Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (429)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

[6–9] “They say, ‘O you to whom the Reminder has been sent down! You are surely mad. Why do you not bring us the angels, if you are truthful? We do not send down the angels except with the truth, and then they would be granted no respite. Indeed, it is We who have sent down the Reminder, and We will surely preserve it.’”

That is, the deniers said to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in mockery and derision: “O you to whom the Reminder has been sent down”—as you claim—“you are surely mad,” for you imagine that we will follow you and abandon the ways of our forefathers merely on your word.

“Why do you not bring us the angels” to testify that what you have brought is true, “if you are truthful?” Since you have not brought the angels, you are not truthful. This is among the greatest forms of wrongdoing and ignorance.

Their wrongdoing is evident: this was an insolent affront to Allah and an obstinate demand that He produce particular signs which He had not chosen, even though the intended purpose and proof had already been established without them by the many signs demonstrating the truth of what the Messenger had brought. As for their ignorance, they failed to distinguish what would benefit them from what would harm them. There would be no good for them in the angels being sent down. Rather, Allah sends the angels only with the truth, after which anyone who fails to follow and submit to it is granted no respite.

“And then they”—when the angels descended, if they still did not believe, as indeed they would not—“would be granted no respite”; that is, they would not be left alone. Their demand that the angels be sent down therefore amounted to hastening their own ruin and destruction. Faith is not in their hands; it lies only with Allah:

“Even if We sent down the angels to them, the dead spoke to them, and We gathered all things before them face to face, they still would not believe unless Allah willed. But most of them are ignorant.”

If they are sincere, this magnificent Quran is sufficient as a sign for them. Therefore, He says here: “Indeed, it is We who have sent down the Reminder”—that is, the Quran, which contains guidance concerning every matter and clear proofs, and from which anyone wishing to take heed may do so—“and We will surely preserve it.” That is, We preserve it both while it is being revealed and after its revelation. During its revelation, We protect it against the eavesdropping of every accursed devil. After its revelation, Allah placed it in the heart of His Messenger, entrusting it there and thereafter in the hearts of his nation. Allah has preserved its wording from alteration, addition, and omission, and its meanings from distortion. Whenever anyone distorts one of its meanings, Allah appoints someone to clarify the manifest truth. This is among Allah’s greatest signs and blessings upon His believing servants. Part of His preservation of the Quran is that He protects those devoted to it from their enemies and does not grant any enemy power to annihilate them.

﴿٦ - ٩﴾ ﴿وَقَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ * لَوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِالْمَلائِكَةِ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ * مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلائِكَةَ إِلا بِالْحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوا إِذًا مُنْظَرِينَ * إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ﴾ . أي: وقال المكذبون لمحمد ﷺ استهزاء وسخرية: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِي نزلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْر﴾ على زعمك ﴿إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ﴾ إذ تظن أنا سنتبعك ونترك ما وجدنا عليه آباءنا لمجرد قولك. ﴿لَوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِالْمَلائِكَةِ﴾ يشهدون لك بصحة ما جئت به ﴿إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ﴾ فلما لم تأت بالملائكة فلست بصادق، وهذا من أعظم الظلم والجهل. أما الظلم فظاهر فإن هذا تجرؤ على الله وتعنت بتعيين الآيات التي لم يخترها وحصل المقصود والبرهان بدونها من الآيات الكثيرة الدالة على صحة ما جاء به، وأما الجهل، فإنهم جهلوا مصلحتهم من مضرتهم، فليس في إنزال الملائكة، خير لهم بل لا ينزل الله الملائكة إلا بالحق الذي لا إمهال على من لم يتبعه وينقد له. ﴿وَمَا كَانُوا إِذًا﴾ أي: حين تنزل الملائكة، إن لم يؤمنوا، ولن يؤمنوا بـ ﴿مُنْظَرِينَ﴾ أي: بمهملين، فصار طلبهم لإنزال الملائكة تعجيلا لأنفسهم بالهلاك والدمار، فإن الإيمان ليس في أيديهم وإنما هو بيد الله، ﴿ولو أننا نزلنا إليهم الملائكة وكلمهم الموتى وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء قبلا ما كانوا ليؤمنوا إلا أن يشاء الله ولكن أكثرهم يجهلون﴾ ويكفيهم من الآيات إن كانوا صادقين، هذا القرآن العظيم ولهذا قال هنا: ﴿إِنَّا نَحْنُ نزلْنَا الذِّكْرَ﴾ أي: القرآن الذي فيه ذكرى لكل شيء من المسائل والدلائل الواضحة، وفيه يتذكر من أراد التذكر، ﴿وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ﴾ أي: في حال إنزاله وبعد إنزاله، ففي حال إنزاله حافظون له من استراق كل شيطان رجيم، وبعد إنزاله أودعه الله في قلب رسوله، واستودعه فيها ثم في قلوب أمته، وحفظ الله ألفاظه من التغيير فيها والزيادة والنقص، ومعانيه من التبديل، فلا يحرف محرف معنى من معانيه إلا وقيض الله له من يبين الحق المبين، وهذا من أعظم آيات الله ونعمه على عباده المؤمنين، ومن حفظه أن الله يحفظ أهله من أعدائهم، ولا يسلط عليهم عدوا يجتاحهم.