Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (435)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

Commentary on Sūrat al-Nahl, which is Makkan

⦗1 - 2⦘ “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Allah’s command is coming, so do not seek to hasten it. Glory be to Him, and exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him. He sends down the angels with revelation by His command to whomever He wills among His servants, declaring: ‘Warn that there is no deity but Me, so fear Me.’”

Allah Most High says—bringing near what He has promised and affirming that it will surely occur—“Allah’s command is coming, so do not seek to hasten it.” It will certainly come, and whatever is coming is near. “Glory be to Him, and exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him”: attributing to Him a partner, child, consort, equal, or anything else the polytheists ascribe to Him that is unbefitting His majesty or incompatible with His perfection.

Having declared Himself exalted above what His enemies attribute to Him, He then mentions the revelation that He sends down to His prophets, which must be followed regarding the perfect attributes ascribed to Allah. He says: “He sends down the angels with revelation by His command”—that is, with the revelation by which souls are given life—“to whomever He wills among His servants,” whom He knows to be fit to bear His message.

The essence and central theme of the call of all the messengers lies in His words: “Warn that there is no deity but Me, so fear Me.” That is, it rests upon knowing Allah Most High, recognizing His uniqueness in the majestic attributes of divinity, and worshiping Him alone without any partner. This is the message for which Allah sent down His Books and dispatched His messengers. All the revealed laws call to it, urge adherence to it, and combat those who wage war against it and uphold its opposite. He then mentioned the evidence and proofs for this, saying:

تفسير سورة النحل وهي مكية ﴿١ - ٢﴾ ﴿بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ أَتَى أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلا تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ * يُنَزِّلُ الْمَلائِكَةَ بِالرُّوحِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ أَنْ أَنْذِرُوا أَنَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنَا فَاتَّقُونِ﴾ . يقول تعالى -مقربا لما وعد به محققا لوقوعه- ﴿أَتَى أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلا تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ﴾ فإنه آت، وما هو آت، فإنه قريب، ﴿سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ﴾ من نسبة الشريك والولد والصاحبة والكفء وغير ذلك مما نسبه إليه المشركون مما لا يليق بجلاله، أو ينافي كماله، ولما نزه نفسه عما وصفه به أعداؤه ذكر الوحي الذي ينزله على أنبيائه، مما يجب اتباعه في ذكر ما ينسب لله، من صفات الكمال فقال: ﴿يُنزلُ الْمَلائِكَةَ بِالرُّوحِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ﴾ أي: بالوحي الذي به حياة الأرواح ﴿عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ﴾ ممن يعلمه صالحا، لتحمل رسالته. وزبدة دعوة الرسل كلهم ومدارها على قوله: ﴿أَنْ أَنْذِرُوا أَنَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنَا فَاتَّقُونِ﴾ أي: على معرفة الله تعالى وتوحده في صفات العظمة التي هي صفات الألوهية وعبادته وحده لا شريك له فهي التي أنزل الله بها كتبه وأرسل رسله، وجعل الشرائع كلها تدعو إليها، وتحث وتجاهد من حاربها وقام بضدها، ثم ذ كر الأدلة والبراهين على ذلك فقال: