Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْفِقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلا خُلَّةٌ وَلا شَفَاعَةٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ (254)

   (O you who believe, spend of that which We have provided you, before there comes a day in which there is no trade, nor friendship, nor intercession. And the disbelievers, they are the wrongdoers.) (254)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, means thereby: O you who believe, spend in the way of Allah of that which We have provided you from your possessions; give thereof as alms, and discharge thereof the dues which We have imposed upon you. Thus too Ibn Jurayj used to say, according to what has reached us concerning him:

   5760 – Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning His saying: "O you who believe, spend of that which We have provided you," he said: of the obligatory alms (zakāh) and of the voluntary gift.

   * * *

   ="before there comes a day in which there is no trade, nor friendship, nor intercession", He says: lay up for yourselves with Allah a store in your worldly life out of your possessions, by spending thereof in the way of Allah, by giving alms to the poor and the needy, and by discharging what Allah has imposed upon you in that regard; and purchase thereby what is with Him of the honor He has prepared for His protected ones, by sending that ahead for yourselves, so long as the way to purchase it still lies open to you, by means of that to which I have urged you and that which I have commanded you concerning spending out of your possessions ="before there comes a day in which there is no trade", that is to say, before the coming of a day in which there is no trade. He says: on that day you will not be able to purchase that which you were able to purchase – by spending out of your possessions with which We had provided you – through that which I had commanded you, or to which I had urged you in the worldly life, while you were able to do so, because it is a day of requital, reward, and punishment, and not a day of action, acquisition, obedience, and disobedience, such that there would then be for you a way to the purchasing of the abodes of the people of honor by spending – or by performing works in obedience to Allah.

   Then the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, informed them that that day – besides the falling away of the work by which one attains the good pleasure of Allah or the attaining of His honor through spending out of possessions, since there is no possession there by which one can accomplish that – is a day in which no friendship avails as it does in the worldly life. For the friend of a man in the worldly life used to be of benefit to him therein by aiding him against whoever wished to do him harm or wished him ill, and by assisting him therein. Thus the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, also made them despair of that, because on the Day of Resurrection no one can help anyone against Allah, but rather الأَخِلاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلا الْمُتَّقِينَ (the bosom friends on that day will be enemies to one another, except the God-fearing), as Allah, the Exalted whose mention is exalted, has said. And He also informed them that on that day – besides the loss of the way to purchasing that to which they had a way in the worldly life by spending out of their possessions and by working with their bodies, and besides the absence of helpers among the friends and allies among the brethren – they have no intercessor who intercedes for them with Allah, as was the case for them in the worldly life. For some of them used to intercede in the worldly life for others on the basis of kinship, neighborliness, friendship, and other causes, but all that is rendered void on that day, as the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, has informed concerning the saying of His enemies among the inhabitants of the Blaze (al-jaḥīm) in the Hereafter, when they have come to be therein: فَمَا لَنَا مِنْ شَافِعِينَ * وَلا صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٍ [al-Shuʿarāʾ: 100-101] (So we have no intercessors, nor a devoted friend.)

   * * *

   This āyah, as regards its wording, is general concerning intercession, but what is intended by it is specific. Its meaning is only: "before there comes a day in which there is no trade, nor friendship, nor intercession" for the people of disbelief in Allah, because the people of the protection of Allah (walāya) and of belief in Him intercede for one another. And we have already expounded the correctness of that in a manner that makes it needless to repeat here.

   * * *

   And Qatāda used to say concerning this what is related in the following:

   5761 – Bishr related that to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: "O you who believe, spend of that which We have provided you, before there comes a day in which there is no trade, nor friendship, nor intercession": Allah already knew that people love one another in the worldly life and that some of them intercede for others; but as for the Day of Resurrection, on it there is no friendship except the friendship of the God-fearing.

   * * *

   As for His saying: "And the disbelievers, they are the wrongdoers," thereby the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, means: and the deniers of Allah, who give the lie to Him and to His messengers ="they are the wrongdoers". He says: they are those who place their denial in a wrong place, who do what it is not their place to do, and who say what it is not their place to say.

   * * *

   And we have already demonstrated the meaning of "wrong" (al-ẓulm) with the proofs thereof in what preceded, in a manner that makes it needless to repeat that.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And in the saying of the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, in this place: "And the disbelievers, they are the wrongdoers," there lies a clear indication of the correctness of what we have said, and that His saying "nor friendship, nor intercession" intends only the people of disbelief. For that reason He followed that saying with: "And the disbelievers, they are the wrongdoers." He thereby indicated that its meaning is: We have denied the disbelievers the aid of the bosom friends and the intercession of the protectors and kinsmen, and We were not, in that conduct of Ours toward them, wrongdoers, since that on Our part was a requital for the disbelief in Allah that had preceded from them in the worldly life; but rather the disbelievers themselves are the wrongdoers against themselves, on account of the deeds they committed whereby they brought down upon themselves the punishment of their Lord.

   * * *

   If someone were to say: How is it possible that the threat is directed at the disbelievers, while the āyah begins with the mention of the believers?

   Then he is answered: For indeed the āyah was preceded by the mention of two kinds of people: the one kind are the people of disbelief, and the other the people of belief, and that is His saying: وَلَكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَفَرَ (but they fell into disagreement: among them were those who believed and among them were those who disbelieved). Then Allah, the Exalted whose mention is exalted, made the two kinds follow upon that with which He mentioned them, by urging the believers in Him to that which brings them nearer to Him, namely spending in obedience to Him and in the jihād against His enemies among the people who disbelieve in Him, before the coming of the day whose condition He described. And He informed therein about the state of His enemies among the people who disbelieve in Him, since the fighting (qitāl) of the disbelievers against Him took place in disobedience to Him and their expenditures were spent on barring His way. Thus the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, said: O you who believe, spend you of that which We have provided you in obedience to Me, since the disbelievers in Me make expenditures in disobedience to Me ="before there comes a day in which there is no trade", so that the disbelievers might then still purchase what they had neglected to purchase in their worldly life ="nor is there for them on that day a friendship that helps them against Me, nor an intercessor who intercedes for them with Me, such that his intercession would save them from My punishment." And this is, on that day, My dealing with them, as a requital for their disbelief, and they themselves are the wrongdoers against themselves, not against Me, for I am no oppressor toward My servants. And it is related:

   5762 – Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥīm related to me, he said: ʿAmr ibn Abī Salama related to me, he said: I heard ʿUmar ibn Sulaymān relate, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Dīnār, that he said: All praise is due to Allah, who said: "And the disbelievers, they are the wrongdoers," and did not say: "And the wrongdoers, they are the disbelievers."

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْفِقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلا خُلَّةٌ وَلا شَفَاعَةٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ (254) قال أبو جعفر: يعني تعالى ذكره بذلك: يا أيها الذين آمنوا أنفقوا في سبيل الله مما رزقناكم من أموالكم، وتصدقوا منها، وآتوا منها الحقوق التي فرضناها عليكم. وكذلك كان ابن جريج يقول فيما بلغنا عنه: 5760 - حدثنا القاسم، قال: حدثنا الحسين، قال: حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج قوله: " يا أيها الذين آمنوا أنفقوا مما رزقناكم "، قال: من الزكاة والتطوع. * * * =" من قبل أن يأتي يوم لا بيع فيه ولا خلة ولا شفاعة "، يقول: ادخروا لأنفسكم عند الله في دنياكم من أموالكم، بالنفقة منها في سبيل الله، والصدقة على أهل المسكنة والحاجة، وإيتاء ما فرض الله عليكم فيها، وابتاعوا بها ما عنده مما أعده لأوليائه من الكرامة، بتقديم ذلك لأنفسكم، ما دام لكم السبيل إلى ابتياعه، بما ندبتكم إليه، وأمرتكم به من النفقة من أموالكم=" من قبل أن يأتي يوم لا بيع فيه "، يعني من قبل مجيء يوم لا بيع فيه، يقول: لا تقدرون فيه على ابتياع ما كنتم على ابتياعه- بالنفقة من أموالكم التي رزقتكموها- بما أمرتكم به، أو ندبتكم إليه في الدنيا قادرين، (8) لأنه يوم جزاء وثواب وعقاب، لا يوم عمل واكتساب وطاعة ومعصية، فيكون لكم إلى ابتياع منازل أهل الكرامة بالنفقة حينئذ- أو &; 5-383 &; بالعمل بطاعة الله، سبيل (9) . ثم أعلمهم تعالى ذكره أن ذلك اليوم = مع ارتفاع العمل الذي ينال به رضى الله أو الوصول إلى كرامته بالنفقة من الأموال، (10) إذ كان لا مال هنالك يمكن إدراك ذلك به = يوم لا مخالة فيه نافعة كما كانت في الدنيا، فإن خليل الرجل في الدنيا قد كان ينفعه فيها بالنصرة له على من حاوله بمكروه وأراده بسوء، والمظاهرة له على ذلك. فآيسهم تعالى ذكره أيضا من ذلك، لأنه لا أحد يوم القيامة ينصر أحدا من الله، بل الأَخِلاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلا الْمُتَّقِينَ كما قال الله تعالى ذكره، (11) وأخبرهم أيضا أنهم يومئذ= مع فقدهم السبيل إلى ابتياع ما كان لهم إلى ابتياعه سبيل في الدنيا بالنفقة من أموالهم، والعمل بأبدانهم، وعدمهم النصراء من الخلان، والظهراء من الإخوان (12) = لا شافع لهم يشفع عند الله كما كان ذلك لهم في الدنيا، فقد كان بعضهم يشفع في الدنيا لبعض بالقرابة والجوار والخلة، وغير ذلك من الأسباب، فبطل ذلك كله يومئذ، كما أخبر تعالى ذكره عن قيل أعدائه من أهل الجحيم في الآخرة إذا صاروا فيها: ( فَمَا لَنَا مِنْ شَافِعِينَ * وَلا صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٍ [الشعراء: 100-101] * * * وهذه الآية مخرجها في الشفاعة عام والمراد بها خاص، وإنما معناه: " من قبل أن يأتي يوم لا بيع فيه ولا خلة ولا شفاعة "، لأهل الكفر بالله، لأن أهل &; 5-384 &; ولاية الله والإيمان به، يشفع بعضهم لبعض. وقد بينا صحة ذلك بما أغنى عن إعادته في هذا الموضع (13) . * * * وكان قتادة يقول في ذلك بما:- 5761 - حدثنا به بشر، قال: حدثنا يزيد، قال: حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة في قوله: " يا أيها الذين آمنوا أنفقوا مما رزقناكم من قبل أن يأتي يوم لا بيع فيه ولا خلة ولا شفاعة "، قد علم الله أن ناسا يتحابون في الدنيا، ويشفع بعضهم لبعض، فأما يوم القيامة فلا خلة إلا خلة المتقين. * * * وأما قوله: " والكافرون هم الظالمون "، فإنه يعني تعالى ذكره بذلك: والجاحدون لله المكذبون به وبرسله=" هم الظالمون "، يقول: هم الواضعون جحودهم في غير موضعه، والفاعلون غير ما لهم فعله، والقائلون ما ليس لهم قوله. * * * وقد دللنا على معنى " الظلم " بشواهده فيما مضى قبل بما أغنى عن إعادته (14) . * * * قال أبو جعفر: وفي قوله تعالى ذكره في هذا الموضع: " والكافرون هم الظالمون "، دلالة واضحة على صحة ما قلناه، وأن قوله: " ولا خلة ولا شفاعة "، إنما هو مراد به أهل الكفر، فلذلك أتبع قوله ذلك: " والكافرون هم الظالمون " . فدل بذلك على أن معنى ذلك: حرمنا الكفار النصرة من الأخلاء، والشفاعة من الأولياء والأقرباء، ولم نكن لهم في فعلنا ذلك بهم ظالمين، إذ كان ذلك جزاء منا لما سلف منهم من الكفر بالله في الدنيا، بل الكافرون هم الظالمون أنفسهم بما أتوا من الأفعال التي أوجبوا لها العقوبة من ربهم. * * * &; 5-385 &; فإن قال قائل: وكيف صرف الوعيد إلى الكفار والآية مبتدأة بذكر أهل الإيمان؟ قيل له: إن الآية قد تقدمها ذكر صنفين من الناس: أحدهما أهل كفر، والآخر أهل إيمان، وذلك قوله: وَلَكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَفَرَ . ثم عقب الله تعالى ذكره الصنفين بما ذكرهم به، بحض أهل الإيمان به على ما يقربهم إليه من النفقة في طاعته (15) وفي جهاد أعدائه من أهل الكفر به، قبل مجيء اليوم الذي وصف صفته. وأخبر فيه عن حال أعدائه من أهل الكفر به، إذ كان قتال أهل الكفر به في معصيته ونفقتهم في الصد عن سبيله، فقال تعالى ذكره: يا أيها الذين آمنوا أنفقوا أنتم مما رزقناكم في طاعتي، إذ كان أهل الكفر بي ينفقون في معصيتي= من قبل أن يأتي يوم لا بيع فيه فيدرك أهل الكفر فيه ابتياع ما فرطوا في ابتياعه في دنياهم= ولا خلة لهم يومئذ تنصرهم مني، ولا شافع لهم يشفع عندي فتنجيهم شفاعته لهم من عقابي. وهذا يومئذ فعلي بهم جزاء لهم على كفرهم، (16) وهم الظالمون أنفسهم دوني، لأني غير ظلام لعبيدي. وقد:- 5762 - حدثني محمد بن عبد الرحيم، قال: حدثني عمرو بن أبي سلمة، قال: سمعت عمر بن سليمان، يحدث عن عطاء بن دينار أنه قال: الحمد لله الذي قال: " والكافرون هم الظالمون "، ولم يقل: " الظالمون هم الكافرون ". --------------- الهوامش : (8) في المطبوعة والمخطوطة : "بالنفقة من أموالكم التي أمرتكم به" ، وهو كلام مختل ، سقط فيما أرجح ما أثبته : "رزقتكموها ، بما" . وسياق العبارة : ما كنتم على ابتياعه...بما أمرتكم به... قادرين" . والذي بينهما فواصل . (9) في المطبوعة و المخطوطة : "فيكون لهم إلى ابتياع..." والصواب في هذا السياق : "لكم وقوله : "سبيل" اسم كان في"فيكون لكم إلى ابتياع..." . (10) ارتفاع العمل : انقضاؤه وذهابه . يقال : "ارتفع الخصام بينهما" ، و"ارتفع الخلاف" أي انقضى وذهب ، فلم يبق ما يختلفان عليه أو يختصمان . وهو مجاز من"ارتفع الشيء ارتفاعا" : إذا علا . وهذا معنى لم تقيده المعاجم ، وهو عربى صحيح كثير الورود في كتب العلماء ، ن وقد سلف في كلام أبي جعفر ، وشرحته ولا أعرف موضعه الساعة . (11) هى آية"سورة الزخرف" : 67 . (12) النصراء جمع نصير . والخلان جمع خليل : والظهراء جمع ظهير : وهو المعين الذي يقوى ظهرك ويشد أزرك . (13) انظر ما سلف 2 : 23 ، 33 . (14) انظر معنى"الكفر" فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة / ومعنى"الظلم" فيما سلف 1 : 523 ، 524 ، وفي فهارس اللغة . (15) في المطبوعة : "يحض" بالياء في أوله ، فعلا . وهي في المخطوطة غير منقوطة ، وصواب قراءتها بباء الجر ، اسما . وقوله : "بحض" ، متعلق بقوله : "ثم عقب الله" . (16) في المخطوطة والمطبوعة : "وهذا يومئذ فعل بهم" ، وصواب السياق يقتضى ما أثبت .