The Poets — Verse 6

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."

Verily then they have denied it; but soon there will come to them the news the consequences of that which they used to deride.

فقد كذَّبوا بالقرآن واستهزؤوا به، فسيأتيهم أخبار الأمر الذي كانوا يستهزئون به ويسخرون منه، وسيحلُّ بهم العذاب جزاء تمردهم على ربهم.

ولهذا قال تعالى ههنا "فقد كذبوا فسيأتيهم أنباء ما كانوا به يستهزئون" أي فقد كذبوا بما جاءهم من الحق فسيعلمون نبأ هذا التكذيب بعد حين.

ثم بين - سبحانه - سوء عاقبتهم فقال : ( فَقَدْ كَذَّبُواْ فَسَيَأْتِيهِمْ أَنبَاءُ مَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ ) .أى : فقد كذبوا هؤلاء الجاحدون بالذكر الذى أتيتهم به - أيها الرسول الكريم - دون أن يكتفوا بالإعراض عنه ، فاصبر فسيأتهم أنباء العذاب الذى كانوا يستهزئون به عندما تحدثهم عنه ، وهو واقع بهم لا محالة ولكن فى الوقت الذى يشاؤه - سبحانه - .وفى التعبير عن وقوع العذاب بهم ، بإتيان أنبائه وأخباره ، تهويل من شأن هذا العذاب ، وتحقيق لنزوله ، أى : فسيأتيهم لا محالة مصداق ما كانوا به يستهزئون ويصيرون هم أحاديث الناس يتحدثون بها ويتناقلون أنباءها .

يقول تعالى ذكره: فقد كذب يا محمد هؤلاء المشركون بالذكر الذي أتاهم من عند الله, وأعرضوا عنه ( فَسَيَأْتِيهِمْ أَنْبَاءُ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ ) يقول: فسيأتيهم أخبار الأمر الذي كانوا يسخرون منه, وذلك وعيد من الله لهم أنه محلّ بهم عقابه على تماديهم في كفرهم, وتمرّدهم على ربهم.

( فقد كذبوا فسيأتيهم ) أي : فسوف يأتيهم ، ) ( أنباء ) أخبار وعواقب ، ) ( ما كانوا به يستهزئون )

فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوا فَسَيَأْتِيهِمْ أَنْبَاءُ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ (6)فاء { فقد كذبوا } فصيحة ، أي فقد تبين أن إعراضهم إعراض تكذيب بعد الإخبار عنهم بأن سنتهم الإعراض عن الذكر الآتي بعضه عقب بعض فإن الإعراض كان لأنهم قد كذبوا بالقرآن . وأما الفاء في قوله : { فسيأتيهم } فَلِتَعْقِيب الإخبار بالوعيد بعد الإخبار بالتكذيب .والأنباء : جمع نبأ ، وهو الخبر عن الحدث العظيم ، وتقدم عند قوله تعالى { ولقد جاءك من نبأ المرسلين } في سورة الأنعام ( 34 ) .والأنباء : ظهور صدقها ، وليس المراد من الإتيان هنا البلوغ كالذي في قوله : { وهل أتاك نَبَؤا الخصم } [ ص : 21 ] لأن بلوغ الأنباء قد وقع فلا يحكى بعلامة الاستقبال في قوله : { فسيأتيهم } .و { ما } في قوله : { ما كانوا به يستهزءون } يجوز أن تكون موصولة فيجوز أن يكون ماصْدَقُها القرآن وذلك كقوله تعالى : { ولا تتخذوا آيات الله هُزؤاً } [ البقرة : 231 ] . وجيء في صلته بفعل { يستهزءون } دون ( يكذِّبون ) لتحصل فائدة الإخبار عنهم بأنهم كذَّبوا به واستهزأوا به ، وتكون الباء في { به } لتعدية فعل { يستهزءون } ، والضمير المجرور عائداً إلى { ما } الموصولة ، وأنباؤه أخباره بالوعيد . ويجوز أن يكون ما صدق { ما } جنسَ ما عُرفوا باستهزائهم به وهو التوعُّد ، كانوا يقولون : مَتى هذا الوعد؟ ونحو ذلك .وإضافة { أنبؤا } إلى { ما كانوا به يستهزءون } على هذا إضافة بيانية ، أي ما كانوا به يستهزئون الذي هو أنباء ما سيحلّ بهم .وجمع الأنباء على هذا باعتبار أنهم استهزأوا بأشياء كثيرة منها البعث ، ومنها العذاب في الدنيا ، ومنها نصر المسلمين عليهم { ويقولون متى هذا الوعد إن كنتم صادقين } [ يونس : 48 ] ، ومنها فتح مكة ، ومنها عذاب جهنم ، وشجرةُ الزقوم . وكان أبو جهل يقول : زقّمونا ، استهزاء .ويجوز كون { ما } مصدرية ، أي أنباء كون استهزائهم ، أي حصوله ، وضمير { به } عائداً إلى معلوم من المقام ، وهو القرآن أو الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلموالمراد بأنباء استهزائهم أنباءُ جزَائه وعاقبته وهو ما توعدهم به القرآن في غير ما آية .والقول في إقحام فعل { كانوا } هنا كالقول في إقحامه في قوله آنفاً { كانوا عنه معرضين } [ الشعراء : 5 ] ولكن أوثر الإتيان بالفعل المضارع وهو { يستهزءون } دون اسم الفاعل كالذي في قوله : { كانوا عنه معرضين } لأن الاستهزاء يتجدد عند تجدد وعيدهم بالعذاب ، وأما الإعراض فمتمكّن منهم .ومعنى { فسيأتيهم أنبؤا ما كانوا به يستهزءون } على الوجه الأول أن يكون الإتيان بمعنى التحقق كما في قوله : { أتى أمر الله } [ النحل : 1 ] ، أي تحقّق ، أي سوف تتحقّق أخبار الوعيد الذي توعدهم به القرآن الذي كانوا يستهزئون به .وعلى الوجه الثاني سوف تبلغهم أخبار استهزائهم بالقرآن ، أي أخبار العقاب على ذلك . وأوثر إفراد فعل «يأتيهم» مع أن فاعله جمع تكسير لغير مذكر حقيقي يجوز تأنيثه لأن الإفراد أخف في الكلام لكثرة دورانه .

( فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوا ). أي: بالحق, وصار التكذيب لهم سجية, لا تتغير ولا تتبدل، ( فَسَيَأْتِيهِمْ أَنْبَاءُ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ ) أي: سيقع بهم العذاب, ويحل بهم ما كذبوا به, فإنهم قد حقت عليهم كلمة العذاب.

فقد كذبوا أي أعرضوا ومن أعرض عن شيء ولم يقبله فهو تكذيب له . فسيأتيهم أنباء ما كانوا به يستهزئون وعيد لهم ; أي فسوف يأتيهم عاقبة ما كذبوا والذي استهزءوا به .

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)

(Now they have denied) Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an; (but there will come unto them tidings) the news (of that whereat they used to scoff) of chastisement; it is also said that this means: there will come to them the news of their derision of Muhammad (pbuh) and of the Qur'an.