Tabari

Tafseer of Taa-Haa · Taa-Haa · 20:111

۞ وَعَنَتِ ٱلْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَىِّ ٱلْقَيُّومِ ۖ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًۭا

And [all] faces will be humbled before the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence. And he will have failed who carries injustice.

Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.

Tabari (1 passage)

  1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

    The statement concerning the explanation of the words of Allah the Exalted: وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا ("And the faces are humbled before the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting; and disappointed is he who bears wrongdoing") (20:111)

    Allah the Exalted says: The faces of the creatures bowed and submitted themselves to the Ever-Living (al-Ḥayy), who does not die, the Self-Subsisting (al-Qayyūm) over His creatures, who governs them and turns them wherever He wills. The origin of ʿunūw is humiliation; one says: the face of so-and-so shrank in submission before his Lord, it shrinks with ʿunūw — that is to say: it bowed and humbled itself. For that reason the captive (asīr) is called a ʿān (a submissive one), because of the humiliation of captivity.

    As for their expression "I took something ʿanwatan" — this may mean that one took it by force, but it may also mean that one took it through surrender and obedience, as the poet said:

    "Will you obey me, O heart, by compulsion (ʿanwatan)? And the soul that was not blameworthy in its vanity shall not be blamed."

    And another said:

    "Did they take it as lawful spoils of war (ʿanwatan), or out of love? But the sword of al-Mashrafī (al-mashrafi) drew it away."

    In a manner similar to what we said, the exegetes spoke.

    Mention of those who said this:

    ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, from Ibn ʿAbbās, his word وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ : he says: they humbled themselves.

    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, his word وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ — he means by ʿanat: they submitted themselves to Me.

    Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — all on the authority of Ibn Abī Naǧīḥ, on the authority of Muǧāhid, his word وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ : he said: they humbled themselves with fear.

    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 Muǧāhid — the same.

    Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, his word وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ : that is to say: the faces humbled themselves before the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting.

    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 وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ : he said: the faces humbled themselves.

    Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān related to us, on the authority of his father, who said: Ṭalq said: when a man makes a sujūd (prostration), then his face has humbled itself — or he said: it has humbled itself (ʿanā).

    Abū Ḥuṣayn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad related to me, saying: ʿAbthar related to us, saying: Ḥuṣayn related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Ṭalq ibn Ḥabīb, concerning this verse وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ : he said: it is that a man lays down his head, his hands, and the tips of his feet.

    Abū al-Sāʾib related to me, saying: Ibn Fuḍayl related to us, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Ṭalq ibn Ḥabīb, concerning his word وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ : he said: it is that you lay down your forehead, your palms, your knees, and the tips of your feet in the sujūd.

    Khallād ibn Aslam related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl related to us, on the authority of Ḥuṣayn, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Ṭalq ibn Ḥabīb, concerning his word وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ : he said: the laying down of the forehead and the nose upon the ground.

    Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Ḥuṣayn informed us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Ṭalq ibn Ḥabīb, concerning his word وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ : he said: it is the sujūd upon the forehead, the palm, the knees, and the feet.

    Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning his word وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ : he said: the faces became as captives (asārā) before the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting — they all became His captives. He said: the ʿānī is the captive. And we have already explained the meaning of al-Ḥayy al-Qayyūm previously in a manner that makes it unnecessary to repeat it here.

    His word وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا — Allah the Exalted says: whoever has carried to the standing-place of the gathering the ascription of partners to Allah (shirk), disbelief (kufr) toward Him, and acting in disobedience to Him — that one has not attained his aim and his desire.

    In a manner similar to what we said in the explanation, the exegetes spoke.

    Mention of those who said this:

    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 وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا : he said: whoever has carried shirk.

    Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning his word وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا : he said: whoever carried shirk. The wrongdoing (ẓulm) here is shirk.

    ---

    Notes:

    (3) I have not been able to identify the poet of this verse. And ʿanwatan: it is stated in al-Lisān (ʿanā), in the narration concerning the conquest, that he entered Mecca by force (ʿanwatan): that is to say by compulsion and domination. Ibn al-Athīr said: it is from ʿanā yaʿnū: when he was humbled and subjugated. And al-ʿanwa is the single instance thereof, as though the one seized by it bows and is humbled. And one conquered the land by force: by domination and humiliating compulsion. Ibn al-Aʿrābī: ʿanā yaʿnū: when he took something by force. And ʿanā yaʿnū ʿanwatan: when he took something in peace, with reverence and gentleness. And al-ʿanwa is also love. Al-Azharī said: I took something ʿanwatan: that is to say by force; and it may also mean: through the surrender and obedience of the one from whom it is taken. And al-Farrāʾ recited for Kathīr: "Why did they not take it ʿanwatan, that is to say out of love, but the sword of al-mashrafi took it away" — this then accords with the meaning of surrender and obedience without combat. And al-Akhfash said concerning His word the Exalted: "and the faces humbled themselves": they became as captives (istaʾsarat). He said: and the ʿānī is the captive. And Abū al-Haytham said: the ʿānī is the submissive one.

    (4) This verse is by Kathīr ʿAzza, as in (al-Lisān: ʿanā); the explanation of its meaning has already been given with the previous citation before it. Al-Mashrafī: the sword that is ascribed to a village called Mashārif in Syria or Yemen. Waistaqālahā: it took it and snatched it away.

    Show original Arabic
    القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا (111) يقول تعالى ذكره: استرّت وجوه الخلق، واستسلمت للحيّ القيوم الذي لا يموت، القيوم على خلقه بتدبيره إياهم، وتصريفهم لما شاءوا، وأصل العنو الذلّ، يقال منه: عنا وجهه لربه يعنو عنوا، يعني خضع له وذلّ، وكذلك قيل للأسير: عان لذلة الأسر، فأما قولهم: أخذت الشيء عنوة، فإنه يكون وإن كان معناه يئول إلى هذا أن يكون أخذه غلبة، ويكون أخذه عن تسليم وطاعة، كما قال الشاعر: هَـلْ أنْـتَ مُطِيعـي أيُّهـا القلب عنوة ولـم تلـح نفس لـم تلـم في اختيالها (3) وقال آخر: هَــلْ أخَذُوهـا عَنْـوَةً عَـنْ مَـوَدَّةٍ وَلَكِــنْ بِحَــدِّ المَشْـرَفِي اسْـتَقالَهَا (4) وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني عليّ، قال: ثنا أبو صالح، قال: ثني معاوية، عن عليّ، عن ابن عباس، قوله ( وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ ) يقول: ذلت. حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أبي، قال: ثني عمى، قال: ثنى أبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس، قوله ( وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ ) يعني بعنت: استسلموا لي. حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى، وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، قوله ( وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ ) قال: خشعت. حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جُرَيْج، عن مجاهد، مثله. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ ) أي ذلَّت الوجوه للحيّ القيوم. حدثنا الحسن بن يحيى، قال: أخبرنا عبد الرزاق، قال: أخبرنا معمر، عن قتادة، في قوله ( وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ ) قال: ذلت الوجوه. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا المعتمر بن سليمان، عن أبيه، قال: قال طلق: إذا سجد الرجل فقد عنا وجهه، أو قال: عنا. حدثني أبو حُصَن عبد الله بن أحمد، قال: ثنا عبثر، قال: ثنا حصين، عن عمرو بن مرة عن طلق بن حبيب، في هذه الآية ( وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ ) قال: هو وضع الرجل رأسه ويديه وأطراف قدميه. حدثني أبو السائب، قال: ثنا ابن فضيل، عن ليث، عن عمرو بن مرّة، عن طلق بن حبيب في قوله ( وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ ) قال: وهو وضعك جبهتك وكفيك وركبتيك وأطراف قدميك في السجود. حدثنا خلاد بن أسلم، قال ثنا محمد بن فضيل، عن حصين، عن عمرو بن مرّة، عن طلق بن حبيب في قوله ( وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ ) قال: وضع الجبهة والأنف على الأرض. حدثني يعقوب: قال: ثنا هشيم، قال: أخبرنا حصين، عن عمرو بن مرّه، عن طلق بن حبيب، في قوله ( وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ ) قال: هو السجود على الجبهة والراحة والركبتين والقدمين. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله ( وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ ) قال: أستأسرت الوجوه للحيّ القيوم، صاروا أسارى كلهم له، قال: والعاني: الأسير، وقد بيَّنا معنى الحيّ القيوم فيما مضى، بما أغنى عن إعادته هاهنا. وقوله ( وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا ) يقول تعالى ذكره: ولم يظفر بحاجته وطلبته من حمل إلى موقف القيادة شركا بالله، وكفرا به، وعملا بمعصيته. وبنحو الذي قلنا في تأويل ذلك، قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا الحسن بن يحيى، قال: أخبرنا عبد الرزاق، قال: أخبرنا معمر، عن قتادة، في قوله ( وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا ) قال: من حمل شركا. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله ( وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا ) قال: من حمل شركا. الظلم هاهنا: الشرك. --------------- الهوامش: (3) لم أقف على قائل البيت . وعنوة : قال في اللسان ( عنو ) في حديث الفتح أنه دخل مكة عنوة : أي قهرا وغلبة . قال ابن الأثير : هو من عنا يعنو : إذا ذل وخضع . والعنوة : المرة منه ، كأن المأخوذ بها يخضع ويذل . وأخذت البلاد عنوة : بالقهر والإذلال . ابن الأعرابي : عنا يعنو : إذا أخذ الشيء قهرا . وعنا يعنو عنوة : إذا أخذ الشيء صلحا ، بإكرام ورفق . والعنوة أيضا المودة قال الأزهري : أخذت الشيء عنوة : يعني غلبة ، ويكون عن تسليم وطاعة مما يؤخذ منه الشيء . وأنشد الفراء لكثير : فَمَــا أخَذُوهـا عَنْـوَةً عَـنْ مَـوَدَّةٍ وَلَكِـنَّ ضَـرْبَ المَشْـرَفِيّ اسْـتَقَالَهَا فهذا على معنى التسليم والطاعة بلا قتال . وقال الأخفش في قوله تعالى : " وعنت الوجوه " : استأسرت . قال : والعاني : الأسير . وقال أبو الهيثم : العاني الخاضع . (4) البيت لكثير عزة ، كما في ( اللسان : عنا ) وقد تقدم القول في معناه في الشاهد السابق عليه . المشرفي : السيف منسوب إلى قرية يقال لها مشارف بالشام أو اليمن . واستقلالها : أخذها وانتزاعها .