Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the words of the Exalted: قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ (46:9) (Say: I am no innovation among the messengers, and I do not know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow what is revealed to me, and I am only a clear warner).

   The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says to His prophet Muḥammad — may Allah bless him and grant him peace —: Say, O Muḥammad, to the polytheists of your people from the Quraysh: ( مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ) (I am no innovation among the messengers), that is to say: I am not the first of the messengers of Allah whom He has sent to His creation; before me He has had many messengers who were sent to peoples before you. Of this it is said: "he is a bidʿ (newcomer) in this matter" and "he is badīʿ in it," when he is the first in it. And among the usages of "bidʿ" is the saying of ʿAdī ibn Zayd:

   Thus I am no newcomer (bidʿ) among the misfortunes that befall

   men, which befall them after prosperity and good fortune.

   And among the usages of "badīʿ" is the saying of al-Aḥwaṣ:

   She boasted and traced her lineage proudly, so I said: behold me;

   the ignorance that she committed is nothing new (badīʿ).

   He means: the first; it is said: "he is a bidʿ from a people of abdāʿ."

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.

   * Mention of who said that:

   ʿAlī related to me, he said: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words ( مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ), he says: I am not the first of the messengers.

   Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words ( مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ), he said: he says: I am not the first messenger who was sent.

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His words ( مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ), he said: I am not the first of them.

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of Abū Hubayra, he said: I asked Qatāda about ( قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ); he said: that is to say: before me there have already been messengers.

   Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words ( قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ), he says: that is to say: indeed, before me there have already been messengers.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words ( بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ), he said: before him there have already been messengers.

   And His words ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ ): the exegetes differed concerning its explanation. Some of them said: by it the Messenger of Allah — may Allah bless him and grant him peace — was meant, and it was said to him: say to those who believe in you: I do not know what will be done with me or with you on the Day of Resurrection, and to what we shall come there. They said: then Allah made clear to His prophet Muḥammad — may Allah bless him and grant him peace — and to those who believe in him their condition in the hereafter, and it was said to him: إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا * لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ (Indeed, We have granted you a clear victory, that Allah may forgive you what preceded of your sin and what followed); and He said: لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ (That He may admit the believing men and the believing women into gardens beneath which the rivers flow, abiding therein eternally, and that He may remove from them their evil deeds).

   * Mention of who said that:

   ʿAlī related to us, he said: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ ); then Allah sent down after this: لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ (That Allah may forgive you what preceded of your sin and what followed).

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, on the authority of Yazīd, on the authority of ʿIkrima and al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī; both of them said: he said concerning Ḥā Mīm al-Aḥqāf ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ ): then this was abrogated (nasakha) by the verse that is in sūra al-Fatḥ: إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا * لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ ... the verse. When this verse was sent down, the prophet of Allah — may Allah bless him and grant him peace — went out and proclaimed to them the glad tidings that he had been forgiven what preceded of his sin and what followed. Then some men of the believers said to him: congratulations, O prophet of Allah; we have now learned what is to be done with you, but what is to be done with us? Then Allah, Mighty and Exalted, sent down in sūra al-Aḥzāb, and He said: وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَضْلا كَبِيرًا (And give the believers the glad tidings that there is for them from Allah a great bounty), and He said: لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا * وَيُعَذِّبَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ وَالْمُشْرِكَاتِ الظَّانِّينَ بِاللَّهِ ... the verse. Thus Allah made clear what is to be done with him and with them.

   Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ ); then the Messenger of Allah — may Allah bless him and grant him peace — afterward learned or knew what would be done with him; He says: إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا * لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ .

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ ), he said: it was made clear to him that he had already been forgiven what preceded of his sin and what followed.

   And others said: rather this is a command of Allah, whose praise is exalted, to His prophet — peace and prayer be upon him — that he should say it to the polytheists of his people, while he did not know to what his affair and their affair would come in the worldly life: whether his affair with them would end in their killing him or driving him out from their midst, or whether they would believe in him and follow him, while their affair would end in destruction, as the denying peoples who denied their messengers before them were annihilated — or whether it would end in their affirming him in that with which he had come to them from Allah.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, he said: Abū Bakr al-Hudhalī related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning His words ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ ); he said: as for the hereafter — Allah forbid! He already knew that he would be in paradise, when He took his covenant among the messengers; but he said: and I do not know what will be done with me or with you in the worldly life: whether I will be driven out as the prophets before me were driven out, or killed as the prophets before me were killed; and I do not know what will be done with me or with you: whether my community is a denying community, or my community is an affirming community, or my community is a community that is pelted with stones from the sky, or with which the earth is made to swallow it up. Then it was revealed to him: وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ (And when We said to you: indeed, your Lord encompasses the people); He says: I have encompassed the Arabs for you so that they do not kill you; and thus he knew that he would not be killed.

   Then Allah, Mighty and Exalted, sent down: هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا (He it is Who has sent His messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, to make it prevail over all religions, and Allah suffices as witness); He says: He bears witness for you about Himself that He will make your religion prevail over the religions. Then He said to him concerning his community: وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنْتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ (And Allah would not punish them while you are among them, and Allah would not punish them while they ask for forgiveness). Thus Allah informed him of what He would do with him and what He would do with his community.

   And others said: rather its meaning is: and I do not know what will be imposed upon me and upon you, or what judgment will be sent down; and it does not mean "I do not know what will be done with me or with you tomorrow at the return," with regard to the reward of Allah for whoever obeys Him and His punishment of whoever denies Him.

   And others said: he was only commanded to say this concerning a matter that he expected from the side of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, apart from reward and punishment.

   And the correct of the views concerning this, and the one most resembling that to which the revelation points, is the view that al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī held, which Abū Bakr al-Hudhalī transmitted from him.

   And we have said only that this is the most correct, because the address from the beginning of this sūra up to this verse — and the report proceeded from Allah, Mighty and Exalted, as an address to the polytheists and as a report about them, and as a rebuke of them, and as an argument of Allah, the Exalted whose remembrance is exalted, for His prophet — may Allah bless him and grant him peace — against them.

   And if that is so, then it is known that this verse too follows the same course as what precedes it and what follows it, in that it is an argument against them, a rebuke of them, or a report about them. And if that is so, then it is impossible that it should be said to the prophet — may Allah bless him and grant him peace —: say to the polytheists "I do not know what will be done with me or with you in the hereafter," while the verses of the Book of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, in His sending down and His revelation to him are consecutive with the message that the polytheists abide eternally in the Fire, and those who believe in him are favored in the gardens — and thereby He instills fear in them at one time, and at another time He arouses their longing. And if he were to say that to them, they would say to him: why then should we follow you, while you do not know to what condition you will come tomorrow at the Resurrection, whether to rest and ease, or to misery and punishment? For we would only follow you — if we were to follow you — and believe in that to which you call us, out of longing for a favor and an honor that befalls us, or out of fear of a chastisement and a punishment from which we escape. Rather it is as al-Ḥasan said: then Allah made clear to His prophet — may Allah bless him and grant him peace — what He would do with him, and with whoever of his people and others denied that with which he had come.

   And His words ( إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ ): the Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: say to them: in that which I command you, and in that which I perform of action, I follow only the revelation of Allah that He reveals to me, ( وَمَا أَنَا إِلا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ ) (and I am only a clear warner), he says: and I am for you only a warner, I warn you of the punishment of Allah for your disbelief in Him, clearly; he says: he has made his warning clear to you, and has openly shown you his call to that which is your salvation; he says: thus then am I.

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   Footnotes:

   (1) The verse line is by ʿAdī ibn Zayd (The Poets of Christianity, p. 465), and its transmission there reads:

   I am not one who fears the misfortunes that befall

   men, which they destroyed after misery and good fortune.

   In it there is no evidentiary basis for this transmission; the author has adduced it as evidence that one says: "he is a bidʿ in this matter," in the sense of "I was not the first of the people in it"; and the words of the Exalted "say: I am no bidʿ among the messengers" mean: I was not the first who was sent; before me many messengers were sent.

   (2) Al-Aḥwaṣ says: she boasted over me and traced her lineage proudly to her forefathers, and I said: it is enough, and your ignorance toward me is nothing new (badīʿ) and nothing strange, for I have already known the like of it from your likes among the women. The verse line belongs to the evidentiary citations of Abū ʿUbayda in Majāz al-Qurʾān (folio 222-1); he adduced it as evidence that al-badīʿ has the meaning of al-bidʿ, and that in the explanation of the words of the Exalted: "say: I am no bidʿ among the messengers."

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ (9) يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم : قل يا محمد لمشركي قومك من قريش ( مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ) يعني: ما كنت أول رسل الله التي أرسلها إلى خلقه, قد كان من قبلي له رسل كثيرة أرسلت إلى أمم قبلكم; يقال منه: هو بدع في هذا الأمر, وبديع فيه, إذا كان فيه أوّل. ومن البدع قول عديّ بن زيد. فَـلا أنـا بِـدْعٌ مِـنْ حَوَادِث تَعْتَرِي رِجَـلا عَـرَتْ مِـنْ بَعْدِ بُؤْسَى وَأَسعد (1) ومن البديع قول الأحوص: فَخَــرَتْ فـانْتَمَتْ فقُلْـتُ انْظُـرِيني ليسَ جَـــهْلٌ أتَيتُـــه بِبَـــدِيع (2) يعني بأوّل, يقال: هو بدع من قوم أبداع. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني عليّ, قال: ثنا أبو صالح, قال: ثني معاوية, عن عليّ, عن ابن عباس, قوله ( مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ) يقول: لست بأوّل الرسل. حدثني محمد بن سعد, قال: ثني أبي, قال: ثني عمي, قال: ثني أبي, عن أبيه, عن ابن عباس, قوله ( مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ) قال: يقول: ما كنت أوّل رسول أُرسل. حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثنا أبو عاصم, قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن, قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعًا, عن ابن أَبي نجيح, عن مجاهد, قوله ( مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ) قال: ما كنت أوّلهم. حدثنا ابن حُمَيد, قال: ثنا عبد الوهاب بن معاوية, عن أَبي هبيرة, قال: سألت قتادة ( قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ) قال: أي قد كانت قبلي رسل. حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة, قوله ( قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ) يقول: أي إن الرسل قد كانت قبلي. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى, قال: ثنا ابن ثور, عن معمر, عن قتادة, في قوله ( بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ) قال: قد كانت قبله رسل. وقوله ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ ) اختلف أهل التأويل في تأويله, فقال بعضهم: عنى به رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم وقيل له: قل للمؤمنين بك ما أدري ما يفعل بي ولا بكم يوم القيامة, وإلام نصير هنالك, قالوا ثم بين الله لنبيه محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم وللمؤمنين به حالهم في الآخرة, فقيل له إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا * لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وقال: لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ . * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا عليّ, قال: ثنا أبو صالح, قال: ثني معاوية, عن عليّ, عن ابن عباس, قوله ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ ) فأنـزل الله بعد هذا لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ . حدثنا ابن حُمَيد, قال: ثنا يحيى بن واضح, عن الحسين, عن يزيد, عن عكرمة والحسن البصري قالا قال في حم الأحقاف ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ ) فنسختها الآية التي في سورة الفتح إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا * لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ ... الآية, فخرج نبي الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم حين نـزلت هذه الآية, فبشرهم بأنه غفر له ما تقدّم من ذنبه وما تأخر, فقال له رجال من المؤمنين: هنيئا لك يا نبي الله, قد علمنا ما يفعل بك, فماذا يُفعل بنا؟ فأنـزل الله عزّ وجلّ في سورة الأحزاب, فقال وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَضْلا كَبِيرًا وقال لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا * وَيُعَذِّبَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ وَالْمُشْرِكَاتِ الظَّانِّينَ بِاللَّهِ ... الآية, فبين الله ما يفعل به وبهم. حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ ) ثم درى أو علم من رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم بعد ذلك ما يفعل به, يقول إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا * لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ . حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى, قال: ثنا ابن ثور, عن معمر, عن قتادة, في قوله ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ ) قال: قد بين له أنه قد غفر من ذنبه ما تقدم وما تأخر. وقال آخرون: بل ذلك أمر من الله جلّ ثناؤه نبيه عليه الصلاة والسلام أن يقوله للمشركين من قومه ويعلم أنه لا يدري إلام يصير أمره وأمرهم في الدنيا, أيصير أمره معهم أن يقتلوه أو يخرجوه من بينهم, أو يؤمنوا به فيتبعوه, وأمرهم إلى الهلاك, كما أهلكت الأمم المكذّبة رسلها من قبلهم أو إلى التصديق له فيما جاءهم به من عند الله. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن حُمَيد, قال: ثنا يحيى بن واضح, قال: ثنا أبو بكر الهذليّ, عن الحسن, في قوله ( وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلا بِكُمْ ) فقال: أما في الآخرة فمعاذ الله, قد علم أنه في الجنة حين أخذ ميثاقه في الرسل, ولكن قال: وما أدري ما يفعل بي ولا بكم في الدنيا, أخرج كما أخرجت الأنبياء قبلي أو أُقتل كما قُتلت الأنبياء من قبلي, ولا أدري ما يفعل بي ولا بكم, أمتي المكذّبة, أم أمتي المصدّقة, أم أمتي المرمية بالحجارة من السماء قذفا, أم مخسوف بها خسفا, ثم أوحي إليه: وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ يقول أحطت لك بالعرب أن لا يقتلوك, فعرف أنه لا يُقتل. ثم أنـزل الله عزّ وجلّ: هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا يقول: أشهد لك على نفسه أنه سيظهر دينك على الأديان, ثم قال له في أمته: وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنْتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ فأخبره الله ما يصنع به, وما يصنع بأمته. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: وما أدري ما يفترض عليّ وعليكم, أو ينـزل من حكم, وليس يعني ما أدري ما يفعل بي ولا بكم غدا في المعاد من ثواب الله من أطاعه, وعقابه من كذّبه. وقال آخرون: إنما أمر أن يقول هذا في أمر كان ينتظره من قِبَل الله عزّ وجلّ في غير الثواب والعقاب. وأولى الأقوال في ذلك بالصحة وأشبهها بما دلّ عليه التنـزيل, القول الذي قاله الحسن البصري, الذي رواه عنه أَبو بكر الهُذَليّ. وإنما قلنا ذلك أولاها بالصواب لأن الخطاب من مبتدأ هذه السورة إلى هذه الآية, والخبر خرج من الله عزّ وجلّ خطابا للمشركين وخبرا عنهم, وتوبيخا لهم, واحتجاجا من الله تعالى ذكره لنبيه صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم عليهم. فإذا كان ذلك كذلك, فمعلوم أن هذه الآية أيضًا سبيلها سبيل ما قبلها وما بعدها في أنها احتجاج عليهم, وتوبيخ لهم, أو خبر عنهم. وإذا كان ذلك كذلك, فمحال أن يقال للنبي صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم : قل للمشركين ما أدري ما يفعل بي ولا بكم في الآخرة, وآيات كتاب الله عزّ وجلّ في تنـزيله ووحيه إليه متتابعة بأن المشركين في النار مخلدون, والمؤمنون به في الجنان منعمون, وبذلك يرهبهم مرّة, ويرغبهم أخرى, ولو قال لهم ذلك, لقالوا له: فعلام نتبعك إذن وأنت لا تدري إلى أيّ حال تصير غدا في القيامة, إلى خفض ودعة, أم إلى شدّة وعذاب; وإنما اتباعنا إياك إن اتبعناك, وتصديقنا بما تدعونا إليه, رغبة في نعمة, وكرامة نصيبها, أو رهبة من عقوبة, وعذاب نهرب منه, ولكن ذلك كما قال الحسن, ثم بين الله لنبيه صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم ما هو فاعل به, وبمن كذب بما جاء به من قومه وغيرهم. وقوله ( إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: قل لهم ما أتبع فيما آمركم به, وفيما أفعله من فعل إلا وحي الله الذي يوحيه إليّ، ( وَمَا أَنَا إِلا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ ) يقول: وما أنا لكم إلا نذير, أنذركم عقاب الله على كفركم به مبين: يقول: قد أبان لكم إنذاره, وأظهر لكم دعاءه إلى ما فيه نصيحتكم, يقول: فكذلك أنا. ------------------------ الهوامش: (1) البيت لعدي بن زيد ( شعراء النصرانية 465 ) وروايته فيه : فلسـت بمـن يخشـى حوادث تعتري رجـالا فبـادوا بعـد بـؤس وأسـعد وليس فيه شاهد على هذه الرواية ؛ وقد استشهد به المؤلف على أنه يقال: هو بدع في هذا الأمر ، على معنى ما كنت أول الناس فيه وقوله تعالى : " قل ما كنت بدعا من الرسل " : معناه ما كنت أول من أرسل ، قد أرسل قبلي رسل كثير . (2) يقول الأحوص : فخرت علي وانتسبت إلى آبائها . فقلت : كفي ، وليس جهلك علي ببديع ولا غريب ، فقد عهدت مثله من أمثالك في النساء . والبيت من شواهد أبي عبيدة في مجاز القرآن ( الورقة 222 - 1 ) استشهد به على أن البديع بمعنى البدع ، وذلك عند تفسير قوله تعالى : " قل ما كنت بدعا من الرسل " .