The Poets — Verse 3

Which was revealed in Makkah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Qur'an and the Disbelievers turning away; They could be compelled to believe if Allah so willed At the beginning of the explanation of Surat Al-Baqarah we discussed the letters which appear at the beginning of some Surahs. Allah's saying: تِلْكَ ءايَاتُ الْكِتَـبِ الْمُبِينِ (These are the Ayat of the Book Mubin.) means, these are the verses of the Clear Qur'an, i.e. the clear and unambiguous Book which distinguishes between truth and falsehood, misguidance and guidance. لَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ (It may be that you are going Bakhi` yourself,) means, destroy yourself -- because of your keenness that they should be guided and your grief for them. أَلاَّ يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ (that they do not become believers.) Here Allah is consoling His Messenger for the lack of faith of those among the disbelievers who do not believe in him. This is like the Ayat: فَلاَ تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَتٍ (So destroy not yourself in sorrow for them) (35:8). فَلَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ عَلَى ءَاثَـرِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهَـذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفاً (Perhaps, you would Bakhi` yourself, over their footsteps, because they believe not in this narration) (18:6). Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, `Atiyyah, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan and others said that: لَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ (It may be that you are going Bakhi` yourself,) means, `kill yourself.' Then Allah says: إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ ءَايَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَـقُهُمْ لَهَا خَـضِعِينَ (If We will, We could send down to them from the heaven a sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility.) meaning, `if We so willed, We could send down a sign that would force them to believe, but We will not do that because We do not want anyone to believe except by choice.' Allah says: وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لآمَنَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ (And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. So, will you then compel mankind, until they become believers.) (10:99) وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً (And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely, have made mankind one Ummah...) (11:118) But Allah's will has acted, His decree has come to pass, and His proof has been conveyed to mankind by mission of Messengers and the revelation of Books to them. Then Allah says: وَمَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَـنِ مُحْدَثٍ إِلاَّ كَانُواْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضِينَ (And never comes there unto them a Reminder as a recent revelation from the Most Gracious, but they turn away therefrom.) meaning, every time a Scripture comes from heaven to them, most of the people turn away from it. As Allah says: وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ (And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly.) (12:103) يحَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ (Alas for mankind! There never came a Messenger to them but they used to mock at him.) (36:30) ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَى كُلَّ مَا جَآءَ أُمَّةً رَّسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُ (Then We sent Our Messengers in succession. Every time there came to a nation their Messenger, they denied him...) (23:44). Allah says here: فَقَدْ كَذَّبُواْ فَسَيَأْتِيهِمْ أَنبَـؤُا مَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ (So, they have indeed denied, then the news of what they mocked at will come to them.) meaning, they denied the truth that came to them, so they will come to know the news of the consequences of this denial after a while. وَسَيَعْلَمْ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ أَىَّ مُنقَلَبٍ يَنقَلِبُونَ (And those who do wrong will come to know by what overturning they will be overturned) (26:227). Then Allah tells those who dared to oppose His Messenger and disbelieve in His Book, that He is the Subduer, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, Who created the earth and caused every good kind of crop, fruit and animal to grow therein. Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated from a man from Ash-Sha`bi that people are a product of the earth. So whoever enters Paradise is good and noble, and whoever enters Hell is base and vile. إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لآيَةً (Verily, in this is an Ayah,) meaning an evidence of the power of the Creator of all things. He spread out the earth and raised the canopy of the heavens, yet despite that the majority of people do not believe, rather they deny Him, His Messengers, and His Books, and they go against His commands doing the things He had prohibited. His saying: وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ (And verily your Lord, He is truly the All-Mighty,) means, the One Who has power over all things, to subdue and control them, الرَّحِيمِ (the Most Merciful. ) means, towards His creation, for He does not hasten to punish the one who sins, but He gives him time to repent, and if he does not, then He seizes him with a mighty punishment. Abu Al-`Aliyah, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Ibn Ishaq said: "He is Almighty in His punishment of those who went against His commands and worshipped others besides Him." Sa`id bin Jubayr said: "He is Most Merciful towards those who repent to Him and turn to Him."

Perhaps O Muhammad (s) you might kill yourself out of distress for the reason that they namely the people of Mecca will not become believers la‘alla here expresses sympathy in other words what is meant is ‘have pity on it your self by alleviating the burden of this distress’.

Perhaps thou tormentest thyself because they are not of the faithful. He is saying, “O master, they are a handful of the estranged, the objects of My harsh and forceful severity. Why do you occupy your heart with them? Why do you make yourself suffer because they will not believe? Turn them over to My decree and busy your heart with My love and com- panionship. Whenever a heart takes its ease in My love and companionship, it has no room for any other.” Sahl ʿAlī Marwazī was asked, “What is the greatest of God's generous gifts to the servant?” He said, “That He empty his heart of everyone but Him.” Junayd was asked, “When is the heart happy?” He said, “When He is inside the heart.” Shaykh al-Islām said, “He is not in the heart by His Essence. Rather the remembrance of Him is in the heart, love for Him in the secret core, and gazing upon Him in the spirit. In contemplation there is first the heart's vision, then the heart's proximity, then the heart's finding, then the heart's seeing face-to-face, then proximity's mastery over the heart, then the heart's dissolution in face-to- face vision. Beyond that, nothing can be expressed.” I set off on the oceans of love not knowing their measure- oceans that do not quench the fire of those who drown.

Perhaps thou tormentest thyself because they are not of the faithful. He is saying, “O master, they are a handful of the estranged, the objects of My harsh and forceful severity. Why do you occupy your heart with them? Why do you make yourself suffer because they will not believe? Turn them over to My decree and busy your heart with My love and com- panionship. Whenever a heart takes its ease in My love and companionship, it has no room for any other.” Sahl ʿAlī Marwazī was asked, “What is the greatest of God's generous gifts to the servant?” He said, “That He empty his heart of everyone but Him.” Junayd was asked, “When is the heart happy?” He said, “When He is inside the heart.” Shaykh al-Islām said, “He is not in the heart by His Essence. Rather the remembrance of Him is in the heart, love for Him in the secret core, and gazing upon Him in the spirit. In contemplation there is first the heart's vision, then the heart's proximity, then the heart's finding, then the heart's seeing face-to-face, then proximity's mastery over the heart, then the heart's dissolution in face-to- face vision. Beyond that, nothing can be expressed.” I set off on the oceans of love not knowing their measure- oceans that do not quench the fire of those who drown.

Perhaps thou tormentest thyself because they are not of the faithful. He is saying, “O master, they are a handful of the estranged, the objects of My harsh and forceful severity. Why do you occupy your heart with them? Why do you make yourself suffer because they will not believe? Turn them over to My decree and busy your heart with My love and com- panionship. Whenever a heart takes its ease in My love and companionship, it has no room for any other.” Sahl ʿAlī Marwazī was asked, “What is the greatest of God's generous gifts to the servant?” He said, “That He empty his heart of everyone but Him.” Junayd was asked, “When is the heart happy?” He said, “When He is inside the heart.” Shaykh al-Islām said, “He is not in the heart by His Essence. Rather the remembrance of Him is in the heart, love for Him in the secret core, and gazing upon Him in the spirit. In contemplation there is first the heart's vision, then the heart's proximity, then the heart's finding, then the heart's seeing face-to-face, then proximity's mastery over the heart, then the heart's dissolution in face-to- face vision. Beyond that, nothing can be expressed.” I set off on the oceans of love not knowing their measure- oceans that do not quench the fire of those who drown.

Perhaps thou tormentest thyself because they are not of the faithful. He is saying, “O master, they are a handful of the estranged, the objects of My harsh and forceful severity. Why do you occupy your heart with them? Why do you make yourself suffer because they will not believe? Turn them over to My decree and busy your heart with My love and com- panionship. Whenever a heart takes its ease in My love and companionship, it has no room for any other.” Sahl ʿAlī Marwazī was asked, “What is the greatest of God's generous gifts to the servant?” He said, “That He empty his heart of everyone but Him.” Junayd was asked, “When is the heart happy?” He said, “When He is inside the heart.” Shaykh al-Islām said, “He is not in the heart by His Essence. Rather the remembrance of Him is in the heart, love for Him in the secret core, and gazing upon Him in the spirit. In contemplation there is first the heart's vision, then the heart's proximity, then the heart's finding, then the heart's seeing face-to-face, then proximity's mastery over the heart, then the heart's dissolution in face-to- face vision. Beyond that, nothing can be expressed.” I set off on the oceans of love not knowing their measure- oceans that do not quench the fire of those who drown.

Perhaps thou tormentest thyself because they are not of the faithful.He is saying, �O master, they are a handful of the estranged, the objects of My harsh and forceful severity. Why do you occupy your heart with them? Why do you make yourself suffer because they will not believe? Turn them over to My decree and busy your heart with My love and com- panionship. Whenever a heart takes its ease in My love and companionship, it has no room for any other.�Sahl ʿAlī Marwazī was asked, �What is the greatest of God's generous gifts to the servant?� He said, �That He empty his heart of everyone but Him.�Junayd was asked, �When is the heart happy?� He said, �When He is inside the heart.�Shaykh al-Islām said, �He is not in the heart by His Essence. Rather the remembrance of Him is in the heart, love for Him in the secret core, and gazing upon Him in the spirit. In contemplation there is first the heart's vision, then the heart's proximity, then the heart's finding, then the heart's seeing face-to-face, then proximity's mastery over the heart, then the heart's dissolution in face-to- face vision. Beyond that, nothing can be expressed.�I set off on the oceans of love not knowing their measure- oceans that do not quench the fire of those who drown.

لعلك - أيها الرسول - من شدة حرصك على هدايتهم مُهْلِك نفسك؛ لأنهم لم يصدِّقوا بك ولم يعملوا بهديك، فلا تفعل ذلك.

وقوله تعالى "لعلك باخع" أي مهلك "نفسك" أي مما تحرص وتحزن عليهم "أن لا يكونوا مؤمنين" وهذه تسلية من الله لرسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم في عدم إيمان من لم يؤمن به من الكفار كما قال تعالى "فلا تذهب نفسك عليهم حسرات" كقوله "فلعلك باخع نفسك على آثارهم" الآية قال مجاهد وعكرمة وقتادة وعطية والضحاك والحسن وغيرهم "لعلك باخع نفسك" أي قاتل نفسك قال الشاعر: ألا أيهذا الباخع الحزن نفسه لشيء نحته عن يديه المقادر

ثم خاطب - سبحانه - رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم بما يسليه عن تكذيب المشركين له ، وبما يهون عليه أمرهم فقال - تعالى - ( لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ أَلاَّ يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ) .قال بعض العلماء ما ملخصه : اعلم أن لفظة ( لعل ) هنا للاشفاق عليه صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يبخع نفسه لعدم إيمانهم .وقال بعضهم : إن ( لعل ) هنا للنهى ، أى : لا تبخع نفسك لعدم إيمانهم وهو الأظهر ، لكثرة ودود النهى صريحا عن ذلك . قال - تعالى - : ( فَلاَ تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَاتٍ ) والمعنى : لعلك - أيها الرسول الكريم - قاتل نفسك هما وغما . بسبب تكذيب الكافرين لك ، وعدم إيمانهم بدعوتك وإعراضهم عن رسالتك التى أرسلناك بها إليهم . . .

وقوله: ( لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ أَلا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: لعلك يا محمد قاتل نفسك ومهلكها إن لم يؤمن قومك بك, ويصدقوك على ما جئتهم به والبخْع: هو القتل والإهلاك في كلام العرب; ومنه قول ذي الرُّمة:ألا أيُّهَــذَا البــاخعُ الوَجْـدُ نَفْسَـهُلشَــيْءٍ نَحَتْـهُ عَـنْ يَدَيْـهِ المَقـادِرُ (1)وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا القاسم, قال: ثنا الحسين, قال: ثني حجاج, عن ابن جُرَيج, قال: قال ابن عباس: ( بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ ) : قاتل نفسك.حدثنا الحسن, قال: أخبرنا عبد الرزاق, قال: أخبرنا معمر, عن قتادة, في قوله: ( لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ أَلا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ ) قال: لعلك من الحرص على إيمانهم مخرج نفسك من جسدك, قال: ذلك البخع.حدثت عن الحسين, قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: أخبرنا عبيد, قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله: ( لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ ) عليهم حرصا.وأن من قوله: ( أَلا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ ) في موضع نصب بباخع, كما يقال: زرت عبد الله أن زارني, وهو جزاء; ولو كان الفعل الذي بعد أن مستقبلا لكان وجه الكلام في " أن " الكسر كما يقال; أزور عبد الله إن يزورني.------------------الهوامش :(1) البيت لذي الرمة، وقد تقدم الاستشهاد به في سورة الكهف (15: 194) على أن معنى البخع: القتل، فراجعه ثمة.

( لعلك باخع نفسك ) قاتل نفسك ، ( ألا يكونوا مؤمنين ) أي : إن لم يؤمنوا ، وذلك حين كذبه أهل مكة فشق عليه ذلك ، وكان يحرص على إيمانهم ، فأنزل الله هذه الآية . )

لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ أَلَّا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ (3)حُوّل الخطاب من توجيهه إلى المعاندين إلى توجيهه للرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام . والكلام استئناف بياني جواباً عما يثيره مضمون قوله : { تلك آيات الكتاب المبين } [ الشعراء : 2 ] من تساؤل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في نفسه عن استمرار إعراض المشركين عن الإيمان وتصديق القرآن كما قال تعالى : { فلعلّك باخع نفسك على آثارهم إن لم يؤمنوا بهذا الحديث أسفاً } [ الكهف : 6 ] ، وقوله : { فلا تَذْهَب نفسُك عليهم حسرات } [ فاطر : 8 ] .و ( لعلّ ) إذا جاءت في ترجّي الشيء المخوف سميت إشفاقاً وتوقعاً . وأظهر الأقوال أن الترجي من قبيل الخبر ، وأنه ليس بإنشاء مثلَ التمني .والترجي مستعمل في الطلب ، والأظهر أنه حثّ على ترك الأسف من ضلالهم على طريقة تمثيل شأن المتكلم الحاثّ على الإقلاع بحال من يستقرب حصول هلاك المخاطب إذا استمر على ما هو فيه من الغم .والباخع : القاتل . وحقيقة البخع إعماق الذبح . يقال : بَخَع الشاة ، قال الزمخشري : إذا بلغ بالسكين البِخَاع بالموحدة المكسورة وهو عِرق مستبطن الفَقار ، كذا قال في «الكشاف» هنا وذكره أيضاً في «الفائق» . وقد تقدم ما فيه عند قوله تعالى : { فلعلّك باخع نفسك على آثارهم } في سورة الكهف ( 6 ) . وهو هنا مستعار للموت السريع ، والإخبار عنه ب { باخع } تشبيه بليغ . وفي { باخع } ضمير المخاطب هو الفاعل .و { أن لا يكونوا } في موضع نصب على نزع الخافض بعد ( أنْ ) والخافض لام التعليل ، والتقدير : لأن لا يكونوا مؤمنين ، أي لانتفاء إيمانهم في المستقبل ، لأنّ ( أن ) تخلص المضارع للاستقبال . والمعنى : أنَّ غمك من عدم إيمانهم فيما مضى يوشك أن يوقعك في الهلاك في المستقبل بتكرر الغم والحزن ، كقول إخوة يوسف لأبيهم لما قال { يا أسفا على يوسف } [ يوسف : 84 ] فقالوا : { تالله تفتؤ تَذكرُ يوسف حتى تكونَ حَرَضاً أو تكون من الهالكين } [ يوسف : 85 ] ؛ فوزان هذا المعنى وزان معنى قوله في سورة الكهف ( 6 ) { فلعلّك باخع نفسك على آثارهم إن لم يؤمنوا بهذا الحديث أسفاً } ، فإن ( إن ) الشرطية تتعلق بالمستقبل . ويجوز أن يجعل { أن لا يكونوا } في موضع الفاعل ل { باخِع } والجملة خبر ( لَعلّ ) . وإسناد { باخع } إلى { أن لا يكونون مؤمنين } مجاز عقلي لأن عدم إيمانهم جُعل سبباً للبخع .وجيء بمضارع الكون للإشارة إلى أنه لا يأسف على عدم إيمانهم ولو استمر ذلك في المستقبل فيكون انتفاؤه فيما مضى أولى بأن لا يؤسف له .وحذف متعلق { مؤمنين } ؛ إما لأن المراد مؤمنين بما جئتَ به من التوحيد والبعث وتصديق القرآن وتصديق الرسول ، وإما لأنه أريد بمؤمنين المعنى اللَّقبي ، أي أن لا يكونوا في عداد الفريق المعروف بالمؤمنين وهم أمة الإسلام . وضمير { أن لا يكونوا } عائد إلى معلوم من المقام وهم المشركون الذين دعاهم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلموعُدل عن : أن لا يؤمنوا ، إلى { أن لا يكونوا مؤمنين } لأن في فعل الكون دلالة على الاستمرار زيادة على ما أفادته صيغة المضارع ، فتأكّد استمرار عدم إيمانهم الذي هو مورد الإقلاع عن الحزن له . وقد جاء في سورة الكهف ( 6 ) { فلعلّك باخع نفسك على آثارهم إن لم يؤمنوا بهذا الحديث } بحرف نفي الماضي وهو ( لم ) لأن سورة الكهف متأخرة النزول عن سورة الشعراء فعدم إيمانهم قد تقرر حينئذ وبلغ حدّ المأيوس منه .وضمير { يكونوا } عائد إلى معلوم من مقام التحدّي الحاصل بقوله : { طسم تلك آيات الكتاب المبين } [ الشعراء : 1 ، 2 ] للعلم بأن المتحدَّيْن هم الكافرون المكذبون .

فلهذا قال تعالى عنه: ( لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ ) أي: مهلكها وشاق عليها، ( أَلا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ ) أي: فلا تفعل, ولا تذهب نفسك عليهم حسرات, فإن الهداية بيد الله, وقد أديت ما عليك من التبليغ، وليس فوق هذا القرآن المبين آية, حتى ننزلها, ليؤمنوا [بها], فإنه كاف شاف, لمن يريد الهداية.

لعلك باخع نفسك أي قاتل نفسك ومهلكها . وقد مضى في الكهف بيانه . ألا يكونوا مؤمنين أي لتركهم الإيمان . قال الفراء : ( أن ) في موضع نصب ; لأنها جزاء . قال النحاس : وإنما يقال : " بإن " مكسورة لأنها جزاء ; كذا المتعارف . والقول في هذا ما قاله أبو إسحاق في كتابه في القرآن ; قال : ( أن ) في موضع نصب مفعول من أجله ; والمعنى لعلك قاتل نفسك لتركهم الإيمان .

The call for Truth reveals itself with total clarity. The sign of a call being Divine is that everything is clear and based on clear arguments. One may deny it, but nobody would be in a position to say that he has not grasped its message. ‘It may be that you will destroy yourself.’ These words show the very strong feelings of well-wishing that a preacher has towards his addressees. The desire to spread the word of God gushes forth from such pure feelings. So, when God’s envoy observes that an addressee does not accept his message, he worries about him as a mother would worry about the welfare of her child. This sentence of the Quran is the confirmation of the benevalent feelings of the preacher and does not indicate criticism of his addressee. The call for Truth is the call of God. God is that Being who is all-powerful but who nevertheless may be denied or rebelled against. But, this present position is in accordance with God’s own plan. God wants such human beings to settle in paradise as are able to recognise the Truth in this world full of deception, and who bow down before Him without any compulsion. The selection of such individuals may be made only under conditions where everyone enjoys complete freedom of thought and action.

Commentary لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ Seemingly you are going to let yourself collapse in grief - 26:3). The word بَاخِعٌ (bakhi" )is derived from بَخعٌ (bakh' ) which means to reach up to Bikha`, an artery of the neck, while slaughtering. In this verse baki` is used in the sense of putting oneself into trouble and toil. "Allamah ` Askari has said, ` Although at such places the sentence appears to be informative but in fact it means to prohibit or prevent'. What it conveys is that, ` O Messenger, do not be so despondent because of your people's disbelief and rejection of Islam that you cause yourself to collapse'. One learns from this verse that even if it is apparent that a disbeliever would not convert to Islam, still it is not right to stop preaching to him. The second thing one learns is that the efforts one makes for a certain objective must be balanced and moderate, and if someone is adamant not to be guided to the right path, one should not be over-grieved.

(It may be that thou tormentest thyself) it may be that you kill yourself with grief over them (because they believe not) because the Quraysh do not want to become believers. This is because he was very keen for them to become believers.

It may be that you kill yourself with grief that they will not become believers.He said:That is, that you would destroy yourself in pursuing what is required for the sake of their guidance,but the decree (ḥukm) has preceded from Us concerning the faith of every believer, and disbelief of every disbeliever, and there will be no change or substitution [in that decree]. The inner meaning of these [words] is: �You have been distracted from Us through your preoccupation with them, out of a desire that they should believe. But you are only responsible for conveying [the Message], so do not let your grief concerning them distract you from Us.�His words: