Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ("He said: It has only been given to me because of knowledge I possess. Did he then not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations who were mightier than he in strength and greater in accumulation? And the criminals will not be questioned about their sins") (28:78).

   The Exalted, whose praise is sublime, says: Qārūn said to his people who were admonishing him: These treasures have only been given to me because of an excellent knowledge that I possess, which Allah has known of me, and therefore He has been pleased with me and has favored me over you with this wealth, because of His knowledge of my excellence over you.

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.

   Mention of who said that:

   Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Abū Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي ("He said: It has only been given to me because of knowledge I possess"), he said: because of expertise (khubr) that I possess.

   He said: Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning his saying: إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي ("It has only been given to me because of knowledge I possess"), he said: Were it not for Allah's pleasure with me and His knowledge of my excellence, He would not have given me this. And he recited: أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا ("Did he then not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations who were mightier than he in strength and greater in accumulation?") ... to the end of the verse.

   And it has been said: that the meaning of his saying عِنْدِي ("that I possess") is in the meaning of "in my opinion," as if he said: It has only been given to me because of the excellence of my knowledge, in my opinion.

   And his saying: أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا ("Did he then not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations who were mightier than he in strength and greater in accumulation?"). The Exalted, whose praise is sublime, says: Did Qārūn then not know, when he claimed that the treasures had been given to him because of an excellent knowledge that he possessed — which I had known of him, and by which he deserved to receive the treasures that had been given to him — that Allah had, before him, already destroyed among the communities those who were more tremendous than he in grip and greater in amassing wealth? And if Allah were to give wealth to whom He gives it because of an excellence in him, a goodness that He sees in him, and because of His pleasure with him, then He would not have destroyed those whom He destroyed among the possessors of wealth who had more possessions than he. For with regard to one with whom Allah is pleased, it is inconceivable that Allah should destroy him while He is pleased with him; He destroys only the one with whom He is angry.

   And his saying: وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ("And the criminals will not be questioned about their sins"). It has been said: that the meaning of this is that they will enter the Fire (al-nār) without reckoning.

   Mention of who said that:

   Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿUmar, on the authority of Qatāda: وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ("And the criminals will not be questioned about their sins"), he said: they are driven into the Fire without reckoning.

   And it has been said: the meaning of this is that the angels do not ask about them, because they recognize them by their marks.

   Mention of who said that:

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ("And the criminals will not be questioned about their sins"), like His saying: يُعْرَفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمْ ("The criminals will be recognized by their marks") — blue-eyed, with blackened faces, and the angels do not ask about them, for they have already recognized them.

   And it has been said that the meaning of this is: and the criminals are not questioned about the sins of those among the bygone communities whom Allah destroyed, on account of which they were destroyed.

   Mention of who said that:

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: Mūsā ibn ʿUbayda related to us, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb: وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ("And the criminals will not be questioned about their sins"), he said: about the sins of those who have passed away, on account of which they were destroyed. According to this interpretation, the "hā" and the "mīm" (the possessive pronoun) in his saying عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ ("about their sins") refer to those who are mentioned in his saying أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً ("Did he then not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations who were mightier than he in strength?"). And according to the first interpretation, which Mujāhid and Qatāda gave, they refer to the criminals (al-mujrimīn); and it is more fitting that they refer to the mention of the criminals, because Allah, the Exalted, does not question a sinner about the sins of someone other than the one who committed the sin, neither a believer nor an unbeliever. Since that is so, it is known that there is no meaning in specifically naming the criminals, if the "hā" and the "mīm" in his saying عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ ("about their sins") were to refer to those who are mentioned in his saying مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً ("those who were mightier than he in strength"), to the exclusion of the believers — that is to say: because neither a believer nor an unbeliever is questioned about that, except those who committed it and appropriated it.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ (78) يقول تعالى ذكره: قال قارون لقومه الذين وعظوه: إنما أوتيتُ هذه الكنوز على فضل علم عندي, علمه الله مني, فرضي بذلك عني, وفضلني بهذا المال عليكم, لعلمه بفضلي عليكم. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا القاسم, قال: ثنا الحسين, قال: ثنا أبو سفيان, عن معمر, عن قَتادة ( قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي ) قال: على خُبْرٍ عندي. قال: حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد في قوله: ( إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي ) قال: لولا رضا الله عني ومعرفته بفضلي ما أعطاني هذا, وقرأ: ( أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا ) ... الآية. وقد قيل: إن معنى قوله: ( عِنْدِي ) بمعنى: أرى, كأنه قال: إنما أوتيته لفضل علمي, فيما أرى. وقوله: ( أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا ) يقول جل ثناؤه: أو لم يعلم قارون حين زعم أنه أوتي الكنوز لفضل علم عنده علمته أنا منه, فاستحقّ بذلك أن يُؤتى ما أُوتي من الكنوز, أن الله قد أهلك من قبله من الأمم من هو أشد منه بطشا, وأكثر جمعا للأموال ; ولو كان الله يؤتي الأموال من يؤتيه لفضل فيه وخير عنده, ولرضاه عنه, لم يكن يهلك من اهلك من أرباب الأموال الذين كانوا أكثر منه مالا لأن من كان الله عنه راضيا, فمحال أن يهلكه الله, وهو عنه راضٍ, وإنما يهلك من كان عليه ساخطا. وقوله: ( وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ) قيل: إن معنى ذلك أنهم يدخلون النار بغير حساب. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا القاسم, قال: ثنا الحسين, قال: ثنا سفيان, عن عمر, عن قَتادة ( وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ) قال: يُدْخلون النار بغير حساب. وقيل: معنى ذلك: أن الملائكة لا تسأل عنهم, لأنهم يعرفونهم بسيماهم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثنا أبو عاصم, قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن, قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد ( وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ) كقوله: يُعْرَفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمْ زرقا سود الوجوه, والملائكة لا تسأل عنهم قد عرفتهم. وقيل معنى ذلك: ولا يسأل عن ذنوب هؤلاء الذين أهلكهم الله من الأمم الماضية المجرمون فيم أهلكوا. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثنا أبو عاصم, قال: ثنا موسى بن عبيدة, عن محمد بن كعب ( وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ) قال: عن ذنوب الذين مضوا فيم أهلكوا؟ فالهاء والميم في قوله: ( عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ ) على هذا التأويل لمن الذي في قوله: ( أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً ) وعلى التأويل الأول الذي قاله مجاهد وقَتادة للمجرمين, وهي بأن تكون من ذكر المجرمين أولى؛ لأن الله تعالى ذكره غير سائل عن ذنوب مذنب غير من أذنب, لا مؤمن ولا كافر. فإذ كان ذلك كذلك, فمعلوم أنه لا معنى لخصوص المجرمين, لو كانت الهاء والميم اللتان في قوله: ( عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ ) لمن الذي في قوله: ( مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً ) من دون المؤمنين, يعني لأنه غير مسئول عن ذلك مؤمن ولا كافر, إلا الذين ركبوه واكتسبوه.