Al-Qawaid al-Hisan li-Tafsir al-Quran - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (145)

Al-Qawaid al-Hisan li-Tafsir al-QuranAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

a short while, it was said, “Enter Egypt, Allah willing, in security” (12:99) and they were ushered into a vast bounty, a life of ease, unshakable honor, and widespread esteem. Blessed is He whose servants cannot perceive even the smallest portion of His subtle favors and delicate kindness.

Related to this aspect of the Almighty’s grace is that He reminds His servants, in the very midst of affliction, of the blessings that offset it, lest their souls give way to panic. When a person weighs his trials against the favors that remain, the burden grows lighter and easier to bear. Thus, when the believers were struck at Uhud, Allah recalled for them what they had inflicted on the idolaters at Badr, saying, “And when a disaster struck you, although you had struck them with one twice as great, you said, ‘From where is this?’ Say, ‘It is from your own selves’” (3:165). In the middle of the Uhud narrative He also inserted the verse, “Allah had already given you victory at Badr when you were weak—so be mindful of Allah, that you may be grateful” (3:123).

Likewise, Allah brings His servant glad tidings of the coming relief at the very moment calamity overtakes him, so that this hope may soften the blow of what has befallen. He said: “We revealed to him: ‘You will surely inform them of this affair of theirs while they are unaware’” (12:15). Joseph’s dream served the same purpose; whenever Jacob recalled it, a breeze of hope wafted over his heart, and so he said, “My sons, go and search for Joseph and his brother, and do not despair of the mercy of Allah” (12:87).

The same principle appears in His words to the mother of Moses in Surah al-Qasas: “We inspired the mother of Moses, ‘Suckle him; then, when you fear for him, cast him into the river, and do not fear nor grieve; We shall surely restore him to you and make him one of the messengers’” (28:7).

Greater than all of this is Allah’s promise to His messengers of victory, the completion of their mission, and a blessed outcome; through it, hardships are made light and bitter trials easy to endure. They meet them with tranquil hearts and expanded breasts. The Lord’s kindness surpasses anything that may cross the mind or flit through the imagination, yet most people do not comprehend.

قليل قال: ﴿ادْخُلُوا مِصْرَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ﴾ ، [يوسف: ٩٩] ، في تلك النعمة الواسعة والعيش الرغيد والعز المكين، والجاه العريض فتبارك من لا يدرك العباد من ألطافه ودقيق بره أقل القليل. ويناسب هذا من ألطاف الباري: أن الله يذكر عباده أثناء المصائب ما يقابلها من النعم، لئلا تسترسل النفوس في الجزع، فإنها إذا قابلت بين المصائب والنعم خفت عليها المصائب، وهان عليها حملها، كما ذكّر الله المؤمنين حين أصيبوا بأحد ما أصابوا من المشركين ببدر، فقال: ﴿أَوَلَمَّا أَصَابَتْكُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَدْ أَصَبْتُمْ مِثْلَيْهَا قُلْتُمْ أَنَّى هَذَا قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ﴾ [آل عمران: ١٦٥] ، وأدخل هذه الآية في أثناء قصة أحد ﴿وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ فَاتَّقُواْ اللهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾ ، [آل عمران: ١٢٣] ،. وكذلك يبشر الله عبده بالمخرج منها حين تباشره المصائب، ليكون هذا الرجاء مخففاً لما نزل به من البلاء، قال تعالى: ﴿وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِمْ هَذَا وَهُمْ لا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾ ، [يوسف: ١٥] ، وكذلك رؤيا يوسف كان يعقوب إذا ذكرها رجاء الفرج وهب على قلبه نسيم الرجاء، ولهذا قال: ﴿يَابَنِيَّ اذْهَبُوا فَتَحَسَّسُوا مِنْ يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلا تَيْأَسُوا مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ﴾ ، [يوسف: ٨٧] ،. وكذلك قوله لأم موسى في سورة القصص: ﴿وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى أُمِّ مُوسَى أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلا تَخَافِي وَلا تَحْزَنِي إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ﴾ ، [القصص:٧] ،. وأعظم من هذا كله: أن وعد الله لرسله بالنصر وبتمام الأمر وحسن العاقبة يهون عليهم به المشقات ويسهل عليهم الكريهات، فيتلقوها بقلوب مطمئنة وصدور منشرحة، وألطاف الباري فوق ما يخطر بالبال، أو يدور في الخيال ولكن أكثر الناس لا يفقهون.