Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Mention of who said that: Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: when he was brought before them and his people gathered before him in the presence of their king Nimrod, قَالُوا أَأَنتَ فَعَلْتَ هَٰذَا بِآلِهَتِنَا يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ * قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَٰذَا فَاسْأَلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُوا يَنطِقُونَ — he was angry because they worshipped these little ones alongside him while he was greater than they, and he had broken them.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَٰذَا — the verse — this is the stratagem by which he assailed them.

   Some of those who do not trust the traditions and accept of the reports only what is widely circulated among the common folk have claimed that the meaning of His word بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَٰذَا is only: but the greatest of them did it, if they can speak, then ask them — that is to say: if the broken gods can speak, then it is the greatest of them who broke them. This, however, is an opinion that contradicts what the traditions concerning the Messenger of Allah ﷺ have transmitted, namely that Ibrāhīm did not lie except three times — all three for the sake of Allah — his word: بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَٰذَا , his word: إِنِّي سَقِيمٌ , and his word to Sāra: "she is my sister." It is in no way inconceivable that Allah, exalted be His praise, granted His friend (khalīl) permission therein to admonish his people thereby and to use it as an argument against them, and to make them understand where their error lay and how badly they had reasoned for themselves — just as the herald of Yūsuf said to his brothers: أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِقُونَ , while they had stolen nothing.

   Show original Arabic

   ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا سلمة، عن ابن إسحاق، قال: لما أُتِي به واجتمع له قومه عند ملكهم نمرود (قَالُوا أَأَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا بِآلِهَتِنَا يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ * قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا فَاسْأَلُوهُمْ إِنْ كَانُوا يَنْطِقُونَ) غضب من أن يعبدوا معه هذه الصغار وهو أكبر منها، فكسرهن. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا )... الآية، وهي هذه الخصلة التي كادهم بها. وقد زعم بعض من لا يصدّق بالآثار، ولا يقبل من الأخبار إلا ما استفاض به النقل من العوامّ، أن معنى قوله ( بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا ) إنما هو: بل فعله كبيرهم هذا إن كانوا ينطقون فاسألوهم، أي إن كانت الآلهة المكسورة تنطق، فإن كبيرهم هو الذي كسرهم، وهذا قول خلاف ما تظاهرت به الأخبار عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن إبراهيم لم يكذب إلا ثلاث كذبات كلها في الله، قوله ( بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا ) وقوله إِنِّي سَقِيمٌ وقوله لسارة: هي أختي ، وغير مستحيل أن يكون الله تعالى ذكْره أذن لخليله في ذلك، ليقرِّع قومه به، ويحتجّ به عليهم، ويعرّفهم موضع خطئهم، وسوء نظرهم لأنفسهم، كما قال مؤذّن يوسف لإخوته أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِقُونَ ولم يكونوا سرقوا شيئا.