Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   It has been related that these two verses were revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on account of what the polytheists of his people had said to him on the night when their leading men had gathered at the rear of the Kaʿba, had offered him all manner of things, and had demanded signs from him.

   Among what they said to him then was the following — as Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: Muḥammad ibn Abī Muḥammad, the freedman of Zayd ibn Thābit, related to me, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, or ʿIkrima the freedman of Ibn ʿAbbās, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, that they said: "If you will not do this for us" — that is: what they had asked him concerning the removal of their mountains, the bringing back to life of their forefathers, the appearing of Allah and the angels in their presence, and what Allah has mentioned in the sūra of the Banū Isrāʾīl — "then look after yourself: ask your Lord to send an angel along with you who confirms you in what you say and answers on your behalf; and ask Him to make for you palaces and gardens and treasures of gold and silver that make you independent of what we see you pursuing, for you stand in the markets and seek your livelihood as we do, until we may recognize your excellence and your rank with your Lord, if you are truly a messenger as you claim." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ answered: "I will not do that." Thereupon Allah revealed, concerning their statement — that he should ask for himself what they asked him to obtain, namely gardens, palaces, and treasures for himself, or that an angel should be sent along with him who would confirm him in what he said and reject the one who contended against him — وَقَالُوا مَالِ هَذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الأسْوَاقِ لَوْلا أُنـزلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فَيَكُونَ مَعَهُ نَذِيرًا أَوْ يُلْقَى إِلَيْهِ كَنـزٌ أَوْ تَكُونُ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا وَقَالَ الظَّالِمُونَ إِنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلا رَجُلا مَسْحُورًا (And they said: "What is it with this messenger that he eats food and walks about in the markets? Why has no angel been sent down to him who would be a warner together with him? Or why is no treasure cast to him, or why has he no garden from which he may eat?" And the wrongdoers said: "You follow only a bewitched man.")

   The explanation of these words is: the polytheists said — meaning Muḥammad ﷺ, the one who claims that Allah has sent him to us — "What is it with this messenger that he eats food as we eat, and walks about in our markets as we walk? لَوْلا أُنـزلَ إِلَيْهِ " — he says: why has no angel been sent down to him from heaven, if he is truly a truthful one, so that he might be an admonisher together with him to the people and would confirm him in what he says? Or why is no treasure of silver or gold cast to him, so that thereby he would no longer need to go about seeking his livelihood?

   Show original Arabic

   ذُكر أن هاتين الآيتين نـزلتا على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فيما كان مشركو قومه قالوا له ليلة اجتماع أشرافهم بظهر الكعبة, وعرضوا عليه أشياء, وسألوه الآيات. فكان فيما كلموه به حينئذ, فيما حدثنا ابن حميد, قال: ثنا سلمة, عن ابن إسحاق, قال: ثني محمد بن أبي محمد, مولى زيد بن ثابت, عن سعيد بن جُبير, أو عكرمة مولى ابن عباس, عن ابن عباس أن قالوا له: فإن لم تفعل لنا هذا- يعني ما سألوه من تسيير جبالهم عنهم, وإحياء آبائهم, والمجيء بالله والملائكة قبيلا وما ذكره الله في سورة بني إسرائيل، فخذ لنفسك, سل ربك يبعث معك ملَكا يصدّقك بما تقول، ويراجعنا عنك, وسله فيجعل لك قصورا وجنانا، وكنوزا من ذهب وفضة, تغنيك عما نراك تبتغي, فإنك تقوم بالأسواق، وتلتمس المعاش كما نلتمسه, حتى نعلم فضلك ومنـزلتك من ربك إن كنت رسولا كما تزعم، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ما أنا بفاعل، فأنـزل الله في قولهم: أن خذ لنفسك ما سألوه، أن يأخذ لها، أن يجعل له جنانا وقصورا وكنوزا, أو يبعث معه ملَكا يصدّقه بما يقول، ويردّ عنه من خاصمه.( وَقَالُوا مَالِ هَذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الأسْوَاقِ لَوْلا أُنـزلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فَيَكُونَ مَعَهُ نَذِيرًا أَوْ يُلْقَى إِلَيْهِ كَنـز أَوْ تَكُونُ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا وَقَالَ الظَّالِمُونَ إِنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلا رَجُلا مَسْحُورًا ). فتأويل الكلام: وقال المشركون ما لهذا الرسول يعنون محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم, الذي يزعم أن الله بعثه إلينا يأكل الطعام كما نأكل، ويمشي في أسواقنا كما نمشي ( لَوْلا أُنـزلَ إِلَيْهِ ) يقول: هلا أنـزل إليه ملَك إن كان صادقا من السماء, فيكون معه منذرا للناس, مصدّقا له على ما يقول, أو يلقى إليه كنـز من فضة أو ذهب، فلا يحتاج معه إلى التصرّف في طلب المعاش .