Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   And His word: مَا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ مِنْ وَلَدٍ (Allah has not taken any child) — Allah — exalted is His mention — says: Allah has no child, and there was not, in eternity nor at the beginning of creation, anyone alongside Him whose worship would be fitting. And had there been, in eternity or at His creation of things, anyone alongside Him whose worship was fitting — مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِذًا لَذَهَبَ (of any deity, then every deity would have gone) — that is to say: then every deity would have gone off بِمَا خَلَقَ (with what he had created), and would have set himself apart with it; and they would have fought one another, and the one would have exalted himself over the other, and the strong would have overcome the weak — for the strong does not accept that a weak one exalt himself over him, and the weak is not fit to be a deity. Glory be to Allah, how effective and concise is this proof for whoever understands and reflects!

   And His word: إِذًا لَذَهَبَ (then he would have gone) is the apodosis of an omitted condition, namely: "Had there been a deity alongside Him, then every deity would have gone off with what he had created." The indication of what is mentioned suffices in place of the explicit condition.

   And His word: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ (Exalted is Allah above what they describe) — Allah — exalted is His mention — says: Allah is purified of what these polytheists (mushrikīn) ascribe to Him, namely that He has a child, and what they said about His having an associate, or that there is alongside Him in eternity a deity who is worshipped. Exalted and blessed is He.

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله: ( مَا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ مِنْ وَلَدٍ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: ما لله من ولد، ولا كان معه في القديم، ولا حين ابتدع الأشياء من تصلح عبادته، ولو كان معه في القديم أو عند خلقه الأشياء من تصلح عبادته ( مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِذًا لَذَهَبَ ) يقول: إذن لاعتزل كل إله منهم ( بِمَا خَلَقَ ) من شيء، فانفرد به، ولتغالبوا، فلعلا بعضهم على بعض، وغلب القويّ منهم الضعيف؛ لأن القويّ لا يرضى أن يعلوه ضعيف، والضعيف لا يصلح أن يكون إلها، فسبحان الله ما أبلغها من حجة وأوجزها، لمن عقل وتدبر. وقوله: ( إِذًا لَذَهَبَ ) جواب لمحذوف، وهو: لو كان معه إله، إذن لذهب كل إله بما خلق، اجتزئ بدلالة ما ذكر عليه عنه. وقوله: ( سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره؛ تنـزيها لله عما يصفه به هؤلاء المشركون من أن له ولدا، وعما قالوه من أن له شريكا، أو أن معه في القِدم إلها يُعبد تبارك وتعالى.