18:54 Al-Kahf (The Cave)

يخبر الله تعالى عن عظمة القرآن، وجلالته، وعمومه، وأنه صرف فيه من كل مثل، أي: من كل طريق موصل إلى العلوم النافعة، والسعادة الأبدية، وكل طريق يعصم من الشر والهلاك، ففيه أمثال الحلال والحرام، وجزاء الأعمال، والترغيب والترهيب، والأخبار الصادقة النافعة للقلوب، اعتقادا، وطمأنينة، ونورا، وهذا مما يوجب التسليم لهذا القرآن وتلقيه بالانقياد والطاعة، وعدم المنازعة له في أمر من الأمور، ومع ذلك، كان كثير من الناس يجادلون في الحق بعد ما تبين، ويجادلون بالباطل { لِيُدْحِضُوا بِهِ الْحَقَّ } ولهذا قال: { وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ أَكْثَرَ شَيْءٍ جَدَلًا } أي: مجادلة ومنازعة فيه، مع أن ذلك، غير لائق بهم، ولا عدل منهم، والذي أوجب له ذلك وعدم الإيمان بالله، إنما هو الظلم والعناد، لا لقصور في بيانه وحجته، وبرهانه، وإلا فلو جاءهم العذاب، وجاءهم ما جاء قبلهم، لم تكن هذه حالهم، ولهذا قال:

يقول تعالى ولقد بينا للناس في هذا القرآن ووضحنا لهم الأمور وفصلناها كيلا يضلوا عن الحق ويخرجوا عن طريق الهدى ومع هذا البيان وهذا الفرقان الإنسان كثير المجادلة والمخاصمة والمعارضة للحق بالباطل إلا من هدى الله وبصره لطريق النجاة. قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا أبو اليمان أخبرنا شعيب عن الزهري أخبرني علي بن الحسين أن حسين بن علي أخبره أن علي بن أبي طالب أخبره أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم طرقه وفاطمة بنت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليلة فقال " ألا تصليان "فقلت يا رسول الله إنما أنفسنا بيد الله فإذا شاء أن يبعثنا بعثنا فانصرف حين قلت ذلك ولم يرجع إلي شيئًا ثم سمعته وهو مولٍّ يضرب فخذه ويقول " وكان الإنسان أكثر شيء جدلا " أخرجاه في الصحيحين.

Examples put forth in the Qur'an

Allah says, `In this Qur'an, We have explained to mankind and given clear details of matters so that they will not stray from the truth or be misled from the path of guidance. Despite this explanation, man is very quarrelsome and opposes truth with falsehood,' except for those whom Allah guides to the path of salvation. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ali bin Abi Talib said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to visit him and Fatimah, the daughter of Allah's Messenger ﷺ at night, and said,

«أَلَا تُصَلِّيَانِ؟»

(Are you not going to pray) I said, "O Messenger of Allah, our souls are in the Hand of Allah. If He wills to wake us, He will wake us." When I said that, he went away without returning. Then I heard him as he was walking away, slapping his thigh and saying,

وَكَانَ الإِنْسَـنُ أَكْثَرَ شَىءٍ جَدَلاً

(But, man is ever more quarrelsome than anything.)" It was also recorded in the Two Sahihs.

And verily We have dispensed We have explained for mankind in this Qur’ān an example of every kind of similitude min kulli mathalin is an adjective qualifying an omitted clause in other words ‘We have dispensed therein a similitude from every kind of similitude that they may be admonished. But man is most disputatious he is most contentious in matters of falsehood jadalan is a specification derived from al-insān ‘man’ the subject of kāna in other words the meaning is that the disputatiousness of man is what can be found in him most.

The statement: وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ أَكْثَرَ‌ شَيْءٍ جَدَلًا (And man is the most quarrel-some of all things - 54) has been testified through a Hadith narrated by Sayyidna 'Anas ؓ in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said, "On the day of Qiyamah, a man from among the disbelievers will be brought forth. He will be asked, 'what was your response to the messenger We had sent to you?' He will say, '0 my Lord, as for me, I did believe in You and in Your messenger too and that I obeyed him in everything I did.' Allah Ta` ala will say, 'here is your book of deeds before you. All this you say is not there.' This man will say, 'I do not believe in this book of deeds.' Allah Ta` ala will say, 'what about these angels of Ours? They used to watch you. They bear witness against you. This man will say, 'I do not accept their testimony as well, nor do I know them, nor have I seen them while I was doing what I did.' Allah Ta` ala will say, 'if so, this Preserved Tablet (اَلَّوح المَحفُوظ) is before you. Written here too is the same thing about you.' He will say, 'my Lord, have You granted me asylum from injustice or have you not?' Allah Ta` ala will say, 'Of course, you have your refuge against injustice with Us.' So then, he will say, '0 my Lord, how can I accept the verdict of those unseen witnesses I am not familiar with at all? As for me, I can only accept a witness that comes from my own person.' At that time, his mouth will be sealed, and his hands and feet will bear witness against his kufr and shirk. After that, he will be released and thrown into the Hell. (The subject matter of this narrative has been reported in Sahih Muslim, also from Sayyidna Anas ؓ - al-Qurtubi)