Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says: There is no questioner who interrogates the Lord of the Throne concerning what He does with His creation — concerning His directing of it toward what He wills of life and death, of strengthening and abasement, and other of His dispensations over them — for they are His creation and His slaves (ʿabīd), and all of them are under His dominion and authority; the judgment is His judgment and the decision is His decision; there is nothing above Him that can question Him about what He does and say to Him: Why did you do this? And why did you not do this? وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ (but they are questioned): Allah, exalted be His praise, says: and all who are in the heavens and the earth among His servants are questioned about their deeds and are called to account for their works — and He is the One who questions them about that and calls them to account for that, for He is above them and their Owner, and they are under His authority.

   In a manner similar to how we have explained this verse, the exegetes of the Qurʾān spoke.

   Mention of who said that:

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word لا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ (He is not questioned about what He does, but they are questioned): he says: He is not questioned about what He does with His servants, but they are questioned about their deeds.

   Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj — he said: concerning His word لا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ (He is not questioned about what He does, but they are questioned): he said: the Creator is not questioned about His decision concerning His creation, but He questions the creation about its deeds.

   It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say, concerning the word لا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ (He is not questioned about what He does, but they are questioned): he said: the Creator is not questioned about what He decrees concerning His creation, but the creation is questioned about its deeds.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: لا سائل يسأل رب العرش عن الذي يفعل بخلقه من تصريفهم فيما شاء من حياة وموت وإعزاز وإذلال، وغير ذلك من حكمه فيهم؛ لأنهم خلقه وعبيده، وجميعهم في ملكه وسلطانه، والحكم حكمه، والقضاء قضاؤه، لا شيء فوقه يسأله عما يفعل فيقول له: لم فعلت؟ ولمَ لم تفعل؟( وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ ) يقول جلّ ثناؤه: وجميع من في السماوات والأرض من عباده مسئولون عن أفعالهم، ومحاسبون على أعمالهم، وهو الذي يسألهم عن ذلك ويحاسبهم عليه، لأنه فوقهم ومالكهم، وهم في سلطانه. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( لا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ ) يقول: لا يسأل عما يفعل بعباده، وهم يسألون عن أعمالهم. حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج، قال: قوله ( لا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ ) قال: لا يسأل الخالق عن قضائه في خلقه، وهو يسأل الخلق عن عملهم. حدثت عن الحسين، قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: أخبرنا عبيد، قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله ( لا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ ) قال: لا يسأل الخالق عما يقضي في خلقه، والخلق مسئولون عن أعمالهم.