Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَنْ تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلا أَوْلادُهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ (116) (Indeed, those who disbelieve — neither their possessions nor their children will avail them anything against Allah; and they are the inhabitants of the Fire, therein they will abide eternally.) (116)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: This is a threat from Allah, Mighty and Exalted, directed at the other, corrupt faction among the People of the Book — those of whom He has reported that they are corrupt ones (fāsiqūn), and that they have called down upon themselves the wrath of Allah — as well as at whoever among their like belonged to those who disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and in that which Muḥammad ﷺ had brought from Allah.

   He — exalted be His remembrance — says: "Indeed, those who disbelieve," that is to say: those who denied the prophethood of Muḥammad ﷺ and held him, and that which he had brought them from Allah, to be a lie = "neither their possessions nor their children will avail them anything against Allah," that is to say: his possessions which he amassed in this world, and his children whom he raised therein, will avert nothing of the punishment of Allah on the Day of Resurrection, if He defers it for them until the Day of Resurrection, nor in this world, if He brings it forward for them therein.

   * * *

   And He mentioned only his children and his possessions because a man's children are his nearest kin, and because he has more power over his own property than over the property of another, and his disposal of it is more permissible than his disposal of the property of another. So when his own child who came forth from his loins, and his property over which his disposal is in force, do not avail him, then others among his close ones and the remaining kin, and their possessions, are all the more remote from availing him anything against Allah.

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   Then He — exalted be His praise — reported that they are the inhabitants of the Fire (al-nār) who truly belong in it, with His saying: "and they are the inhabitants of the Fire." And He made them its inhabitants only because they belong in it as those who will not go out from it and will not leave it — like a man's companion who does not leave him, and his comrade who does not depart from him. Then He confirmed that by reporting concerning them that they "abide therein eternally," namely, that their companionship of it is a companionship without interruption, since among things there are those whose companion leaves them in some states and departs from them at some times. But it is not so with the companionship that the disbelievers keep with the Fire in which they are scorched; rather, it is an abiding companionship without end and without interruption. We seek refuge with Allah from that, and from every word and every deed that draws near to it.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَنْ تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلا أَوْلادُهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ (116) قال أبو جعفر: وهذا وعيدٌ من الله عز وجل للأمة الأخرى الفاسقة من أهل الكتاب، الذين أخبر عنهم بأنهم فاسقون، وأنهم قد باؤوا بغضب منه، ولمن كان من نظرائهم من أهل الكفر بالله ورسوله وما جاء به محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم من عند الله. يقول تعالى ذكره: " إن الذين كفروا "، يعني: الذين جحدوا نبوة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وكذبوا به وبما جاءهم به من عند الله =" لن تغني عنهم أموالهم ولا أولادهم من الله شيئًا "، يعني: لن تدفع أمواله التي جمعها في الدنيا، وأولاده الذين ربَّاهم فيها، شيئًا من عقوبة الله يوم القيامة إن أخرها لهم إلى يوم القيامة، ولا في الدنيا إنْ عجَّلها لهم فيها. * * * وإنما خصّ أولاده وأمواله، لأن أولاد الرجل أقربُ أنسبائه إليه، وهو على ماله أقدر منه على مال غيره، (1) وأمرُه فيه أجوز من أمره في مال غيره. فإذا لم يغن عنه ولده لصلبه، وماله الذي هو نافذ الأمر فيه، فغير ذلك من أقربائه وسائر أنسبائه وأموالهم، أبعد من أن تغني عنه من الله شيئا. * * * ثم أخبر جل ثناؤه أنهم هم أهل النار الذين هم أهلها بقوله: " وأولئك أصحاب النار ". وإنما جعلهم أصحابها، لأنهم أهلها الذين لا يخرجون منها ولا يفارقونها، &; 7-134 &; كصاحب الرجل الذي لا يفارقه، وقرينه الذي لا يزايله. (2) ثم وكد ذلك بإخباره عنهم إنهم " فيها خالدون "، أنّ صحبتهم إياها صحبة لا انقطاع لها، (3) إذْ كان من الأشياء ما يفارق صاحبه في بعض الأحوال، ويزايله في بعض الأوقات، وليس كذلك صحبة الذين كفروا النارَ التي أصْلوها، ولكنها صحبة دائمة لا نهاية لها ولا انقطاع. نعوذ بالله منها ومما قرَّب منها من قول وعمل. ---------------------- الهوامش : (1) في المطبوعة: "وهو على ماله أقرب ..." ، وهي في المخطوطة شبيهة بها ، إلا أنها سيئة الكتابة ، ولكن لا معنى لها ، والصواب ما أثبت ، فهو حق السياق. (2) انظر تفسير"أصحاب النار" فيما سلف 1: 286 ، 287 / 4 : 317 / 5 : 429 / 6: 14. (3) في المطبوعة أسقط"أن" من أول هذه العبارة ، وهي ثابتة في المخطوطة. وفيهما جميعًا بعد: "إذا كان من الأشياء" ، وصواب السياق"إذ" ، كما أثبتها.