Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The discourse on the explanation of the saying of the Exalted: تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ

   (These are the messengers; some of them We have preferred over others. Among them are those to whom Allah spoke, and some of them He raised in ranks.)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, means by His saying "These" (tilka) the messengers whose accounts Allah has narrated in this Sūrah, such as Mūsā ibn ʿImrān, Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, Isḥāq, Yaʿqūb, Shamwīl (Samuel), and Dāwūd, and all the rest whose report is mentioned in this Sūrah. The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: These are My messengers; I have preferred some of them over others, and I spoke to some of them — and the one to whom I spoke among them was Mūsā, peace be upon him — and I raised some of them in ranks above others, by way of honor and elevation of station, as in:

   5755 — 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, concerning the saying of Allah, whose praise is exalted: "These are the messengers; some of them We have preferred over others," he said: He says: Among them is the one to whom Allah spoke, and some of them He raised above others in ranks. He says: Allah spoke to Mūsā, and He sent Muḥammad to all people together.

   5756 — 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, with something similar.

   * * *

   And among that which demonstrates the correctness of what we have said concerning it is:

   5757 — The saying of the Prophet ﷺ: "I have been given five things that were given to no one before me: I have been sent to the red and the black; I was aided with terror [that seizes the enemy], for the enemy is seized with terror of me at a distance of a month's journey; the earth has been made for me a place of prayer and a means of purification; the spoils of war (ghanāʾim) have been made lawful for me whereas they were lawful for no one before me; and it was said to me: 'Ask, and it shall be given to you.' I have, however, reserved this as an intercession (shafāʿa) for my community, and it shall accrue to you, if Allah wills, to whoever among you ascribes nothing to Allah as a partner."

   * * *

   The discourse on the explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ

   (And We gave ʿĪsā, the son of Maryam, the clear proofs, and We supported him with the holy spirit.)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, means by His saying "And We gave ʿĪsā, the son of Maryam, the clear proofs": And We gave ʿĪsā, the son of Maryam, the proofs and indications of his prophethood — such as healing the one born blind and the leper, raising the dead, and what resembles that — together with the Gospel (Injīl) which I sent down to him, in which I made clear what I had imposed upon him.

   * * *

   And the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, means by His saying "and We supported him": and We made him strong and aided him — "with the holy spirit (rūḥ al-qudus)," that is: with the spirit of Allah, and that is Jibrīl. We have already mentioned earlier the disagreement of the scholars concerning the meaning of "rūḥ al-qudus" and concerning what is most correct regarding it; that makes repeating it in this place unnecessary.

   * * *

   The discourse on the explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ

   (And had Allah willed, those who came after them would not have fought one another, after the clear proofs had come to them.)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, means by it: And had Allah willed — "those who came after them would not have fought one another," that is: after the messengers whom He described as those of whom He preferred some over others and raised some in ranks, and after ʿĪsā, the son of Maryam, while signs had come to them in which there was deterrence for whom Allah guides and grants success.

   * * *

   And He means by His saying "after the clear proofs had come to them": that is: after there had come to them of the signs of Allah that which made the truth clear to them and clarified the way for them.

   * * *

   It has been said: The "hāʾ" and the "mīm" in His saying "after them" (min baʿdihim) refer to the mention of Mūsā and ʿĪsā. * Mention of who said that:

   5758 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "And had Allah willed, those who came after them would not have fought one another, after the clear proofs had come to them," he says: after Mūsā and ʿĪsā.

   5759 — It was related to me, on the authority of ʿAmmār, saying: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, his saying: "And had Allah willed, those who came after them would not have fought one another, after the clear proofs had come to them," he says: after Mūsā and ʿĪsā.

   * * *

   The discourse on the explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَلَكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَفَرَ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُوا وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ

   (But they differed: among them were those who believed, and among them were those who disbelieved. And had Allah willed, they would not have fought one another, but Allah does what He wills.) (253)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, means by it: But those who came after the messengers differed, because Allah, whose praise is exalted, had not willed for them that they should not fight one another; so they fought one another, after the clear proofs of their Lord had come to them with the prohibition of mutual fighting and discord, and after the proof had been established against them concerning the oneness of Allah, the messengership of His messengers, and the revelation of His book. Then some of them disbelieved in Allah and in His signs, and some of them believed therein. Thus the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, has reported: that they committed what they committed of disbelief (kufr) and disobedience, after they knew that the proof had been established against them, namely that they were in error — out of deliberate disbelief on their part in Allah and in His signs.

   Then the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, said to His servants: "And had Allah willed, they would not have fought one another," He says: And had Allah willed that He — through His protection and the success He grants them — would restrain them from disobedience to Him, so that they would not fight one another, then they would not have fought one another nor differed — "but Allah does what He wills," in that He grants this [person] success unto obedience to Him and belief in Him, so that he believes in Him and obeys Him, and forsakes that other one, so that he disbelieves in Him and disobeys Him.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ قال أبو جعفر: يعني تعالى ذكره بقوله: " تلك "، الرسل الذين قص الله قصصهم في هذه السورة، كموسى بن عمران وإبراهيم وإسماعيل وإسحاق ويعقوب وشمويل وداود، وسائر من ذكر نبأهم في هذه السورة. يقول تعالى ذكره: هؤلاء رسلي فضلت بعضهم على بعض، فكلمت بعضهم = والذي كلمته منهم موسى صلى الله عليه وسلم = ورفعت بعضهم درجات على بعض بالكرامة ورفعة المنـزلة، كما:- 5755 - حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: حدثنا أبو عاصم، قال: حدثنا عيسى، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، في قول الله تعالى ذكره: " تلك الرسل فضلنا بعضهم على بعض "، قال: يقول: منهم من كلم الله، ورفع بعضهم على بعض درجات. يقول: كلم الله موسى، وأرسل محمدا إلى الناس كافة. 5756 - حدثني المثنى، قال: حدثنا أبو حذيفة، قال: حدثنا شبل، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد بنحوه. * * * &; 5-379 &; ومما يدل على صحة ما قلنا في ذلك:= 5757 - قول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: " أعطيت خمسا لم يعطهن أحد قبلي: بعثت إلى الأحمر والأسود، ونصرت بالرعب، فإن العدو ليرعب مني على مسيرة شهر، وجعلت لي الأرض مسجدا وطهورا، وأحلت لي الغنائم ولم تحل لأحد كان قبلي، وقيل لي: سل تعطه، فاختبأتها شفاعة لأمتي، فهي نائلة منكم إن شاء الله من لا يشرك بالله شيئا " (1) . * * * القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ قال أبو جعفر :يعني تعالى ذكره بقوله: (2) " وآتينا عيسى ابن مريم البينات "، وآتينا عيسى ابن مريم الحجج والأدلة على نبوته: (3) من إبراء الأكمه والأبرص، وإحياء الموتى، وما أشبه ذلك، مع الإنجيل الذي أنـزلته إليه، فبينت فيه ما فرضت عليه. * * * ويعني تعالى ذكره بقوله: " وأيدناه "، وقويناه وأعناه= (4) " بروح القدس "، يعني بروح الله، وهو جبريل. وقد ذكرنا اختلاف أهل العلم في معنى روح القدس والذي هو أولى بالصواب من القول في ذلك فيما مضى قبل، فأغنى ذلك عن إعادته في هذا الموضع (5) . * * * القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ قال أبو جعفر: يعني تعالى ذكره بذلك: ولو أراد الله=" ما اقتتل الذين من بعدهم "، (6) يعني من بعد الرسل الذين وصفهم بأنه فضل بعضهم على بعض، ورفع بعضهم درجات، وبعد عيسى ابن مريم، وقد جاءهم من الآيات بما فيه مزدجر لمن هداه الله ووفقه. * * * ويعني بقوله: " من بعد ما جاءتهم البينات "، يعني: من بعد ما جاءهم من آيات الله ما أبان لهم الحق، وأوضح لهم السبيل. * * * وقد قيل: إن " الهاء " و " الميم " في قوله: " من بعدهم "، من ذكر موسى وعيسى. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 5758 - حدثنا بشر بن معاذ، قال: حدثنا يزيد، قال: حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة: " ولو شاء الله ما اقتتل الذين من بعدهم من بعد ما جاءتهم البينات "، يقول: من بعد موسى وعيسى. &; 5-381 &; 5759 - حدثت عن عمار، قال: حدثنا ابن أبي جعفر، عن أبيه، عن الربيع قوله: " ولو شاء الله ما اقتتل الذين من بعدهم من بعد ما جاءتهم البينات " يقول: من بعد موسى وعيسى. * * * القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَلَكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَفَرَ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُوا وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ (253) قال أبو جعفر: يعني تعالى ذكره بذلك: ولكن اختلف هؤلاء الذين من بعد الرسل، لما لم يشأ الله منهم تعالى ذكره أن لا يقتتلوا، فاقتتلوا من بعد ما جاءتهم البينات من عند ربهم بتحريم الاقتتال والاختلاف، وبعد ثبوت الحجة عليهم بوحدانية الله ورسالة رسله ووحي كتابه، فكفر بالله وبآياته بعضهم، وآمن بذلك بعضهم. فأخبر تعالى ذكره: أنهم أتوا ما أتوا من الكفر والمعاصي، (7) بعد علمهم بقيام الحجة عليهم بأنهم على خطأ، تعمدا منهم للكفر بالله وآياته. ثم قال تعالى ذكره لعباده: " ولو شاء الله ما اقتتلوا "، يقول: ولو أراد الله أن يحجزهم - بعصمته وتوفيقه إياهم- عن معصيته فلا يقتتلوا، ما اقتتلوا ولا اختلفوا=" ولكن الله يفعل ما يريد "، بأن يوفق هذا لطاعته والإيمان به فيؤمن به ويطيعه، ويخذل هذا فيكفر به ويعصيه. ---------------- الهوامش : (1) الأثر : 5757 -ساقه بغير إسناد ، وقد اختلف ألفاظه ، وهو من حديث ابن عباس في المسند رقم : 2742 ، والمسند 5 : 145 ، 147 ، 148 ، 161 ، 162 (حلبي) والمستدرك 2 : 424 ورواه مسلم بغير اللفظ 5 : 3 ، والبخاري ، (الفتح 1 : 369 ، 444) مواضع أخرى . وهو حديث صحيح . (2) في المطبوعة والمخطوطة : "يعنى تعالى ذكره بذلك" ، وهو لا يستقيم . (3) انظر تفسير"البينات"فيما سلف 2 : 328/ 4 : 271 ، والمراجع هناك ، وانظر فهرس اللغة . (4) انظر تفسير"أيد"فيما سلف 2 : 319 ، 320 . (5) انظر ما سلف 2 : 320- 323 . (6) في المطبوعة ، أتم الآية : "من بعد ما جاءتهم البينات" ، وأثبت ما في المخطوطة . (7) في المخطوطة : "أتوا ما أنزل من الكفر" ، وهو سهو فاحش من شدة عجلة الكاتب ، كما تتبين ذلك جليا من تغيُّر خطه في هذا الموضع أيضًا .