Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the statement of the Exalted: wa-yastabshirūna bi-lladhīna lam yalḥaqū bihim min khalfihim allā khawfun ʿalayhim wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn (170) (And they rejoice over those who have not yet caught up with them from among those who have remained behind them: that there shall be no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve) (170).

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, means thereby: and they rejoice over those of their brothers who have not yet caught up with them, namely those whom they left behind and who are still alive in this world, upon their path of jihād against the enemies of Allah at the side of His Messenger. For they know that, should these fall as martyrs and so be joined to them, they will attain from the honor of Allah the same as that which they themselves have attained. Therefore they rejoice over them, glad that these, when they become so, will be among those "for whom there shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." Thereby is meant: there shall be no fear upon them, for they are already safe from the punishment (ʿadhāb) of Allah and have obtained the certainty of His good pleasure over them. Thus they are safe from the fear which they used to harbor concerning that in this world, and they shall not grieve over what they have left behind them of worldly matters and the misery of worldly life, on account of the pleasant repose (al-khafḍ) which they have attained, and the prosperity and the nearness (zulfa).

   * * *

   And "an lā" is in the naṣb case, with the meaning: they rejoice over them because there shall be no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve.

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

   * Mention of who said that:

   8226 – Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: "and they rejoice over those who have not yet caught up with them from among those who have remained behind them" – the verse. He says: they rejoice over their brothers whom they left behind upon their religion and upon their cause, on account of the honor, the favor, and the felicity to which they have come and which He has bestowed upon them.

   8227 – Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj: "and they rejoice over those who have not yet caught up with them from among those who have remained behind them" – the verse. He said: they say: our brothers are killed just as we were killed; they will catch up with us and so attain the honor of Allah, the Exalted, which has befallen us also.

   8228 – It was related to me, on the authority of ʿAmmār, he said: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ: it was narrated to us on the authority of some of them concerning His statement: wa-lā taḥsabanna lladhīna qutilū fī sabīli llāhi amwātan bal aḥyāʾun ʿinda rabbihim yurzaqūn (And do not think those who were killed in the way of Allah to be dead; nay, they are alive with their Lord and are provided for). He said: they are the slain of Badr and Uḥud. They claim that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, when He took their souls to Himself and admitted them into the Garden (janna), placed their souls in green birds that graze in the Garden and take refuge in lamps of gold beneath the Throne. When they saw what honor Allah had bestowed upon them, they said: "If only our brothers who are after us knew of that wherein we are! Then, when they attend a battle, they would hasten toward that wherein we are!" Then Allah, the Exalted, said: "I shall reveal to your Prophet and inform your brothers about that wherein you are." At that they rejoiced and exulted, and said: "Allah will inform your Prophet and your brothers about that wherein you are, and when these attend a battle, they will come to you!" He said: that, then, is His statement: fariḥīna bimā ātāhumu llāhu min faḍlihi (rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His favor) up to His statement: ajra l-muʾminīn (the reward of the believers).

   8229 – Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "and they rejoice over those who have not yet caught up with them from among those who have remained behind them" – that is to say: and they rejoice at the catching up by those who catch up with them from among their brothers, upon that wherein they proceeded of their jihād, so that these may share with them in that wherein they are of the reward of Allah which He has bestowed upon them; and Allah has removed from them the fear and the grief.

   8230 – Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement: "and they rejoice over those who have not yet caught up with them from among those who have remained behind them." He said: they are their brothers among the martyrs, namely those who will fall as martyrs after them – "for whom there shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve" – until he reached: wa-anna llāha lā yuḍīʿu ajra l-muʾminīn (and that Allah does not let the reward of the believers go to waste).

   8231 – Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: as for "they rejoice over those who have not yet caught up with them from among those who have remained behind them": to the martyr is brought a writing in which is stated who of his brothers and his family will come to him, and it is said: "so-and-so will come to you on such-and-such a day, and so-and-so will come to you on such-and-such a day." Then he rejoices when this one comes to him, just as the family of an absent one rejoices over his arrival in this world.

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   Footnotes:

   (43) See the explanation of the like verse in what preceded, volume 1: 551 / 2: 150, 512, 513 / 5: 519.

   (44) "Al-khafḍ": softness, spaciousness, and abundance of livelihood. One says: "a life that is khafḍ, and khāfiḍ, and khafīḍ, and makhfūḍ": abundant in repose and softness. And "al-zulfa": nearness, rank, and standing with Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

   (45) See Maʿānī al-Qurʾān of al-Farrāʾ, 1: 247.

   (46) See the explanation of "zaʿama" briefly preceding, p. 392, footnote 1.

   (47) The narration 8229 – Sīrat Ibn Hishām 3: 126; it is the continuation of the narrations the last of which is 8220. The text of Ibn Hishām reads: "Allah has already removed…", and that is better.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (170) قال أبو جعفر: يعني بذلك تعالى ذكره: ويفرحون بمن لم يلحق بهم من إخوانهم الذين فارقوهم وهم أحياء في الدنيا على مناهجهم من جهاد أعداء الله مع رسوله، لعلمهم بأنهم إن استشهدوا فلحقوا بهم صاروا من كرامة الله إلى مثل الذي صاروا هم إليه، فهم لذلك مستبشرون بهم، فرحون أنهم إذا صاروا كذلك &; 7-396 &; =" لا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون "، يعني بذلك: (43) لا خوف عليهم، لأنهم قد أمنوا عقاب الله، وأيقنوا برضاه عنهم، فقد أمنوا الخوف الذي كانوا يخافونه من ذلك في الدنيا، ولا هم يحزنون على ما خلَّفوا وراءهم من أسباب الدنيا ونكد عيشها، للخفض الذي صارُوا إليه والدعة والزُّلْفة. (44) . * * * ونصب " أن لا " بمعنى: يستبشرون لهم بأنهم لا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون. (45) . وبنحو ما قلنا في ذلك قال جماعة من أهل التأويل. *ذكر من قال ذلك: 8226- حدثنا بشر قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله: " ويستبشرون بالذين لم يلحقوا بهم من خلفهم " الآية، يقول: لإخوانهم الذين فارقوهم على دينهم وأمرهم، لما قدموا عليه من الكرامة والفضل والنعيم الذي أعطاهم. 8227- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج: " ويستبشرون بالذين لم يلحقوا بهم من خلفهم " الآية، قال، يقولون: إخواننا يقتلون كما قتلنا، يلحقونا فيصيبون من كرامة الله تعالى ما أصبنا. 8228- حدثت عن عمار قال، حدثنا ابن أبي جعفر، عن أبيه، عن الربيع: ذكر لنا عن بعضهم في قوله: وَلا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ ، قال: هم قتلى بدر وأحد، زعموا أن الله تبارك وتعالى لما قبض أرواحهم وأدخلهم الجنة، (46) جُعلت أرواحهم في طير خضر ترعى في &; 7-397 &; الجنة، وتأوي إلى قناديل من ذهب تحت العرش. فلما رأوا ما أعطاهم الله من الكرامة، قالوا: ليت إخواننا الذين بعدنا يعلمون ما نحن فيه! فإذا شهدوا قتالا تعجَّلوا إلى ما نحن فيه! فقال الله تعالى: إنيّ منـزل على نبيكم ومخبر إخوانكم بالذي أنتم فيه. ففرحوا به واستبشروا، وقالوا: يخبر الله نبيكم وإخوانكم بالذي أنتم فيه، فإذا شهدوا قتالا أتوكم! قال: فذلك قوله: فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ إلى قوله: أَجْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ . 8229- حدثنا ابن حميد قال، حدثنا سلمة، عن ابن إسحاق: " ويستبشرون بالذين لم يلحقوا بهم من خلفهم "، أي: ويسرون بلحوق من لحق بهم من إخوانهم على ما مضوا عليه من جهادهم، ليشركوهم فيما هم فيه من ثواب الله الذي أعطاهم، وأذهب الله عنهم الخوف والحزن. (47) . 8230- حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: " ويستبشرون بالذين لم يلحقوا بهم من خلفهم "، قال: هم إخوانهم من الشهداء ممَّن يُستشهد من بعدهم =" لا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون " حتى بلغ: وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ . 8231- حدثنا محمد قال، حدثنا أحمد قال، حدثنا أسباط، عن السدي: أما " يستبشرون بالذين لم يلحقوا بهم من خلفهم "، فإن الشهيد يؤتى بكتاب فيه من يقدم عليه من إخوانه وأهله، فيقال: " يقدم عليك فلان يوم كذا وكذا، ويقدم عليك فلان يوم كذا وكذا "، فيستبشر حين يقدم عليه، كما يستبشر أهل الغائب بقدومه في الدنيا. ------------------ الهوامش : (43) انظر تفسير نظيرة هذه الآية فيما سلف 1: 551 / 2 : 150 ، 512 ، 513 / 5: 519. (44) "الخفض": لين العيش وسعته وخصبه ، يقال: "عيش خفض ، وخافض ، وخفيض ، ومخفوض": خصيب في دعة ولين. و"الزلفة": القربة والدرجة والمنزلة ، عند الله رب العالمين. (45) انظر معاني القرآن للفراء 1: 247. (46) انظر تفسير"زعم" فيما سلف قريبًا ص 392 تعليق: 1. (47) الأثر: 8229- سيرة ابن هشام 3: 126 ، وهو تتمة الآثار التي آخرها: 8220 ونص ابن هشام: "قد أذهب الله. . ." ، وهو أجود.