Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says: Have these polytheists then not pondered the revelation sent down by Allah and His words, so that they would know the lessons contained therein and recognize the proofs of Allah which He has set forth therein against them?

   أَمْ جَاءَهُمْ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِ آبَاءَهُمُ الأَوَّلِينَ (Or has there come to them something that did not come to their former forefathers?): that is to say: or has there come to them a matter that did not come to their former forefathers, so that they detested this and turned away? For the messengers were indeed sent to them too, and the Books were sent down along with them. It is also possible that the "am" in this place has the meaning of "bal" (but / nay), so that the meaning of the sentence would be: Have they then pondered the word? But nay — there has come to them something that did not come to their former forefathers, on account of which they neglected to ponder it and turned away from it, because that did not occur among those of their forefathers who have passed away. A similar statement has been related from Ibn ʿAbbās.

   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 ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning the words: أَفَلَمْ يَدَّبَّرُوا الْقَوْلَ أَمْ جَاءَهُمْ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِ آبَاءَهُمُ الأَوَّلِينَ (Have they then not pondered the word, or has there come to them something that did not come to their former forefathers?): he said: "By my life — there has indeed come to them something that did not come to their former forefathers, but the question is rather: has there not come to them what did not come to their former forefathers?"

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: أفلم يتدبر هؤلاء المشركون تنـزيل الله وكلامه، فيعلموا ما فيه من العبر، ويعرفوا حجج الله التي احتج بها عليه فيه؟(أَمْ جَاءَهُمْ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِ آبَاءَهُمُ الأَوَّلِينَ) ؟ يقول: أم جاءهم أمر ما لم يأت من قبلهم من أسلافهم، فاستكبروا ذلك وأعرضوا، فقد جاءت الرسل من قبلهم، وأنـزلت معهم الكتب. وقد يحتمل أن تكون " أم " في هذا الموضع بمعنى: بل، فيكون تأويل الكلام: أفلم يدبروا القول؟ بل جاءهم ما لم يأت آباءهم الأولين، فتركوا لذلك التدبر وأعرضوا عنه، إذ لم يكن فيمن سلف من آباءهم ذلك، وقد ذُكر عن ابن عباس في نحو هذا القول. حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جُرَيج، عن عكرمة، عن ابن عباس، في قوله: ( أَفَلَمْ يَدَّبَّرُوا الْقَوْلَ أَمْ جَاءَهُمْ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِ آبَاءَهُمُ الأَوَّلِينَ ) قال: لعمري لقد جاءهم ما لم يأت آباءهم الأوّلين، ولكن أو لم يأتهم ما لم يأت آباءهم الأوّلين.