Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the words of Allah the Exalted: أَنِ اقْذِفِيهِ فِي التَّابُوتِ فَاقْذِفِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ فَلْيُلْقِهِ الْيَمُّ بِالسَّاحِلِ يَأْخُذْهُ عَدُوٌّ لِي وَعَدُوٌّ لَهُ وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي (20:39)

   (That you cast him into the ark and cast the ark into the river; the river will then throw him onto the bank, and an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his will take him up. And I have laid upon you a love from Myself.)

   Allah the Exalted says: We bestowed favor upon you, O Moses, yet another time, when We revealed to your mother that she should cast your son Moses, after she had given birth to him, into the ark. فَاقْذِفِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ — by al-yamm (اليَمّ) the Nile is meant — فَلْيُلْقِهِ الْيَمُّ بِالسَّاحِلِ (then let the river cast him onto the bank): that is to say: cast him into the river, and the river will throw him onto the bank. It is in the imperative mood, as though the river itself were the one commanded, just like the word of Allah the Exalted: اتَّبِعُوا سَبِيلَنَا وَلْنَحْمِلْ خَطَايَاكُمْ (follow our path and we shall bear your sins), that is to say: follow our path, and we shall bear your sins for you. His mother did this with him, and the river cast him onto the landing place of the house of Pharaoh.

   This is as Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: when the mother of Moses gave birth to him, she nursed him; but when Pharaoh commanded that the baby boys of that year be killed, she made a little ark, laid him in it upon a small bed, betook herself to the Nile, and cast him into it. Pharaoh used to hold session every morning at the bank of the Nile at a fixed spot; while he was sitting there, the Nile drove the ark past and cast it down, while his wife Āsiya bint Muzāḥim was sitting beside him. Pharaoh said: there is something floating in the river, bring it to me. His helpers set off and brought it. They opened the ark, and in it lay a child in his cradle. Allah laid upon him His love and turned his heart toward him. By the words يَأْخُذْهُ عَدُوٌّ لِي وَعَدُوٌّ لَهُ (an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his will take him up) Allah the Exalted meant Pharaoh, who was the enemy of Allah and of Moses.

   Mūsā related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word فَاقْذِفِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ : this is the sea, that is to say the Nile.

   The exegetes differed concerning the meaning of the love that Allah the Exalted intends by His word وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي (and I have laid upon you a love from Myself). Some said: by this He meant that He made him beloved to His servants.

   Those who said this are mentioned below:

   Al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Ṣudāʾī and al-ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad al-Dūrī related to me, they said: al-Ḥusayn al-Juʿfī related to us, on the authority of Mūsā ibn Qabūs al-Ḥaḍramī, on the authority of Salama ibn Kuhayl, concerning the word of Allah وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي : al-ʿAbbās said: "I made you beloved to My servants," and al-Ṣudāʾī said: "I made you beloved to My creatures."

   Others said: the meaning of this is that He beautified his outward appearance.

   Those who said this are mentioned below:

   Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ibrāhīm ibn Mahdī related to me, on the authority of a man, on the authority of al-Ḥakam ibn Abān, on the authority of ʿIkrima, concerning His word وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي : he said: "beauty and comeliness."

   Abū Jaʿfar says: the opinion that stands closest to the truth in this matter is to say: Allah laid His love upon Moses, as Allah the Exalted said وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي , and thus He made him beloved to Āsiya, the wife of Pharaoh, so that she adopted him, fed him, and raised him, and to Pharaoh, so that he restrained his enmity and his harm toward him. It has also been said: the reason for saying "I have laid upon you a love from Me" is that He made him beloved to everyone who saw him. The meaning of وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي is: I made you beloved to them. One says of a person whom one loves: "I have cast my compassion upon you," that is to say: my love.

   The explanation of the words of Allah the Exalted: وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي

   (And that you might be raised under My eye.)

   The exegetes differed concerning the explanation of His word وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي . Some said: the meaning is: that you might be fed and raised with My love and according to My will.

   Those who said this are mentioned below:

   Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: it is his nourishment — "that you might be fed under My eye."

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His word وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي : "He placed him in the palace of the king, where he was pampered and raised in luxury with royal food — that is the "ṣanʿa" (rearing)."

   Others said: the meaning of this is: and you are in My eye in all your circumstances.

   Those who said this are mentioned below:

   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 Mujāhid concerning وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي : he said: "you are in My eye, from the moment your mother laid you in the ark, and then in the river, and إِذْ تَمْشِي أُخْتُكَ (when your sister walked)." Ibn Nuhayk read وَلِتَصْنَعَ with an open tā.

   Thus it was also explained, as Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Muʾmin related to us, saying: I heard Abū Nuhayk read وَلِتَصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي , and I asked him about it, and he said: "that you might act under My eye."

   Abū Jaʿfar says: the only reading I accept is وَلِتُصْنَعَ with a closed tā, on account of the agreement of the authoritative Qurʾān reciters upon this.

   When this is established, then of the two interpretive opinions the most fitting is that of Qatāda: وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي and that you might be fed under My eye — I have laid the love from Me upon you. By His word عَلَى عَيْنِي (under My eye) is meant: in My sight, with My love and according to My will.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : أَنِ اقْذِفِيهِ فِي التَّابُوتِ فَاقْذِفِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ فَلْيُلْقِهِ الْيَمُّ بِالسَّاحِلِ يَأْخُذْهُ عَدُوٌّ لِي وَعَدُوٌّ لَهُ وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي (39) يقول تعالى ذكره: ولقد مننا عليك يا موسى مرّة أخرى حين أوحينا إلى أمك، أن اقذفي ابنك موسى حين ولدتك في التابوت ( فَاقْذِفِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ ) يعني باليم: النيل (فليلقه اليم بالساحل) يقول: فاقذفيه في اليم، يلقه اليم بالساحل، وهو جزاء أخرج مخرج الأمر، كأن اليم هو المأمور، كما قال جلّ ثناؤه: اتَّبِعُوا سَبِيلَنَا وَلْنَحْمِلْ خَطَايَاكُمْ يعني: اتبعوا سبيلنا نحمل عنكم خطاياكم، ففعلت ذلك أمه به فألقاه اليم بمَشرّعة آل فرعون. كما حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا سلمة، عن ابن إسحاق، قال: لما ولدت موسى أمه أرضعته، حتى إذا أمر فرعون بقتل الولدان من سنته تلك عمدت إليه، فصنعت به ما أمرها الله تعالى، جعلته في تابوت صغير، ومهدت له فيه، ثم عمدت إلى النيل فقذفته فيه، وأصبح فرعون في مجلس له كان يجلسه على شفير النيل كلّ غداة، فبينا هو جالس، إذ مرّ النيل بالتابوت فقذف به وآسية ابنة مُزَاحم امرأته جالسة إلى جنبه، فقال: إن هذا لشيء في البحر، فأتوني به، فخرج إليه أعوانه حتى جاءوا به، ففتح التابوت فإذا فيه صبيّ في مهده، فألقى الله عليه محبته، وعطف عليه نفسه. وعنى جلّ ثناؤه بقوله (يَأْخُذْهُ عَدُوٌّ لِي وَعَدُوٌّ لَهُ) فرعون هو العدوّ، كان لله ولموسى. حدثنا موسى، قال: ثنا عمرو، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السديّ، في قوله ( فَاقْذِفِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ ) وهو البحر، وهو النيل. واختلف أهل التأويل في معنى المحبة التي قال الله جلّ ثناؤه ( وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي ) فقال بعضهم: عنى بذلك أنه حببه إلى عباده. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني الحسين بن عليّ الصدائي والعباس بن محمد الدوري، قالا ثنا حسين الجعفي عن موسى بن قبس الحضرمي، عن سلمة بن كهيل، في قول الله ( وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي ) قال عباس: حببتك إلى عبادي، وقال الصُّدَاني: حببتك إلى خلقي. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: أي حسنت خلقك. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني إبراهيم بن مهدي، عن رجل، عن الحكم بن أبان، عن عكرمة، قوله ( وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي ) قال: حسنا وملاحة. قال أبو جعفر: والذي هو أولى بالصواب من القول في ذلك أن يقال: إن الله ألقى محبته على موسى، كما قال جلّ ثناؤه ( وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي ) فحببه إلى آسية امرأة فرعون، حتى تبنَّته وغذّته وربَّته، و إلى فرعون، حتى كفّ عنه عاديته وشرّه ، وقد قيل: إنما قيل: وألقيت عليك محبة مني، لأنه حببه إلى كل من رآه. ومعنى ( وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي ) حببتك إليهم، يقول الرجل لآخر إذا أحبه: ألقيت عليك رحمتي: أي محبتي. القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي اختلف أهل التأويل في تأويل قوله ( وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي ) فقال بعضهم: معناه: ولتغذى وتربى على محبتي وإرادتي. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا الحسن بن يحيى، قال: أخبرنا عبد الرزاق، قال: هو غذاؤه، ولتغذى على عيني. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله ( وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي ) قال: جعله في بيت الملك ينعم ويترف غذاؤه عندهم غذاء الملك، فتلك الصنعة. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: وأنت بعيني في أحوالك كلها. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جُرَيج ( وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي ) قال: أنت بعيني إذ جعلتك أمك في التابوت، ثم في البحر، و ( إِذْ تَمْشِي أُخْتُكَ ). وقرأ ابن نهيك ( وَلِتَصْنَعَ) بفتح التاء. وتأوّله كما حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا يحيى بن واضح، قال: ثنا عبد المؤمن، قال: سمعت أبا نهيك يقرأ ( وَلِتَصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي) فسألته عن ذلك، فقال: ولتعمل على عيني. قال أبو جعفر: والقراءة التي لا أستجيز القراءة بغيرها(وَلِتُصْنَعَ) بضم التاء، لإجماع الحجة من القرّاء عليها. وإذا كان ذلك كذلك، فأولى التأويلين به، التأويل الذي تأوله قَتادَة، وهو ( وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي ) ولتغذى على عيني، ألقيت عليك المحبة مني ، وعني بقوله (عَلى عَيْنِي) بمرأى مني ومحبة وإرادة.