Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Bashr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda — Allah says: ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمْ (Then they were turned upside down upon their heads) — "The people were overcome by an evil confusion."

   And others said: The meaning of this is: then they were turned upside down upon their heads in the trial.

   Mention of who said this:

   Mūsā related to me, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمْ: he said: They were turned upside down upon their heads in the trial, and they said: "You know that these do not speak."

   And some of the grammarians said: The meaning of this is: then they turned back from what they had acknowledged of the proof of Ibrāhīm, and they said: "You know that these do not speak."

   We chose the interpretation that we have chosen, because the turning of something upon its head means: overturning it upon its head and making its top into its bottom. And it is clear that the people did not turn themselves upon their own heads — it was their proof that was overturned. So the report about them has been put in the place of the report about their proof. And if this is so, then the overturning of the proof is undoubtedly the fact that the one arguing brings forth against his opponent as an argument that which is in reality a proof in favor of his opponent.

   As for the interpretation of al-Suddī — "then they were turned upside down in the trial" — they had not, before that time, yet emerged from the trial so that they could be turned back into it again.

   And as for the interpretation of the one among the grammarians who said what we have mentioned concerning him, that is a remote view of the meaning, for had they turned back from what they had acknowledged of the proof of Ibrāhīm, they would not have brought forth against him as an argument that which is in reality a proof in his favor. In that case they would rather have said to him earlier: "Do not ask them, but we ask you: tell us who did this with them — we have heard that you did this." But they affirmed the truth and said: لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَؤُلاءِ يَنْطِقُونَ (You know indeed that these do not speak) — and this is not a turning back from what they had acknowledged, but an affirmation of it.

   Show original Arabic

   حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قَتادة قال الله ( ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمْ ) أدركت الناس حَيرة سَوْء. وقال آخرون: معنى ذلك: ثم نكسوا في الفتنة. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني موسى، قال: ثنا عمرو، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السديّ( ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمْ ) قال: نكسوا في الفتنة على رءوسهم، فقالوا: لقد علمت ما هؤلاء ينطقون. وقال بعض أهل العربية: معنى ذلك: ثم رجعوا عما عرفوا من حجة إبراهيم، فقالوا: لقد علمت ما هؤلاء ينطقون. وإنما اخترنا القول الذي قلنا في معنى ذلك، لأن نَكَس الشيء على رأسه: قلبه على رأسه وتصيير أعلاه أسفله؛ ومعلوم أن القوم لم يقلبوا على رءوس أنفسهم، وأنهم إنما نُكست حجتهم، فأقيم الخبر عنهم مقام الخبر عن حجتهم، وإذ كان ذلك كذلك، فنَكْس الحجة لا شك إنما هو احتجاج المحتجّ على خصمه بما هو حجة لخصمه، وأما قول السديّ: ثم نكسوا في الفتنة، فإنهم لم يكونوا خرجوا من الفتنة قبل ذلك فنكسوا فيها.وأما قول من قال من أهل العربية ما ذكرنا عنه، فقول بعيد من الفهوم، لأنهم لو كانوا رجعوا عما عرفوا من حجة إبراهيم، ما احتجوا عليه بما هو حجة له، بل كانوا يقولون له: لا تسألهم، ولكن نسألك فأخبرنا من فعل ذلك بها، وقد سمعنا أنك فعلت ذلك، ولكن صدقوا القول فقالوا ( لقد علمت ما هؤلاء ينطقون ) وليس ذلك رجوعا عما كانوا عرفوا، بل هو إقرار به.