Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   His statement أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَمًا آمِنًا ("Have they not seen that We have made a secure sanctuary?") — the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says this as a reminder to these polytheists (mushrikīn) of Quraysh, who said: "If only a sign had been sent down upon him from his Lord," reminding them of His favor toward them, by which He has distinguished them above all other people, despite their disbelief in His favor and their assigning of idols and equals as partners in His worship: have these polytheists of Quraysh then not seen with what We have distinguished them of Our favor toward them, above all the rest of Our servants, so that they would thank Us for it and refrain from their disbelief in Us and their assigning of partners in Our worship — partners who neither benefit Us nor harm them? [Have they not seen] that We have made their city a sanctuary (ḥaram), in which We have forbidden the people from intruding with a raid or war, a secure place where whoever dwells in it is safe; so that whoever flees to it from captivity, fear, and danger — against which others among the people are not safe — finds protection in it.

   وَيُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ ("while the people are snatched away from around them") — that is to say: while the people around them are seized through killing and capture.

   As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَمًا آمِنًا وَيُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ, he said: In this there was a sign for them: that the people [around them] were raided and snatched away, while they themselves were safe.

   His statement أَفَبِالْبَاطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ ("Do they then believe in falsehood?") — that is to say: do they then affirm, through associating partners with Allah (shirk), the divinity of the idols by holding [that] to be true, while they reject the favor of Allah, by which He has distinguished them in that He has made their city a secure sanctuary? By His statement (yakfurūn / they reject) He means: they deny.

   As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement أَفَبِالْبَاطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ: that is to say with the shirk; وَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَكْفُرُونَ: that is to say they deny.

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله: ( أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَمًا آمِنًا ) يقول تعالى ذكره، مذكرا هؤلاء المشركين من قريش، القائلين: لولا أنـزل عليه آية من ربه، نِعْمَتَه عليهم التي خصهم بها دون سائر الناس غيرهم، مع كفرهم بنعمته وإشراكهم في عبادته الآلهة والأنداد: أولم ير هؤلاء المشركون من قريش، ما خصصناهم به من نعمتنا عليهم، دون سائر عبادنا، فيشكرونا على ذلك، وينـزجروا عن كفرهم بنا، وإشراكهم ما لا ينفعنا، ولا يضرّهم في عبادتنا أنا جعلنا بلدهم حرما، حرّمنا على الناس أن يدخلوه بغارة أو حرب، آمنا يأمن فيه من سكنه، فأوى إليه من السباء، والخوف، والحرام الذي لا يأمنه غيرهم من الناس، ( وَيُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ ) يقول: وتُسْلَب الناس من حولهم قتلا وسباء. كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قَتادة، في قوله: ( أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَمًا آمِنًا وَيُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ ) قال: كان لهم في ذلك آية، أن الناس يُغزَون ويُتَخَطَّفون وهم آمنون. وقوله: ( أَفَبِالْبَاطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ ) يقول: أفبالشرك بالله يقرّون بألوهة الأوثان بأن يصدّقوا، وبنعمة الله التي خصهم بها من أن جعل بلدهم حرما آمنا يكفرون، يعني بقوله: (يكفرون): يجحدون. كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قَتادة، قوله: (أَفَبِالْبَاطِلِ يُؤْمِنُون ): أي بالشرك ( وَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَكْفُرُونَ ): أي يجحدون.