16
The heretics likewise took exception to His words:
“-You stayed only ten [nights]-” (20:103) …
As for His statement, “You stayed only ten [nights],” this will be said when they emerge from their graves and gaze upon the very resurrection they once denied. They will say to one another, “You remained in the graves no more than ten nights,” yet even ten will seem too long for them. Then they will say,
“-You stayed only a single day-,”
in the graves; but a day will still appear excessive, so they will say,
“-You stayed only a little while-.”
Even “a little while” will strike them as lengthy, and they will conclude, “You stayed only an hour of the day.” Such is the explanation of the matter that had caused the heretics to doubt.1
…“If you remained only ten days” (Ta Ha 103) and His words, “On the Day when the Hour is established the criminals will swear, ‘We did not stay except an hour’” (al-Rum 55).
The Qur’an itself resolves this: some will say, “We stayed a day or part of a day,” others, “We stayed an hour,” and still others, “We stayed ten days.”
The Qur’an further indicates that the most perceptive, intelligent and balanced of them will be the one who says the stay lasted a single day, as in: “Then the best of them in conduct will say, ‘You stayed only a day’” (Ta Ha 104). This shows that their answers concerning the length of their stay differ; God alone knows the full truth. See Daf‘ Ihām al-Idtirāb, 10/146.
(1) Al-Tabari, Tafsir, vol. 15, pp. 101, 106; vol. 16, p. 210; vol. 21, p. 57. Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, vol. 3, pp. 49, 174, 458. Al-Shawkani, Tafsir, vol. 3, p. 552; vol. 4, p. 330.
شك الزنادقة في قوله:
{إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ عَشْرًا}
...
أما قوله:
{إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ عَشْرًا}
وذلك إذا خرجوا من قبورهم، فنظروا إلى ما كانوا يكذبون به من أمر البعث،
قال بعضهم لبعض:
إن لبثتم في القبور إلا عشر ليال، واستكثروا العشر،
فقالوا:
{إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ يَوْمًا}
في القبور،
ثم استكثروا اليوم فقالوا:
{إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً}
ثم استكثروا القليل فقالوا: إن لبثتم إلا ساعة من نهار. فهذا تفسير ما شكت فيه الزنادقة١.
إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ عَشْرًا} [طه: ١٠٣] وقوله تعالى: {وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُقْسِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ مَا لَبِثُوا غَيْرَ سَاعَةٍ} [الروم: ٥٥] .
والجواب عن هذا بما دل عليه القرآن، وذلك أن بعضهم يقول: لبثنا يومًا أو بعض يوم وبعضهم يقول: لبثنا ساعة. وبعضهم يقول: لبثنا عشرًا.
ووجه دلالة القرآن على هذا أنه بَيَّن أن أقواهم إدراكًا وأرجحهم عقلاً وأمثلهم طريقة هو من يقول: إن مدة لبثهم يومًا، وذلك قوله تعالى: {إِذْ يَقُولُ أَمْثَلُهُمْ طَرِيقَةً إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ يَوْمًا} [طه: ١٠٤] فدل ذلك على اختلاف أقوالهم في مدة لبثهم، والعلم عند الله تعالى. انظر: دفع إيهام الاضطراب "١٤٦/١٠".
١ انظر: تفسير الطبري "١٠١/١٥، ١٠٦" "٢١٠/١٦" "٥٧/٢١" وتفسير ابن كثير "٤٩/٣، ١٧٤، ٤٥٨" وتفسير الشوكاني "٥٥٢/٣"، "٣٣٠/٤".