Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   أَمْ يَقُولُونَ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ (Or do they say that there is madness in him?): that is to say: do they say that there is insanity in Muḥammad, so that he speaks what has no meaning, is incomprehensible, and he does not know what he says?! بَلْ جَاءَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ (Nay, he has brought them the truth):

   Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says: If they say that, then their falsehood therein is clear and manifest — for the madman raves and speaks words that have no meaning, are incomprehensible and cannot be understood; but what Muḥammad has brought them is wisdom without equal and the truth whose correctness cannot remain hidden from anyone of sound understanding. How then can one say that it is the words of a madman?

   Concerning His words: وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ (and most of them are averse to the truth): Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says: The matter with these unbelievers is not that they do not know Muḥammad to be truthful, nor that Muḥammad is in their eyes mad. Nay, they know that he is truthful and rightful in what he says and to which he calls them — but most of them are averse to submitting to the truth and to following Muḥammad, out of envy toward him, hostility against him, and arrogance on the earth.

   Show original Arabic

   ( أَمْ يَقُولُونَ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ ) يقول: أيقولون بمحمد جنون، فهو يتكلم بما لا معنى له ولا يفهم ولا يدري ما يقول؟!( بَلْ جَاءَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: فإن يقولوا ذلك فكذبهم في قيلهم ذلك واضح بَيّن، وذلك أن المجنون يهذي فيأتي من الكلام بما لا معنى له، ولا يعقل ولا يفهم، والذي جاءهم به محمد هو الحكمة التي لا أحكم منها والحقّ الذي لا تخفى صحته على ذي فطرة صحيحة، فكيف يجوز أن يقال: هو كلام مجنون؟ وقوله: ( وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: ما بهؤلاء الكفرة أنهم لم يعرفوا محمدا بالصدق ولا أن محمدا عندهم مجنون، بل قد علموه صادقا محقا فيما يقول وفيما يدعوهم إليه، ولكن أكثرهم للإذعان للحقّ كارهون ولأتباع محمد ساخطون؛ حسدا منهم له وبغيا عليه واستكبارا في الأرض.