Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says: If the Exalted Lord were to act in accordance with the desires of these polytheists and were to carry out the governance according to their will and longing — and were to abandon the truth which they abhor — then the heavens, the earth, and all who are therein would be plunged into corruption. This is because they do not know the consequences of affairs, nor what is right in governance and what is reprehensible. If matters were to proceed according to their will and desires, while most of them prefer falsehood over truth, then the heavens, the earth, and all that Allah has created therein would not endure — for all of that exists by the truth.

   In the spirit of what we have said, the exegetes also spoke.

   Mention of those who said this:

   Muḥammad ibn al-Muthanná related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Ṣamad related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, saying: al-Suddī related to us, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ: وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ (Had the Truth followed their desires): he said: "Allah."

   He said: Abū Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Khālid, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ: وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ (Had the Truth followed their desires): he said: "Al-Ḥaqq: that is Allah."

   Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning the words: وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ — he said: "Al-Ḥaqq: that is Allah."

   Concerning His words: بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُمْ بِذِكْرِهِمْ فَهُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِهِمْ مُعْرِضُونَ (Nay, We have brought them their reminder, yet they turn away from their reminder): the exegetes differed concerning the interpretation of al-dhikr in this place. Some said: it is the clarification of the truth for them by means of what was sent down upon a man from among themselves of this Qurʾān.

   Mention of those who said this:

   ʿAlī related to me, saying: ʿAbdullāh related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning the words: بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُمْ بِذِكْرِهِمْ (Nay, We have brought them their reminder): he said: "We have made it clear for them."

   Others said: rather, the meaning of this is: Nay, We have brought them their honor — for this Qurʾān was an honor for them, in that it was sent down upon a man from among themselves, but they turned away from it and did not believe in it. They said that this resembles His words: وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ (And indeed, it is an honor for you and for your people). These two opinions are close to one another in meaning, for Allah, exalted be His majesty, sent down this Qurʾān as a clarification, in which He set forth for His creation what they need in their religion, and it is likewise a remembrance for His Messenger ﷺ, his people, and an honor for them.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: ولو عمل الربّ تعالى ذكره بما يهوى هؤلاء المشركون وأجرى التدبير على مشيئتهم وإرادتهم وترك الحق الذي هم له كارهون، لفسدت السموات والأرض ومن فيهن; وذلك أنهم لا يعرفون عواقب الأمور والصحيح من التدبير والفاسد، فلو كانت الأمور جارية على مشيئتهم وأهوائهم مع إيثار أكثرهم الباطل على الحقّ، لم تقرّ السموات والأرض ومن فيهنّ من خلق الله، لأن ذلك قام بالحق. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. *ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا محمد بن المثنى، قال: ثنا عبد الصمد، قال: ثنا شعبة، قال: ثنا السديّ، عن أبي صالح: ( وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ ) قال: الله. قال: ثنا أبو معاوية، عن إسماعيل بن أبي خالد، عن أبي صالح: ( وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ ) قال: الحقّ: هو الله. حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جُرَيج، قوله: ( وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ ) قال: الحق: الله. وقوله: (بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُمْ بِذِكْرِهِمْ فَهُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِهِمْ مُعْرِضُونَ) اختلف أهل التأويل في تأويل الذكر في هذا الموضع، فقال بعضهم: هو بيان الحقّ لهم بما أنـزل على رجل منهم من هذا القرآن. *ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني عليّ، قال: ثنا عبد الله، قال: ثني معاوية، عن عليّ، عن ابن عباس، قوله: ( بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُمْ بِذِكْرِهِمْ ) يقول: بيَّنا لهم. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: بل أتيناهم بشرفهم; وذلك أن هذا القرآن كان شرفا لهم، لأنه نـزل على رجل منهم، فأعرضوا عنه وكفروا به. وقالوا: ذلك نظير قوله وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ وهذان القولان متقاربا المعنى؛ وذلك أن الله جل ثناؤه أنـزل هذا القرآن بيانا بين فيه ما لخلقه إليه الحاجة من أمر دينهم، وهو مع ذلك ذكر لرسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقومه وشرف لهم.