Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The people of interpretation differed concerning the interpretation of this. Some of them said: the meaning is: go with my letter and cast it to them, then see what they send back—after that turn away from them and return to me. They said: it is something that is placed later but belongs earlier.

   Mention of who said that:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said: Sulaymān answered him—that is: he answered the hoopoe when he had finished: سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِي هَٰذَا فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ—and then see what they send back, after that turn away from them and come to me. He said: she had a window that looked out upon the sun; when the sun rose, it shone through it and then she would prostrate before it. The hoopoe came and sat upon it to block it, and the sun stayed away; she remained waiting, and he cast the letter to her from beneath his wing, and flew off while she was looking up toward the sun.

   Abū Jaʿfar said: this statement of Ibn Zayd indicates that the hoopoe returned to Sulaymān after he had cast down the letter, and that his looking at the woman—what she would send back and do—was before he cast Sulaymān's letter down to her.

   Others said: the meaning is: go with my letter and cast it to them, then turn away from them and remain in their vicinity and see what they send back. They said: the hoopoe did that and heard the woman consulting with her court, and her words to them: إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ * إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ and what followed thereafter of mutual consultation.

   Mention of who said that:

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, from Ibn Isḥāq, from one of the people of knowledge, from Wahb ibn Munabbih, concerning His word فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ: that is: remain in their vicinity; فَانظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ. And this statement is more in accordance with the interpretation of the verse, for the woman's consultation with her people took place after the letter had been cast to her; the hoopoe would not have withdrawn while he had been commanded to look at the consultation that the people would conduct among themselves, before he did what Sulaymān had commanded him.

   Show original Arabic

   فاختلف أهل التأويل في تأويل ذلك; فقال بعضهم: معناه: اذهب بكتابي هذا, فألقه إليهم, فانظر ماذا يَرْجِعونَ, ثم تول عنهم منصرفا إليّ, فقال: هو من المؤخَّر الذي معناه التقديم. *ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب قال: قال ابن زيد: فأجابه سليمان, يعني أجاب الهدهد لما فرغ: ( سَنَنْظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ اذْهَبْ بِكِتَابِي هَذَا فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ) وانظر ماذا يرجعون, ثم تول عنهم منصرفا إلي. وقال: وكانت لها كوّة مستقبلة الشمس, ساعة تطلع الشمس تطلع فيها فتسجد لها, فجاء الهدهد حتى وقع فيها فسدها, واستبطأت الشمس, فقامت تنظر, فرمى بالصحيفة إليها من تحت جناحه, وطار حتى قامت تنظر الشمس. قال أبو جعفر: فهذا القول من قول ابن زيد يدلّ على أن الهدهد تولى إلى سليمان راجعا بعد إلقائه الكتاب, وأن نظره إلى المرأة ما الذي ترجع وتفعل كان قبل إلقائه كتاب سليمان إليها. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: اذهب بكتابي هذا فألقه إليهم, ثم تولّ عنهم, فكن قريبا منهم, وانظر ماذا يرجعون; قالوا: وفعل الهدهد, وسمع مراجعة المرأة أهل مملكتها, وقولها لهم: إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ * إِنَّهُ مِنْ سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وما بعد ذلك من مراجعة بعضهم بعضا. *ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن حميد, قال: ثنا سلمة, عن ابن إسحاق, عن بعض أهل العلم, عن وهب بن منبه, قوله: (فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ ) أي كن قريبا(فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ )وهذا القول أشبه بتأويل الآية؛ لأن مراجعة المرأة قومها, كانت بعد أن ألقي إليها الكتاب, ولم يكن الهدهد لينصرف وقد أمر بأن ينظر إلى مراجعة القوم بينهم ما يتراجعونه قبل أن يفعل ما أمره به سليمان.