Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Allah, exalted is His remembrance, says: Allah has, O people, favored some of you over others in livelihood in this worldly life. But those whom Allah has favored over others by providing for them abundantly are not willing to give back their livelihood to what their right hands possess (mulk al-yamīn) — that is to say: their slaves (mamālik) are not made partners with them in the possessions and the women that Allah has given them. فَهُمْ فِيهِ سَوَاءٌ He says: so that they and their slaves would be equal therein. Allah, exalted is His remembrance, says: They are not content that they and their slaves should be equal in what I have given them, yet they have made My slaves into My partners in My dominion and authority. This is a parable that Allah, exalted is His remembrance, has given for the polytheists (mushrikīn). And it has been said: what is meant by this are those who say that the Messiah is the son of Allah, namely the Christians.

   And His word أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ — Allah, exalted is His remembrance, says: Do they then deny the favor of Allah which He has bestowed upon these polytheists through the livelihood that He has given them in this worldly life, by setting up others alongside Allah as partners in His dominion and His kingdom?

   And this is in agreement with what we have said concerning this, according to the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl).

   Muhammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: My father related to me, saying: My uncle related to me, saying: My father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word وَاللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي الرِّزْقِ فَمَا الَّذِينَ فُضِّلُوا بِرَادِّي رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَى مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ : he said: they did not make their slaves (ʿabīd) partners in their possessions and their women — how then do they dare to set up My slaves as My partners in My dominion? That is the meaning of His word أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ .

   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: This verse is about the matter of ʿĪsā ibn Maryam — He means by it Himself; for ʿĪsā is only a slave (ʿabd). Allah thus says: By Allah, you do not make your slaves partners in what you possess, so that you and they would be equal — how then can you be content for Me with what you do not accept for yourselves?

   Muhammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: Al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us; and al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbdullāh related to us, on the authority of Warqāʾ — all on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word بِرَادِّي رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَى مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ : he said: This is the example of the false gods in relation to Allah, exalted is His remembrance.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word وَاللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي الرِّزْقِ فَمَا الَّذِينَ فُضِّلُوا بِرَادِّي رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَى مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِيهِ سَوَاءٌ أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ : This is a parable that Allah has given — is there perhaps anyone among you who lets his slave share in his wife and his marriage bed, so that you would equate Allah with His creatures and His servants? For if you do not accept that for yourselves, then Allah has more right to be exalted above your own persons — set up no one from among His servants and His creation as equal to Allah.

   Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning فَمَا الَّذِينَ فُضِّلُوا بِرَادِّي رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَى مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ : he said: The one who is favored in possessions and offspring does not make his slave a partner in his possessions and his wife. He says: You have accepted this for Allah, but not for yourself — you have thus made a partner for Allah in His dominion and His creation.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: والله أيها الناس فضّل بعضكم على بعض في الرزق الذي رزقكم في الدنيا، فما الذين فضَّلهم الله على غيرهم بما رزقهم ( بِرَادِّي رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَى مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ ) يقول: بمشركي مماليكِهم فيما رزقهم من الأموال والأزواج.( فَهُمْ فِيهِ سَوَاءٌ ) يقول: حتى يستووا هم في ذلك وعبيدهم، يقول تعالى ذكره: فهم لا يرضَون بأن يكونوا هم ومماليكهم فيما رزقتهم سواء، وقد جعلوا عبيدي شركائي في ملكي وسلطاني ، وهذا مَثَل ضربه الله تعالى ذكره للمشركين بالله. وقيل: إنما عنى بذلك الذين قالوا: إن المسيح ابن الله من النصارى. وقوله ( أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: أفبنعمة الله التي أنعمها على هؤلاء المشركين من الرزق الذي رزقهم في الدنيا يجحدون بإشراكهم غير الله من خلقه في ، سلطانه ومُلكه؟ وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك ، قال أهل التأويل. * حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أبي، قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس، قوله ( وَاللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي الرِّزْقِ فَمَا الَّذِينَ فُضِّلُوا بِرَادِّي رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَى مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ ) يقول: لم يكونوا يشركون عبيدهم في أموالهم ونسائهم، فكيف يشركون عبيدي معي في سلطاني؟ فذلك قوله ( أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ ). حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج، قال: قال ابن عباس: هذه الآية في شأن عيسى ابن مريم، يعني بذلك نفسه، إنما عيسى عبد، فيقول الله: والله ما تشركون عبيدكم في الذي لكم فتكونوا أنتم وهم سواء، فكيف ترضَون لي بما لا ترضون لأنفسكم . حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن ، قال: ثنا ورقاء وحدثني المثنى، قال: ثنا إسحاق، قال: ثنا عبد الله، عن ورقاء جميعا، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، في قوله ( بِرَادِّي رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَى مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ ) قال: مثل آلهة الباطل مع الله تعالى ذكره. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( وَاللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي الرِّزْقِ فَمَا الَّذِينَ فُضِّلُوا بِرَادِّي رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَى مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِيهِ سَوَاءٌ أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ) وهذا مثل ضربه الله، فهل منكم من أحد شارك مملوكه في زوجته وفي فراشه فتعدلون بالله خلقه وعباده ، فإن لم ترض لنفسك هذا، فالله أحقّ أن ينـزه منه من نفسك، ولا تعدل بالله أحدا من عباده وخلقه. حدثنا محمد بن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا محمد بن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة ( فَمَا الَّذِينَ فُضِّلُوا بِرَادِّي رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَى مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ ) قال: هذا الذي فضل في المال والولد، لا يشرك عبده في ماله وزوجته ، يقول: قد رضيت بذلك لله ولم ترض به لنفسك، فجعلت لله شريكا في ملكه وخلقه.