Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying of Him whose mention is exalted: كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ ("Fighting is prescribed for you.")

   Abū Jaʿfar said: By this He means, exalted is His praise, by His saying "fighting is prescribed for you": armed fighting (al-qitāl) has been imposed upon you, that is to say: the fighting against the polytheists (al-mushrikīn) — وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ ("and it is hateful to you").

   * * *

   And the people of knowledge differed concerning who were meant by the prescribing of the fighting.

   Some of them said: by this were meant exclusively the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and no one else.

   * The mention of who said that:

   4072 - Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, saying: I asked ʿAṭāʾ, I said to him: "Fighting is prescribed for you, and it is hateful to you" — is the military campaign (al-ghazw) obligatory upon the people on the basis of this? He said: No! It was at that time prescribed upon those people.

   4073 - Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd related to us, saying: Khālid related to us, on the authority of Ḥusayn ibn Qays, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning His saying: "Fighting is prescribed for you, and it is hateful to you." He said: this verse has been abrogated by وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا [Surah al-Baqarah: 285] ("And they said: we have heard and obeyed").

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And this is a saying that has no sense, for the abrogation (naskh) of rulings comes from the side of Allah, mighty and exalted, not from the side of the servants. And His saying وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا is a report from Allah concerning His believing servants and concerning the fact that they said that — not an abrogation from His side.

   4074 - Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related to me, saying: Muʿāwiya ibn ʿAmr related to us, saying: Abū Isḥāq al-Fazārī related to us, saying: I asked al-Awzāʿī concerning the saying of Allah, mighty and exalted: "Fighting is prescribed for you, and it is hateful to you. And mankind was only one community, then they became divided; and were it not for a word that had earlier gone forth from your Lord, then it would have been judged between them concerning that wherein they differ among themselves" — is the military campaign obligatory upon all the people? He said: that I do not know, but it does not befit the leaders and the community to neglect it; as for the man in his individual capacity, however, then no. (1)

   * * *

   And others said: it rests upon every individual person until those who carry it out are sufficient by their action, whereupon the obligation thereof falls away at that point from the remaining Muslims — like the prayer over the deceased, the washing of the dead and their burial. And this is the position of the general majority of the scholars of the Muslims.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And that is the correct view in our judgment, because of the consensus of the authoritative proof (al-ḥujja) thereon, and because of the saying of Allah, mighty and exalted: فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً وَكُلا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى [Surah al-Nisāʾ: 95] ("Allah has made those who strive with their wealth and their lives [in jihād] excel over those who remain behind by a rank, and to both Allah has promised the best"). He, exalted is His praise, has thus reported that the excellence belongs to those who strive (al-mujāhidīn), and that both they and those who remain behind have the best [in prospect]. And if those who remained behind had neglected an obligation, then the worst would belong to them, not the best.

   * * *

   And others said: it is a binding obligation upon the Muslims until the onset of the Hour.

   * The mention of who said that:

   4075 - Ḥubaysh ibn Mubashshir related to us, saying: Rawḥ ibn ʿUbāda related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Dāwūd ibn Abī ʿĀṣim, saying: I said to Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyab: "I know that the military campaign is obligatory upon the people!" Then he was silent, and I know that had he denied what I said, he would have made it clear to me. (2)

   * * *

   And we have already previously sufficiently explained the meaning of His saying "prescribed" (kutiba). (3)

   * * *

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ ("and it is hateful to you").

   Abū Jaʿfar said: By this He means, exalted is His praise: and it is a thing that is hateful to you (dhū kurhin). He omitted the mention of "dhū" (a thing of), since the indication of His saying "kurhun lakum" (a hatefulness to you) was sufficient for that — as He said: وَاسْأَلِ الْقَرْيَةَ [Surah Yūsuf: 82] ("And ask the town" — that is to say: the inhabitants of the town).

   And in accordance with what we have said about that, it has been transmitted from ʿAṭāʾ in his explanation.

   * The mention of who said that:

   4076 - 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 ʿAṭāʾ concerning His saying: "and it is hateful to you." He said: it was made hateful to them at that time.

   * * *

   "Al-kurh" with ḍamma (kurh) is that to which a man brings himself without anyone compelling him to it, and "al-karh" with fatḥa on the kāf is that to which another brings him, and imposes upon him under compulsion. And among those from whom this saying is transmitted is Muʿādh ibn Muslim.

   4077 - Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥammād related to us, on the authority of Muʿādh ibn Muslim, saying: al-kurh is the effort, and al-karh is the compulsion.

   * * *

   And some of the linguists said: "al-kurh" and "al-karh" are two dialectal variants with the same meaning, like "al-ghusl" and "al-ghasl", and "al-ḍuʿf" and "al-ḍaʿf", and "al-ruhb" and "al-rahb". And others said: "al-kurh" with ḍamma on the kāf is a noun, and "al-karh" with fatḥa on it is a verbal noun (maṣdar).

   * * *

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ ("And it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing while it is bad for you").

   Abū Jaʿfar said: By this He means, exalted is His praise: and do not dislike the fighting, for it may be that you dislike it while it is good for you, and do not love the abandonment of the jihād, for it may be that you love it while it is bad for you. As:

   4078 - Mūsā ibn Hārūn related to me, saying: ʿAmr ibn Ḥammād related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "Fighting is prescribed for you, and it is hateful to you, and it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing while it is bad for you." And that is because the Muslims disliked the fighting, so He said: "it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you." He says: for you in the fighting lies the spoils of war (al-ghanīma), the victory and the martyrdom, and for you in remaining behind lies that you do not triumph over the polytheists, do not fall as a martyr and acquire nothing.

   4079 - Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Sulamī related to me, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Muḥammad ibn Mujāhid related to me, saying: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Abī Hāshim al-Juʿfī informed me, saying: ʿĀmir ibn Wāthila informed me, saying: Ibn ʿAbbās said: I was riding behind the Prophet ﷺ on his mount, and he said: "O Ibn ʿAbbās, be content with Allah concerning what He has decreed, even if it is against your desire, for that is established in the Book of Allah." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, where then? I have indeed read the Qurʾān!" He said: in His saying: "And it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing while it is bad for you, and Allah knows, and you do not know." (4)

   * * *

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ (216) ("And Allah knows, and you do not know").

   Abū Jaʿfar said: By this He means, exalted is His praise: and Allah knows what is good for you, in distinction from what is bad for you, so do not dislike what I have prescribed for you of jihād against your enemy and fighting against whom I have commanded you to fight, for I know that your fighting against them is good for you in your present life and in your future life, and that the abandonment of the fighting against them is bad for you, while you do not know thereof what I know. By this He, exalted is His mention, urges them to the jihād against His enemies, and arouses in them the longing for the fighting against whoever disbelieves in Him.

   -----------------

   (1) The narration: 4074 — Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Jaʿfar al-Ṣāghānī settled at Baghdad and was the foremost of the sheikhs of Baghdad and was among the memorizing, trustworthy, precise transmitters; he died in the year 270, and al-Ṭabarī transmitted from him in al-Mudhayyal (see al-Muntakhab min Dhayl al-Mudhayyal: 104). And Muʿāwiya ibn ʿAmr ibn al-Muhallab al-Azdī: al-Bukhārī transmitted from him; he passed away at Baghdad in the year 215. Both have a biography in al-Tahdhīb.

   (2) The narration: 4075 — Ḥubaysh ibn Mubashshir ibn Aḥmad al-Ṭūsī, the jurist, was trustworthy, one of the sensible men of the Baghdadis; he died in the year 258; he has a biography in al-Tahdhīb and in Tārīkh Baghdād. In the printed edition it read "Ḥusayn ibn Maysar", but among the transmitters there is no one known under that name.

   (3) See what preceded in 3:357, 364, 365.

   (4) The ḥadīth: 4079 — this is an obscure isnād and the matn is rejected (munkar)! I have not found a biography of "Yaḥyā ibn Muḥammad ibn Mujāhid" nor of "ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Abī Hāshim", and I do not know who they are. And the wording of the ḥadīth I have not come across, nor has anyone of those who transmit from al-Ṭabarī cited it.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله عز ذكره : كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ قال أبو جعفر: يعني بذلك جل ثناؤه بقوله : " كتب عليكم القتال "، فُرض عليكم القتال، يعني قتال المشركين= وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ . * * * واختلف أهل العلم في الذين عُنوا بفرض القتال. فقال بعضهم: عني بذلك أصحابُ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خاصةً دون غيرهم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 4072 - حدثنا القاسم، قال: حدثنا الحسين، قال: حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج، قال: سألت عطاء قلت له: " كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ" ، أواجبٌ الغزوُ على الناس من أجلها ؟ قال: لا! كُتب على أولئك حينئذ. 4073 - حدثنا أبو كريب، قال: حدثنا عثمان بن سعيد، قال: حدثنا &; 4-296 &; خالد، عن حسين بن قيس، عن عكرمة، عن ابن عباس في قوله: " كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ"، قال نسختها وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا [سورة البقرة: 285] * * * قال أبو جعفر: وهذا قول لا معنى له، لأن نسخَ الأحكام من قبل الله جل وعزّ، لا من قبل العباد، وقوله: وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ، خبر من الله عن عباده المؤمنين وأنهم قالوه لا نسخٌ منه. 4074 - حدثني محمد بن إسحاق، قال: حدثنا معاوية بن عمرو، قال: حدثنا أبو إسحاق الفزاري، قال: سألت الأوزاعي عن قول الله عز وجل: " كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا وَلَوْلا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ، أواجبٌ الغزو على الناس كلهم ؟ قال: لا أعلمه، ولكن لا ينبغي للأئمة والعامة تركه، فأما الرجل في خاصة نفسه فلا. (1) * * * وقال آخرون: هو على كل واحد حتى يقوم به من في قيامه الكفاية، فيسقطُ فرض ذلك حينئذ عن باقي المسلمين، كالصلاة على الجنائز وغسلهم الموتى ودفنهم، وعلى هذا عامة علماء المسلمين . * * * قال أبو جعفر: وذلك هو الصواب عندنا لإجماع الحجة على ذلك، ولقول الله عز وجل: فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً وَكُلا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى [سورة النساء: 95]، فأخبر جل ثناؤه أنّ الفضل للمجاهدين، وأن لهم وللقاعدين الحسنى، ولو كان القاعدون مضيِّعين فرضًا لكان لهم السُّوأى لا الحسنى. * * * &; 4-297 &; وقال آخرون: هو فرضٌ واجبٌ على المسلمين إلى قيام الساعة. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 4075- حدثنا حُبَيش بن مبشر قال: حدثنا روح بن عبادة، عن ابن جريج، عن داود بن أبي عاصم، قال: قلت لسعيد بن المسيب: قد أعلم أن الغزو واجبٌ على الناس! فسكت، وقد أعلم أنْ لو أنكر ما قلت لبيَّن لي. (2) * * * وقد بينا فيما مضى معنى قوله: " كتب " بما فيه الكفاية. (3) * * * القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ قال أبو جعفر: يعني بذلك جل ثناؤه: وهو ذو كره لكم، فترك ذكر " ذو " اكتفاء بدلالة قوله: " كره لكم "، عليه، كما قال: وَاسْأَلِ الْقَرْيَةَ [سورة يوسف: 82] وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك روي عن عطاء في تأويله. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 4076 - حدثنا القاسم، قال: حدثنا الحسين، قال: حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج، عن عطاء في قوله: " وهو كره لكم " قال: كُرّه إليكم حينئذ. * * * " والكره " بالضم: هو ما حمل الرجلُ نفسه عليه من غير إكراه أحد إياه عليه،" والكَرْهُ" بفتح " الكاف "، هو ما حمله غيره، فأدخله عليه كرهًا. وممن حكي عنه هذا القول معاذ بن مسلم. &; 4-298 &; 4077 - حدثني المثنى، قال: حدثنا إسحاق، قال: حدثنا عبد الرحمن بن أبي حماد، عن معاذ بن مسلم، قال: الكُرْه المشقة، والكَرْه الإجبار. * * * وقد كان بعض أهل العربية يقول: " الكُره والكَره " لغتان بمعنى واحد، مثل: " الغُسْل والغَسْل " و " الضُّعف والضَّعف "، و " الرُّهبْ والرَّهبْ". وقال بعضهم: " الكره " بضم " الكاف " اسم و " الكره " بفتحها مصدر. * * * القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ قال أبو جعفر: يعني بذلك جل ثناؤه: ولا تكرهوا القتالَ، فإنكم لعلكم أن تكرهوه وهو خيرٌ لكم، ولا تحبوا تركَ الجهاد، فلعلكم أن تحبوه وهو شر لكم، كما:- 4078 - حدثني موسى بن هارون، قال: حدثنا عمرو بن حماد، قال: حدثنا أسباط، عن السدي: " كتب عليكم القتال وهو كره لكم وعسى أن تكرهوا شيئًا وهو خيرٌ لكم وعسى أن تحبوا شيئًا وهو شر لكم "، وذلك لأن المسلمين كانوا يكرهون القتال، فقال: " عسى أن تكرهوا شيئًا وهو خيرٌ لكم " يقول: إن لكم في القتال الغنيمةَ والظهور والشهادة، ولكم في القعود أن لا تظهروا على المشركين، ولا تُستْشهدوا، ولا تصيبوا شيئًا. 4079 - حدثني محمد بن إبراهيم السلمي، قال: حدثني يحيى بن محمد بن مجاهد، قال: أخبرني عبيد الله بن أبي هاشم الجعفي، قال: أخبرني عامر بن واثلة قال: قال ابن عباس: كنت رِدْفَ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: يا ابن عباس ارضَ عن الله بما قدَّرَ، وإن كان خلافَ هواك، فإنه مثبَتٌ في كتاب الله. قلت: يا رسول الله، فأين؟ وقد قرأت القرآن ! قال: في قوله: " وعسى &; 4-299 &; أن تكرهوا شيئًا وهو خيرٌ لكم وعسى أن تحبوا شيئًا وهو شر لكم والله يعلم وأنتم لا تعلمون " (4) * * * القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ (216) قال أبو جعفر: يعني بذلك جل ثناؤه: والله يعلم ما هو خيرٌ لكم، مما هو شر لكم، فلا تكرهوا ما كتبتُ عليكم من جهاد عدوكم، وقتال من أمرتكم بقتاله، فإني أعلم أنّ قتالكم إياهم، هو خيرٌ لكم في عاجلكم ومعادكم، وترككم قتالهم شر لكم، وأنتم لا تعلمون من ذلك ما أعلم، يحضّهم جل ذكره بذلك على جهاد أعدائه، ويرغِّبهم في قتال من كفر به. ----------------- (1) الأثر : 4074 - محمد بن إسحاق بن جعفر الصاغاني نزل بغداد وكان وجه مشايخ بغداد وكان أحد الحفاظ الأثبات المتقنين مات سنة 270 ، وروى عنه الطبري في المذيل (انظر المنتخب من ذيل المذيل : 104) ومعاوية بن عمرو بن المهلب الأزدي روى عنه البخاري ، توفي ببغداد سنة 215 . وكلاهما مترجم في التهذيب . (2) الأثر : 4075 - حبيش بن مبشر بن أحمد الطوسي الفقيه ، كان ثقة من عقلاء البغداديين مات سنة 258 ، مترجم في التهذيب وتاريخ بغداد . وكان في المطبوعة : "حسين بن ميسر" وليس في الرواة من يعرف بذلك . (3) انظر ما سلف 3 : 357 ، 364 ، 365 . (4) الحديث : 4079 - هذا إسناد مظلم والمتن منكر! لم أجد ترجمة"يحيى بن محمد بن مجاهد" ولا"عبيد الله بن أبي هاشم" ولا أدري ما هما . ولفظ الحديث لم أجده ، ولا نقله أحد +من ينقل عن الطبري .