Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Allah, exalted is His remembrance, says: We bestowed upon Ibrāhīm Isḥāq as a child, and Yaʿqūb as the child of his child, as a gift (nāfila) for him.

   The exegetes of the Qurʾān differed concerning what is meant by His word نَافِلَةً. Some said: by it Yaʿqūb specifically was meant.

   Mention of who said this:

   Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً: he said: We bestowed upon him Isḥāq as a child, and Yaʿqūb the son of his son as a gift (nāfila).

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً: the gift (nāfila) is the grandson Yaʿqūb.

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً: he asked for one, and said: رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ (My Lord, grant me one of the righteous). Allah gave him one and added Yaʿqūb to him — and Yaʿqūb is the child of his child.

   Others said: By it are meant Isḥāq and Yaʿqūb together. They said: the meaning of "gift" (nāfila) is: a present, and both of them are a present from Allah which He gave him.

   Mention of who said this:

   Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ, concerning وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً: he said: a present.

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us. And al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً: he said: a gift.

   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 — in accordance with the foregoing.

   Abū Jaʿfar said: We have previously explained that "nāfila" is the surplus of something that comes to a man from whatever source. Both of his sons — Isḥāq and Yaʿqūb — were a surplus from Allah, a favor from Him to Ibrāhīm and a gift from Him to him. It is acceptable that what is meant is that He gave them both to him as nāfila, and acceptable that what is meant is that He bestowed upon him Yaʿqūb as nāfila. There is no proof indicating which of these two is intended, so there is nothing preferable to say in that matter than what Allah has said: Allah bestowed upon Ibrāhīm Isḥāq and Yaʿqūb as nāfila.

   And His word وَكُلا جَعَلْنَا صَالِحِينَ — that is to say: acting in obedience to Allah, avoiding what He has forbidden. By "kullā" (all of them) He means Ibrāhīm, Isḥāq, and Yaʿqūb.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: ووهبنا لإبراهيم إسحاق ولدا ويعقوب ولد ولده، نافلة لك. واختلف أهل التأويل في المعني بقوله (نَافِلَةً) فقال بعضهم: عنى به يعقوب خاصة. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أبي قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس، قوله ( وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً ) يقول: ووهبنا له إسحاق ولدا، ويعقوب ابن ابن نافلة. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قَتادة، قوله ( وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً ) والنافلة: ابن ابنه يعقوب. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله ( وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً ) قال: سأل واحدا فقال رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ فأعطاه واحدا، وزاده يعقوب، ويعقوب ولد ولده. وقال آخرون: بل عنى بذلك إسحاق ويعقوب، قالوا: وإنما معنى النافلة: العطية، وهما جميعا من عطاء الله أعطاهما إياه. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن بشار، قال: ثنا عبد الرحمن، قال: ثنا سفيان. عن ابن جُرَيج، عن عطاء، في قوله ( وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً ) قال: عطية. حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى، وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، في قوله ( إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً ) قال: عطاء. حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جُرَيج، عن مجاهد، مثله. قال أبو جعفر: وقد بيَّنا فيما مضى قبل، أن النافلة الفضل من الشيء يصير إلى الرجل من أيّ شيء كان ذلك، وكلا ولديه إسحاق ويعقوب كان فضلا من الله تفضل به على إبراهيم، وهبة منه له، وجائز أن يكون عنى به أنه آتاهما إياه جميعا نافلة منه له، وأن يكون عنى أنه آتاه نافلة يعقوب، ولا برهان يدلّ على أيّ ذلك المراد من الكلام، فلا شيء أولى أن يقال في ذلك مما قال الله ووهب الله له لإبراهيم إسحاق ويعقوب نافلة. وقوله ( وَكُلا جَعَلْنَا صَالِحِينَ ) يعني عاملين بطاعة الله، مجتنبين محارمه، وعنى بقوله: (كُلا) إبراهيم، وإسحاق، ويعقوب .