Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Allah, exalted is His remembrance, says: And among His favor to you, O people, is that He has made for you, out of what He has created of trees and other things, shade by which you seek shelter from the intense heat — and this is the plural of ẓill (shade).

   And this is in accordance with what we have said concerning this, according to the people of interpretation.

   Those who said this:

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Al-Ḥakam ibn Bishr related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word مِمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلالا : he said: The trees.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلالا : yes, by Allah — from the trees and from other things.

   And His word وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا — He says: And He made for you in the mountains dwelling places in which you live — this is the plural of kinn.

   As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا : He says: Caves in the mountains in which one lives.

   وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ — that is to say: garments of cotton, linen, and wool, and shirts of them. As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ : of cotton, linen, and wool.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ : he said: cotton and linen.

   And His word وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمْ بَأْسَكُمْ — He says: And coats of mail that protect you in your fighting (baʾs) — al-baʾs is war — that is to say: which protect you in your fighting so that the weapon does not reach you.

   As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمْ بَأْسَكُمْ : of this iron.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمْ بَأْسَكُمْ : he said: They are coats of mail of iron.

   And His word كَذَلِكَ يُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ — Allah, exalted is His remembrance, says: Just as your Lord has given you these things which are described in these verses as a favor from Him to you, so does He complete His favor upon you, that you may submit. He says: That you may submit yourselves to Allah in obedience, and that your souls may humble themselves before His oneness, and that you may make worship pure for Him. And it is related from Ibn ʿAbbās that he used to read: (laʿallakum taslamūna) with an open tāʾ.

   Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥammād related to us, saying: Ibn al-Mubārak related to us, on the authority of Ḥanẓala, on the authority of Shahr ibn Ḥawshab, who said: Ibn ʿAbbās used to say: (laʿallakum taslamūna) — he said: that is to say: from the wounds.

   Aḥmad ibn Yūsuf related to us, saying: Al-Qāsim ibn Salām related to us, saying: ʿAbbād ibn al-ʿAwwām related to us, on the authority of Ḥanẓala al-Sadūsī, on the authority of Shahr ibn Ḥawshab, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: that he read it as (laʿallakum taslamūna) — from the wounds. Aḥmad ibn Yūsuf said: Abū ʿUbayd said: that is to say: with an open tāʾ and an open lām.

   The meaning of the word according to the reading of Ibn ʿAbbās is thus: so does He complete His favor upon you through what He has appointed for you of coats of mail that protect you in your fighting, that you may be kept safe from the weapon in your wars. The reading which I do not deem it permissible to read otherwise than according to is لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ with a closed tāʾ and a closed lām, from aslama tuslim — O you who call to it — on account of the agreement of the authoritative Qurʾān-reciters of the metropolitan cities upon that reading.

   If someone were to ask us: How has He appointed for you garments that protect you from the heat, with the heat specifically being mentioned and not the cold — even though they protect against both the heat and the cold? Or how is it said وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا without mentioning what He has appointed for them of shelter in the plains? We answer him: There is disagreement concerning the reason why the revelation came down thus, and we will mention what has been said about this and then indicate the most correct of those opinions.

   Concerning that, it is related from ʿAṭāʾ al-Kharāsānī what al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Kathīr related to us, on the authority of ʿUthmān ibn ʿAṭāʾ, on the authority of his father, who said: The Qurʾān came down in accordance with their knowledge — do you not see the word of Allah, exalted is His remembrance: وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلالا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا ? And what He had appointed for them in the plains was greater and more, but they were mountain dwellers. Do you not also see His word: وَمِنْ أَصْوَافِهَا وَأَوْبَارِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَا أَثَاثًا وَمَتَاعًا إِلَى حِينٍ ? And what He had appointed for them of other things was greater and more, but they were people of camel hair and goat hair. Do you not also see His word: وَيُنَـزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ جِبَالٍ فِيهَا مِنْ بَرَدٍ — by which He amazes them? And what He sent down of snow was greater and more, but they did not know that. Do you not also see His word: سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ ? And what the garments protect against of the cold is more and greater, but they were people of heat. The reason why Allah, exalted is His remembrance, specifically designated the garments as protection against the heat and not the cold is, according to this view, that those to whom this was addressed were people of heat. Thus Allah, exalted is His remembrance, mentioned His favor to them for what protects them from the discomfort whose burden they knew, and not for what they did not know the burden of its hardship. And so it is likewise in the remaining other words.

   And others said: This is specifically mentioned because the mention of the one suffices in place of the mention of the other, since it was known among those to whom this was addressed that the garments that protect against the heat also protect against the cold. And they said: This is present and customary in the speech of the Arabs. They adduced as proof for that the word of the poet:

   "I do not know, when I set out in a direction and desire the good, which of the two will befall me."

   He said: "which of the two will befall me" — he means: the good or the evil. He mentioned only the good, for when he desires the good, he shuns the evil.

   The most correct of the two views concerning this is the view of the one who said that the people were addressed in accordance with their knowledge, even though in the mention of a part of it there is an indication of what has been left out for the one who sees the mentioned and the left out. For Allah, exalted is His remembrance, has only enumerated the favors which He has bestowed upon those specifically addressed in this sūra and not others. Thus did He mention His benefactions toward them.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: ومن نعمة الله عليكم أيها الناس أن جعل لكم مما خلق من الأشجار وغيرها ظلالا تستظلون بها من شدة الحرّ، وهي جمع ظلّ. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك ، قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا الحكم بن بشير، قال: ثنا عمرو، عن قتادة، في قوله ( مِمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلالا ) قال: الشجر. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلالا ) إي والله، من الشجر ومن غيرها. وقوله ( وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا ) يقول: وجعل لكم من الجبال مواضع تسكنون فيها، وهي جمع كنّ. كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله (وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا ) يقول: غيرانا من الجبال يسكن فيها. ( وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ ) يعني ثياب القطن والكتان والصوف وقمصها. كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ ) من القطن والكتان والصوف. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن مَعْمر، عن قتادة ( سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ ) قال: القطن والكتان. وقوله ( وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمْ بَأْسَكُمْ ) يقول: ودروعا تقيكم بأسكم، والبأس: هو الحرب، والمعنى: تقيكم في بأسكم السلاح أن يصل إليكم. كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمْ بَأْسَكُمْ ) من هذا الحديد. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن مَعْمر، عن قتادة ( وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمْ بَأْسَكُمْ ) قال: هي سرابيل من حديد. وقوله ( كَذَلِكَ يُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: كما أعطاكم ربكم هذه الأشياء التي وصفها في هذه الآيات نعمة منه بذلك عليكم، فكذا يُتِمّ نعمته عليكم لعلكم تسلمون. يقول: لتخضعوا لله بالطاعة، وتذِلّ منكم بتوحيده النفوس، وتخلصوا له العبادة. وقد روي عن ابن عباس أنه كان يقرأ (لَعَلَّكُمْ تَسْلَمُونَ) بفتح التاء. حدثني المثنى، قال: ثنا إسحاق، قال: ثنا عبد الرحمن بن أبي حماد، قال: ثنا ابن المبارك، عن حنظلة، عن شهر بن حَوْشب، قال: كان ابن عباس يقول: (لَعَلَّكُمْ تَسْلَمُونَ) قال: يعني من الجراح. حدثنا أحمد بن يوسف، قال: ثنا القاسم بن سلام، قال: ثنا عباد بن العوّام، عن حنظلة السَّدوسيّ، عن شهر بن حَوْشب، عن ابن عباس، أنه قرأها: (لَعَلَّكُمْ تَسْلَمُونَ) من الجراحات، قال أحمد بن يوسف: قال أبو عبيد: يعني بفتح التاء واللام. فتأويل الكلام على قراءة ابن عباس هذه: كذلك يتمّ نعمته عليكم بما جعل لكم من السرابيل التي تقيكم بأسكم، لتسلموا من السلاح في حروبكم، والقراءة التي لا أستجيز القراءة بخلافها بضم التاء من قوله ( لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ ) وكسر اللام من أسلمت تُسْلِم يا هذا، لإجماع الحجة من قرّاء الأمصار عليها. فإن قال لنا قائل: وكيف جعل لكم سرابيل تقيكم الحر، فخص بالذكر الحر دون البرد، وهي تقي الحر والبرد ، أم كيف قيل ( وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا ) وترك ذكر ما جعل لهم من السهل ؟ قيل له: قد اختُلِف في السبب الذي من أجله جاء التنـزيل كذلك، وسنذكر ما قيل في ذلك ثم ندلّ على أولى الأقوال في ذلك بالصواب. فرُوِي عن عطاء الخراساني في ذلك ما حدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا محمد بن كثير، عن عثمان بن عطاء، عن أبيه ، قال: إنما نـزل القرآن على قدر معرفتهم، ألا ترى إلى قول الله تعالى ذكره: ( وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلالا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا ) وما جعل لهم من السهول أعظم وأكثر، ولكنهم كانوا أصحاب جبال، ألا ترى إلى قوله وَمِنْ أَصْوَافِهَا وَأَوْبَارِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَا أَثَاثًا وَمَتَاعًا إِلَى حِينٍ ؟ و ما جعل لهم من غير ذلك أعظم منه وأكثر، ولكنهم كانوا أصحاب وَبَر وَشَعر ألا ترى إلى قوله وَيُنَـزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ جِبَالٍ فِيهَا مِنْ بَرَدٍ يعجِّبهم من ذلك؟ وما أنـزل من الثلج أعظم وأكثر، ولكنهم كانوا لا يعرفون به، ألا ترى إلى قوله ( سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ ) وما تقي من البرد، أكثر وأعظم؟ ولكنهم كانوا أصحاب حرّ ، فالسبب الذي من أجله خصّ الله تعالى ذِكرُه السرابيل بأنها تقي الحرّ دون البرد على هذا القول، هو أن المخاطبين بذلك كانوا أصحاب حرّ، فذكر الله تعالى ذكره نعمته عليهم بما يقيهم مكروه ما به عرفوا مكروهه دون ما لم يعرفوا مبلغ مكروهه، وكذلك ذلك في سائر الأحرف الأخَر. وقال آخرون: ذكر ذلك خاصة اكتفاء بذكر أحدهما من ذكر الآخر، إذ كان معلومًا عند المخاطبين به معناه ، وأن السرابيل التي تقي الحرّ تقي أيضًا البرد وقالوا: ذلك موجود في كلام العرب مستعمل، واستشهدوا لقولهم بقول الشاعر: وَمـــا أدْرِي إذا يَمَّمْــتُ وَجْهًــا أُرِيـــدُ الخَــيْرَ أيُّهُمــا يَلِينِــي (2) فقال: أيهما يليني: يريد الخير أو الشرّ، وإنما ذكر الخير لأنه إذا أراد الخير فهو يتقي الشرّ. وأولى القولين في ذلك بالصواب، قول من قال: إن القوم خوطبوا على قدر معرفتهم، وإن كان في ذكر بعض ذلك دلالة على ما ترك ذكره لمن عرف المذكور والمتروك وذلك أن الله تعالى ذكره إنما عدّد نعمه التي أنعمها على الذين قُصدوا بالذكر في هذه السورة دون غيرهم، فذكر أياديه عندهم.