Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (59)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(94–96) “Say, ‘If the Home of the Hereafter with Allah is exclusively yours, to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death, if you are truthful.’ But they will never wish for it because of what their own hands have sent ahead, and Allah knows the wrongdoers. You will surely find them the most eager of all people to remain alive—even more so than the polytheists. Each of them wishes that he might live for a thousand years, but such a long life would not remove him from the punishment. Allah sees all that they do.”

That is, say to them, as a test of the truth of their claim: “If the Home of the Hereafter”—meaning Paradise—“is exclusively yours, to the exclusion of all other people,” as you have claimed when you said that none would enter Paradise unless he were a Jew or a Christian, and that the Fire would touch you only for a limited number of days, then, if you are truthful in this claim, “wish for death.” This was a form of mutual imprecation between them and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.

After their obstinacy, this argument cornered and constrained them so completely that only one of two options remained: either they must believe in Allah and His Messenger, or they must engage in mutual imprecation over their position by means of something easy ⦗60⦘ for them—namely, wishing for the death that would take them to the abode supposedly reserved exclusively for them. Yet they refused to do so.

It thus became clear to everyone that they were opposing Allah and His Messenger with the utmost obstinacy and hostility, and that they were doing so knowingly. Allah the Exalted therefore said: “But they will never wish for it because of what their own hands have sent ahead” in the way of disbelief and sins. They know that death is the path that will bring them to recompense for their wicked deeds. Death is therefore the most hateful thing to them, and they are more eager to remain alive than anyone else—even the polytheists, who believe in none of the messengers or revealed Books.

He then described the intensity of their love for this world, saying: “Each of them wishes that he might live for a thousand years.” This is the utmost extreme of eagerness: they wished for something impossible. Yet even if they lived for the stated length of time, it would avail them nothing and would not avert any of the punishment from them.

“Allah sees all that they do.” This is a threat that they will be recompensed for their deeds.

﴿٩٤ - ٩٦﴾ ﴿قُلْ إِنْ كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الآخِرَةُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَالِصَةً مِنْ دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ * وَلَنْ يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ * وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَى حَيَاةٍ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ أَنْ يُعَمَّرَ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ . أي: ﴿قُلْ﴾ لهم على وجه تصحيح دعواهم: ﴿إِنْ كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الآخِرَةُ﴾ يعني الجنة ﴿خَالِصَةً مِنْ دُونِ النَّاسِ﴾ كما زعمتم، أنه لن يدخل الجنة إلا من كان هودا أو نصارى، وأن النار لن تمسهم إلا أياما معدودة، فإن كنتم صادقين بهذه الدعوى ﴿فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ﴾ وهذا نوع مباهلة بينهم وبين رسول الله ﷺ. وليس بعد هذا الإلجاء والمضايقة لهم بعد العناد منهم، إلا أحد أمرين: إما أن يؤمنوا بالله ورسوله، وإما أن يباهلوا على ما هم عليه بأمر يسير ⦗٦٠⦘ عليهم، وهو تمني الموت الذي يوصلهم إلى الدار التي هي خالصة لهم، فامتنعوا من ذلك. فعلم كل أحد أنهم في غاية المعاندة والمحادة لله ولرسوله، مع علمهم بذلك، ولهذا قال تعالى ﴿وَلَنْ يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ﴾ من الكفر والمعاصي، لأنهم يعلمون أنه طريق لهم إلى المجازاة بأعمالهم الخبيثة، فالموت أكره شيء إليهم، وهم أحرص على الحياة من كل أحد من الناس، حتى من المشركين الذين لا يؤمنون بأحد من الرسل والكتب. ثم ذكر شدة محبتهم للدنيا فقال: ﴿يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ﴾ وهذا أبلغ ما يكون من الحرص، تمنوا حالة هي من المحالات، والحال أنهم لو عمروا العمر المذكور، لم يغن عنهم شيئا ولا دفع عنهم من العذاب شيئا. ﴿وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ تهديد لهم على المجازاة بأعمالهم.