Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   His word فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَىٰ أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ — Allah, exalted be His praise, says: the people of Ibrāhīm said to one another: bring the one who did this to our gods, whom you hear naming him with a fault and reviling and disparaging him, before the eyes of the people. It was said: the meaning of this is: before the chiefs of the people. Others said: the meaning is: before the eyes of the people and in their sight. They said: by this was meant: show who did that to the people, as the Arabs say when a matter becomes public and known: "that was before the eyes of the people" — meaning by it: it was in the hands of the people.

   And the people of interpretation differed over the interpretation of His word لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ . Some said: the meaning is: so that the people may testify against him that he is the one who did that, so that their testimony is a proof which we can use against him. And they said that they did this because they deemed it abhorrent to seize him without proof.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Mūsā related to me, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَىٰ أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ : against him, that he did that.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَىٰ أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ : he said: they deemed it abhorrent to seize him without proof.

   Others said: rather, the meaning is: so that they may witness the punishment which they inflict upon him, which they behold and see.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: what Ibrāhīm did to the gods of his people reached Nimrod and the notables of his people, and they said: فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَىٰ أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ — that is to say: what will be done to him. And the apparent meaning of this is that they said: bring him before the eyes of the people so that they may witness our punishment of him — for if what was meant by it was that they should testify concerning his deed, then it would have been said: seek out who made him do it; and it would not have been said: bring him to an assembly of the people.

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله ( فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَى أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره : قال قوم إبراهيم بعضهم لبعض: فأتوا بالذي فعل هذا بآلهتنا الذي سمعتموه يذكرها بعيب ويسبها ويذمها على أعين الناس؛ فقيل: معنى ذلك: على رءوس الناس. وقال بعضهم: معناه: بأعين الناس ومرأى منهم، وقالوا: إنما أريد بذلك أظهروا الذي فعل ذلك للناس كما تقول العرب إذا ظهر الأمر وشهر: كان ذلك على أعين الناس، يراد به كان بأيدي الناس. واختلف أهل التأويل في تأويل قوله ( لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ ) فقال بعضهم : معناه : لعلّ الناس يشهدون عليه، أنه الذي فعل ذلك، فتكون شهادتهم عليه حجة لنا عليه، وقالوا إنما فعلوا ذلك لأنهم كرهوا أن يأخذوه بغير بينة. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني موسى، قال: ثنا عمرو، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السديّ( فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَى أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ ) عليه أنه فعل ذلك. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَى أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ ) قال: كرهوا أن يأخذوه بغير بيِّنة. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: لعلهم يشهدون ما يعاقبونه به، فيعاينونه ويرونه. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا سلمة، عن ابن إسحاق، قال: بلغ ما فعل إبراهيم بآلهة قومه نمرود، وأشراف قومه، فقالوا: ( فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَى أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ ) : أي ما يُصْنع به، وأظهر معنى ذلك أنهم قالوا: فأتوا به على أعين الناس لعلهم يشهدون عقوبتنا إياه، لأنه لو أريد بذلك ليشهدوا عليه بفعله كان يقال: انظروا من شهده يفعل ذلك، ولم يقل: أحضروه بمجمع من الناس.