Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The Exalted says: those who enter Paradise will hear therein no idle talk — that is to say: no vain and false word or empty speech — إِلا سَلامًا (except a greeting of peace). This is a disconnected exception, and the meaning is: rather, they hear only salām — namely the greeting of the angels to them. And His word وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا (and their provision is for them therein morning and evening): He says: their provision and what they desire of food and drink is for them at the time corresponding to the morning and the evening of the earthly day — for what He means by this is that the time between their morning meal and their evening meal in Paradise (janna) is equal to the time between the morning meal of one of us in the earthly life and his evening meal; and likewise the time between the evening meal and the morning meal. That is so because in Paradise there is no night and no day — this is like His word خَلَقَ الأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ (He created the earth in two days) and خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ (He created the heavens and the earth in six days), by which are meant: days of the earthly life.

   As ʿAlī ibn Sahl related to us, saying: al-Walīd ibn Muslim related to us, saying: I asked Zuhayr ibn Muḥammad about the word of Allah وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا . He said: in Paradise there is no night — they are in eternal light; but there is for them a measure of night and day: the measure of the night they know by the lowering of the curtains and the closing of the gates, and the measure of the day they know by the raising of the curtains and the opening of the gates.

   ʿAlī related to us, saying: al-Walīd related to us, on the authority of Khulayd, on the authority of al-Ḥasan — and he mentioned the gates of Paradise: "Gates whose outside can be seen from the inside. They spoke and were spoken to, and they murmured: open, close — and they did it."

   Ibn Ḥarb related to me, saying: Mūsā ibn Ismāʿīl related to us, saying: ʿĀmir ibn Yasāf related to us, on the authority of Yaḥyā: he said: the Arabs in their time counted whoever had a morning meal and an evening meal among the fortunate; so Allah sent down: وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا — the time that lies between your morning meal in the earthly life and your evening meal.

   Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا : he said: the Arabs knew nothing more splendid than a morning meal and an evening meal, and Allah informed them that they would be given to eat therein morning and evening — as long as the morning meal and the evening meal.

   Al-Ḥasan related to us: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: al-Thawrī informed us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: he said: it is neither morning nor evening, but their food is offered to them in accordance with what they used to desire in the earthly life.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his word وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا (and their provision is for them therein morning and evening): therein are two times, a morning time and an evening time — and this is what there is for them, for there is no night; it is only light and radiance.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: لا يسمع هؤلاء الذين يدخلون الجنة فيها لغوا، وهو الهَدْي والباطل من القول والكلام ( إِلا سَلامًا ) وهذا من الاستثناء المنقطع، ومعناه: ولكن يسمعون سلاما، وهو تحية الملائكة إياهم. وقوله ( وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا ) يقول: ولهم طعامهم وما يشتهون من المطاعم والمشارب في قدر وقت البُكرة ووقت العشيّ من نهار أيام الدنيا، وإنما يعني أن الذي بين غدائهم وعشائهم في الجنة قدر ما بين غداء أحدنا في الدنيا وعشائه، وكذلك ما بين العشاء والغداء وذلك لأنه لا ليل في الجنة ولا نهار، وذلك كقوله خَلَقَ الأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ و خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ يعني به: من أيام الدنيا. كما حدثنا عليّ بن سهل، قال: ثنا الوليد بن مسلم، قال: سألت زهير بن محمد، عن قول الله: ( وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا ) قال: ليس في الجنة ليل، هم في نور أبد، ولهم مقدار الليل والنهار، يعرفون مقدار الليل بإرخاء الحجب وإغلاق الأبواب، ويعرفون مقدار النهار برفع الحجب، وفتح الأبواب. حدثنا عليّ، قال: ثنا الوليد، عن خليد ، عن الحسن، وذكر أبواب الجنة، فقال: أبواب يُرى ظاهرها من باطنها، فَتكلم وتَكلم، فتهمهم انفتحي انغلقي، فتفعل. حدثني ابن حرب، قال: ثنا موسى بن إسماعيل، قال: ثنا عامر بن يساف، عن يحيى، قال: كانت العرب في زمانهم من وجد منهم عشاء وغداء، فذاك الناعم في أنفسهم، فأنـزل الله ( وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا ) : قدر ما بين غدائكم في الدنيا إلى عشائكم. حدثنا الحسن بن يحيى، قال: أخبرنا عبد الرزاق، قال: أخبرنا معمر، عن قتادة ، في قوله: ( وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا ) قال: كانت العرب إذا أصاب أحدهم الغداء والعشاء عجب له، فأخبرهم الله أن لهم في الجنة بكرة وعشيا، قدر ذلك الغداء والعشاء. حدثنا الحسن، قال: أخبرنا عبد الرزاق، فال: أخبرنا الثوريّ، عن ابن أبي نجيح ، عن مجاهد، قال: ليس بكرة ولا عشيّ، ولكن يؤتون به على ما كانوا يشتهون في الدنيا. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا ) فيها ساعتان بكرة وعشيّ، فإن ذلك لهم ليس ثم ليل، إنما هو ضوء ونور.