بعد أن صنّفت السورةُ أعرابَ البادية، تُصنّف الآنَ الجماعةَ بأكملها، في الحضر والبادية على حدٍّ سواء، إلى أربعِ فئات: السابقون الأوّلون من المهاجرين والأنصار، والذين اتّبعوهم بإحسان، ثم الذين مرَدوا على النفاق سواءٌ أكانوا في المدينة أم في البادية المحيطة بها، ثم الذين خلطوا عملاً صالحاً وآخرَ سيّئاً، ثم الذين أُرجئ أمرُهم لحكم الله. وتُبيَّن هذه الفئاتُ في الآيات التالية:
Having classified the desert Arabs, now the sūrah classifies the whole community, in urban and desert areas alike, into four groupings: the vanguard who took the lead among the Muhājirīn and the Anşār as well as those who followed in their footsteps, those who were hardened in their hypocrisy whether they lived in Madinah or in the desert nearby, those who combined good deeds with bad ones, and those whose cases were deferred for judgement. These groups are outlined in the following verses:
وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُم مِّنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مُنَافِقُونَ ۖ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُوا عَلَى النِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ ۖ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ
As for the first to lead the way, of the Muhājirīn and the Anşār, as well as those who follow them in [the way of] righteousness, God is well pleased with them, and well pleased are they with Him. He has prepared for them gardens through which running waters flow, where they shall abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph. Some desert Arabs around you are hypocrites, and so are some of the people from Madinah, who are indeed persistent in their hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them.
{سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ}
Twice shall We punish them, and then they will be given over to a grievous suffering.
وَآخَرُونَ اعْتَرَفُوا بِذُنُوبِهِمْ خَلَطُوا عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَآخَرَ سَيِّئًا عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ﴿١٠٢﴾ خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿١٠٣﴾ أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَأْخُذُ الصَّدَقَاتِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿١٠٤﴾ وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٠٥﴾ وَآخَرُونَ مُرْجَوْنَ لِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿١٠٦﴾
There are others who have acknowledged their sins, after having mixed righteous deeds with evil ones. It may well be that God will accept their repentance. God is Much forgiving, Merciful. Take a portion of their wealth as charity, so that you may cleanse and purify them thereby; and pray for them: for your prayers are a source of comfort for them. God hears all and knows all. Do they not know that it is God alone Who accepts repentance from His servants, and He is truly the One who takes charitable offerings, and that God is the only One to accept repentance and bestow mercy? Say to them: Do as you will. God will see your deeds, and so will His Messenger, and the believers; and in the end you shall be brought before Him who knows all that is beyond the reach of human perception and all that is manifest when He will tell you what you used to do.’ And yet there are others who must await God’s judgement. He will either punish them or turn to them in His mercy. God is All-knowing, Wise. (Verses 100- 106)
يبدو أن هذه الآيات، التي تتضمن هذا التصنيف، نزلت بعد عودة النبي ﷺ من تبوك. وكان قد تقدّم حينئذٍ أشخاص مختلفون، أغلبهم من المنافقين، يعتذرون. أما المؤمنون الصادقون الذين لم يشاركوا في الغزوة، فقد أظهروا ندمهم الحقيقي، فربط بعضهم أنفسهم بعمود في المسجد، وأعلنوا أنهم لن يطلقوا أنفسهم حتى يطلقهم النبي ﷺ بنفسه. وآخرون لم يقدّموا أي عذر، رجاءً أن يقبل الله توبتهم الصادقة. وكان هؤلاء ثلاثة من صحابة النبي ﷺ لم تُحسم قضيتهم حتى قبل الله توبتهم، كما سيُبحث ذلك بالتفصيل في الفصل السابع. وتمثّل هذه الفئات مجتمعةً التنوع الكامل للناس في المنطقة الإسلامية بجزيرة العرب بعد الغزوة. أراد الله أن يكشف أمام رسوله ﷺ والمؤمنين الصادقين الذين معه ميدانَ المعركة بأكمله، ليفهموا الوضع السائد آنذاك، وهو وضع قريب من نهاية المرحلة الأولى، قريب من زمان هذا الدين الإسلامي ومكان نشأته.
It appears that these verses, making this classification, were revealed after the Prophet’s return from Tabūk. By that time, different people, most of whom were hypocrites, had presented their excuses. The true believers who did not join the expedition made their real regret apparent, and some of them tied themselves to a pillar in the mosque declaring that they would not release themselves until the Prophet himself released them. Others did not make any excuses, hoping that God would accept their sincere repentance. These were three of the Prophet’s Companions whose cases were not settled until God accepted their repentance, as will be discussed in full in Chapter 7. Together these groups represented the total variety of people around the Muslim area in Arabia after the expedition. God wanted to reveal the whole of the battlefield in front of His Messenger and the true believers with him. They would then understand the situation that prevailed at the time, which was close to the end of the first epoch, close to the time and birth place of this religion of Islam.
كان مثل هذا الوحي ضروريًا قبل أن تتحرك الرسالة الإسلامية لتحرير البشرية جمعاء في أرجاء العالم كله. فكان لا بد من تحرير جميع المجتمعات من عبادة أي معبود غير الله، ومن الخضوع لأي أحد سوى الله. وقبل القيام بهذه الخطوة، كان على الأمة المسلمة أن تفهم الوضع السائد فهمًا تامًا، لتتمكن من رسم مسار عملها بوضوح وإدراك شامل لما هو مطلوب.
Such a revelation was necessary before the Islamic message made its move to liberate the whole of mankind throughout the globe. All communities needed to be liberated from serving any deities other than God, and from submitting themselves to anyone beside God. Before making such a move, the Muslim community needed to fully understand the prevailing situation so that it would be able to chart its course of action with clarity and a thorough perception of what was needed.
{وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ} (الآية 100)
هذه الطائفة من المسلمين، بفئاتها الثلاث: المهاجرون، والأنصار، والذين اتبعوهم عن قرب في آثارهم، شكّلت النواة الصلبة لجماعة المسلمين في الجزيرة العربية بعد فتح مكة. وهي الجماعة التي حفظت وحدة الأمة المسلمة في كل شدة، وفي كل فترة من فترات اليسر والرخاء. وكثيرًا ما يكون الابتلاء باليسر والرخاء أصعب في تجاوزه من الابتلاء بالشدة.
“As for the first to lead the way, of the Muhājirīn and the Anşār, as well as those who follow them in [the way of] righteousness, God is well- pleased with them, and well pleased are they with Him. He has prepared for them gardens through which running waters flow, where they shall abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph.” (Verse 100) This class of Muslims, with its three groupings, the Muhājirīn, the Anşār and those who followed closely in their footsteps, formed the hard core of the Muslim community in Arabia after the conquest of Makkah. This was the group that ensured the unity of the Muslim community in every hardship as well as every period of ease and comfort. It is often the case that a trial of ease and comfort is more difficult to overcome than a trial of hardship.
في رأينا، فإن هذا الوصف لـ«السابقين الأولين» ينطبق على المهاجرين الذين هاجروا إلى المدينة قبل غزوة بدر، وعلى الأنصار الذين أسلموا في الفترة نفسها أيضاً. أما الذين «اتبعوهم بإحسان» فهم الذين سلكوا المسلك نفسه، وكانوا مؤمنين صادقين، وجاهدوا في سبيل الله، وشاركوهم في المراتب السامية للإيمان. ويظل السابقون الأولون يتمتعون بمرتبة أعلى بسبب استجابتهم لدعوة الإسلام في الفترة الأولى الصعبة التي سبقت بدراً.
In our view, this description of “the first to lead the way” refers to those of the Muhājirīn who migrated to Madinah before the Battle of Badr and the Anşār who embraced Islam in the same period as well. Those who “follow them in the way of righteousness” refers to those who followed the same course, were true believers, strove hard for God’s cause and shared with them the sublime heights of faith. The earlier ones still enjoy a higher position on account of their response to the call of Islam in the early, hard period that preceded Badr.
اختلف العلماء في تحديد الذين هم "السابقون الأولون". فذهب بعضهم إلى أنهم الذين هاجروا أو نصروا قبل بدر، وقال آخرون: هم الذين آمنوا قبل تحويل القبلة من بيت المقدس إلى مكة، وقال آخرون: هم الذين شهدوا بدرًا، بينما يرى غيرهم أنهم الذين آمنوا قبل عقد صلح الحديبية، وذهب آخرون إلى أنهم الذين بايعوا على القتال حتى الموت في بيعة تُعرف ببيعة الرضوان. ونحن بعد دراستنا المتأنية لمراحل بناء الجماعة المسلمة نرى أن الرأي الذي ذكرناه سابقًا هو الصحيح، واللهُ أعلم.
Scholars have expressed different views about who were the ‘first to lead the way.’ Some suggest that they were the ones to migrate or give their support before Badr, and others say they were the ones who were believers before the direction of prayer was changed from Jerusalem to Makkah. Some also say that these were the ones who fought at Badr, while others are of the opinion that they were the believers before the signing of the peace agreement at al-Ĥudaybiyah, and still others say that they were the ones who accepted to fight to the finish in the pledge known as Riđwān. In our close study of the various stages of the building of the Muslim community, we feel that the view which we expressed earlier is the correct one, but God knows best.
سنقتبس هنا بضع صفحات من المقدمة التي تصف المراحل المختلفة لبناء أول مجتمع مسلم، وذلك لتسهيل الرجوع إليها.
We will quote here a few pages from the Prologue describing the different stages of building the first Muslim community for ease of reference:
لقد واجهت الحركة الإسلامية في مكة صعوبات منذ لحظة ولادتها. فقد استشعرت الجاهلية، متمثلة في هذه الحالة في قريش، الخطر الذي يهددها من الرسالة القائلة بأنه «لا إله إلا الله، ومحمد رسول الله ﷺ». وأدركت أن هذه الرسالة الجديدة ثورة صريحة على كل سلطة لا تستمد من الله سلطانها. وكانت تمرداً على كل طغيان، يلتمس الحماية من الله. كما استشعرت الجاهلية أن الرسالة الجديدة، بقيادة رسول الله ﷺ، بدأت تكوّن تجمعاً عضوياً جديداً يتعهد بالولاء الكامل والمطلق لله ولرسوله ﷺ. ومن ثم ثارت على زعامة قريش والوضع القائم في ظل الجاهلية. وما إن استشعرت قريش هذا الخطر حتى شنّت هجوماً عنيفاً على الرسالة الجديدة وذلك التجمع وقيادته. وقد استخدمت في هذا الهجوم كل قوتها لإلحاق الأذى الجسدي، ولإثارة الفتنة بالدسائس والمكائد الخبيثة.
The Islamic movement in Makkah encountered difficulties right from the time when it was born. Jāhiliyyah, represented in this instance by the Quraysh, soon sensed the danger it was facing from the message declaring that `there is no deity other than God, and Muĥammad is God’s Messenger.’ It realized that this new message was an outright revolution against all authority not derived from God’s own. It was a rebellion against all tyranny, seeking God’s protection. Jāhiliyyah also sensed that the new message, led by God’s Messenger, began to form a new organic grouping pledging sole and complete allegiance to God and His Messenger. Thus, it rebelled against the leadership of the Quraysh and the situation prevailing under jāhiliyyah. No sooner did the Quraysh sense this danger than it launched a determined attack on the new message, grouping and its leadership. It utilized in this attack all its power to inflict physical harm and to sow discord through intrigue and wicked designs.
في الحقيقة، سعى هذا المجتمع الجاهلي بكل وسيلة إلى الدفاع عن نفسه ضد خطرٍ شعر أنه يهدد وجوده ذاته. وهذه هي الحال المعتادة كلما بدأت حركةٌ تنادي بربوبية الله في مجتمعٍ تُمارَس فيه الربوبية من قِبَل بعض الناس على بعض. وكلما تبنّى هذا النداء حركةٌ منظمةٌ لها قيادتها الخاصة، فإنها ستدخل في مواجهة مباشرة مع المجتمع الجاهلي، إذ لا يمكن أن يتعايش الاثنان في مجتمعٍ واحد. 36
In fact this jāhiliyyah society sought every means to defend itself against a danger it felt to threaten its very existence. This is the normal state of affairs whenever a movement begins to advocate God’s Lordship in a community where Lordship is exercised by some people over others. Whenever such advocacy is undertaken by an organized movement that has its own leadership, it will be in direct confrontation with jāhiliyyah society, as the two cannot be accommodated within the same community. 36
في هذه المرحلة، تعرّض كل فرد في الجماعة الإسلامية الناشئة للظلم والاضطهاد بكل الوسائل، حتى قُتل كثير منهم.
At this stage, every individual in the new Islamic grouping was subjected to oppression and persecution in every way, to the extent that many were killed.
في ذلك الوقت، لم يكن ينضم إلى الجماعة الجديدة إلا من كان قد كرّس نفسه وحياته لله، وكان مستعدًا لتحمّل الاضطهاد والجوع بل وحتى الموت المروّع، معلنًا إيمانه بأنه لا معبود بحق إلا الله، وأن محمدًا ﷺ رسول الله.
At the time, only a person who had dedicated himself and his life to God, and who was willing to endure persecution, hunger and even a ghastly death would join the new group, declaring his belief that there is no deity other than God and that Muĥammad is God’s Messenger.
وبهذه الطريقة أُرسيت لبنةٌ صلبة للإسلام، تتألف من أكثر أفراد المجتمع العربي عزيمةً وثباتًا. أما الذين لم يتحملوا المشقة فقد رضخوا للضغط وارتدّوا إلى الكفر، لكنّ هؤلاء كانوا قلّةً جدًّا، إذ كانت المسائل واضحةً منذ البداية. ولم يُقدِم على الخطوة الحاسمة والدخول في الإسلام، رغم الخطر العظيم الذي تنطوي عليه هذه الخطوة، إلا أصحاب المكانة والشرف من الناس.
In this way a solid foundation was established for Islam, comprising the most determined individuals in Arabian society. Others who could not endure the hardship succumbed to the pressure and reverted to unbelief. But there were very few of these because the issues were clear at the outset. It was only people of distinction that were willing to take the decisive step and join Islam, despite the great danger that such a move involved.
هكذا اختار اللهُ تلك العناصرَ النادرةَ لتكونَ أولَ أنصارٍ لرسالتِه، ولتُشكِّلَ الأساسَ المتينَ للإسلامِ في مكةَ، وهم المهاجرون، ثم لتنضمَّ إليهم الأنصارُ الأوائلُ فتُكوِّنَ نواتَه في المدينةِ.
This is how God chose those rare elements to be the early supporters of His message and to form the solid foundation of Islam in Makkah, i.e. the Muhājirīn, then to join the early Anşār to form its core group in Madinah.
مع أنّ الأنصار لم يتعرّضوا للضغوط والاضطهاد نفسه الذي تعرّض له المهاجرون، فإنّ البيعة التي أعطوها للنبي ﷺ عند العقبة دلّت على أنهم كانوا أهلاً لما تتطلّبه الإسلام. وفي تلك الليلة التي أُعطيت فيها البيعة، كما يروي ابن كثير، قال عبد الله بن رواحة للنبي ﷺ: «اشترط لربك ولنفسك ما شئت». فقال:
Although the Anşār were not subjected to the same pressures and persecution as the Muhājirīn, the pledge they gave to the Prophet at `Aqabah indicated that they were equal to the task required by Islam. On that night when the pledge was given, as Ibn Kathīr reports, `Abdullāh ibn Rawāĥah said to the Prophet: ‘Stipulate whatever you wish for your Lord and yourself.’ He said:
وأما ربي فشرطي أن تعبدوه وحده، لا تشركوا به شيئاً، وأما أنا فشرطي أن تمنعوني مما تمنعون منه أنفسكم وأموالكم. قالوا: فما لنا بذلك؟ قال: الجنة. قالوا: ربح لا خسارة فيه.
As for my Lord, my condition is that you worship Him alone, associating no partners with Him. And as for myself, my condition is that you protect me as you would protect yourselves and your property.’ They asked: ‘What will be our reward in return?’ He said: ‘Paradise.’ They said: ‘It is a profitable deal.
"لَا نَقْبَلُ الرُّجُوعَ وَلَنْ نَرْجِعَ نَحْنُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ." أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ عَقَدُوا هَذَا الْعَهْدَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ، لَا يَبْتَغُونَ جَزَاءً سِوَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَأَعْلَنُوا أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَقْبَلُونَ الرُّجُوعَ، لَا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ مَا أَقْدَمُوا عَلَيْهِ لَيْسَ بِالْأَمْرِ الْهَيِّنِ. بَلْ كَانُوا عَلَى يَقِينٍ أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا سَتُقَاتِلُهُمْ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، مَدْعُومَةً مِنْ سَائِرِ الْعَرَبِ. وَأَدْرَكُوا أَنَّهُمْ لَنْ يَسْتَطِيعُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَعِيشُوا فِي سَلَامٍ مَعَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، الَّتِي كَانَ لَهَا جُذُورٌ عَمِيقَةٌ فِي أَرْجَاءِ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ كُلِّهَا، بِمَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَنَاطِقُ الْمُجَاوِرَةُ لِلْمَدِينَةِ...
We accept no going back and we will not go back on it ourselves.’ Those who made this deal with God’s Messenger, seeking no reward other than Paradise, and declaring that they would accept no going back, either by themselves or the Prophet, were aware that it was no easy option they were undertaking. In fact, they were certain that the Quraysh would fight them determinedly, supported by all the other Arabs. They realized that they would never again be able to live in peace with jāhiliyyah which had its roots deep in the whole of Arabia, including the areas adjoining Madinah...
فَكَانَ الأَنْصَارُ إِذَنْ عَالِمِينَ تَمَامَ العِلْمِ بِالعَوَاقِبِ المُحْتَمَلَةِ لِبَيْعَتِهِمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَعْطَوْهَا. وَكَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ أَيْضًا أَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُوعَدُوا بِشَيْءٍ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا مُقَابِلَ جُهْدِهِمْ. بَلْ لَمْ يُوعَدُوا حَتَّى بِالنَّصْرِ عَلَى أَعْدَائِهِمْ. وَالثَّوَابُ الوَحِيدُ الَّذِي وُعِدُوا بِهِ هُوَ دُخُولُ الجَنَّةِ. وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ كَانُوا حَرِيصِينَ عَلَى تَقْدِيمِ بَيْعَتِهِمْ.
The Anşār, then, were fully aware of the likely consequences of their pledge once they had given it. They were also aware that they were not promised anything in this world in return for their efforts. They were not even promised victory over their enemies. The only reward they were promised was admittance into heaven. Yet they were still keen to offer their pledges.
ولذلك كانوا بلا شك مع المهاجرين الأوائل في اتخاذ الاستعدادات اللازمة، ليكونوا الأساس المتين للمجتمع الإسلامي الأول في المدينة المنورة.
Hence, they were definitely with the early Muhājirīn in taking the necessary preparations so that they would constitute the solid foundation of the first Islamic society in Madinah.