تأملات بيانية في سورة الكافرون
Linguistic Reflections on Surah al-Kafirun (Part Five)
Translated by: Reza Ervani bin Asmanu
This article, “Linguistic Reflections on Surah Al-Kafirun and Its Meaning,” is part of the Tadabbur al Quran in English category
والعابد: المُوَحِّدُ، قال الليث: العِبِدَّى: جماعة العَبِيد الذين وُلِدوا في العُبودِيَّة، تَعْبِيدَةُ ابنُ تعبيدةٍ؛ أَي: في العُبودة إِلى آبائه، قال الأَزهري: هذا غلط، يقال: هؤلاء عِبِدَّى الله؛ أَي: عباده.
Al-‘Ābid (the worshipper) is the one who affirms the oneness of Allah. Al-Layth said: al-‘ibiddā refers to a group of slaves born into slavery. It is also said: “Ta‘bīdah son of Ta‘bīdah,” meaning from a lineage of slavery back to his ancestors. However, al-Azhari corrected this and said: “This is a mistake.” The correct meaning of ‘ibiddā’ullāh is “the servants of Allah.”
وفي الحديث الذي جاء في الاستسقاء: هؤلاء عِبِدَّاكَ بِفِناءِ حَرَمِك؛ العِبِدَّاءُ، بالمد والقصر، جمع العبد.
In the hadith concerning istisqā’ (seeking rain), it is mentioned: “Hā’ulā’i ‘ibiddāka bi-finā’i haramik” — “These are Your servants in the courtyard of Your Sacred Sanctuary.” The term ‘ibiddā’, whether pronounced with elongation or shortening, is the plural of ‘abd (servant).
وفي حديث عامر بن الطفيل: أَنه قال للنبي – صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم -: ما هذه العِبِدَّى حوْلَك يا محمد؟
In the hadith of ‘Āmir ibn al-Tufayl, he said to the Prophet ﷺ: “What are these ‘ibiddā’ around you, O Muhammad?”
أَراد فقَراءَ أَهل الصُّفَّة، وكانوا يقولون: اتَّبَعَه الأَرذلون،
He was referring to the poor among Ahl al-Suffah, and they used to say: “It is the lowly ones who follow him.”
قال شمر: ويقال للعبيد مَعْبَدَةٌ، وأَنشد للفرزدق:
Shammar said: Slaves can also be called ma‘badah. Al-Farazdaq recited:
وَمَا كَانَتْ فُقَيْمٌ حَيْثُ كَانَتْ ♦♦♦ بِيَثْرِبَ غَيْرَ مَعْبَدَةٍ قُعُودِ
“Wherever Fuqaym was in Yathrib, they were nothing but seated slaves.”
قال الأَزهري: ومثلُ مَعْبَدة جمع العَبْد مَشْيَخَةٌ جمع الشيْخ، ومَسْيَفة جمع السَّيْفِ،
Al-Azhari said: The plural ma‘badah (of ‘abd) is like mashyakhah (plural of shaykh) and masyaifah (plural of saif – sword).
قال اللحياني: عَبَدْتُ الله عِبادَة ومَعْبَدًا.
Al-Lihyani said: “I worshipped Allah with ‘ibādah and ma‘bad.”
وقال الزجاج في قوله – تعالى -:
Al-Zajjāj explained regarding Allah’s saying:
﴿ وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴾
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Az-Zāriyāt: 56)
المعنى: ما خلقتهم إِلا لأَدعوهم إِلى عبادتي وأَنا مريد للعبادة منهم،
The meaning is: “I only created them to call them to worship Me, and I desire worship from them.”
وقد علم الله قبل أن يخلقهم مَن يَعبده ممَّن يَكفر به، ولو كان خلقَهم ليجبرهم على العبادة لكانوا كلهم عُبَّادًا مؤمنين؛
And Allah knew before creating them who would worship Him and who would disbelieve in Him. If He had created them to compel them to worship, they would all have been worshippers and believers.
قال الأَزهري: وهذا قول أَهل السنَّة والجماعة.
Al-Azhari said: This is the position of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamā‘ah.
﴿ لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ ﴾
For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.
المسلم له طريق واضح المعالم، بيّن الهدف والمقصد، فلا يخبط خبط عشواء، بل يسير بخطًى ثابتة رزينة، لا ارتجاج فيها ولا مرج، وعلى هذا تكون الآية إعلانًا للمقاطعة والمفاصلة بين المؤمنين، ومَن دونهم مِن الكفار والمشركين؛ لأن هدفهم هو الإبعاد عن الحق؛ كما في قوله – تعالى -:
A Muslim has a clear path, with well-defined objectives and goals. He does not wander aimlessly or proceed haphazardly, but walks with steady and composed steps, without confusion or instability. Thus, this verse is a declaration of severance and separation between the believers and those other than them among the disbelievers and polytheists, because their aim is to drive people away from the truth, as in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
﴿ وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّ ﴾ [البقرة: ١٠٩]
Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves, even after the truth has become clear to them. (Al-Baqarah: 109)
وقد عبر القرآن الكريم عن النبي – صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم- بأنه ليس متصفًا بعبادة ما يعبدون، ولا هم عابدون ما يعبد، فكان وصفه هو – صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم – في الجملتين بوصفين مختلفين، بالجملة الفعلية تارة وبالجملة الاسمية تارة أخرى، فكانت إحداهما لنفي الوصف الثابت، والأخرى لنفي حدوثه فيما بعد.
The Qur’an describes the Prophet — peace and blessings be upon him — as neither practicing the worship they practice nor will he ever worship what they worship. In the two statements referring to him, two different grammatical structures are used: one is a verbal sentence and the other is a nominal sentence. One negates a permanent attribute, while the other negates its occurrence in the future.
أما هم، فلم يوصفوا في الجملتين إلا بالجملة الاسمية الدالة على الوصف الثابت؛ أي: في الماضي إلى الحاضر، ولم يكن فيما وُصفوا به جملة فعلية، والتي من خصائصها التجدد والحدوث، فلم يكن فيها ما يتعرض للمستقبل، فلم يكن إشكال، واللَّه تعالى أعلم.
As for them, they are only described in both statements with nominal sentences indicating a fixed attribute — from the past to the present. No verbal sentence, which denotes renewal and occurrence, is used for them; thus, there is nothing that addresses the future. There is therefore no problem or contradiction, and Allah the Exalted knows best.
في هذه السورة منهج إصلاحي؛ وهو عدم قبول ولا صلاحية أنصاف الحلول؛ لأن ما عرضوه عليه – صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم – من المشاركة في العبادة يعتبر في مقياس المنطق حلًّا وسطًا لاحتمال إصابة الحق في أحد الجانبين، فجاء الردُّ حاسمًا وزاجرًا وبشدة؛ لأن فيه – أي: فيما عرضوه – مساواة للباطل بالحق، وفيه تعليق المشكلة، وفيه تقرير الباطل، إن هو وافقهم ولو لحظةً.
This Surah carries a reformative principle: the rejection of half-measures and middle-ground compromises. The offer made to him — peace and blessings be upon him — to share in acts of worship might, by logical standards, seem like a middle solution, assuming the possibility that one side might be correct. However, the reply came decisive and firmly prohibitive, because such an offer equates falsehood with truth, leaves the matter unresolved, and validates falsehood — even if he agreed with them for only a moment.
وقد تعتبر هذه السورة مميزة وفاصلة بين الطرفين، ونهاية المهادنة، وبداية المجابهة.
This Surah can be considered distinctive and decisive between the two sides, marking the end of the truce and the beginning of open confrontation.
وقد قالوا: إن ذلك بناء على ما أمره الله به في السورة قبلها:
They said this is based on what Allah commanded him in the Surah before it:
﴿ إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ ﴾ [الكوثر:١]
Indeed, We have granted you al-Kawthar. (Al-Kawthar: 1)
أي: وإن كنت وصحبك قلة، فإن معك الخير الكثير، ولمجيء ﴿ قل ﴾ لما فيها من إشعار بأنك مبلِّغ عن اللَّه، وهو الذي ينصرك، ولذا جاء بعدها حالًا (سورة النصر)، وبعد (النصر) تبُّ العدو، وهذا في غاية الوضوح، وللَّه الحمد.
Meaning: Even if you and your companions are few in number, you possess abundant goodness. The coming of the command Qul (Say) indicates that you are a messenger delivering from Allah, and it is He who will grant you victory. This is why Surah An-Nasr follows it, bringing the news of victory, and after victory comes the downfall of the enemy. This is extremely clear, and all praise is due to Allah.
Alhamdulillah, this concludes the five-part article series.
Source: Alukah
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