وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِۦۤ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَأۡمُرُكُمۡ أَن تَذۡبَحُوا۟ بَقَرَةࣰۖ قَالُوۤا۟ أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوࣰاۖ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ أَنۡ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡجَـٰهِلِینَ
وقَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿إنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكم أنْ تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً قالُوا أتَتَّخِذُنا هُزُوًا﴾ إلى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿وإذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْسًا فادّارَأْتُمْ فِيها واللَّهُ مُخْرِجٌ ما كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ﴾ [البقرة: ٧٢] ﴿فَقُلْنا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِها﴾ [البقرة: ٧٣] إلى آخَرِ الآيَةِ،
And His, the Exalted’s, saying: {Indeed, Allah commands you to slaughter a cow. They said, “Do you take us in ridicule?”} until His saying: {And [recall] when you slew a soul and disputed over it, but Allah was to bring out that which you were concealing.} [Al-Baqarah: 72] {So, We said, “Strike the slain man with part of it.”} [Al-Baqarah: 73] until the end of the verse.
قالَ أبُو بَكْرٍ: في هَذِهِ الآياتِ وما اشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِن قِصَّةِ المَقْتُولِ وذَبْحِ البَقَرَةِ ضُرُوبٌ مِنَ الأحْكامِ والدَّلائِلِ عَلى المَعانِي الشَّرِيفَةِ:
Abu Bakr said: In these verses and what they contain of the story of the slain person and the slaughtering of the cow are various types of rulings and proofs for noble meanings:
فَأوَّلُها: أنَّ قَوْلَهُ تَعالى: ﴿وإذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْسًا﴾ [البقرة: ٧٢] وإنْ كانَ مُؤَخَّرًا في التِّلاوَةِ فَهو مُقَدَّمٌ في المَعْنى عَلى جَمِيعِ ما ابْتَدَأ بِهِ مِن شَأْنِ البَقَرَةِ؛ لِأنَّ الأمْرَ بِذَبْحِ البَقَرَةِ إنَّما كانَ سَبَبُهُ قَتْلَ النَّفْسِ وقَدْ قِيلَ فِيهِ وجْهانِ:
The first of them: That His, the Exalted’s, saying: {And [recall] when you slew a soul} [Al-Baqarah: 72], although it is later in the recitation, it precedes in meaning all that was initiated regarding the matter of the cow; because the command to slaughter the cow was caused by the slaying of the soul. And two views have been said concerning this:
أحَدُهُما: أنَّ ذِكْرَ القَتْلِ وإنْ كانَ مُؤَخَّرًا في التِّلاوَةِ فَهو مُقَدَّمٌ في النُّزُولِ، والآخَرُ: أنَّ تَرْتِيبَ نُزُولِها عَلى حَسَبِ تَرْتِيبِ تِلاوَتِها ونِظامِها وإنْ كانَ مُقَدَّمًا في المَعْنى؛ لِأنَّ الواوَ لا تُوجِبُ التَّرْتِيبَ، كَقَوْلِ القائِلِ: " اُذْكُرْ؛ إذْ أعْطَيْتَ ألْفَ دِرْهَمٍ زَيْدًا؛ إذْ بَنى دارِي " والبِناءُ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلى العَطِيَّةِ والدَّلِيلُ عَلى أنَّ ذِكْرَ البَقَرَةِ مُقَدَّمٌ في النُّزُولِ قَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿فَقُلْنا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِها﴾ [البقرة: ٧٣]
One of them: That the mention of the slaying, although it is later in the recitation, it precedes in revelation. The other: That the order of its revelation is according to the order of its recitation and arrangement, even if it precedes in meaning; because the conjunction “waw” (and) does not necessitate order, like the saying of a speaker: “Remember; when you gave a thousand dirhams to Zayd; when he built my house,” while the building preceded the giving. And the proof that the mention of the cow precedes in revelation is His, the Exalted’s, saying: {So, We said, “Strike him with part of it.”} [Al-Baqarah: 73]
فَدَلَّ عَلى أنَّ البَقَرَةَ قَدْ ذُكِرَتْ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ ولِذَلِكَ أُضْمِرَتْ ونَظِيرُ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعالى في قِصَّةِ نُوحٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ بَعْدَ ذِكْرِ الطُّوفانِ وانْقِضائِهِ: ﴿قُلْنا احْمِلْ فِيها مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وأهْلَكَ إلا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ القَوْلُ ومَن آمَنَ وما آمَنَ مَعَهُ إلا قَلِيلٌ﴾ [هود: ٤٠]
This indicates that the cow had been mentioned before that, and for that reason, a pronoun was used for it. A parallel to that is His, the Exalted’s, saying in the story of Noah, peace be upon him, after mentioning the flood and its conclusion: {We said, “Load upon it [the ark] of each [creature] two mates and your family, except those about whom the word has preceded, and those who believed.” And none believed with him except a few.} [Hud: 40]
ومَعْلُومٌ أنَّ ذَلِكَ كانَ قَبْلَ هَلاكِهِمْ؛ لِأنَّ تَقْدِيمَ الكَلامِ وتَأْخِيرَهُ إذا كانَ بَعْضُهُ مَعْطُوفًا عَلى بَعْضٍ بِالواوِ غَيْرُ مُوجِبٍ تَرْتِيبَ المَعْنى عَلى تَرْتِيبِ اللَّفْظِ.
And it is known that this was before their destruction; because the advancing and delaying of speech, when parts of it are joined to others by the “waw,” does not necessitate that the order of the meaning follows the order of the wording.
وقَوْلُهُ: ﴿إنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكم أنْ تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً﴾ قَدْ دَلَّ عَلى جَوازِ وُرُودِ الأمْرِ بِذَبْحِ البَقَرَةِ بَقَرَةً مَجْهُولَةً غَيْرَ مَعْرُوفَةٍ ولا مَوْصُوفَةٍ ويَكُونُ المَأْمُورُ مُخَيَّرًا في ذَبْحِ أدْنى ما يَقَعُ الِاسْمُ عَلَيْهِ وقَدْ تَنازَعَ مَعْناهُ الفَرِيقانِ مِن نُفاةِ العُمُومِ ومِن مُثْبِتِيهِ، واحْتَجَّ بِهِ كُلُّ واحِدٍ مِنَ الفَرِيقَيْنِ لِمَذْهَبِهِ، فَأمّا القائِلُونَ بِالعُمُومِ فاحْتَجُّوا بِهِ مِن جِهَةِ وُرُودِهِ مُطْلَقًا فَكانَ ذَلِكَ أمْرًا لازِمًا في كُلِّ واحِدٍ مِن آحادِ ما تَناوَلَهُ العُمُومُ، وأنَّهم لَمّا تَعَنَّتُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ في المُراجَعَةِ مَرَّةً بَعْدَ أُخْرى شَدَّدَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمُ التَّكْلِيفَ وذَمَّهم عَلى مُراجَعَتِهِ بِقَوْلِهِ: ﴿فَذَبَحُوها وما كادُوا يَفْعَلُونَ﴾ [البقرة: ٧١]
And His saying: {Indeed, Allah commands you to slaughter a cow} has indicated the permissibility of a command being issued to slaughter a cow—an unknown, undefined, and undescribed cow—and the one commanded would have the choice to slaughter the least of what the name applies to. The two groups, the negators of generality and its affirmers, have disputed its meaning, and each of the two groups has used it as evidence for its school of thought. As for those who affirm generality, they used it as evidence from the perspective that it came in absolute terms, so it was a binding command regarding every single one of the individuals that the general term encompassed. And that when they were obstinate with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in questioning again and again, Allah made the obligation difficult for them and blamed them for their questioning with His saying: {So they slaughtered it, but they were not about to do it.} [Al-Baqarah: 71]
ورَوى الحَسَنُ أنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قالَ: «والَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَوِ اعْتَرَضُوا أدْنى بَقَرَةٍ فَذَبَحُوها لَأجْزَتْ عَنْهم ولَكِنَّهم شَدَّدُوا فَشَدَّدَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ» ورُوِيَ نَحْوُ ذَلِكَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبّاسٍ وعُبَيْدَةَ وأبِي العالِيَةِ والحَسَنِ ومُجاهِدٍ واحْتَجَّ مَن أبى القَوْلَ بِالعُمُومِ بِأنَّ اللَّهَ تَعالى لَمْ يُعَنِّفْهم عَلى المُراجَعَةِ بَدْءًا، ولَوْ كانَ قَدْ لَزِمَهم تَنْفِذُ ذَلِكَ عَلى ما ادَّعَيْتُمُوهُ مِنِ اقْتِضاءِ عُمُومِ اللَّفْظِ لَوَرَدَ النَّكِيرُ في بَدْءِ المُراجَعَةِ، وهَذا لَيْسَ بِشَيْءٍ؛ لِأنَّ النَّكِيرَ ظاهِرٌ عَلَيْهِمْ في اللَّفْظِ مِن وجْهَيْنِ:
Al-Hasan narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “By Him in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, had they come across the least of cows and slaughtered it, it would have sufficed for them. But they made it difficult, so Allah made it difficult for them.” Something similar has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, Ubaydah, Abu al-‘Aliyah, al-Hasan, and Mujahid. And those who rejected the view of generality argued that Allah the Exalted did not reprimand them for questioning at the beginning. Had it been incumbent upon them to execute that according to what you have claimed of the implication of the generality of the wording, a rebuke would have come at the start of the questioning. And this is nothing, because the rebuke against them is apparent in the wording from two aspects:
أحَدُهُما: تَغْلِيظُ المِحْنَةِ عَلَيْهِمْ وهَذا ضَرْبٌ مِنَ النَّكِيرِ كَما قالَ اللَّهُ تَعالى: ﴿فَبِظُلْمٍ مِنَ الَّذِينَ هادُوا حَرَّمْنا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّباتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ﴾ [النساء: ١٦٠]
One of them: The severity of the ordeal upon them, and this is a type of rebuke, as Allah the Exalted said: {So for wrongdoing on the part of the Jews, We made unlawful for them good things which had been lawful to them.} [An-Nisa: 160]
والثّانِي: قَوْلُهُ: ﴿وما كادُوا يَفْعَلُونَ﴾ [البقرة: ٧١] وهَذا يَدُلُّ عَلى أنَّهم كانُوا تارِكِينَ لِلْأمْرِ بَدْءًا وأنَّهُ قَدْ كانَ عَلَيْهِمُ المُسارَعَةُ إلى فِعْلِهِ فَقَدْ حَصَلَتِ الآيَةُ عَلى مَعانٍ:
The second: His saying: {but they were not about to do it.} [Al-Baqarah: 71] This indicates that they were initially abandoning the command and that it was upon them to hasten to perform it. Thus, the verse has yielded several meanings:
أحَدُها: وُجُوبُ اعْتِبارِ عُمُومِ اللَّفْظِ فِيما يُمْكِنِ اسْتِعْمالُهُ والثّانِي: أنَّ الأمْرَ عَلى الفَوْرِ وأنَّ عَلى المَأْمُورِ المُسارَعَةَ إلى فِعْلِهِ عَلى حَسَبِ الإمْكانِ حَتّى تَقُومَ الدَّلالَةُ عَلى جَوازِ التَّأْخِيرِ
One of them: The obligation of considering the generality of the wording in what can be applied. The second: That a command is for immediate execution, and that it is upon the one commanded to hasten to perform it according to ability, until proof is established for the permissibility of delay.
والثّالِثُ: جَوازُ وُرُودِ الأمْرِ بِشَيْءِ مَجْهُولِ الصِّفَةِ مَعَ تَخْيِيرِ المَأْمُورِ في فِعْلِ ما يَقَعُ الِاسْمُ عَلَيْهِ مِنهُ.
The third: The permissibility of a command being issued for something of an unknown description, with the one commanded having the choice to do that to which the name applies.
والرّابِعُ: وُجُوبُ الأمْرِ وأنَّهُ لا يُصارُ إلى النَّدْبِ إلّا بِدَلالَةٍ؛ إذْ لَمْ يَلْحَقْهُمُ الذَّمُّ إلّا بِتَرْكِ الأمْرِ المُطْلَقِ مِن غَيْرِ ذِكْرِ وعِيدٍ والخامِسُ: جَوازُ النَّسْخِ قَبْلَ وُقُوعِ الفِعْلِ بَعْدَ التَّمَكُّنِ مِنهُ؛ ذَلِكَ أنَّ زِيادَةَ هَذِهِ الصِّفاتِ في البَقَرَةِ كُلٌّ مِنها قَدْ نَسَخَ ما قَبْلَها؛ لِأنَّ قَوْلَهُ تَعالى: ﴿إنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكم أنْ تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً﴾ اقْتَضى ذَبْحَ بَقَرَةٍ أيَّها كانَتْ وعَلى أيِّ وجْهٍ شاءُوا، وقَدْ كانُوا مُتَمَكِّنِينَ مِن ذَلِكَ.
The fourth: The obligation of the command, and that it is not resorted to being a recommendation except with proof; as blame only befell them for abandoning the absolute command without the mention of a threat. The fifth: The permissibility of abrogation before the occurrence of the act but after being able to perform it; that is because the addition of these descriptions to the cow, each of them abrogated what preceded it; because His, the Exalted’s, saying: {Indeed, Allah commands you to slaughter a cow} necessitated the slaughter of any cow whatsoever and in any manner they wished, and they were able to do that.
فَلَمّا قالُوا: ﴿ادْعُ لَنا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنا ما هِيَ﴾ فَقالَ: ﴿إنَّها بَقَرَةٌ لا فارِضٌ ولا بِكْرٌ عَوانٌ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ فافْعَلُوا ما تُؤْمَرُونَ﴾ نَسَخَ التَّخْيِيرَ الَّذِي أوْجَبَهُ الأمْرُ الأوَّلُ في ذَبْحِ البَقَرَةِ المَوْصُوفَةِ بِهَذِهِ الصِّفَةُ وذَبْحِ غَيْرِها، وقَصَرُوا عَلى ما كانَ مِنها بِهَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ وقِيلَ لَهم ﴿فافْعَلُوا ما تُؤْمَرُونَ﴾ فَأبانَ أنَّهُ كانَ عَلَيْهِمْ أنْ يَذْبَحُوا مِن غَيْرِ تَأْخِيرٍ عَلى هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ أيَّ لَوْنٍ كانَتْ وعَلى أيِّ حالِ كانَتْ مِن ذَلُولٍ أوْ غَيْرِها، فَلَمّا قالُوا: ﴿ادْعُ لَنا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنا ما لَوْنُها﴾ [البقرة: ٦٩] نَسَخَ التَّخْيِيرَ الَّذِي كانَ في ذَبْحِ أيِّ لَوْنٍ شاءُوا مِنها وبَقِيَ التَّخْيِيرُ في الصِّفَةِ الأُخْرى مِن أمْرِها، فَلَمّا راجَعُوا نُسِخَ ذَلِكَ أيْضًا وأُمِرُوا بِذَبْحِها عَلى الصِّفَةِ الَّتِي ذَكَرَ واسْتَقَرَّ الفَرْضُ عَلَيْها بَعْدَ تَغْلِيظِ المِحْنَةِ وتَشْدِيدِ التَّكْلِيفِ وهَذا الَّذِي ذَكَرْنا في أمْرِ النَّسْخِ دَلَّ أنَّ الزِّيادَةَ في النَّصِّ بَعْدَ اسْتِقْرارِ حُكْمِهِ يُوجِبُ نَسْخَهُ؛ لِأنَّ جَمِيعَ ما ذَكَرْنا مِنَ الأوامِرِ الوارِدَةِ بَعْدَ مُراجَعَةِ القَوْمِ إنَّما كانَ زِيادَةً في نَصٍّ كانَ قَدِ اسْتَقَرَّ حُكْمُهُ فَأوْجَبَ نَسْخَهُ.
So when they said: {“Call upon your Lord for us to make clear to us what it is.”} He said: {“Indeed, it is a cow neither old nor young, but a middle age between that, so do what you are commanded.”} This abrogated the choice that the first command had necessitated regarding slaughtering the cow described with this attribute and slaughtering others, and they were restricted to what had this attribute. And it was said to them {so do what you are commanded}, which clarified that it was upon them to slaughter without delay one with this attribute, whatever its color was and in whatever state it was, whether trained or otherwise. So when they said: {“Call upon your Lord for us to make clear to us what its color is.”} [Al-Baqarah: 69], it abrogated the choice they had in slaughtering any color they wished from it, while the choice remained regarding the other attribute of its matter. So when they questioned again, that was also abrogated, and they were commanded to slaughter it with the attribute that He mentioned, and the obligation was established upon it after the ordeal was made severe and the religious duty was made difficult. And this which we have mentioned regarding the matter of abrogation indicates that an addition to the text after its ruling has been established necessitates its abrogation; because all that we have mentioned of the commands that came after the people’s questioning were an addition to a text whose ruling had already been established, so it necessitated its abrogation.
ومِنَ النّاسِ مَن يَحْتَجُّ بِهَذِهِ القِصَّةِ في جَوازِ نَسْخِ الفَرْضِ قَبْلَ مَجِيءِ وقْتِهِ؛ لِأنَّهُ قَدْ كانَ مَعْلُومًا أنَّ الفَرْضَ عَلَيْهِمْ بَدْءًا قَدْ كانَ بَقَرَةً مُعَيَّنَةً فَنُسِخَ ذَلِكَ عَنْهم قَبْلَ مَجِيءِ وقْتِ الفِعْلِ وهَذا غَلَطٌ؛ لِأنَّ كُلَّ فَرْضٍ مِن ذَلِكَ قَدْ كانَ وقْتُ فِعْلِهِ عَقِيبَ وُرُودِ الأمْرِ في أوَّلِ أحْوالِ الإمْكانِ واسْتَقَرَّ الفَرْضُ عَلَيْهِمْ وثَبَتَ ثُمَّ نُسِخَ قَبْلَ الفِعْلِ، فَلا دَلالَةَ فِيهِ إذًا عَلى جَوازِ النَّسْخِ قَبْلَ مَجِيءِ وقْتِ الفِعْلِ، وقَدْ بَيَّنّا ذَلِكَ في أُصُولِ الفِقْهِ.
And among the people are those who use this story as evidence for the permissibility of abrogating an obligation before its time comes; because it was known that the obligation upon them at the beginning was a specific cow, then that was abrogated from them before the time of the action came. And this is a mistake; because for each of those obligations, the time for its performance was immediately following the issuance of the command at the first instance of possibility. The obligation was established and confirmed upon them, then it was abrogated before the action. So there is no proof in it, then, for the permissibility of abrogation before the time of the action comes, and we have explained this in Usul al-Fiqh.
والسّادِسُ: دَلالَةُ قَوْلِهِ: ﴿لا فارِضٌ ولا بِكْرٌ عَوانٌ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ﴾ عَلى جَوازِ الِاجْتِهادِ واسْتِعْمالِ غالِبِ الظَّنِّ في الأحْكامِ؛ إذْ لا يُعْلَمُ أنَّها بَيْنَ البِكْرِ والفارِضِ إلّا مِن طَرِيقِ الِاجْتِهادِ.
The sixth: The indication of His saying: {neither old nor young, but a middle age between that} for the permissibility of Ijtihad (independent reasoning) and the use of preponderant belief in rulings; as it is not known that it is between young and old except by way of Ijtihad.
والسّابِعُ اسْتِعْمالُ الظّاهِرِ مَعَ تَجْوِيزِ أنْ يَكُونَ في الباطِنِ خِلافُهُ بِقَوْلِهِ: ﴿مُسَلَّمَةٌ لا شِيَةَ فِيها﴾ [البقرة: ٧١] يَعْنِي واللَّهُ أعْلَمُ مُسَلَّمَةٌ مِنَ العُيُوبِ بَرِيئَةٌ مِنها، وذَلِكَ لا نَعْلَمُهُ مِن طَرِيقِ الحَقِيقَةِ وإنَّما نَعْلَمُهُ مِن طَرِيقِ الظّاهِرِ مَعَ تَجْوِيزِ أنْ يَكُونَ بِها عَيْبٌ باطِنٌ.
The seventh: The use of the apparent while allowing for the possibility that the inward reality is contrary to it, by His saying: {sound, with no blemish on it} [Al-Baqarah: 71], meaning, and Allah knows best, sound from defects, free of them. And that we do not know by way of reality, but rather we know it by way of the apparent, while allowing for the possibility that it has an internal defect.
والثّامِنُ: ما حَكى اللَّهُ عَنْهم في المُراجَعَةِ الأخِيرَةِ: ﴿وإنّا إنْ شاءَ اللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ﴾ [البقرة: ٧٠] لَمّا قَرَنُوا الخَبَرَ بِمَشِيئَةِ اللَّهِ وُفِّقُوا لِتَرْكِ المُراجَعَةِ بَعْدَها ولِوُجُودِ ما أُمِرُوا بِهِ، وقَدْ رُوِيَ أنَّهم لَوْ لَمْ يَقُولُوا " إنْ شاءَ اللَّهُ " لَما اهْتَدَوْا لَها أبَدًا ولَدامَ الشَّرُّ بَيْنَهم، وكَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: ﴿وما كادُوا يَفْعَلُونَ﴾ [البقرة: ٧١] فَأعْلَمَنا اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ لِنَطْلُبَ نَجاحَ الأُمُورِ عِنْدَ الإخْبارِ عَنْها في المُسْتَقْبِلِ بِذِكْرِ الِاسْتِثْناءِ الَّذِي هو مَشِيئَةُ اللَّهِ، وقَدْ نَصَّ اللَّهُ تَعالى لَنا في غَيْرِ هَذا المَوْضِعِ عَلى الأمْرِ بِهِ في قَوْلِهِ: ﴿ولا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَيْءٍ إنِّي فاعِلٌ ذَلِكَ غَدًا﴾ [الكهف: ٢٣] ﴿إلا أنْ يَشاءَ اللَّهُ﴾ [الكهف: ٢٤] فَفِيهِ اسْتِعانَةٌ بِاللَّهِ وتَفْوِيضُ الأمْرِ إلَيْهِ والِاعْتِرافُ بِقُدْرَتِهِ ونَفاذِ مَشِيئَتِهِ وأنَّهُ مالِكُهُ والمُدَبِّرُ لَهُ.
The eighth: What Allah narrated from them in the final questioning: {And indeed we, if Allah wills, will be guided.} [Al-Baqarah: 70]. When they coupled the statement with the will of Allah, they were granted success in ceasing to question after it and in finding what they were commanded with. And it has been narrated that had they not said “if Allah wills,” they would never have been guided to it, and the evil would have persisted among them. Likewise, His saying: {but they were not about to do it} [Al-Baqarah: 71]. Allah informed us of that so that we may seek the success of matters when informing about them in the future by mentioning the exception, which is the will of Allah. And Allah the Exalted has stipulated for us in other than this place the command for it in His saying: {And never say of anything, “Indeed, I will do that tomorrow,”} [Al-Kahf: 23] {Except [by adding], “if Allah wills.”} [Al-Kahf: 24]. So in it is seeking help from Allah, entrusting the matter to Him, and acknowledging His power and the execution of His will, and that He is its owner and its manager.
والتّاسِعُ: دَلالَةُ قَوْلِهِ: ﴿أتَتَّخِذُنا هُزُوًا قالَ أعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أنْ أكُونَ مِنَ الجاهِلِينَ﴾ عَلى أنَّ المُسْتَهْزِئَ يَسْتَحِقُّ سِمَةَ الجَهْلِ، لِانْتِفاءِ مُوسى عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ أنْ يَكُونَ مِن أهْلِ الجَهْلِ بِنَفْيِهِ الِاسْتِهْزاءَ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ.
The ninth: The indication of His saying: {“Do you take us in ridicule?” He said, “I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant.”} that the mocker deserves the mark of ignorance, due to Moses, peace be upon him, negating that he be from the people of ignorance by negating mockery from himself.
ويَدُلُّ أيْضًا عَلى أنَّ الِاسْتِهْزاءَ بِأمْرِ الدِّينِ مِن كَبائِرِ الذُّنُوبِ وعَظائِمِها، لَوْلا ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ مَأْثَمُهُ النِّسْبَةَ إلى الجَهْلِ وذَكَرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مِسْعَرٍ أنَّهُ تَقَدَّمَ إلى عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الحَسَنِ العَنْبَرِيِّ القاضِي قالَ: وعَلَيَّ جُبَّةُ صُوفٍ وكانَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرَ المَزْحِ، قالَ: فَقالَ لَهُ: أصُوفُ نَعْجَةٍ جُبَّتُكَ أمْ صُوفُ كَبْشٍ ؟
It also indicates that mockery of a matter of religion is among the major and grave sins; were it not for that, its sinfulness would not have reached the level of being attributed to ignorance. Muhammad ibn Mis’ar mentioned that he came before Ubayd Allah ibn al-Hasan al-‘Anbari, the judge. He said: And I was wearing a woolen jubbah, and Ubayd Allah used to jest a lot. He said: So he said to him: “Is your jubbah from the wool of a ewe or the wool of a ram?”
فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: لا تَجْهَلْ أبْقاكَ اللَّهُ قالَ: وأنّى وجَدْتَ المِزاحَ جَهْلًا ؟ فَتَلَوْتُ عَلَيْهِ: ﴿أتَتَّخِذُنا هُزُوًا قالَ أعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أنْ أكُونَ مِنَ الجاهِلِينَ﴾ قالَ: فَأعْرَضَ واشْتَغَلَ بِكَلامٍ آخَرَ وفِيهِ دَلالَةٌ عَلى أنَّ مُوسى عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ لَمْ يَكُنْ مُتَعَبِّدًا بِقَتْلِ مَن ظَهَرَ مِنهُ الكُفْرُ، وإنَّما كانَ مَأْمُورًا بِالنَّظَرِ بِالقَوْلِ؛ لِأنَّ قَوْلَهم لِنَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﴿أتَتَّخِذُنا هُزُوًا﴾ كُفْرٌ وهو كَقَوْلِهِمْ لِمُوسى ﴿اجْعَلْ لَنا إلَهًا كَما لَهم آلِهَةٌ﴾ [الأعراف: ١٣٨] ويَدُلُّ أيْضًا عَلى أنَّ كُفْرَهم هَذا لَمْ يُوجِبْ فُرْقَةً بَيْنَ نِسائِهِمْ وبَيْنَهم؛ لِأنَّهُ لَمْ يَأْمُرْ بِفِراقِهِنَّ ولا تَقْرِيرِ نِكاحٍ بَيْنَهم وبَيْنَهُنَّ.
So I said to him: “Do not be ignorant, may Allah preserve you.” He said: “And where did you find jesting to be ignorance?” So I recited to him: {“Do you take us in ridicule?” He said, “I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant.”} He said: So he turned away and occupied himself with other speech. And in it is an indication that Moses, peace be upon him, was not bound by a religious duty to kill one from whom disbelief appeared, but was rather commanded to reason with speech; because their saying to the Prophet of Allah {“Do you take us in ridicule?”} is disbelief, and it is like their saying to Moses {“Make for us a god as they have gods.”} [Al-A’raf: 138]. It also indicates that this disbelief of theirs did not necessitate a separation between them and their wives; because he did not command their separation nor the confirmation of marriage between them and them.