Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the words of the Exalted: قُلْ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ أَمَّنْ يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ وَالأَبْصَارَ وَمَنْ يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَمَنْ يُدَبِّرُ الأَمْرَ فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ فَقُلْ أَفَلا تَتَّقُونَ (31)

   (Say: Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? And who possesses hearing and sight? And who brings forth the living from the dead, and brings forth the dead from the living? And who governs the affair? Then they will say: "Allah." Then say: "Will you not then fear [Him]?")

   Abū Jaʿfar says: The Exalted — blessed be His remembrance — addresses His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: (Say), O Muḥammad, to these polytheists who ascribe partners to Allah in the form of idols and statues (mushrikīn): (Who provides for you from the heaven) — that is to say: the rain and the precipitation, and causes your sun to rise for you, and clothes your night in darkness, and brings forth for you your forenoon — and from the earth your food and provisions, which He causes to spring up for you, and the fruits of your trees? (And who possesses hearing and sight?) — that is to say: who is it that possesses your hearing and your eyes, with which you hear, such that He could increase their power or deprive you of it, making you deaf thereby, and your eyes with which you see — by illuminating them for you and making them shine, or taking away their light, so that you become blind and can no longer see? (And who brings forth the living from the dead) — that is to say: who brings forth the living thing from the dead? (And brings forth the dead from the living) — that is to say: and who brings forth the dead thing from the living?

   * * *

   We have already mentioned, in the "Sūrah Āl ʿImrān," the disagreements of those who differed among the exegetes, and what in our view is the correct position on this matter, with the proofs that demonstrate its correctness — making it superfluous to repeat this again here. (49)

   * * *

   (And who governs the affair?) — Say to them: who governs the affair of the heavens and the earth and what is in them, and your affair and the affair of creation? (50) (Then they will say: "Allah.") — The Exalted — praised be His praise — says: they will answer you by saying: the one who does all of this is Allah. (Then say: "Will you not then fear [Him]?") — that is to say: will you not then fear the punishment of Allah for your ascribing of partners to Allah (shirk) and for your claim that there exists a Lord besides Him whose attribute is this attribute, and for your worship alongside Him of one who provides you nothing of provision, and who possesses for you neither harm nor benefit, and who performs no deed whatsoever?

   ---

   Footnotes:

   (49) See what was treated earlier, volume 6: pages 304–312.

   (50) See the explanation of "the governing of the affair" in what was treated earlier, pages 18–19.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : قُلْ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ أَمَّنْ يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ وَالأَبْصَارَ وَمَنْ يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَمَنْ يُدَبِّرُ الأَمْرَ فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ فَقُلْ أَفَلا تَتَّقُونَ (31) قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيِّه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: (قل) ، يا محمد لهؤلاء المشركين بالله الأوثانَ والأصنامَ ، (من يرزقكم من السماء) ، الغيثَ والقطر ، ويطلع لكم شمسها ، ويُغْطِش ليلها ، ويخرج ضحاها ، ومن الأرض أقواتَكم وغذاءَكم الذي ينْبته لكم ، وثمار أشجارها ، ( أَمَّنْ يملك السمع والأبصار) يقول: أم من ذا الذي يملك أسماعكم وأبصاركم التي تسمعون بها : أن يزيدَ في قواها ، أو يسلبكموها ، فيجعلكم صمًّا، وأبصاركم التي تبصرون بها : أن يضيئها لكم وينيرها، أو يذهب بنورها ، فيجعلكم عُمْيًا لا تبصرون ، ( ومن يخرج الحي من الميت) ، يقول: ومن يخرج الشيء الحي من الميت ، ( ويخرج الميت من الحي ) ، يقول: ويخرج الشيء الميت من الحيّ. * * * وقد ذكرنا اختلاف المختلفين من أهل التأويل، والصواب من القول عندنا في ذلك بالأدلّة الدالة على صحته ، في " سورة آل عمران " ، بما أغنى عن إعادته في هذا الموضع. (49) * * * ، ( ومن يدبر الأمر) ، وقل لهم: من يُدبر أمر السماء والأرض وما فيهن ، وأمركم وأمرَ الخلق (50) ؟ ، ( فسيقولون الله) ، يقول جل ثناؤه: فسوف يجيبونك بأن يقولوا : الذي يفعل ذلك كله الله ، ( فقل أفلا تتقون)، يقول: أفلا تخافون عقاب الله على شرككم وادعائكم ربًّا غيرَ من هذه الصفة صفتُه، وعبادتكم معه من لا يرزقكم شيئًا ، ولا يملك لكم ضرًا ولا نفعا، ولا يفعل فعلا؟ ------------------------ الهوامش : (49) انظر ما سلف 6 : 304 - 312 . (50) انظر تفسير " تدبير الأمر " فيما سلف ص : 18 ، 19 .