براعة الاستهلال في سورة البقرة؛ عرضٌ وتحليلٌ
The Artistry of the Opening of Surah al-Baqarah: A Study and Analysis (Part Eleven)
By: Abd an-Nasir Salamah
Translated by: Reza Ervani bin Asmanu
This article, “The Artistry of the Opening of Surah al-Baqarah,” is included in the Tadabbur al Quran in English Category
معالم الاهتداء بالقرآن:
The Main Features of Guidance Through the Qur’an:
اشتملت هذه الآيات الأولى من سورة البقرة أيضًا على إشاراتٍ لطيفةٍ إلى المعالم الكبرى لما جاء به القرآن الكريم من الهدى، وهي المعالم التي ترسم طريق الاهتداء الحقّ بالقرآن وتحقيق التقوى، فبدأت بأهم ذلك وهو إصلاح الاعتقاد؛ إِذْ لا اهتداء ولا تقوى بلا عقيدةٍ صحيحةٍ، فقال تعالى في ذلك: ﴿الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ﴾ [البقرة: ٣]؛ وعبّر عن الاعتقاد بالإيمان بالغيب لأن مدار ذلك عليه، وأعظم ذلك الإيمان بالله وتوحيده. وقد تناولت سورة البقرة موضوع الغيب في مناسباتٍ عديدةٍ كما في قصة خلق آدم وما أحاط بها من تفاصيل، وذكر الملائكة في مواضع عدَّةٍ، وفي الإخبار عن الجنة ونعيمها والنار وجحيمها، وغير ذلك من موضوعاتٍ.
The opening verses of Surah al-Baqarah also contain subtle indications of the major features of the guidance brought by the Noble Qur’an. These features outline the path to true guidance through the Qur’an and to the realization of taqwa. The first and most important of these is the rectification of belief, for there can be no true guidance or taqwa without sound creed. Allah Most High says in this regard: “Those who believe in the unseen.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 3) Belief is expressed here in terms of faith in the unseen because this forms the foundation around which belief revolves, the greatest aspect of which is faith in Allah and affirming His oneness. Surah al-Baqarah addresses matters of the unseen on many occasions, such as in the story of the creation of Adam and the details surrounding it, the mention of the angels in several places, accounts of Paradise and its delights, Hell and its punishment, and other related subjects.
كما أنّ في هذا الوصف بالإيمان بالغيب تعريضًا ببني إسرائيل في ضعف إيمانهم به، ولا سيما في إيمانهم بالله؛ إِذْ ستتعرض السورة لاحقًا إلى ذِكْر اتخاذهم العجل إلهًا وطلبهم رؤية الله جهرةً بيانًا لتعلقهم بالمحسوس المشاهد تعلقًا جعل إيمانهم بالغيب مستعصيًا وعسيرًا، وفي هذا يقول الله تعالى:
This description of faith in the unseen also contains, according to the author, an implicit criticism of the Children of Israel for weakness in their faith in unseen realities, particularly in relation to faith in Allah. Later, the surah mentions their taking the calf as an object of worship and their demand to see Allah openly, illustrating their intense attachment to what could be perceived through the senses and directly observed, an attachment that made faith in the unseen difficult for them. Allah Most High says:
﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوا إِلَى بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عِنْدَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ * وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ﴾ [البقرة: ٥٤-٥٥]
“And when Musa said to his people, ‘O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by taking the calf as an object of worship, so repent to your Creator and kill yourselves. That is better for you in the sight of your Creator.’ Then He accepted your repentance. Indeed, He is the Accepter of repentance, the Most Merciful. And when you said, ‘O Musa, we will never believe you until we see Allah openly,’ then the thunderbolt seized you while you were looking on.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 54–55)
يقول صاحب (نظم الدرر): «ولما استُتيبوا عن عبادة العجل التي تقيّدوا فيها بالمحسوس الذي هو مثَلٌ في الغباوة، طلبوا رؤية بارئهم بالحسِّ على ما له من صفات الكمال التي تأبى الابتذال، ناسِين لجميع النِّعم والنِّقم، مسرعين في الكفر الذي هو من شأن الحائر، والحال أنّ الفرقان الذي لا يدع شبهةً ولا يبقِي حيرةً قائمٌ بين أيديهم؛ لأنهم من الجمود والوقوف مع الوَهْم والحسِّ بمكانٍ عظيمٍ»
The author of Nazhm ad-Durar said: “When they were called to repent from worshipping the calf — through which they had confined themselves to what was perceptible to the senses, something that exemplifies foolishness — they then demanded to see their Creator through the senses, despite His attributes of perfection that are far above such degradation. They forgot all the blessings and warnings they had received and rushed into disbelief, which is characteristic of one who is bewildered, even though the Furqan, which leaves no doubt and removes all confusion, stood before them. This was because of the extent of their rigidity and their attachment to imagination and sensory perception.”1
وفي تناول السورة الكريمة لبعض الموضوعات الغيبية مع التعريض ببني إسرائيل في ضعف إيمانهم بالغيب من خلال ما ذكرناه آنفًا ما يدلّ على أن قوله تعالى: ﴿الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ﴾ [البقرة: ٣]، قد وقع في مفتتح السورة موقع براعة استهلال للسورة نفسها. كما أنه يُعَدُّ براعة استهلالٍ لجميع سور القرآن بالنظر لكثرة موضوعات الغيب فيها حتى لا تجد سورة تخلو من ذكر ذلك، ولا سيما في القرآن المكيِّ.
The surah’s treatment of various matters of the unseen, together with its implicit criticism of the Children of Israel for weakness in faith in the unseen as discussed above, indicates that the words of Allah Most High, “Those who believe in the unseen” (Surah al-Baqarah: 3), occupy the position of bara’at al-istihlal in relation to the surah itself. They may likewise be regarded as bara’at al-istihlal for the Qur’an as a whole, given the abundance of themes relating to the unseen throughout its surahs, to the point that scarcely any surah is devoid of such matters, particularly among the Makkan revelations.
وأما المعْلَم الثاني من معالم الهدى القرآنيِّ فهو أداء حقّ الله ظاهرًا بعد تأديته باطنًا بالإيمانِ به المدلولِ عليه بالوصف الأول، وهذا المعْلَم هو ما يُصطلح عليه بالعبادة الدالة على الخضوع الفعليِّ لله تعالى. وقد اقتصرت الآيات من ذلك على ذِكر إقام الصلاة: ﴿وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ﴾ [البقرة: ٣]؛ إِذْ إن الصلاة هي أعظم العبادات الظاهرة إطلاقًا، كما هو ظاهر الحديث:
The second major feature of Qur’anic guidance is fulfilling the outward right of Allah after first fulfilling it inwardly through faith in Him, as indicated by the first characteristic. This outward feature is what is termed worship, which expresses practical submission to Allah Most High. In this context, the verses mention specifically the establishment of prayer: “And they establish prayer.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 3) This is because prayer is the greatest of the outward acts of worship, as indicated by the hadith:
(وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ خَيْرَ أَعْمَالِكُمُ الصَّلَاةُ)،
“And know that the best of your deeds is prayer.”2
وهي أظهر تجليات الخضوع لله تعالى لما تشتمل عليه من قيامٍ وركوعٍ وسجودٍ وذِكْرٍ له.
Prayer is also the clearest manifestation of submission to Allah Most High because it includes standing, bowing, prostration, and remembrance of Him.
وقد جاء ذكرها في مفتتح السورة تاليًا للإيمان لإفادة أنها أعظم دلائله العملية، حتى أنها سميت به في قوله تعالى:
Its mention at the beginning of the surah immediately after faith indicates that prayer is the greatest practical manifestation of that faith. Indeed, prayer itself is referred to as “faith” in the words of Allah Most High:
﴿وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ﴾ [البقرة: ١٤٣]،
“And Allah would never cause your faith to be lost.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 143)
وفي هذا يقول البِقاعيُّ: «ولمّا كانت الصلاة التزام عهد العبادة مبنيًّا على تقدّم الشهادة متمَّمَةً بجماع الذِّكر وأنواع التحيات لله؛ من القيامِ له تعالى والركوعِ له والسجودِ الذي هو أعلاها والسلامِ بالقول الذي هو أدنى التحيات =كانت لذلك تعهُّدًا للإيمان وتكرارًا؛ ولذلك من لم يُدِم الصلاة ضعف إيمانه وران عليه كفرٌ؛ فلا إيمان لمن لا صلاة له»
In this regard, al-Biqa’i said: “Since prayer is the fulfillment of the covenant of worship, built upon the preceding testimony of faith and completed through the comprehensive remembrance of Allah and the various forms of reverence offered to Him — standing before Him, bowing to Him, prostration, which is its highest form, and the verbal greeting of peace, which is the least of these forms of reverence — prayer therefore constitutes a renewal and repetition of faith. For this reason, whoever does not continually maintain the prayer will have his faith weakened and obscured by disbelief; there is no faith for one who has no prayer.”3
To be continued in the next part, in sha Allah
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