌ﴾ بالثواب العاجل والآجل، ببيان الأعمال الموصلة إليه والترغيب فيها، ولكن ليس كل أحد يقبل هذه البشارة والنذارة، وإنما ينتفع بذلك ويقبله المؤمنون، وهذه الآيات الكريمات، مبينة جهل من يقصد النبي ﷺ ويدعوه لحصول نفع أو دفع ضر. فإنه ليس بيده شيء من الأمر، ولا ينفع من لم ينفعه الله، ولا يدفع الضر عمن لم يدفعه الله عنه، ولا له من العلم إلا ما علمه الله تعالى، وإنما ينفع من قبل ما أرسل به من البشارة والنذارة، وعمل بذلك، فهذا نفعه ﷺ، الذي فاق نفع الآباء والأمهات، والأخلاء والإخوان بما حث العباد على كل خير، وحذرهم عن كل شر، وبينه لهم غاية البيان والإيضاح.