Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ لِلَّهِ ("And fight them until there is no more trial (fitna) and the religion belongs to Allah") (2:193).

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted says to His Prophet Muḥammad, ﷺ: and fight the polytheists (mushrikīn) who fight you, until there is no more trial — that is to say: until there is no more ascribing of partners to Allah (shirk), and until none is worshipped besides Him, and the worship of idols, gods, and equals ceases, and worship and obedience belong to Allah alone, to the exclusion of the other false deities and idols, as Qatāda said, in that which:

   3113 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word "And fight them until there is no more trial," he said: until there is no more ascribing of partners (shirk).

   3114 — 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 "And fight them until there is no more trial," he said: until there is no more ascribing of partners.

   3115 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "And fight them until there is no more trial," he said: the ascribing of partners (shirk), "and the religion belongs to Allah."

   3116 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, something similar.

   3117 — Mūsā ibn Hārūn related to me, saying: ʿAmr ibn Ḥammād related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "And fight them until there is no more trial," he said: as for the trial (fitna), that is the ascribing of partners (shirk).

   3118 — Muḥammad 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 "And fight them until there is no more trial," he says: fight them until there is no more ascribing of partners.

   3119 — It was related to me on the authority of ʿAmmār ibn al-Ḥasan, he said: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ: "And fight them until there is no more trial" — that is to say: ascribing of partners (shirk).

   3120 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word "And fight them until there is no more trial," he said: until there is no more unbelief (kufr). And he recited تُقَاتِلُونَهُمْ أَوْ يُسْلِمُونَ ("you fight them or they submit [become Muslim]") [Sūrat al-Fatḥ: 16].

   3121 — ʿAlī ibn Dāwūd related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya ibn Ṣāliḥ related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: "And fight them until there is no more trial," he says: ascribing of partners (shirk).

   * * *

   As for "the religion (al-dīn)" which Allah mentions in this place (4): that is the worship of and obedience to Allah in His command and prohibition. To this belongs the word of al-Aʿshā:

   He subdued the Ribāb, when they abhorred the religion (al-dīn) — relentlessly, with raid and assault. (5)

   By his word "when they abhorred the religion" he means: when they abhorred obedience and refused it.

   * * *

   And in the manner of what we have said concerning this, the scholars of exegesis spoke.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   3122 — It was related to me on the authority of ʿAmmār ibn al-Ḥasan, he said: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ: "and the religion belongs to Allah," he says: until none is worshipped except Allah, and that is "there is no god but Allah." For this the Prophet, ﷺ, fought, and to this he called, and the Prophet, ﷺ, said: "I have been commanded to fight the people until they say: there is no god but Allah, and they establish the ritual prayer (ṣalāh), and give the obligatory alms (zakāh). When they do that, they have protected from me their blood and their property, except for what may rightfully be claimed thereof, and their reckoning rests with Allah."

   3123 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "and the religion belongs to Allah" — that it be said: "there is no god but Allah." It was related to us that the Prophet of Allah, ﷺ, used to say: "Verily, Allah has commanded me to fight the people until they say: there is no god but Allah." Then he mentioned something similar to the report of al-Rabīʿ.

   * * *

   Explanation of the saying of the Exalted: فَإِنِ انْتَهَوْا فَلا عُدْوَانَ إِلا عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ ("But if they cease, then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers") (2:193).

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted means by His word "But if they cease": but if the unbelievers who fight you cease fighting you, and they enter your community of faith, and they acknowledge what Allah has imposed upon you as obligations, and they abandon that which they were upon, namely the worship of idols, then abandon the hostility against them, the fighting of them, and the jihād against them. For it is not fitting that hostility be committed except against the wrongdoers — and they are those who ascribe partners to Allah (mushrikīn), and those who have abandoned His worship and worship another than their Creator.

   * * *

   Now if someone were to say: is it permitted to commit hostility against the wrongdoer, such that it is said: "then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers"? (6)

   Then it is answered: the meaning of this lies otherwise than in the direction toward which you have gone. This is rather intended in the sense of retaliation, on account of what the polytheists had committed of hostility. He says: do to them the same as what they did to you, just as it is said: "if you wrong me, I do the same to you" — while the second is not a wrong, as ʿAmr ibn Shaʾs al-Asadī said:

   We requited the perpetrators of enmity yesterday for their loan as retaliation (qiṣāṣ), exactly as you set sandal against sandal. (7)

   This is entirely comparable to His word اللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ ("Allah mocks them") [Sūrat al-Baqara: 15] and فَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنْهُمْ سَخِرَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ ("they ridicule them; Allah ridicules them") [Sūrat al-Tawba: 79]. And we have already set forth the explanation of this and of similar cases earlier (8).

   * * *

   And in agreement with the explanation we have given concerning this, a group of the scholars of exegesis spoke.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   3124 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word "then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers": and the wrongdoer is the one who refused to say "there is no god but Allah."

   3125 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ: "then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers," he said: they are the polytheists (mushrikīn).

   3126 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: ʿUthmān ibn Ghiyāth related to us, saying: I heard ʿIkrima concerning this verse "then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers," he said: they are those who refused to say "there is no god but Allah."

   * * *

   Others said: the meaning of His word "then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers" is: fight no one except whoever fights.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   3127 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "But if they cease, then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers," he says: fight no one except whoever fights you.

   3128 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, something similar.

   3129 — Mūsā ibn Hārūn related to me, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, he said: "But if they cease, then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers" — verily, Allah does not love hostility, neither against the wrongdoers nor against others, but He says: commit hostility against them in proportion to what they have committed against you.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: Some of the grammarians of Basra said concerning His word "But if they cease, then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers": it is not correct that He says "But if they cease," unless it is already known that only some of them will cease. It is thus as though He said: but if some of them cease, then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers among them. He has thus omitted something (iḍmār), as He said: فَمَنْ تَمَتَّعَ بِالْعُمْرَةِ إِلَى الْحَجِّ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ ("Whoever then performs the lesser pilgrimage (ʿumra) up to the pilgrimage (ḥajj), then whatever is easily available of sacrificial animal") [Sūrat al-Baqara: 196] — He means: then upon him rests whatever is easily available of sacrificial animal; and as one says: "to whomever you turn, I turn" — one means: to him.

   And some of them rejected the omission (iḍmār) herein and explained it thus: but if they cease, then Allah is forgiving, merciful toward whoever ceases; and there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers who do not cease.

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   Footnotes:

   As for his teacher — in this isnād — "Abū Ḥammād": we do not know who he is. The supposition is that it is an erroneous addition by the copyists. So too supposed my brother al-Sayyid Maḥmūd.

   (4) See the meaning of "al-dīn" earlier 1: 155, 221.

   (5) His dīwān: 12, and it will follow in the tafsīr 3: 141 (Būlāq). He uttered it in praise of al-Aswad ibn al-Mundhir al-Lakhmī, the half-brother on the mother's side of al-Nuʿmān ibn al-Mundhir; and the mother of al-Aswad was from Taym of the Ribāb. This is the statement of Abū ʿUbayda, but the correct view is what another said: that he uttered it in praise of al-Mundhir ibn al-Aswad, who warred against the two allies Asad and Dhubyān and afterward conducted a raid upon al-Ṭaff, in which he seized cattle, captives, and spoils of war (women and children) from the tribe of al-Aʿshā, the Banū Saʿd ibn Ḍubayʿa ibn Thaʿlaba, while al-Aʿshā was absent. When he returned, he found his tribe plundered. He went to him [al-Mundhir], recited the poem to him, and asked him to grant him the captives and to transport them — which he did.

   The Ribāb (with kasra on the rāʾ) are the Banū ʿAbd Manāt ibn Udd: Taym, ʿAdī, ʿAwf, and Thawr. They gathered together and concluded an alliance with their cousins, the Banū Ḍabba ibn Udd, against their cousins Tamīm ibn Udd. They brought "rubb" (boiled date syrup) and dipped their hands into it, and thus they were called "the Ribāb"; thereafter Ḍabba withdrew from them and contented themselves with their own number.

   And his word "dāna al-Ribāb" means: he humbled them, subdued them, and compelled them to obedience. And his word "dirākan" means: successive, the one overtaking the other. And "al-ṣiyāl" is the assault; "ṣāla against his enemy" means: he leapt upon him and attacked him. He says: he continued his raids and assaults relentlessly until they submitted in obedience.

   (6) See the meaning of "al-ʿudwān" earlier 2: 307, and this volume 3: 376, 564.

   (7) I have not found the verse, and the poetry of ʿAmr ibn Shaʾs, however extensive and excellent, has for the most part been lost.

   (8) See what preceded 1: 301-306.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ لِلَّهِ قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: وقاتلوا المشركين الذين يقاتلونكم حتى لا تكون فتنة = يعني: حتى لا يكون شركٌ بالله، وحتى لا يُعبد دونه أحدٌ، وتضمحلَّ عبادة الأوثان والآلهة والأنداد، وتكونَ العبادة والطاعة لله وحده دون غيره من الأصنام والأوثان، كما قال قتادة فيما: 3113- حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله: " وقاتلوهم حتى لا تكون فتنة " قال: حتى لا يكون شرك. 3114- حدثنا الحسن بن يحيى، قال، أخبرنا عبد الرزاق، قال، أخبرنا معمر، عن قتادة في قوله: " وقاتلوهم حَتى لا تكون فتنة " قال: حتى لا يكون شرك. 3115 - حدثني محمد بن عمرو قال، حدثنا أبو عاصم قال، حدثنا عيسى، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد: " وقاتلوهم حتى لا تكون فتنة " قال: الشرك " ويكون الدِّين لله ". 3116- حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا أبو حذيفة قال، حدثنا شبل، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد مثله. 3117 - حدثني موسى بن هارون، قال، حدثنا عمرو بن حماد قال، حدثنا أسباط، عن السدي: " وقاتلوهم حتى لا تكون فتنة " قال: أما الفتنة فالشرك. 3118 - حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال، حدثني أبي، قال، حدثني عمي، قال، حدثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس قوله: " وقاتلوهم حتى لا تكونَ فتنة "، يقول: قاتلوا حتى لا يكون شِرك. &; 3-571 &; 3119 - حدثت عن عمار بن الحسن قال، حدثنا ابن أبي جعفر، عن أبيه، عن الربيع: " وقاتلوهم حَتى لا تكونَ فتنة " أي شركٌ. 3120- حدثني يونس، قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: " وقاتلوهم حتى لا تكون فتنة " قال: حتى لا يكون كفر، وقرأ تُقَاتِلُونَهُمْ أَوْ يُسْلِمُونَ [سورة الفتح: 16]. 3121- حدثني علي بن داود قال، حدثنا عبد الله بن صالح، قال، حدثني معاوية بن صالح، عن علي بن أبي طلحة، عن ابن عباس: " وقاتلوهم حتى لا تكون فتنة " يقول: شركٌ. * * * وأما " الدين "، الذي ذكره الله في هذا الموضع (4) فهو العبادة والطاعة لله في أمره ونهيه، من ذلك قول الأعشى: هُـوَ دَانَ الرِّبَـابَ, إِذْ كَرِهُـوا الـدِّي نَ, دِرَاكًـــا بِغَـــزْوَةٍ وَصِيَــالِ (5) يعني بقوله: " إذ كرهوا الدين "، إذ كرهوا الطاعة وأبوْها. * * * &; 3-572 &; وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 3122- حدثت عن عمار بن الحسن قال، حدثنا ابن أبي جعفر، عن أبيه، عن الربيع: " ويكونَ الدِّينُ لله " يقول: حتى لا يُعبد إلا الله، وذلك " لا إله إلا الله "، عليه قاتل النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وإليه دعا، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: " إنّي أمرتُ أن أقاتِل الناسَ حتى يَقولوا لا إله إلا الله، ويقيموا الصلاة، ويؤتوا الزكاة، فإذا فعلوا ذلك فقد عَصموا مني دماءهم وأموالهم إلا بحقِّها وحسابهم على الله ". 3123- حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة: " ويكون الدِّينُ لله " أن يقال: " لا إله إلا الله ". ذُكِر لنا أن نبيَّ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يقول: " إنّ الله أمرَني أن أقاتِل الناسَ حتى يقولوا لا إله إلا الله ". ثم ذكر مثل حديث الربيع. * * * القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : فَإِنِ انْتَهَوْا فَلا عُدْوَانَ إِلا عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ (193) قال أبو جعفر: يعني تعالى ذكره بقوله: " فإن انتهوا " فإن انتهى الذين يقاتلونكم من الكفار عن قتالكم، ودَخلوا في ملّتكم، وأقرُّوا بما ألزمكم الله من فرائضه، وتركوا ما هم عليه من عبادة الأوثان، فدعوا الاعتداءَ عليهم وقتالَهم وجهادَهم، فإنه لا ينبغي أن يُعتدى إلا على الظالمين -وهم المشركون بالله، والذين تركوا عبادته وعبدوا غيرَ خالقهم. * * * &; 3-573 &; فإن قال قائل: وهل يجوز الاعتداء على الظالم فيقال: " فَلا عُدوان إلا على الظالمين "؟ (6) . قيل: إن المعنى في ذلك على غير الوجه الذي إليه ذهبتَ، وإنما ذلك على وَجه المجازاة، لما كان من المشركين من الاعتداء، يقول: افعلوا بهم مثل الذي فعلوا بكم، كما يقال: " إن تَعاطيتَ منّي ظلما تعاطيته منك "، والثاني ليس بظلم، كما قال عمرو بن شأس الأسديّ: جَزَيْنَـا ذَوِى العُـدْوَانِ بِالأمْسِ قَرْضَهُمْ قِصَاصًـا, سَـواءً حَذْوَكَ النَّعْلَ بِالنَّعْلِ (7) وإنما كان ذلك نظير قوله: اللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ [سورة البقرة: 15] و فَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنْهُمْ سَخِرَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ [سورة التوبة: 79] وقد بينا وجه ذلك ونظائره فيما مَضى قبلُ (8) . * * * وبالذي قلنا في ذلك من التأويل قال جماعة من أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 3124 - حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله: " فلا عُدوان إلا على الظالمين " والظالم الذي أبى أن يقول: " لا إله إلا الله ". 3125 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا إسحاق قال، حدثنا ابن أبي جعفر، عن أبيه، عن الربيع." فلا عُدوان إلا على الظالمين " قال: هم المشركون. 3126 - حدثني المثنى، قال، ثنا محمد بن جعفر قال، حدثنا عثمان بن غياث، قال، سمعت عكرمة في هذه الآية: " فلا عدوان إلا على الظالمين "، &; 3-574 &; قال: هُم من أبى أن يقول: " لا إله إلا الله ". * * * وقال آخرون: معنى قوله: " فلا عدوان إلا على الظالمين " فلا تقاتل إلا من قاتل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 3127 - حدثني محمد بن عمرو قال، حدثنا أبو عاصم قال، حدثنا عيسى، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد: " فإن انتهوا فلا عُدوان إلا على الظالمين " يقول: لا تقاتلوا إلا من قاتلكم. 3128- حدثني المثنى، قال، حدثنا أبو حذيفة قال، حدثنا شبل، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، مثله. 3129 - حدثني موسى بن هارون قال، حدثنا عمرو قال، حدثنا أسباط، عن السدي، قال: " فإن انتهوا فلا عُدوان إلا على الظالمين " فإنّ الله لا يحب العُدوان على الظالمين ولا على غيرهم، ولكن يقول: اعتدُوا عليهم بمثل ما اعتدوْا عليكم. * * * قال أبو جعفر: فكان بعض أهل العربية من أهل البصرة يقول في قوله: " فإن انتهوْا فلا عُدوان إلا على الظالمين " لا يجوز أن يقول: " فإن انتهوا " إلا وقد علم أنهم لا يَنتهون إلا بعضهم، فكأنه قال: فإن انتهى بعضُهم، فلا عُدوان إلا على الظالمين منهم، فأضمر كما قال: فَمَنْ تَمَتَّعَ بِالْعُمْرَةِ إِلَى الْحَجِّ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ [سورة البقرة: 196] يريد: فعليه ما استيسر من الهدي، وكما يقول: " إلى مَن تقصد أقصد " يعني: إليه. وكان بعضهم ينكر الإضمار في ذلك ويتأوله: فإن انتهوا فإن الله غفورٌ رحيم لمن انتهى، ولا عُدوان إلا على الظالمين الذين لا ينتهون. ----------- الهوامش: وأما شيخه -في هذا الإسناد-"أبو حماد" : فلا ندري من هو؟ والظن أنه زيادة خطأ من الناسخين . وهكذا ظن أخي السيد محمود ، أيضًا . (4) انظر معنى"الدين" فيما سلف 1 : 155 ، 221 . (5) ديوانه : 12 وسيأتي في التفسير 3 : 141 (بولاق) ، قالها في مدح الأسود بن المنذر اللخمي ، أخي النعمان بن المنذر لأمه ، وأم الأسود من تيم الرباب . هذا قول أبي عبيدة ، والصواب ما قال غيره : أنه قالها في مدح المنذر بن الأسود ، وكان غزا الحليفين أسدا وذبيان ، ثم أغار على الطف ، فأصاب نعما وأسرى وسبيا من رهط الأعشى بني سعد بن ضبيعة بن ثعلبة ، والأعشى غائب . فلما قدم وجد الحي مباحا . فأتاه فأنشده ، وسأله أن يهب له الأسرى ويحملهم ، ففعل . والرباب (بكسر الراء) هم بنو عبد مناة بن أد : تيم وعدي وعوف وثور ، اجتمعوا فتحالفوا مع بني عمهم ضبة بن أد ، على بني عمهم تميم بن أد . فجاؤوا برب (تمر مطبوخ) فغمسوا فيه أيديهم ، فسموا"الرباب" ، ثم خرجت ضبة عنهم ، واكتفت بعددها . وقوله : "دان الرباب" أي أذلهم واستعبدهم وحملهم على الطاعة . وقوله : "دراكا" ، متتابعا يدرك بعضه بعضا . والصيال : السطرة . صال على عدوه : وثب عليه وسطا . يقول تابع غزوهم والسطو حتى دانو بالطاعة . (6) انظر معنى"العدوان" فيما سلف 2 : 307 ، وهذا الجزء 3 : 376 ، 564 . (7) لم أجد البيت ، وشعر عمرو بن شأس على كثرته وجودته ، قد ضاع أكثره . (8) انظر ما سلف 1 : 301-306 .