Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Allah, exalted is His praise, says: those who lived before these polytheists (mushrikīn) who bar the way of Allah also devised cunning schemes (makara) — they sought to outdo Allah by means of a structure that they raised up, fancying that thereby they wished to reach the heaven in order to wage war against whoever dwelt therein. The one who attempted this was, according to what has been transmitted to us, a tyrant from among the tyrants of the Nabataeans. Some said: it is Nimrod ibn Kanaʿān; others said: it is Nebuchadnezzar. I have already mentioned some of the reports about the two of them in the sūra of Ibrāhīm. It has also been said that the person mentioned in this place is the same one whom Allah mentions in the sūra of Ibrāhīm.

   Mention of who said this:

   Mūsā ibn Hārūn related to me, he said: ʿAmr related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: The one who disputed with Ibrāhīm concerning his Lord gave the command to expel Ibrāhīm — that is to say: from his city. Ibrāhīm encountered Lūṭ at the city gate; Lūṭ was his nephew. Ibrāhīm summoned him, and Lūṭ believed in him. Ibrāhīm said: "I shall emigrate to my Lord." Nimrod swore that he would search out the god of Ibrāhīm. Thereupon he took four eaglets, raising them on meat and bread until they had grown large and heavy. He bound them to a chest, climbed into that chest, then raised up a piece of meat and the eagles flew upward. When they were high in the air he bent down and looked at the earth: he saw the mountains crawling like ants. Then he raised the meat up again, after which he looked and saw that the earth was surrounded by a sea, like a disc in the water. After that he flew on for a long time, until he reached a darkness; he saw neither what was above him nor what was below him. He took fright, let go of the meat, and the eagles plunged down after it. When the mountains saw them coming, plunging down, and heard the sound of their wings, the mountains took fright and were on the point of shifting from their places — but they did not do so. That is the meaning of Allah's word, the Exalted: وَقَدْ مَكَرُوا مَكْرَهُمْ وَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَكْرُهُمْ وَإِنْ كَانَ مَكْرُهُمْ لِتَزُولَ مِنْهُ الْجِبَالُ (And they devised their scheme, and with Allah is their scheme, though their scheme was such that the mountains would be moved by it). In the reading of Ibn Masʿūd it reads: "wa-in kāda makruhum" (and their scheme almost was such). The flight of the eagles with him departed from Jerusalem, and they came down with him upon the mountain of the smoke (jabal al-dukhān). When he understood that he was no match for anything, he began to build the Ṣarḥ (the tower) and built until he had raised it up to the heaven; he climbed to the top, looking down — claiming to look toward the god of Ibrāhīm — after which he relieved himself, though he had never done so before. Then Allah took his structure by the foundations, فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ — He says: from their place of shelter; He took them by the foundation of the tower, which collapsed upon them. The tongues of the people on that day became confused through the terror; they spoke seventy-three languages. For this reason it was called "Bābil" (Babylon), whereas the language of the people before that had been Aramaic (al-Suryāniyya).

   Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning the words قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ : he said: that is Nimrod, who built the Ṣarḥ.

   Al-Muthanná related to me, he said: Isḥāq informed us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Zayd ibn Aslam: "the first tyrant on earth was Nimrod; Allah sent against him a gnat which entered his nostril. He continued to suffer for four hundred years while they struck his head with hammers; the most merciful of people toward him was the one who joined his hands together and with them struck his head. He had been a tyrant for four hundred years, and Allah tormented him for four hundred years — equal to his reign — after which Allah caused him to die." He was the one who built the Ṣarḥ toward the heaven; concerning him Allah said: فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ .

   As for the words فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ — their meaning is: Allah demolished their structure from its root; "al-qawāʿid" is the plural of "qāʿida," that is to say: the foundation. Some said: this is a similitude for the destruction; the actual meaning is that Allah extirpated them. One says in Arabic [thus] when something is destroyed root and branch.

   The words فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ : the exegetes differed concerning its meaning. Some said: the meaning is: the upper parts of their houses collapsed upon them from on high.

   Mention of who said this:

   Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning the words قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ : "Yes, by Allah, Allah's command struck it at its root." فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ — "the ceilings are the upper parts of houses; their houses collapsed upon them; Allah destroyed and devastated them." وَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ .

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ — he said: Allah struck their structure at its foundations, and the ceiling collapsed upon them.

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us — and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — and al-Muthanná related to me, he said: Abū Ḥudhayfa informed us, he said: Shubl related to us — and al-Muthanná related to me, he said: Isḥāq informed us, he said: ʿAbdullāh related to us on the authority of Warqāʾ — all of them on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ — he said: the scheme of Nimrod ibn Kanaʿān, the one who disputed with Ibrāhīm concerning his Lord.

   Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, to the same effect.

   Others said: the words فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ mean that the punishment struck them from the heaven.

   Mention of who said this:

   Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning the words فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ : he said: a punishment from the heaven — when they saw it, they surrendered and were humiliated.

   The more correct of the two views in the interpretation of this verse is the view of the one who said: the meaning is that the roofs of their houses collapsed upon them, after Allah's command had struck their foundations and bases and their dwellings had caved in upon them. For this is indeed the well-known expression associated with the foundations of a structure and the falling of the ceiling; and to direct the meanings of Allah's word toward the most well-known and familiar is preferable to directing it toward something else, so long as there exists a way to do so.

   وَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ — Allah, exalted is His praise, says: and the punishment of Allah struck these people who lived before the polytheists (mushrikīn) of Quraysh, from where they did not expect it.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: قد مكر الذين من قبل هؤلاء المشركين الذين يصدّون عن سبيل الله ، من أراد اتباع دين الله، فراموا مغالبة الله ببناء بَنَوه، يريدون بزعمهم الارتفاع إلى السماء لحرب من فيها ، وكان الذي رام ذلك فيما ذُكر لنا جبار من جبابرة النَّبَط ، فقال بعضهم: هو نمرود بن كنعان، وقال بعضهم: هو بختنصر، وقد ذكرت بعض أخبارهما في سورة إبراهيم. وقيل: إن الذي ذُكر في هذا الموضع هو الذي ذكره الله في سورة إبراهيم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني موسى بن هارون، قال: ثنا عمرو، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السديّ، قال: أمر الذي حاجّ إبراهيم في ربه بإبراهيم فأُخْرِج، يعني من مدينته، قال: فلقي لوطا على باب المدينة وهو ابن أخيه، فدعاه فآمن به، وقال: إني مهاجر إلى ربي ، وحلف نمرود أن يطلب إله إبراهيم، فأخذ أربعة أفراخ من فِراخ النسور، فرباهنّ باللحم والخبز حتى كبرن وغلظن واستعلجن، فربطهنّ في تابوت، وقعد في ذلك التابوت ثم رفع لهنّ رجلا من لحم، فطرن، حتى إذا ذهبن في السماء أشرف ينظر إلى الأرض، فرأى الجبال تدبّ كدبيب النمل ، ثم رفع لهنّ اللحم، ثم نظر فرأى الأرض محيطا بها بحر كأنها فلكة في ماء ، ثم رفع طويلا فوقع في ظلمة، فلم ير ما فوقه وما تحته، ففزع، فألقى اللحم، فاتبعته منقضَّات ، فلما نظرت الجبال إليهنّ، وقد أقبلن منقضات وسمعت حفيفهنّ، فزعت الجبال، وكادت أن تزول من أمكنتها ولم يفعلن وذلك قول الله تعالى وَقَدْ مَكَرُوا مَكْرَهُمْ وَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَكْرُهُمْ وَإِنْ كَانَ مَكْرُهُمْ لِتَزُولَ مِنْهُ الْجِبَالُ وهي في قراءة ابن مسعود: " وَإنْ كَادَ مَكْرُهُمْ". فكان طَيْرُورتهن به من بيت المقدس ووقوعهن به في جبل الدخان ، فلما رأى أنه لا يطيق شيئا أخذ في بنيان الصرح، فبنى حتى إذا شيده إلى السماء ارتقى فوقه ينظر، يزعم إلى إله إبراهيم، فأحدث، ولم يكن يُحدث وأخذ الله بنيانه من القواعد ( فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَشْعُرُونَ ) يقول: من مأمنهم، وأخذهم من أساس الصرح، فتنقَّض بهم ، فسقط ، فتبلبلت ألسن الناس يومئذ من الفزع، فتكلموا بثلاثة وسبعين لسانا، فلذلك سميت بابل ، وإنما كان لسان الناس من قبل ذلك بالسريانية. حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أبي، قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أبي. عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس، قوله ( قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ ) قال: هو نمرود حين بنى الصرح. حدثني المثنى، قال: أخبرنا إسحاق، قال: ثنا عبد الرزاق، عن معمر، عن زيد بن أسلم: إن أوّل جبار كان في الأرض نمرود، فبعث الله عليه بعوضة فدخلت في منخره، فمكث أربع مئة سنة يُضرب رأسه بالمطارق، أرحم الناس به من جمع يديه ، فضرب رأسه بهما، وكان جبارا أربع مئة سنة، فعذّبه الله أربع مئة سنة كمُلكه، ثم أماته الله ، وهو الذي كان بنى صَرْحا إلى السماء، وهو الذي قال الله: ( فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ ) . وأما قوله ( فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ ) فإن معناه: هدم الله بنيانهم من أصله ، والقواعد: جمع قاعدة، وهي الأساس ، وكان بعضهم يقول: هذا مثَل للاستئصال ، وإنما معناه: إن الله استأصلهم ، وقال: العرب تقول ذلك إذا استؤصل الشيء. وقوله ( فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ ) اختلف أهل التأويل في معنى ذلك، فقال بعضهم: معناه: فخرّ عليهم السقف من فوقهم: أعالي بيوتهم من فوقهم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ ) إي والله ، لأتاها أمر الله من أصلها( فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ ) والسقف: أعالي البيوت، فائتفكت بهم بيوتهم فأهلكهم الله ودمرهم ( وَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَشْعُرُونَ ) حدثنا محمد بن عبد الأعلى ، قال: ثنا محمد بن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة ( فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ ) قال: أتى الله بنيانهم من أصوله، فخرّ عليهم السقف. حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء وحدثني المثنى، قال: أخبرنا أبو حُذيفة، قال: ثنا شبل وحدثني المثنى، قال: أخبرنا إسحاق، قال: ثنا عبد الله، عن ورقاء جميعا، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد ( فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ ) قال: مكر نمرود بن كنعان الذي حاجّ إبراهيم في ربه. حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج، عن مجاهد، مثله. وقال آخرون: عنى بقوله ( فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ ) أن العذاب أتاهم من السماء. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أبي، قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس، قوله ( فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ ) يقول: عذاب من السماء لمَّا رأوه استسلموا وذلوا. وأولى القولين بتأويل الآية، قول من قال: معنى ذلك: تساقطت عليهم سقوف بيوتهم، إذ أتى أصولها وقواعدها أمر الله، فائتفكت بهم منازلهم لأن ذلك هو الكلام المعروف من قواعد البنيان ، وخرّ السقف، وتوجيه معاني كلام الله إلى الأشهر الأعرف منها، أولى من توجيهها إلى غير ذلك ما وُجِد إليه سبيل ( وَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَشْعُرُونَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: وأتى هؤلاء الذين مكروا من قَبْل مشركي قريش، عذاب الله من حيث لا يدرون أنه أتاهم منه.