Tabari

Tafseer of Abraham · Ibrahim · 14:4

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِۦ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ ۖ فَيُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.

Tabari (1 passage)

  1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

    Abū Jaʿfar said: Allah the Exalted says: We have not sent any messenger to any community before you, O Muḥammad, and before your people, except in the language of the community to which he was sent and in their dialect. Liyubayyina lahum — He says: so that he may make clear to them what Allah had sent him to them with, of His commands and prohibitions, so that the proof of Allah might be established against them. Then the granting of assistance toward success and the abandoning to one's fate rest in the hand of Allah: He leaves behind whomever He wills, so that he does not accept the message of His messenger, and He helps whomever He wills to accept it. For this reason fa-yuḍillu stands in the indicative (mood), for it is intended as a new beginning, not as a continuation joined to what preceded it — as it is said: li-nubayyina lakum wa-nuqarru fī al-arḥāmi mā nashāʾu [Sūrat al-Ḥajj 22:5]. Wa-huwa al-ʿAzīzu — the One from whom nothing can escape of what He wills, whether it be the leading astray or the guiding of whomever He wills. Al-Ḥakīmu — in His guiding to faith whomever He guides thereto, in His leading whomever He leads thereto, in His leading astray whomever He has turned away from faith, and in all the rest of His governance.

    In the direction of what we have said concerning this, the exegetes also spoke.

    * Mention of who said that:

    20560 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: Wa-mā arsalnā min rasūlin illā bi-lisāni qawmihi — that is, in the language of his people, whatever it was. Allah the Honored says: li-yubayyina lahum — the one to whom he was sent, so that thereby the proof is established. Allah the Honored says: fa-yuḍillu Allāhu man yashāʾu wa-yahdī man yashāʾu wa-huwa al-ʿAzīzu al-Ḥakīmu .

    Show original Arabic
    قال أبو جعفر : يقول تعالى ذكره: وما أرسلنا إلى أمة من الأمم ، يا محمد، من قبلك ومن قبلِ قومك ، رسولا إلا بلسان الأمة التي أرسلناه إليها ولغتهم ( ليبين لهم ) يقول: ليفهمهم ما أرسله الله به إليهم من أمره ونَهيه ، ليُثْبت حجة الله عليهم ، ثم التوفيقُ والخذلانُ بيد الله ، فيخذُل عن قبول ما أتاه به رسُوله من عنده من شاء منهم ، ويوفّق لقبوله من شاء ولذلك رفع " فيُضلُّ" ، لأنه أريد به الابتداء لا العطف على ما قبله ، كما قيل: لِنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَنُقِرُّ فِي الأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاءُ [ سورة الحج : 5 ] (وهو العزيز) (37) الذي لا يمتنع مما أراده من ضلال أو هداية من أرادَ ذلك به (الحكيم) ، في توفيقه للإيمان من وفَّقه له ، وهدايته له من هداه إليه ، وفي إضلاله من أضلّ عنه ، وفي غير ذلك من تدبيره. (38) * * * وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 20560- حدثنا بشر قال ، حدثنا يزيد قال ، حدثنا سعيد ، عن قتادة قوله: ( وما أرسلنا من رسول إلا بلسان قومه ) ، أي بلغة قومه ما كانت . قال الله عز وجلّ: ( ليبين لهم ) الذي أرسل إليهم ، ليتخذ بذلك الحجة . قال الله عز وجلّ: ( فيضل الله من يشاء ويهدي من يشاء وهو العزيز الحكيم ). -------------------------- الهوامش : (37) انظر تفسير " العزيز " ، فيما سلف قريبًا : 511 ، تعليق : 4 ، والمراجع هناك . (38) انظر تفسير " الحكيم " فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة .