Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The discourse on the explanation of His statement: وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلا أَنْ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ (147) (And their statement was nothing other than that they said: Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excess in our affair, and make our feet firm, and help us against the disbelieving people. (3:147))

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, means by His statement "and their statement was not": and the statement of the devout men (al-ribbiyyūn) was not — and the "hā and mīm" (the suffix "hum") refers to the names of the devout men — "except that they said," that is to say: they had no statement other than this statement, when their prophet was killed. And His statement "Our Lord, forgive us our sins" means: when their prophet was killed, they grasped at nothing for protection other than at patiently enduring what afflicted them, fighting against their enemy, and asking their Lord for forgiveness and for help against their enemy. And the meaning of the statement is: and their statement was nothing other than that they said: Our Lord, forgive us our sins. (76)

   * * *

   And as for "al-isrāf" (excess): that is going beyond the limit in something. One says of that: "so-and-so has acted excessively (asrafa) in this affair," when he exceeds its measure and goes to extremes.

   * * *

   And its meaning here is: forgive us our sins — the minor of them, and that in which we have been excessive, such that we passed on to the major ones. And the meaning of the statement is: forgive us our sins, the minor of them and the major of them. As:

   7987 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, on the authority of ʿĪsā, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning the statement of Allah "and our excess in our affair," he said: our errors.

   7988 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "and our excess in our affair": our errors and our wronging of ourselves.

   7989 — It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, saying: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Sulaymān informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk concerning his statement "and our excess in our affair," he means: the major errors.

   7990 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Abū Tumayla related to us, on the authority of ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Muzāḥim, he said: the major sins (al-kabāʾir).

   7991 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, saying: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning "and our excess in our affair," he said: our errors.

   7992 — Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning his statement "and our excess in our affair," he says: our errors.

   * * *

   And as for His statement "and make our feet firm": He says: make us among those who stand firm in fighting against Your enemy and in combating them, and do not make us among those who take to flight and flee from them and whose foot does not remain firm in one place in fighting against them. "And help us against the disbelieving people," He says: and help us against those who have denied Your oneness and the prophethood of Your prophet. (77)

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: This is only a reproof from Allah, mighty and exalted is He, to His servants who fled from the enemy on the Day of Uḥud and abandoned fighting against them, and an admonition to them. Allah, mighty and exalted is He, says: why, when it was said to you "your prophet has been killed," did you not act as these devout men acted, those who were before you among the followers of the prophets, when their prophets were killed? For they stood firm against their enemy with patience such as their patience was, and they did not grow weak and did not yield to their enemy, such that they would seek to turn back on their heels, just as these devout men did not grow weak and did not yield to their enemy, and they asked their Lord for help and victory just as they asked, so that Allah might help you against them just as they were helped. For Allah loves whoever shows patience for His command and in the jihād against His enemy, and He then grants him help and victory over his enemy. As:

   7993 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "and their statement was nothing other than that they said: Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excess in our affair and make our feet firm and help us against the disbelieving people," that is to say: so say as they said, and know that this is only because of sins on your part, and ask for forgiveness as they asked for forgiveness, and continue upon your faith as they continued upon their faith, and do not turn back on your heels as those who withdraw, and ask Him as they asked Him to make your feet firm, and ask Him for help as they asked Him for help against the disbelieving people. All of this was part of their statement, and their prophet had indeed been killed, yet they did not act as you acted. (78)

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And the reading which is the correct reading of His statement وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ is the accusative (al-naṣb), on account of the agreement of the reciters of the great cities upon it, by a widespread transmission, inherited from authority. (79) And the accusative was preferred for "al-qawl," because "an" (that) can only be definite, (80) so that it was more suitable to be the noun (al-ism, the subject), rather than the nouns which can sometimes be definite and sometimes indefinite. (81) For this reason the accusative was preferred for every noun that follows "kāna," when the light "an" comes after it, as in His statement فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلا أَنْ قَالُوا اقْتُلُوهُ أَوْ حَرِّقُوهُ (Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt: 24) (82) and His statement ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلا أَنْ قَالُوا (Sūrat al-Anʿām: 23). (83) But when that which follows "kāna" is a definite noun, and that which follows it is likewise, then the nominative and the accusative are equal in that which follows "kāna." If you make that which follows "kāna" the noun (subject), you put it in the nominative and put that which follows it in the accusative. And if you make that which follows "kāna" the predicate (al-khabar), you put it in the accusative and put that which follows it in the nominative. And that is like His statement, mighty is His praise: ثُمَّ كَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا السُّوءَى (Sūrat al-Rūm: 10) — if you make "al-ʿāqiba" (the end) the noun (subject), you put it in the nominative and make "al-sūʾā" the predicate in the accusative. And if you make "al-ʿāqiba" the predicate, you put it in the accusative and say ثُمَّ كَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا السُّوءَى, and make "al-sūʾā" the noun (subject), so that it is in the nominative. And as the poet said: (84)

   Indeed, the peoples knew what her affliction was at Thahlān, nothing other than the disgrace of him who leads her. (85)

   And it is also transmitted as: "what was her affliction at Thahlān, nothing other than the disgrace" — in the accusative and in the nominative, according to what I have expounded. And even were the same to be done with "an," it would be permissible, except that the most eloquent speech is that which I have described among the Arabs.

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   The footnotes:

   (76) This is the text of the verse; and it appears that the correct reading is: "and their statement was nothing other than that they said," in order to make clear that "their statement (qawluhum)" is the predicate of "kāna" and "that they said (an qālū)" is its noun (subject). See pp.: 273, 274.

   (77) See the explanation of a verse similar to this verse in what came earlier, 5: 354.

   (78) The narration 7993 — Sīrat Ibn Hishām 3: 118, 119, and it is the continuation of the narrations, the last of which is 7984.

   (79) See the use of "wirātha" and "mawrūtha" in what came earlier, 6: 127, note: 4, and the references therein.

   (80) In the printed edition: "because 'illā an' can only be definite," with the addition of the first "illā," and that is a reprehensible corruption, and the correct version is from the manuscript, but the copyist had made an error, altered it and struck it through, after which the first editor misread what he had written.

   (81) See Maʿānī al-Qurʾān of al-Farrāʾ 1: 237.

   (82) In the manuscript and the printed edition: "wa-mā kāna jawāb..." with the wāw, and the correct recitation is what I have established.

   (83) I have established the accusative reading as al-Ṭabarī has mentioned, whereas what is in our codex and our recitation is the nominative of "fitnatuhum."

   (84) I do not know the poet of it.

   (85) Sībawayh 1: 24, and he does not attribute it; al-Shantamarī said: "He cites it as evidence for the equality of the noun (subject) of kāna and its predicate in the nominative and the accusative, on account of their equality in definiteness. He is describing a military unit that took to flight, and he says: her affliction and the cause of her defeat was nothing other than the cowardice of him who leads her and his flight. And he ascribes the action to the disgrace by way of metaphor and extension, and the meaning is: nothing other than her leader who took to flight, the disgraced; and Thahlān is the name of a mountain."

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلا أَنْ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ (147) قال أبو جعفر: يعني تعالى ذكره بقوله: " وما كان قولهم "، وما كان قول الرِّبِّيين - و " الهاء والميم " من ذكر أسماء الربيين -" إلا أن قالوا "، يعني: ما كان لهم قولٌ سوى هذا القول، إذ قتل نبيهم = وقوله: " ربنا اغفر لنا ذنوبنا "، يقول: لم يعتصموا، إذ قتل نبيهم، إلا بالصبر على ما أصابهم، ومجاهدة عدوهم، وبمسألة ربهم المغفرة والنصر على عدوهم. ومعنى الكلام: وما كان قولهم إلا أن قالوا ربنا اغفر لنا ذنوبنا. (76) . * * * وأما " الإسراف "، فإنه الإفراط في الشيء: يقال منه: " أسرف فلانٌ في هذا الأمر "، إذا تجاوز مقداره فأفرط. * * * ومعناه هاهنا: اغفر لنا ذنوبنا: الصغارَ منها، وما أسرفنا فيه منها فتخطينا إلى العظام. وكان معنى الكلام: اغفر لنا ذنوبنا، الصغائر منها والكبائر. كما:- 7987- حدثني محمد بن عمرو قال، حدثنا أبو عاصم، عن عيسى، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، عن ابن عباس في قول الله: " وإسرافنا في أمرنا "، قال: خطايانا. 7988- حدثني المثني قال، حدثنا أبو حذيفة قال، حدثنا شبل، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد: " وإسرافنا في أمرنا "، خطايانا وظلمَنا أنفسنا. 7989- حدثت عن الحسين قال، سمعت أبا معاذ قال، أخبرنا عبيد الله بن سليمان قال، سمعت الضحاك في قوله: " وإسرافنا في أمرنا "، يعني: الخطايا الكِبار. 7990- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثنا أبو تميلة، عن عبيد بن سليمان، عن الضحاك بن مزاحم قال، الكبائر. 7991- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج قال، قال ابن عباس: " وإسرافنا في أمرنا "، قال: خطايانا. 7992- حدثني محمد بن سعد قال، حدثني أبي قال، حدثني عمي قال، حدثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس قوله: " وإسرافنا في أمرنا "، يقول: خطايانا. * * * وأما قوله: " وثبت أقدامنا "، فإنه يقول: اجعلنا ممن يثبت لحرب عدوّك وقتالهم، ولا تجعلنا ممن ينهزم فيفرَّ منهم ولا يثبتُ قدمه في مكان واحد لحربهم =" وانصرنا على القوم الكافرين "، يقول: وانصرنا على الذين جحدوا وحدانيتك ونبوة نبيك. (77) . * * * قال أبو جعفر: وإنما هذا تأنيب من الله عز وجل عبادَه الذين فرُّوا عن العدو يوم أحد وتركوا قتالهم، وتأديبٌ لهم. يقول: الله عز وجل: هلا فعلتم إذ قيل لكم: " قُتل نبيكم " - كما فعل هؤلاء الرِّبِّيون، الذين كانوا قبلكم من أتباع الأنبياء إذ قتلت أنبياؤهم. فصبرتم لعدوكم صبرَهم، ولم تضعفوا وتستكينوا لعدوكم، فتحاولوا الارتداد على أعقابكم، كما لم يضعف هؤلاء الرِّبِّيون ولم يستكينوا لعدوهم، وسألتم ربكم النصر والظفر كما سألوا، فينصركم الله عليهم كما نصروا، فإن الله يحب من صَبر لأمره وعلى جهاد عدوه، فيعطيه النصر والظفر على عدوه؟. كما:- 7993- حدثنا ابن حميد قال، حدثنا سلمة، عن ابن إسحاق: " وما كان قولهم إلا أن قالوا ربنا اغفر لنا ذنوبنا وإسرافنا في أمرنا وثبِّت أقدامنا وانصرنا على القوم الكافرين "، أي: فقولوا كما قالوا، واعلموا أنما ذلك بذنوب منكم، واستغفروا كما استغفروا، وامضوا على دينكم كما مضوا على دينهم، ولا ترتدُّوا على أعقابكم راجعين، واسألوه كما سألوه أن يثبِّت أقدامكم، واستنصروه كما استنصروه على القوم الكافرين. فكل هذا من قولهم قد كان وقد قُتل نبيهم، فلم يفعلوا كما فعلتم. (78) * * * قال أبو جعفر: والقراءة التي هي القراءة في قوله: ( وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ ) النصب لإجماع قرأة الأمصار على ذلك نقلا مستفيضًا وراثة عن الحجة. (79) &; 7-274 &; وإنما اختير النصب في" القول "، لأن " أن " لا تكون إلا معرفة، (80) فكانت أولى بأن تكون هي الاسم، دون الأسماء التي قد تكون معرفة أحيانًا ونكرة أحيانًا، (81) ولذلك اختير النصب في كل اسم وِلى " كان " إذا كان بعده " أن " الخفيفة: كقوله: فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلا أَنْ قَالُوا اقْتُلُوهُ أَوْ حَرِّقُوهُ [سورة العنكبوت: 24] (82) وقوله: ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلا أَنْ قَالُوا [سورة الأنعام: 23] (83) فأمّا إذا كان الذي يلي" كان " اسما معرفة، والذي بعده مثله، فسواء الرفعُ والنصبُ في الذي ولى " كان ". فإن جعلت الذي ولى " كان " هو الاسم، رفعته ونصبت الذي بعده. وإن جعلت الذي ولى " كان " هو الخبر، نصبته ورفعت الذي بعده، وذلك كقوله جل ثناؤه: ثُمَّ كَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا السُّوءَى [سورة الروم: 10] إن جعلت " العاقبة " الاسم رفعتها، وجعلت " السوأى " هي الخبر منصوبةً. وإن جعلت " العاقبة " الخبر، نصبت فقلت: ثُمَّ كَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا السُّوءَى ، وجعلت " السوأى " هي الاسم، فكانت مرفوعة، وكما قال الشاعر: (84) لَقَـدْ عَلِـمَ الأقْـوَام مَـا كَـانَ دَاءَهَـا بِثَهْــلانَ إلا الخِـزْيُ مِمَّـنْ يَقُودُهَـا (85) وروي أيضًا: " ما كان داؤها بثهلان إلا الخزيَ"، نصبًا ورفعًا على ما قد بينت. ولو فُعل مثل ذلك مع " أن " كان جائزًا، غير أن أفصحَ الكلام ما وصفت عند العرب. ------------------- الهوامش : (76) هذا نص الآية؛ وكأن الصواب: "وما كان قولا لهم إلا أن قالوا"؛ ليبين عن أن"قولهم" خبر"كان" و"أن قالوا" اسمها. وانظر ص: 273 ، 274. (77) انظر تفسير نظيرة هذه الآية فيما سلف 5: 354. (78) الأثر: 7993- سيرة ابن هشام 3: 118 ، 119 ، وهو تتمة الآثار التي آخرها: 7984. (79) انظر استعمال"وراثة" ، و"موروثة" فيما سلف 6: 127 ، تعليق: 4 ، والمراجع هناك. (80) في المطبوعة: "لأن إلا أن لا تكون إلا معرفة" بزيادة"إلا" الأولى ، وهو فساد مستهجن ، والصواب من المخطوطة ، ولكن الناسخ كان قد أخطأ ، فغير وضرب ، فأخطأ الناشر الأول قراءة ما كتب. (81) انظر معاني القرآن للفراء 1: 237. (82) في المخطوطة والمطبوعة: "وما كان جواب..." بالواو ، وصحيح التلاوة ما أثبت. (83) أثبت قراءة النصب كما ذكر الطبري ، والذي عليه مصحفنا وقراءتنا ، رفع"فتنتهم". (84) لم أعرف قائله. (85) سيبويه 1: 24 ، ولم ينسبه ، قال الشنتمري: "استشهد به على استواء اسم كان وخبرها في الرفع والنصب ، لاستوائهما في المعرفة. وصف كتيبة انهزمت ، فيقول: لم يكن داؤها وسبب انهزامها إلا جبن من يقودها وانهزامه. وجعل الفعل للخزي مجازًا واتساعًا ، والمعنى: إلا قائدها المنهزم الخزيان ، وثهلان: اسم جبل".