Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the words of Allah, the Exalted: فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَقَدْ جَاءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَلا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ (94) (So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, then ask those who were reading the Book before you. Indeed, the Truth has come to you from your Lord, so do not be of the doubters.)

   Abū Jaʿfar says: Allah, exalted be His praise, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: If you, O Muḥammad, are in doubt concerning the reality of what We have chosen for you and sent down to you — namely that the Children of Israel, before your being sent as a messenger to His creatures, had among themselves no disagreement about your prophethood, for they find you recorded with them and they recognize you by the description with which you are described in their Book, the Torah and the Gospel — then ask those who were reading the Book before you , namely the people of the Torah and the Gospel, such as ʿAbdullāh ibn Salām and his like, from among the people of sincerity and faith (īmān) in you among them, not the people of falsehood and unbelief (kufr) in you among them.

   * * *

   In accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) spoke.

   *Mention of who said that:*

   17886 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: Ibn ʿAbbās said about the words then ask those who were reading the Book before you : he said: "the Torah and the Gospel — those who witnessed Muḥammad ﷺ from among the People of the Book and believed in him" — he said: ask them if you are in doubt as to whether you are recorded with them.

   17887 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said about the words So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, then ask those who were reading the Book before you : he said: "That is ʿAbdullāh ibn Salām, who belonged to the People of the Book and believed in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."

   17888 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, about the words then ask those who were reading the Book before you : he said: "They are the People of the Book."

   17889 — It was related to me on the authority of Al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Faraj, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh saying: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard Al-Ḍaḥḥāk saying about then ask those who were reading the Book before you : he means the God-fearing and the believers (ahl al-taqwā wa-ahl al-īmān) from among the People of the Book, of those who witnessed the Prophet of Allah ﷺ.

   * * *

   Now if someone says: Was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ then in doubt about the report of Allah that this is unambiguous, certain truth (ḥaqq yaqīn), such that it was said to him: So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, then ask those who were reading the Book before you ?

   Then it is said: No. And thus also said a group of the people of knowledge (ahl al-ʿilm).

   17890 — Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Hushaym related to us, on the authority of Abū Bishr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, about the words So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you : he said: "The Prophet ﷺ did not doubt and did not ask."

   17891 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Suwayd ibn ʿAmr related to us, on the authority of Abū ʿAwāna, on the authority of Abū Bishr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, about the words So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, then ask those who were reading the Book before you : he said: "He did not doubt and did not ask."

   17892 — Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: Al-Qāsim ibn Salām related to us, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Abū Bishr informed us, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, and Manṣūr on the authority of Al-Ḥasan, about this verse: he said: "He ﷺ did not doubt and did not ask."

   17893 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, about the words So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, then ask those who were reading the Book before you : it has been related to us that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "I do not doubt and I do not ask."

   17894 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, about So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, then ask those who were reading the Book before you : he said: "It has reached us that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'I do not doubt and I do not ask.'"

   * * *

   Now if someone says: How then is the expression of this statement to be understood, if the matter is as you have described?

   Then it is said: We have explained in more than one place in this book of ours that the Arabs deem it permissible for a person to say to his slave: "If you are my slave, then obey my command" — while the master who says this has no doubt whatsoever that he is his slave. Likewise the saying of one of them to his son: "If you are my son, then show me devotion" — while he has no doubt about his son, namely that he is his son. This is a correct and widely current usage in their language. We have mentioned this with proofs, and among them is also the word of Allah: وَإِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنْتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَهَيْنِ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ [Surah Al-Māʾida: 116] — while His praise is exalted and He knew that ʿĪsā had not said that. This belongs to the same: the Prophet ﷺ did not doubt the reality of the report of Allah and its validity. Allah, exalted be His praise, was fully aware of his state. But Allah, exalted be His praise, addressed him in the manner in which his people addressed one another, since the Qurʾān had indeed been sent down in their language.

   * * *

   As for His words indeed, the Truth has come to you from your Lord — this verse is an independent statement from Allah.

   Allah, exalted be His praise, says: I swear that the unambiguous Truth of the report has come to you, namely that you are a messenger of Allah, and that these Jews and Christians (al-yahūd wa-al-naṣārā) know its correctness and find your description with them in their books. So do not be of the doubters (al-mumtarīn) — He says: so do not be of those who doubt the correctness and reality of that.

   * * *

   And if someone were to say that this verse was addressed to the Prophet ﷺ but that what was meant by it was a portion of those who had not established their faith with conviction in his prophethood ﷺ, from among those who had expressed faith (īmān) only with the tongue — as an indication to them of the place where they can come to know the reality of his affair, which removes the confusion from their hearts; as Allah, exalted be His praise, says: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا [Surah Al-Aḥzāb: 1] — then that would be an interpretation whose correctness cannot be refuted.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَقَدْ جَاءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَلا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ (94) قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: فإن كنت يا محمد في شك من حقيقة ما اخترناك فأنـزلنا إليك ، (34) من أن بني إسرائيل لم يختلفوا في نبوّتك قبل أن تبعث رسولا إلى خلقه، لأنهم يجدونك عندهم مكتوبًا ، ويعرفونك بالصفة التي أنت بها موصوف في كتابهم في التوراة والإنجيل (فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك ) ، من أهل التوراة والإنجيل ، كعبد الله بن سلام ونحوه ، من أهل الصدق والإيمان بك منهم ، دون أهل الكذب والكفر بك منهم. * * * وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. *ذكر من قال ذلك: 17886- حدثنا القاسم قال ، حدثنا الحسين قال ، حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج قال، قال ابن عباس في قوله: (فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ، قال: التوراة والإنجيل، الذين أدركوا محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم من أهل الكتاب فآمنوا به، يقول: فاسألهم إن كنت في شك بأنك مكتوب عندهم. 17887- حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: (فإن كنت في شك مما أنـزلنا إليك فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ، قال: هو عبد الله بن سلام، كان من أهل الكتاب ، فآمن برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. 17888- حدثنا القاسم قال ، حدثنا الحسين قال ، حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج، عن مجاهد قوله: (فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) قال: هم أهل الكتاب. 17889- حدثت عن الحسين بن الفرج قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: أخبرنا عبيد قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول: (فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ، يعني أهل التقوى وأهلَ الإيمان من أهل الكتاب، ممن أدرك نبيّ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. * * * فإن قال قائل: أوكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في شكٍّ من خبَرِ الله أنه حقٌّ يقين ، حتى قيل له: (فإن كنت في شك مما أنـزلنا إليك فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ؟ قيل: لا وكذلك قال جماعة من أهل العلم. 17890- حدثني يعقوب بن إبراهيم قال ، حدثنا هشيم، عن أبي بشر، عن سعيد بن جبير في قوله: (فإن كنت في شك مما أنـزلنا إليك) ، فقال: لم يشك النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ولم يسأل. 17891- حدثنا ابن وكيع قال ، حدثنا سويد بن عمرو، عن أبي عوانة، عن أبي بشر، عن سعيد بن جبير في قوله: (فإن كنت في شك مما أنـزلنا إليك فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ، قال: ما شك وما سأل. 17892- حدثني الحارث قال ، حدثنا القاسم بن سلام قال ، حدثنا هشيم قال، أخبرنا أبو بشر، عن سعيد بن جبير ، ومنصور، عن الحسن في هذه الآية، قال: لم يشك صلى الله عليه وسلم ولم يسأل. 17893- حدثنا بشر قال ، حدثنا يزيد قال ، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله: (فإن كنت في شك مما أنـزلنا إليك فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ، ذكر لنا أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لا أشك ولا أسأل. 17894- حدثنا محمد بن عبد الأعلى قال ، حدثنا محمد بن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة: (فإن كنت في شك مما أنـزلنا إليك فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ، قال: بلغنا أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لا أشك ولا أسأل. * * * فإن قال: فما وجه مخرج هذا الكلام ، إذنْ ، إن كان الأمر على ما وصفت؟ قيل: قد بيّنا في غير موضع من كتابنا هذا ، استجازة العرب قول القائل منهم لمملوكه: " إن كنت مملوكي فانته إلى أمري" والعبد المأمور بذلك لا يشكُّ سيدُه القائل له ذلك أنه عبده. كذلك قول الرجل منهم لابنه: " إن كنت ابني فبرَّني" ، وهو لا يشك في ابنه أنه ابنه، وأنّ ذلك من كلامهم صحيح مستفيض فيهم، وذكرنا ذلك بشواهده، وأنّ منه قول الله: وَإِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنْتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَهَيْنِ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ، [سورة المائدة: 116] ، وقد علم جل ثناؤه أن عيسى لم يقل ذلك. (35) وهذا من ذلك، لم يكن صلى الله عليه وسلم شاكًّا في حقيقة خبر الله وصحته، والله تعالى ذكره بذلك من أمره كان عالمًا، ولكنه جل ثناؤه خاطبه خطاب قومه بعضهم بعضًا، إذْ كان القرآن بلسانهم نـزل. * * * وأما قوله: (لقد جاءك الحق من ربك) الآية، فهو خبرٌ من الله مبتدأ. يقول تعالى ذكره: أقسم لقد جاءك الحق اليقين من الخبر بأنك لله رسولٌ، وأن هؤلاء اليهود والنصارى يعلمون صحّة ذلك، ويجدون نعتك عندهم في كتبهم ، (فلا تكونن من الممترين) ، يقول: فلا تكونن من الشاكين في صحة ذلك وحقيقته. (36) * * * ولو قال قائل: إن هذه الآية خوطب بها النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، والمراد بها بعضُ من لم يكن صحَّت ، بصيرته بنبوته صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ممن كان قد أظهر الإيمان بلسانه، تنبيها له على موضع تعرف حقيقة أمره الذي يزيل اللبس عن قلبه، كما قال جل ثناؤه: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ، [سورة الأحزاب: 1] ، كان قولا غيرَ مدفوعةٍ صحته. ----------------------- الهوامش : (34) في المطبوعة : " ما أخبرناك وأنزل إليك " ، وأثبت الصواب من المخطوطة . (35) انظر ما سلف 11 : 236 ، 237 ، ومعاني القرآن للفراء 1 : 479 . (36) انظر تفسير " الامتراء " فيما سلف 12 : 61 ، تعليق : 2، والمراجع هناك .