Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Allah the Exalted says: those who differed concerning ʿĪsā split apart and became parties (aḥzāb) divided among themselves, out of their midst.

   As Muḥammad 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 me, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — all of them together on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning his word (the parties differed among themselves out of their midst): he said: the People of the Book.

   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 — in accordance with the same.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his word (the parties differed among themselves out of their midst): we have been told that when the son of Maryam was raised up, the children of Israel chose four of their jurists. They asked the first: what do you say concerning ʿĪsā? He said: he is Allah, who descended to the earth, created what he created, gave life to what he gave life, then ascended to heaven — and a portion of the people followed him in that, and they became the Jacobites among the Christians. The three remaining ones said: we testify that you lie. They asked the second: what do you say concerning ʿĪsā? He said: he is the son of Allah — and a portion of the people followed him in that, and they became the Nestorians among the Christians. The two remaining ones said: we testify that you lie. They asked the third: what do you say concerning ʿĪsā? He said: he is a god, and his mother is a god, and Allah is a god — and a portion of the people followed him in that, and they became the Israelites among the Christians. The fourth said: I testify that you lie; rather he is the servant of Allah, His messenger, His word and His spirit. The people quarreled with one another. The Muslim man said: by Allah, do you not know that ʿĪsā ate food, and that Allah the Blessed and Exalted does not eat food? They said: by Allah, yes. He said: and do you know that ʿĪsā slept? They said: by Allah, yes. He said: and the Muslim defeated them in the debate. He said: the people fought one another. We have been told that on that day the Jacobites gained the upper hand and the Muslims were defeated; whereupon Allah sent down the Qurʾān concerning that: those who reject the signs of Allah and kill the prophets unjustly, and kill those among the people who command just dealing — give them tidings of a painful punishment .

   Al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Isḥāq informed us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning (the parties differed among themselves out of their midst): they differed concerning it and became parties.

   And his word: (and woe to those who disbelieve from the witnessing of a great day): that is to say: the valley of hell (jahannam) which is called Wayl — for the disbelievers who claimed that ʿĪsā is a son of Allah, and others among those who disbelieve in Allah — because of their witnessing of a day of great weight; and that is the Day of Judgment.

   And Qatāda used to say concerning the explanation of that what Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning the word of Allah: (and woe to those who disbelieve from the witnessing of a great day): they will witness a tremendous terror.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: فاختلف المختلفون في عيسى، فصاروا أحزابا متفرّقين من بين قومه. كما حدثني محمد بن عمرو ، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثني الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء، جميعا عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، قوله ( فَاخْتَلَفَ الأحْزَابُ مِنْ بَيْنِهِمْ ) قال: أهل الكتاب. حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج، عن مجاهد، مثله. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( فَاخْتَلَفَ الأحْزَابُ مِنْ بَيْنِهِمْ ) ذُكر لنا أن لما رُفع ابن مريم، انتخبت بنو إسرائيل أربعة من فقهائهم، فقالوا للأوّل: ما تقول في عيسى؟ قال: هو الله هبط إلى الأرض، فخلق ما خلق، وأحيا ما أحيا، ثم صَعِد إلى السماء، فتابعه على ذلك ناس من الناس، فكانت اليعقوبية من النصارى; وقال الثلاثة الآخرون: نشهد أنك كاذب، فقالوا للثاني: ما تقول في عيسى؟ قال: هو ابن الله ، فتابعه على ذلك ناس من الناس، فكانت النَّسطورية من النصارى; وقال الاثنان الآخران: نشهد أنك كاذب، فقالوا للثالث: ما تقول في عيسى؟ قال: هو إله، وأمه إله، والله إله، فتابعه على ذلك ناس من الناس، فكانت الإسرائيلية من النصارى، فقال الرابع: أشهد أنك كاذب، ولكنه عبد الله ورسوله، هو كلمة الله وروحه; فاختصم القوم، فقال المرء المسلم: أنشدُكم الله ما تعلمون أن عيسى كان يَطعم الطعام، وأن الله تبارك وتعالى: لا يطعم الطعام قالوا: اللهمّ نعم، قال: هل تعلمون أن عيسى كان ينام؟ قالوا: اللهمّ نعم ، قال فخصمهم المسلم; قال: فاقتتل القوم. قال: فذُكر لنا أن اليعقوبية ظهرت يومئذ وأصيب المسلمون، فأنـزل الله في ذلك القرآن إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ . حدثنا الحسن، قال: أخبرنا إسحاق، قال: أخبرنا عبد الرزّاق، قال: أخبرنا معمر، عن قتادة ( فَاخْتَلَفَ الأحْزَابُ مِنْ بَيْنِهِمْ ) اختلفوا فيه فصاروا أحزابا. وقوله: ( فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ مَشْهَدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ) يقول: فوادي جهنم الذي يدعى ويلا للذين كفروا بالله، من الزاعمين أن عيسى لله ولد، وغيرهم من أهل الكفر به من شهودهم يومًا عظيما شأنه ، وذلك يوم القيامة. وكان قتادة يقول في تأويل ذلك ما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قال الله: ( فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ مَشْهَدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ) شهدوا هولا إذا عظيما.