Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The statement concerning the interpretation of the word of Allah the Exalted: قَالَ أَلْقِهَا يَا مُوسَى (19)

   Allah the Exalted says: Allah said to Mūsā: cast down your staff that is in your right hand, O Mūsā. Allah the Exalted says: Mūsā cast it down; Allah made it into a serpent that moved swiftly — whereas before that it had been a dry wooden stick, a staff upon which one leaned and with which one beat down leaves for his sheep — and it became a serpent by the command of Allah.

   As Aḥmad ibn ʿAbda al-Ḍabbī related to us, saying: Ḥafṣ ibn Jamīʿ related to us, saying: Simāk ibn Ḥarb related to us, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: when it was said to Mūsā: Cast it down, O Mūsā — he cast it down, and behold, it was a serpent moving swiftly — and before that it had not been a serpent. He said: it passed by a tree and ate it, and passed by a boulder and swallowed it; Mūsā heard the sound of the boulder in its belly. Whereupon Mūsā turned back in flight; but he was called to that he should seize it; he did not seize it. Then he was called a second time: (seize it and do not fear) — but he did not seize it; whereupon it was said to him the third time: you are among those who are secure — and he seized it.

   Mūsā ibn Hārūn related to me, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: his Lord said to him — that is, to Mūsā —: (cast it down, O Mūsā) — that is: and he cast it down, and behold, it was a serpent moving swiftly — and when he saw it shaking as though it were a jinn he turned back in flight without looking back — whereupon he was called: O Mūsā, do not fear — truly, with Me the messengers do not fear .

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : قَالَ أَلْقِهَا يَا مُوسَى (19) يقول تعالى ذكره: قال الله لموسى: ألق عصاك التي بيمينك يا موسى ، يقول الله جل جلاله: فألقاها موسى، فجعلها الله حية تسعى، وكانت قبل ذلك خشبة يابسة، وعصا يتوكأ عليها ويهشّ بها على غنمه، فصارت حية بأمر الله. كما حدثنا أحمد بن عبدة الضبي، قال: ثنا حفص بن جميع، قال: ثنا سماك بن حرب، عن عكرمة، عن ابن عباس قال: لما قيل لموسى: ألقها يا موسى، ألقاها( فَإِذَا هِيَ حَيَّةٌ تَسْعَى ) ولم تكن قبل ذلك حية، قال: فمرّت بشجرة فأكلتها، ومرت بصخرة فابتلعتها، قال: فجعل موسى يسمع وقع الصخرة في جوفها، قال: فولى مدبرا، فنودي أن يا موسى خذها، فلم يأخذها، ثم نودي الثانية: أن ( خُذْهَا وَلا تَخَفْ ) ، فلم يأخذها، فقيل له في الثالثة إِنَّكَ مِنَ الآمِنِينَ فأخذها. حدثني موسى بن هارون، قال: ثنا عمرو، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السديّ، قال: قال له، يعني لموسى ربه ( أَلْقِهَا يَا مُوسَى ) يعني ( فَأَلْقَاهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ حَيَّةٌ تَسْعَى ) فَلَمَّا رَآهَا تَهْتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَانٌّ وَلَّى مُدْبِرًا وَلَمْ يُعَقِّبْ فنودي يَا مُوسَى لا تَخَفْ إِنِّي لا يَخَافُ لَدَيَّ الْمُرْسَلُونَ .