Saba, Sheba — Verse 44

The Saying of the Disbelievers about the Prophets, and its refutation Allah tells us that the disbeliever deserve to be severely punished by Him, because when His clear Verses were recited to them, and they heard them fresh from the lips of His Messenger , they said: قَالُواْ مَا هَـذَا إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَن يَصُدَّكُمْ عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ (They say: "This is naught but a man who wishes to hinder you from that which your fathers used to worship.") meaning, that the religion of their fathers was the truth and that what the Messenger brought to them was false -- may the curse of Allah be upon them and their fathers! وَقَالُواْ مَا هَـذَآ إِلاَّ إِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى (And they say: "This is nothing but an invented lie.") referring to the Qur'an. l وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ (And those who disbelieve say of the truth when it has come to them: "This is nothing but evident magic!") Allah says: وَمَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ مِّنْ كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَهَا وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ (And We had not given them Scriptures that they could study, nor sent to them before you any warner) meaning, Allah did not reveal any Book to the Arabs before the Qur'an, and He did not send any Prophet to them before Muhammad ﷺ . They used to wish for that and say, `if only a warner comes to us or a Book is revealed to us, we would be more guided than others,' but when Allah blessed them with that, they disbelieved him and stubbornly rejected him. Then Allah says: وَكَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبلِهِمْ (And those before them denied;) meaning, other nations. وَمَا بَلَغُواْ مِعْشَارَ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ (these have not received even a tenth of what We had granted to those (of old);) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Of the power of this world." This was also the view of Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd. This is like the Ayat: وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَـهُمْ فِيمَآ إِن مَّكَّنَّـكُمْ فِيهِ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعاً وَأَبْصَـراً وَأَفْئِدَةً فَمَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلاَ أَبْصَـرُهُمْ وَلاَ أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِّن شَىْءٍ إِذْ كَانُواْ يَجْحَدُونَ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ (And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you! And We had assigned them the hearing, seeing, and hearts; but their hearing, seeing, and their hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayat of Allah, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to mock at!) (46: 26) أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَانُواْ أَكْـثَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ قُوَّةً (Have they not traveled through the earth and seen what was the end of those before them They were more in number than them and mightier in strength) (40:82). but that did not protect them from the punishment of Allah, and Allah destroyed them because they denied His Messengers. Allah says: فَكَذَّبُواْ رُسُلِى فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ (yet they denied My Messengers. Then how (terrible) was My denial!) meaning, `how severe was My wrath and how great was My avenging of My Messengers.'

And We did not give them any scriptures for them to study nor did We send them any warner before you so on what grounds do they deny you?

وما أنزلنا على الكفار مِن كُتُب يقرؤونها قبل القرآن فتدلهم على ما يزعمون من أن ما جاءهم به محمد سحر، وما أرسلنا إليهم قبلك -أيها الرسول- من رسول ينذرهم بأسنا.

قال الله تعالى "وما آتيناهم من كتب يدرسونها وما أرسلنا إليهم قبلك من نذير " أي ما أنزل الله على العرب من كتاب قبل القرآن وما أرسل إليهم نبيا قبل محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وقد كانوا يودون ذلك ويقولون لو جاءنا نذير أو أنزل علينا كتاب لكنا أهدى من غيرنا فلما من الله عليهم بذلك كذبوه وجحدوه وعاندوه ثم.

ثم بين - سبحانه - أن أقوالهم هذه لا تستند إلى دليل أو ما يشبه الدليل ، وإنما هم يهرفون بما لا يعرفون ، فقال - تعالى - : ( وَمَآ آتَيْنَاهُمْ مِّنْ كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَهَا وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ ) .أى : أن هؤلاء الذين قالوا ما قالوا من باطل وزور ، لم نأتهم بكتب يدرسونها ويقرءونها ليعرفوا منها أن الشرك حق ، فيكون لهم عذرهم فى التمسك به ، وكذلك لم نرسل إليهم قبلك - أيها الرسول الكريم - نذيرا يدعوهم إلى عابدة الأصنام ، ويخوفوهم من ترك عبادتها .وما دام الأمر كذلك ، فمن أين أتوا بهذا التصميم على شركهم ، وبهذا الإِنكار للحق الذى جاءهم؟ إن أمرهم هذا لهو فى غاية الغرابة والعجب .فالمقصود من الآية الكريمة تجهيلهم والتهكم بهم ، ونفى أن يكون عندهم حتى ما يشبه الدليل على صحة ما فيه من شرك .وشبيه بهذه الآية قوله - تعالى - : ( أَمْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَاناً فَهُوَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يُشْرِكُونَ ) وقوله - عز وجل - : ( أَمْ آتَيْنَاهُمْ كِتَاباً مِّن قَبْلِهِ فَهُم بِهِ مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ ).

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَمَا آتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنْ كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَهَا وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ (44)يقول تعالى ذكره: وما أنـزلنا على المشركين القائلين لمحمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم لما جاءهم بآياتنا: هذا سحر مبين، بما يقولون من ذلك كتبًا يدرسونها، يقول: يقرءونها.&; 20-416 &; كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله (ومَا آتيْنَاهُمْ مِنْ كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَهَا) أي: يقرءونها(وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ) يقول: وما أرسلنا إلى هؤلاء المشركين من قومك يا محمد فيما يقولون ويعملون قبلك من نبي ينذرهم بأسنا عليه.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة (وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ) ما أنـزل الله على العرب كتابًا قبل القرآن، ولا بعث إليهم نبيًّا قبل محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم.

( وما آتيناهم ) يعني : هؤلاء المشركين ( من كتب يدرسونها ) يقرؤونها ( وما أرسلنا إليهم قبلك من نذير ) أي : لم يأت العرب قبلك نبي ولا نزل عليهم كتاب .

وَمَا آَتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنْ كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَهَا وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ (44)الواو للحال ، والجملة في موضع الحال من الضمير في قوله : { قالوا ما هذا إلا رجل يريد أن يصدكم عما كان يعبد آباؤكم } [ سبأ : 43 ] الآية ، تحميقاً لجهالتهم وتعجيباً من حالهم في أمرين :«أحدهما» : أنهم لم يدركوا ما ينالهم من المزية بمجيء الحق إليهم إذ هيأهم الله به لأن يكونوا في عداد الأمم ذوي الكتاب ، وفي بدء حال يبلغ بهم مبلغ العلم ، إذ هم لم يسبق لهم أن أتاهم كتاب من عند الله أو رسول منه ، فيكون معنى الآية : فكيف رفضوا اتّباع الرسول وتلقي القرآن وكان الأجدرُ بهم الاغتباط بذلك . وهذا المعنى هو المناسب لقوله : { يدرسونها } أي لم يكونوا أهل دراسة فكان الشأن أن يسرهم ما جاءهم من الحق .«وثانيهما» : أنهم لم يكونوا على هدى ولا دين منسوب إلى الله تعالى حتى يكون تمسكهم به وخشية الوقوع في الضلالة إن فرَّطوا فيه يحملهم على التردد في الحق الذي جاءهم وصدققِ الرسول الذي أتاهم به فيكون لهم في الصد عنهما بعض العذر : فيكون المعنى : التعجيب من رفضهم الحق حين لا مانع يصدهم ، فليس معنى جملة { وما آتيناهم من كتب } الخ على العطف ولا على الإِخبار لأن مضمون ذلك معلوم لا يتعلق الغرض بالإِخبار به ، ولكن على الحال لإِفادة التعجيب والتحميق ، وعلى هذا المعنى جرى المفسرون .والدراسة : القراءة بتمهّل وتفهّم ، وتقدم عند قوله تعالى : { وبما كنتم تدرسون في آل عمران ( 79 ) .وإنما لم يقيد إيتاء الكتب بقيد كما قُيّد الإِرسال بقوله : قبلَك } لأن الإِيتاء هو التمكين من الشيء وهم لم يتمكنوا من القرآن بخلاف إرسال النذير فهو حاصل سواء تقبلوه أم أعرضوا عنه .ومن نحا نحو أن يكون معنى الآية التفرقةَ بين حالهم وحال أهل الكتاب فذلك منحى واهن لأنه يجرّ إلى معذرة أهل الكتاب في عضّهم بالنواجذ على دينهم ، على أنه لم يكن في مدة نزول الوحي بمكة علاقة للدعوة الإِسلامية بأهل الكتاب وإنما دعاهم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بالمدينة ، وأيضاً لا يكون للتقييد ب { قبلَك } فائدة خاصة كما علمت . وهنالك تفسيرات أخرى أشد بعداً وأبعد عن القصد جداً .

ولما بيَّن ما ردوا به الحق, وأنها أقوال دون مرتبة الشبهة, فضلا أن تكون حجة, ذكر أنهم وإن أراد أحد أن يحتج لهم, فإنهم لا مستند لهم, ولا لهم شيء يعتمدون عليه أصلا, فقال: { وَمَا آتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنْ كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَهَا } حتى تكون عمدة لهم { وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ } حتى يكون عندهم من أقواله وأحواله, ما يدفعون به, ما جئتهم به، فليس عندهم علم, ولا أثارة من علم.

قوله تعالى : وما آتيناهم من كتب يدرسونها وما أرسلنا إليهم قبلك من نذيرقوله تعالى : وما آتيناهم من كتب يدرسونها أي لم يقرءوا في كتاب أوتوه بطلان ما جئت به ، ولا سمعوه من رسول بعث إليهم ، كما قال : أم آتيناهم كتابا من قبله فهم به مستمسكون فليس لتكذيبهم وجه يتشبث به ولا شبهة متعلق ; كما يقول أهل الكتاب - وإن كانوا مبطلين - : نحن أهل كتاب وشرائع ومستندون إلى رسل من رسل الله ، ثم توعدهم على [ ص: 279 ] تكذيبهم بقوله الحق :

The Quran presented clear arguments to its opponents which they were unable to counter. In spite of this, they were successful in dissuading the common people from accepting the truth. The sole reason for this success was that the disbelievers played on the sentiments of the common people and stirred them up by saying that it (the Quran’s message) was against the traditions of their forefathers. The miraculous literary value of the Quran was undeniable, and therefore, attempts were made to convince people that its supposed greatness depended solely on magical feats of expression which had nothing to do with divine revelation; it was only a miracle of penmanship and not the result of the knowledge of reality. It is most interesting that as a matter of historical record, for people of every period, prejudice has proved stronger than rational arguments. The Quran’s addressees could have put forward rational arguments to reject it or they could have referred to any other divine scriptures from which a contradiction to the Quran could have been produced. But none took recourse to either of these possibilities. If people so blatantly deny the call for Truth, it is due to nothing but stubbornness.

Commentary This verse has appeared a little earlier (36) almost in the same words. As obvious, the same thing has been mentioned here, however, it has a difference. At this place, there is an addition of: مِنْ عِبَادِهِ (out of His servants) after: مَن يَشَاءُ whomsoever He wills) and: لَہ، (lahu: for him or whomever) after: یَقدِر (yaqdir: straitens). From the statement: مِنْ عِبَادِهِ (min 'ibadihi: from His servants), it is gathered that this rule of guidance has been put forth for His particular servants, that is, for the believers, and the purpose is to alert people of faith that they should not start loving wealth and comfort to the extent that their hearts choke when it comes to spending at occasions and on rights enjoined by Allah Ta’ ala. As for the earlier verse (36) that carries the same text, it was addressed to disbelievers and polytheists who prided on the worldly assets of wealth and children and declared these to be the proof of their success in the Hereafter. Thus, any discordance between the addressee and the purpose of address stands eliminated. Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi (رح) ، in his khulasah of Tafsir Bayn ul-Qur'an, has taken the same approach by first adding 'the believers' in parenthesis while explaining this verse. Another difference between these two verses pointed to by some commentators is that mentioned in the first verse was the distribution of sustenance between different human beings, that is, Allah Ta’ ala gives more of wealth and property to some, and less to some others - all in His wisdom and in the light of universal considerations. And in this verse, only one person and his different states have been mentioned, that is, this one person has, at times, more with him, then, comes another time and the same person has much less as well. The word: لَہ (lahu: for him) which appears in this verse after: یَقدِر (yaqdiru: straitens) releases an indication in this direction. This approach too leaves no discordance behind. Rather, the first verse turns out as relating to different individuals and the present verse, to different states of one single person. The sentence: وَمَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّن شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ (And whatever thing you spend, He replaces it. And He is the best of the sustainers.) in verse 39 literally means: 'For anything that you spend, Allah Ta’ ala gives you a return from His unseen treasures - at times, within this world and at times, in the Hereafter and at times, in both.' In things happening around us, we see that water comes down from above, animals and humans use it freely, needs of farms and forests are satiated, and no sooner does that supply of water gets used up, than another supply descends to replenish it. Similar is the case of wells dug for water that, no matter how much water is spent out of these, it stands replenished by nature from other sources of water beneath the bed. Man eats up his food leaving the impression that he has finished it, but Allah Ta’ ala provides him with other food in its absence. Physical exercise burns out calories of food and other workings of nature turn it into energy. In short, whatever man spends out in this world, it is the customary practice of Allah Ta’ ala that He would replace it with something else similar to it. Something happening contrary to this, as an exceptional case, - either to punish one, or for the sake of some other creational consideration - will not be deemed as contrary to this customary Divine practice. According to a Hadith of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ in Sahih of Muslim, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Everyday when people rise to see another morning, two angels descend from the heavens and pray: اللَّھُم اَعطِ منفقاً خَلفاً واعط ممسکاً تلفق (0 Allah, bless the one who spends [ out of what You gave him or her ] with its return, and let the one who withholds [ what You gave him or her ] find it wasted." And according to another Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah Ta’ ala has told me: You spend on people, I shall spend on you." There is no promise of a return for spending that is not in accordance with the Shari'ah Says a Hadith of Sayyidna Jabir ؓ see that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Good deed is sadaqah (an act of charity in the way of Allah). When someone spends on himself or his children and family, that spending too falls under sadaqah. It brings thawab (reward from Allah). And one who spends to protect his integrity and honor, this too is sadaqah. And whoever spends whatever he does in obedience to the command of Allah, He has taken it upon Himself that He will give him its return - except that which is spent in (wasteful, extra to need) building or sinful activity, for there is no promise of a return for it." After hearing this Hadith from Sayyidna Jabir ؓ ، his disciple, Ibn al-Munkadir asked him: 'What is the meaning of spending to protect one's honor?' He said, 'There may be a person about whom one apprehends that, should he not give him something, he would go about maligning him in all sorts of ways. In this case, giving to such a person is in order to save one's honor.' (Reported by ad-Darqutni, Qurtubi) With the decrease in the use of something, its production also decreases The hint embedded in this verse also tells us that as long as the things of use provided by Allah Ta’ ala for consumption of human beings and animals keep being consumed, these keep being replaced by Him constantly. The rule seems to be that the more the consumption of something, the more its production. The multiple uses made of domestic animals like goats, sheep and cows put them high on the list of consumption. They are slaughtered. Their meat is eaten. Then, they are also slaughtered under Islamic legal requirements, such as, the Qurbani قُربَانِی or sacrifice, and in Kaffarat (plural of kaffarah or expiation) and jinayat (faults, offences against religious prohibitions). The more they are consumed, the more increased becomes their frequency of production from Allah Ta’ ala. This is common experience everywhere. The number of these animals, despite being under the knife all the time, remains the highest in the world. The number of dogs and cats is not that high, although the reproduction of dogs and cats should obviously be much more as they produce four or five puppies and kittens in a single pregnancy. A cow or goat delivers two calves or kids at the most. Cows and goats keep being slaughtered all the time. Dogs and cats are (generally) not touched by anyone. But, as far as common observations goes, it cannot be denied that the number of cows, sheep and goats comparatively exceeds the number of dogs and cats. Since the time restrictions have been placed on the slaughter of cows in India, the production of cows has gone down there in that very ratio. Otherwise, every village and every home would have been full of cows that stayed spared from being slaughtered. Once the Arabs tapered down their use of camels for riding and transport purposes, the usual increase in the populations of their camels has also gone down. Incidentally, what has been said here also helps remove that atheistic doubt usually dished out with reference to the Islamic injunctions of sacrifice saying that it is likely to affect the economy of Muslims adversely.

(And We have given them) i.e. the disbelievers of Mecca (no Scriptures which they study) in which they recite that which they claim, (nor sent We unto them, before thee) O Muhammad, (any warner) any warning Messenger.