The Poets — Verse 5

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."

And there would never come to them from the Compassionate One any remembrance any revelation from the Qur’ān that is new muhdathin is an explicative adjective but that they used to disregard it.

وما يجيء هؤلاء المشركين المكذبين مِن ذِكْرٍ من الرحمن مُحْدَث إنزاله، شيئًا بعد شيء، يأمرهم وينهاهم، ويذكرهم بالدين الحق إلا أعرضوا عنه، ولم يقبلوه.

ثم قال تعالى "وما يأتيهم من ذكر من الرحمن محدث إلا كانوا عنه معرضين" أي كلما جاءهم كتاب من السماء أعرض عنه أكثر الناس كما قال تعالى "وما أكثر الناس ولو حرصت بمؤمنين" وقال تعالى "يا حسرة على العباد ما يأتيهم من رسول إلا كانوا به يستهزئون" وقال تعالى "ثم أرسلنا رسلنا تترى كلما جاء أمة رسولها كذبوه" الآية.

ثم بين - سبحانه - ما عليه هؤلاء الكافرون من صلف وجحود فقال : ( وَمَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّنَ الرحمن مُحْدَثٍ إِلاَّ كَانُواْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضِينَ ) .أى : ولقد بلغ الجحود والجهل بهؤلاء الكافرين ، أنهم كلما جاءهم قرآن محدث تنزيله على نبيهم صلى الله عليه وسلم ومتجدد نزوله عليه صلى الله عليه وسلم أعرضوا عنه إعراضا تاما .وعبر عن إعراضهم بصيغة النفى والاستثناء التى هى أقوى أدوات القصر ، للإشارة إلى عتوهم فى الكفر والضلال ، وإصرارهم على العناد والتكذيب .وفى ذكر اسم الرحمن هنا : إشارة إلى عظيم رحمته - سبحانه - بإنزال هذا الذكر ، وتسجيل لأقصى دركات الجهالة عليهم ، لأنهم أعرضوا عن الهداية التى أنزلها الرحمن الرحيم لسعادتهم ، وحرموا أنفسهم مها وهم أحوج الناس إليها .و ( مِّنَ ) الأولى لتأكيد عموم إعراضهم ، والثانية لابتداء الغاية ، وجملة ( إِلاَّ كَانُواْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضِينَ ) حالية .

يقول تعالى ذكره: وما يجيء هؤلاء المشركين الذين يكذّبونك ويجحدون ما أتيتهم به يا محمد من عند ربك من تذكير وتنبيه على مواضع حجج الله عليهم على صدقك, وحقيقة ما تدعوهم إليه مما يحدثه الله إليك ويوحيه إليك, لتذكرهم به, إلا أعرضوا عن استماعه, وتركوا إعمال الفكر فيه وتدبره.

( وما يأتيهم من ذكر ) وعظ وتذكير ، ( من الرحمن محدث ) أي : محدث إنزاله ، فهو محدث في التنزيل . قال الكلبي : كلما نزل شيء من القرآن بعد شيء فهو أحدث من الأول ، ( إلا كانوا عنه معرضين ) أي : عن الإيمان به . )

وَمَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ ذِكْرٍ مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ مُحْدَثٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا عَنْهُ مُعْرِضِينَ (5)عطف على جملة : { لعلك باخع نفسك ألا يكونوا مؤمنين } [ الشعراء : 3 ] أي هذه شنشنتهم فلا تأسف لعدم إيمانهم بآيات الكتاب المبين ، وما يجيئهم منها من بعدُ فسيعرضون عنه لأنهم عُرفوا بالإعراض .والمضارعُ هنا لإفادة التجدد والاستمرار . فالذكر هو القرآن لأنه تذكير للناس بالأدلة . وقد تقدم وجه تسميته ذكراً عند قوله تعالى : { وقالوا يأيها الذي نزل عليه الذكر إنك لمجنون } في سورة الحجر ( 6 ) .والمحدَث : الجديد ، أي من ذكر بعدَ ذكر يُذكّرهم بما أنزل من القرآن من قبله فالمعنى المستفاد من وصفه بالمحدث غير المعنى المستفاد من إسناد صيغة المضارع في قوله : { ما يأتيهم من ذكر } . فأفاد الأمران أنه ذكر متجدّد مستمر وأن بعضه يعقب بعضاً ويؤيده . وقد تقدم في سورة الأنبياء ( 2 ، 3 ) قوله : { ما يأتيهم من ذكر من ربّهم محدَث إلاّ استمعوه وهم يلْعَبون لاهية قلوبهم }وذكر اسم الرحمن هنا دون وصف الرّب كما في سورة الأنبياء لأن السياق هنا لتسلية النبي على إعراض قومه فكان في وصف مُؤْتي الذكر بالرحمن تشنيع لحال المعرضين وتعريض لغباوتهم أن يُعرضوا عمَّا هو رحمة لهم ، فإذا كانوا لا يدركون صلاحهم فلا تَذهبْ نفسُك حسراتتٍ على قوم أضاعوا نفعهم وأنت قد أرشدتهم إليه وذكرتهم ، كما قال المثل : لا يحزنك دم هراقه أهله وقال النابغة :فإن تغلب شقاوتكم عليكم ... فإني في صلاحكم سعَيْتُوفي الإتيان بفعل كانوا } وخبره دون أن يقال : إلا أعرضوا ، إفادةُ أن إعراضهم راسخ فيهم وأنه قديم مستمرّ إذ أخبر عنهم قبل ذلك بقوله : { أن لا يكونوا مؤمنين } [ الشعراء : 3 ] ، فانتفاء كون إيمانهم واقعاً هو إعراض منهم عن دعوة الرسول التي طريقها الذكر بالقرآن فإذا أتاهم ذكر بعد الذكر الذي لم يؤمنوا بسببه وجدهم على إعراضهم القديم .و { مِن } في قوله : { من ذكر } مؤكدة لعموم نفي الأحوال .و { مِن } التي في قوله : { من الرحمن } ابتدائية .والاستثناء من أحوال عامة ، فجملة : { كانوا عنه معرضين } في موضع الحال من ضمير { يأتيهم من ذكر } . وتقدم المجرور لرعاية الفاصلة .

( وَمَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ ذِكْرٍ مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ مُحْدَثٍ ) يأمرهم وينهاهم, ويذكرهم ما ينفعهم ويضرهم. ( إِلا كَانُوا عَنْهُ مُعْرِضِينَ ) بقلوبهم وأبدانهم، هذا إعراضهم عن الذكر المحدث, الذي جرت العادة, أنه يكون موقعه أبلغ من غيره, فكيف بإعراضهم عن غيره، وهذا لأنهم لا خير فيهم, ولا تنجع فيهم المواعظ,

قوله تعالى : وما يأتيهم من ذكر من الرحمن محدث إلا كانوا عنه معرضين تقدم في ( الأنبياء )

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.

إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ آيَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَاقُهُمْ لَهَا خَاضِعِينَ If We so will, We can send down to them a sign from the sky before which their necks will stay bent in submission. - 26:4 Allamah Zamakhshari has explained that the real intent of the text is to say that the disbelievers themselves will stay in submission, but the act of submission is attributed in the verse to their "necks", so that the initial object of submission is pinpointed, because yielding or bowing in humility initially appears on the neck. The substance of the message of this verse is that Allah Ta’ ala also has full authority and control to evince any sign of His Oneness and Omnipotence which brings forth the religious injunctions and the Divine Truth in such a self-evident manner that no one would have the ability to reject it. But the wisdom demands that these injunctions and the understanding of God are not made self-evident but remain visionary, so that they are dependent on deliberations and pondering. This pondering and deliberation is actually the test of man on which the reward and punishment is adjudged. Acceptance of self-evident things is a natural and involuntary phenomenon which lacks the quality of deliberate obedience. (Qurtubi)

(Never cometh there unto them a fresh) i.e. fresh in its coming, in succession (reminder) never did Gabriel bring revelation of the Qur'an to their Prophet (from the Beneficent One, but they turn away from it) except that they disbelieved in the Qur'an.

And there would never come from the Compassionate One any reminder that is new, but that they used to disregard it.He said:That is, whenever there came to them, through revelation, knowledge of the Qurʾān which was new to them and of which they had no prior knowledge, they would turn away from it. This is not to say that the Reminder (dhikr) itself is created (muḥdath), however, for it is from among the attributes of the essence of God, and is therefore neither existentiated (mukawwan) nor created (makhlūq). His words: