Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (322)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(43–44) “When Allah showed them to you in your dream as few in number—had He shown them to you as many, you would have lost heart and disputed over the matter. But Allah kept you safe. Indeed, He knows what lies within hearts. * And when you met, He made them appear few in your eyes and made you appear few in their eyes, so that Allah might accomplish a matter already decreed. And to Allah all matters are returned.”

Allah had shown His Messenger the polytheists in a dream as few in number. He gave his Companions the glad tidings, so their hearts were reassured and their resolve strengthened.

Had Allah shown them to you as many and you then informed your Companions, “you would have lost heart and disputed over the matter.” Some of you would have favored advancing to fight them, while others would not, and such disagreement and dispute would have arisen as to cause you to lose heart.

“But Allah kept you safe,” and was gracious (1) to you. “Indeed, He knows what lies within hearts”—that is, the steadfastness and dismay, truthfulness and falsehood within them. Allah knew that there was within your hearts that which became a cause for His graciousness and kindness toward you, and He confirmed His Messenger’s dream. Thus, Allah made the believers see their enemy as few in number, and made you—company of believers—appear few in their eyes. Each of the two groups therefore saw the other as few, so that each would advance against the other.

“So that Allah might accomplish a matter already decreed”: granting victory to the believers, forsaking the disbelievers, and killing their leaders and chiefs of misguidance. Not one of their renowned leaders remained, making it easier thereafter for the rest to submit when called to Islam. This was also an act of graciousness toward those who remained, whom Allah blessed with Islam.

“And to Allah all matters are returned”—that is, all the affairs of creation return to Allah. He distinguishes the wicked from the good and judges His creatures with His just judgment, in which there is neither injustice nor oppression.

(1) B reads: “that is, He was gracious.”

﴿٤٣ - ٤٤﴾ ﴿إِذْ يُرِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَنَامِكَ قَلِيلا وَلَوْ أَرَاكَهُمْ كَثِيرًا لَفَشِلْتُمْ وَلَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الأمْرِ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ سَلَّمَ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ * وَإِذْ يُرِيكُمُوهُمْ إِذِ الْتَقَيْتُمْ فِي أَعْيُنِكُمْ قَلِيلا وَيُقَلِّلُكُمْ فِي أَعْيُنِهِمْ لِيَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ أَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُولا وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الأمُورُ﴾ . وكان الله قد أرى رسوله المشركين في الرؤيا عددا قليلا فبشر بذلك أصحابه، فاطمأنت قلوبهم وتثبتت أفئدتهم. ولو أراكهم الله إياهم كَثِيرًا فأخبرت بذلك أصحابك ﴿لَفَشِلْتُمْ وَلَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الأمْرِ﴾ فمنكم من يرى الإقدام على قتالهم، ومنكم من لا يرى ذلك فوقع من الاختلاف والتنازع ما يوجب الفشل. ﴿وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ سَلَّمَ﴾ فلطف (١) بكم ﴿إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ﴾ أي: بما فيها من ثبات وجزع، وصدق وكذب، فعلم الله من قلوبكم ما صار سببا للطفه وإحسانه بكم وصدق رؤيا رسوله، فأرى الله المؤمنين عدوهم قليلا في أعينهم، ويقللكم - يا معشر المؤمنين - في أعينهم، فكل من الطائفتين ترى الأخرى قليلة، لتقدم كل منهما على الأخرى. ﴿لِيَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ أَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُولا﴾ من نصر المؤمنين وخذلان الكافرين وقتل قادتهم ورؤساء الضلال منهم، ولم يبق منهم أحد له اسم يذكر، فيتيسر بعد ذلك انقيادهم إذا دعوا إلى الإسلام، فصار أيضا لطفا بالباقين، الذين مَنَّ الله عليهم بالإسلام. ﴿وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الأمُورُ﴾ أي: جميع أمور الخلائق ترجع إلى الله، فيميز الخبيث من الطيب، ويحكم في الخلائق بحكمه العادل، الذي لا جور فيه ولا ظلم.

(١) في ب: أي: لطف.