Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the words of the Exalted: وَلا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلا وَجْهَهُ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ("And do not call upon any other god besides Allah; there is no god but He. All things perish, except His Face. To Him belongs the judgment, and to Him you shall be returned") (28:88).

   The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: and do not worship, O Muḥammad, alongside your Worshipped One, to whom belongs the worship of all things, any other worshipped one besides Him. And His words: لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ ("there is no god but He"). He says: there is no worshipped one to whom worship rightfully belongs except Allah, before whom all things perish, except His Face.

   People differ regarding the meaning of His words: إِلا وَجْهَهُ ("except His Face"). Some said: its meaning is: all things perish, except He Himself.

   And others said: the meaning of that is: except that by which His Face is sought. And in support of their interpretation they cited as evidence the saying of the poet:

   "I ask Allah forgiveness for a sin I cannot count; the Lord of the servants — to Him are the face and the deed directed."

   And His words: لَهُ الْحُكْمُ ("To Him belongs the judgment"). He says: to Him belongs the judgment between His creatures, not to another; no one besides Him has any judgment over them along with Him. وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ("and to Him you shall be returned"). He says: and to Him you shall be brought back after your death, and He will judge between you with justice: He will give the believers among you their reward, and to the disbelievers among you what He has promised them.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَلا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلا وَجْهَهُ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ (88) يقول تعالى ذكره: ولا تعبد يا محمد مع معبودك الذي له عبادة كلّ شيء معبودا آخر سواه. وقوله: ( لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ ) يقول: لا معبود تصلح له العبادة إلا الله الذي كلّ شيء هالك إلا وجهه. واختلف في معنى قوله: ( إِلا وَجْهَهُ ) فقال بعضهم: معناه: كلّ شيء هالك إلا هو. وقال آخرون: معنى ذلك: إلا ما أريد به وجهه, واستشهدوا لتأويلهم ذلك كذلك بقول الشاعر: أَسْـتَغْفِرُ اللـهَ ذَنْبًـا لَسْـتُ مُحْصِيـهُ رَبُّ العِبــادِ إلَيْـهِ الوَجْـهُ والعَمَـلُ وقوله: ( لَهُ الْحُكْمُ ) يقول: له الحكم بين خلقه دون غيره, ليس لأحد غيره معه فيهم حكم ( وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ) يقول: وإليه تردون من بعد مماتكم, فيقضي بينكم بالعدل, فيجازي مؤمنيكم جزاءهم, وكفاركم ما وعدهم.