Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The discourse on the interpretation of His saying: وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لَا يَشْتَرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا (3:199), which means: "And indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and in what has been sent down to them, humbly submitting to Allah; they do not sell the signs of Allah for a paltry price."

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The exegetes differed concerning who is meant by this verse.

   Some of them said: By this is meant Aṣḥama the Negus, and concerning him it was sent down.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   8376 - ʿIṣām ibn Rawwād ibn al-Jarrāḥ related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: Abū Bakr al-Hudhalī related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyab, on the authority of Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh: that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Go out and perform the prayer over a brother of yours." He led us in the prayer and pronounced the takbīr four times, and then said: "This is the Negus, Aṣḥama." Thereupon the hypocrites said: Look at this man who performs the prayer over a Christian unbeliever (ʿilj) whom he never saw! Then Allah sent down: "And indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah."

   8377 - Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Muʿādh ibn Hishām related to us, saying: my father related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: that the Prophet ﷺ said: Indeed, your brother the Negus has died, so perform the prayer over him. They said: Should the prayer be performed over a man who is not a Muslim! He (Qatāda) said: Then there was sent down: "And indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and in what has been sent down to them, humbly submitting to Allah." Qatāda said: Then they said: But he did not used to pray in the direction of the qibla! Then Allah sent down: وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ (Surah Al-Baqarah: 115), which means: "And to Allah belongs the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the face of Allah."

   8378 - Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his saying: "And indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and in what has been sent down to them." It was mentioned to us that this verse was sent down concerning the Negus, and concerning a number of people among his companions who believed in the Prophet of Allah ﷺ and held him to be truthful. He said: And it was mentioned to us that the Prophet of Allah ﷺ asked forgiveness for the Negus and performed the prayer over him when news of his death reached him. He said to his companions: "Perform the prayer over a brother of yours who has died in a land other than yours"! Then some people of hypocrisy said: "Should he perform the prayer over a man who has died and who does not belong to the people of his religion"? Then Allah sent down this verse: "And indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and in what has been sent down to them, humbly submitting to Allah; they do not sell the signs of Allah for a paltry price; they are those for whom their reward is with their Lord. Indeed, Allah is swift in the reckoning."

   8379 - Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his saying: "And indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and in what has been sent down to them." He said: It was sent down concerning the Negus and his companions, among those who believed in the Prophet ﷺ. And the name of the Negus was Aṣḥama.

   8380 - Al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq said, and Ibn ʿUyayna said: The name of the Negus in Arabic is ʿAṭiyya.

   8381 - Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, saying: When the Prophet ﷺ performed the prayer over the Negus, the hypocrites censured that, whereupon this verse was sent down: "And indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah," to the end of the verse.

   * * *

   Others said: Rather, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām and those who were with him are meant by it.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   8382 - Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, saying: It was sent down – namely this verse – concerning ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām and those who were with him.

   8383 - Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd informed me concerning his saying: "And indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and in what has been sent down to them," the whole verse. He said: These are the Jews.

   * * *

   Others said: Rather, the converted People of the Book are meant by it.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   8384 - 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 indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you," among the Jews and the Christians, and they are the converted People of the Book.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And the correct of these statements concerning the interpretation of the verse is what Mujāhid said. That is because Allah, exalted be His praise, by His saying "And indeed, among the People of the Book," encompassed all the People of the Book in general, and did not single out thereby the Christians to the exclusion of the Jews, nor the Jews to the exclusion of the Christians. He only reported that there are among "the People of the Book" those who believe in Allah. And both groups – I mean the Jews and the Christians – belong to the People of the Book.

   * * *

   If someone were to say: What then do you say about the narration which you have transmitted from Jābir and others: that it was sent down concerning the Negus and his companions?

   It is answered: That is a narration whose chain of transmission (isnād) is doubtful. And even if it were indubitably authentic, it would not be contrary to what we have said concerning the meaning of the verse. That is because Jābir and those who share his opinion only said: "It was sent down concerning the Negus," and the verse may be sent down concerning something in particular and then be made general for all who fall within that meaning. So even if the verse was sent down concerning the Negus, then Allah, blessed and exalted is He, has made the ruling which He decreed concerning the Negus a ruling for all His servants who have the quality of the Negus in their following of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and their affirmation of what he brought them from Allah, after that upon which they previously were with respect to following the command of Allah in that which He charged His servants in the two books, the Tawrāt and the Injīl.

   * * *

   When that is so, then the interpretation of the verse is: "And indeed, among the People of the Book" – the Tawrāt and the Injīl – "are those who believe in Allah," that is, who acknowledge His oneness, "and in what has been sent down to you," O believers; He says: and in what has been sent down to you of His Book and His revelation by the tongue of His Messenger Muḥammad ﷺ, "and in what has been sent down to them," that is: and in what has been sent down to the People of the Book of books, and that is the Tawrāt, the Injīl, and the Zabūr, "humbly submitting to Allah," that is: submitting to Allah through obedience, humble and lowly before Him thereby, as:

   8385 - Yūnus related to us, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd informed me concerning his saying: "humbly submitting to Allah," he said: The humble one (al-khāshiʿ) is the one who shows himself lowly and full of fear before Allah.

   * * *

   And the word "humbly submitting to Allah" (khāshiʿīn) is in the accusative (naṣb) as a circumstantial qualifier (ḥāl) governing his saying "those who believe in Allah," and it is a circumstantial qualifier governing what is implied in "believe" of reference to "who."

   * * *

   "They do not sell the signs of Allah for a paltry price," He says: They do not falsify what has been sent down to them in His books of the description of Muḥammad ﷺ by distorting it, nor anything else of His rulings and proofs therein, for the sake of a worthless and contemptible worldly good that is given to them for that distortion, and the pursuit of leadership over the ignorant. Rather, they conform to the truth, and act according to what Allah has charged them in what has been sent down to them of books, and abstain from what He has forbidden them therein, and give the command of Allah, the Exalted, precedence over the desire of their own souls.

   * * *

   The discourse on the interpretation of His saying: أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ (3:199), which means: "They are those for whom their reward is with their Lord. Indeed, Allah is swift in the reckoning."

   Abū Jaʿfar said: By His saying, exalted be His praise, "They are those for whom their reward is," He means: these who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and in what has been sent down to them, "for them is their reward with their Lord," that is: for them is the recompense of their deeds which they have performed, and the wage for their obedience to their Lord in that wherein they obeyed Him, "with their Lord," that is: that is stored up for them with Him, until they reach Him on the Day of Resurrection and He repays them that in full. "Indeed, Allah is swift in the reckoning," and the swiftness of His reckoning, exalted be His mention, is that nothing of their deeds is hidden from Him, neither before they perform them nor after they have performed them, so that He has no need to tally up their number, in which case delay would occur in the tallying. Therefore He said: "Indeed, Allah is swift in the reckoning."

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لا يَشْتَرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلا قال أبو جعفر: اختلف أهل التأويل فيمن عنى بهذه الآية. فقال بعضهم: عنى بها أصحمة النجاشي، وفيه أنـزلت. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 8376 - حدثنا عصَام بن رواد بن الجراح قال، حدثنا أبي قال، حدثنا أبو بكر الهذليّ، عن قتادة، عن سعيد بن المسيب، عن جابر بن عبد الله: أن &; 7-497 &; النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " اخرجوا فصلوا على أخ لكم ". فصلى بنا، فكبر أربع تكبيرات، فقال: " هذا النجاشي أصحمة "، فقال المنافقون: انظروا إلى هذا يصلي على عِلْجٍ نصرَاني لم يره قط! (32) فأنـزل الله: " وإن من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالله ". (33) 8377 - حدثنا ابن بشار قال، حدثنا معاذ بن هشام قال، حدثنا أبي عن قتادة: أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: إن أخاكم النجاشي قد مات فصلوا عليه. قالوا: يصلَّى على رجل ليس بمسلم! قال: فنـزلت: " وإنّ من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالله وما أنـزل إليكم وما أنـزل إليهم خاشعين لله ". قال قتادة: فقالوا: فإنه كان لا يصلي إلى القبلة! فأنـزل الله: وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ [سورة البقرة: 115] 8378 - حدثنا بشر قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله: " وإن من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالله وما أنـزل إليكم وما أنـزل إليهم "، ذكر &; 7-498 &; لنا أن هذه الآية نـزلت في النَّجاشي، وفي ناس من أصحابه آمنوا بنبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وصدَّقوا به. قال: وذكر لنا أن نبيَّ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم استغفر للنجاشي وصلى عليه حين بلغه موته، قال لأصحابه: " صلّوا على أخ لكم قد مات بغير بلادكم "! فقال أناس من أهل النفاق: " يصلي على رجل مات ليس من أهل دينه "؟ فأنـزل الله هذه الآية: " وإنّ من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالله وما أنـزل إليكم وما أنـزل إليهم خاشعين لله لا يشترون بآيات الله ثمنًا قليلا أولئك لهم أجرهم عند ربهم إن الله سريع الحساب ". 8379 - حدثنا الحسن بن يحيى قال، أخبرنا عبد الرزاق قال، أخبرنا معمر، عن قتادة، في قوله: " وإنّ من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالله وما أنـزل إليكم وما أنـزل إليهم "، قال: نـزلت في النجاشي وأصحابه ممن آمن بالنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم = واسم النجاشي، أصحْمة. 8380 - حدثنا المثنى قال، حدثنا إسحاق قال، قال عبد الرزاق، وقال ابن عيينة: اسم النجاشي بالعربية: عطية. 8381 - حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثنا حجاج، عن ابن جريج قال: لما صلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم على النجاشي، طعن في ذلك المنافقون، فنـزلت هذه الآية: " وإن من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالله "، إلى آخر الآية. * * * وقال آخرون: بل عنى بذلك عبد الله بن سَلامٍ ومن معه. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 8382 - حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج قال: نـزلت -يعني هذه الآية- في عبد الله بن سلام ومن معه. 8383 - حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، أخبرني ابن زيد في &; 7-499 &; قوله: " وإنّ من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالله وما أنـزل إليكم وما أنـزل إليهم "، الآية كلها= قال: هؤلاء يهود. * * * وقال آخرون: بل عنى بذلك مُسْلِمة أهل الكتاب. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 8384 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا أبو حذيفة قال، حدثنا شبل، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد: " وإن من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالله وما أنـزل إليكم "، من اليهود والنصارى، وهم مسلمة أهل الكتاب. * * * قال أبو جعفر: وأولى هذه الأقوال بتأويل الآية ما قاله مجاهد. وذلك أنّ الله جل ثناؤه عَمّ بقوله: " وإنّ من أهل الكتاب " أهلَ الكتاب جميعًا، فلم يخصص منهم النصارى دون اليهود، ولا اليهود دون النصارى. وإنما أخبر أن من " أهل الكتاب " من يؤمن بالله. وكلا الفريقين =أعني اليهود والنصارى= من أهل الكتاب. * * * فإن قال قائل: فما أنت قائلٌ في الخبر الذي رويتَ عن جابر وغيره: أنها نـزلت في النجاشي وأصحابه؟ قيل: ذلك خبر في إسناده نظر. ولو كان صحيحًا لا شك فيه، لم يكن لما قلنا في معنى الآية بخلاف. (34) وذلك أنّ جابرًا ومن قال بقوله، إنما قالوا: " نـزلت في النجاشيّ"، وقد تنـزل الآية في الشيء، ثم يعم بها كل من كان في معناه. فالآية وإن كانت نـزلت في النجاشيّ، فإن الله تبارك وتعالى قد جعل الحكم الذي حكم به للنجاشيّ، حكمًا لجميع عباده الذين هم بصفة النجاشيّ في اتباعهم &; 7-500 &; رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، والتصديق بما جاءهم به من عند الله، بعد الذي كانوا عليه قبل ذلك من اتباع أمر الله فيما أمر به عباده في الكتابين، التوراة والإنجيل. * * * فإذ كان ذلك كذلك، فتأويل الآية: " وإن من أهل الكتاب " التوراة والإنجيل=" لمن يؤمن بالله " فيقرّ بوحدانيته=" وما أنـزل إليكم "، أيها المؤمنون، يقول: وما أنـزل إليكم من كتابه ووحيه على لسان رسوله محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم=" وما أنـزل إليهم "، يعني: وما أنـزل على أهل الكتاب من الكتب، وذلك التوراة والإنجيل والزبور=" خاشعين لله "، يعني: خاضعين لله بالطاعة، مستكينين له بها متذلِّلين، (35) كما:- 8385 - حدثنا يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، أخبرني ابن زيد في قوله: " خاشعين لله "، قال: الخاشع، المتذلل لله الخائف. * * * ونصب قوله: " خاشعين لله "، على الحال من قوله: " لمن يؤمن بالله "، وهو حال مما في" يؤمن " من ذكر " من ". (36) * * * =" لا يشترون بآيات الله ثمنًا قليلا "، يقول: لا يحرِّفون ما أنـزل إليهم في كتبه من نعت محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم فيبدِّلونه، ولا غير ذلك من أحكامه وحججه فيه، لعَرَضٍ من الدنيا خسيس يُعطوْنه على ذلك التبديل، وابتغاء الرياسة على الجهال، (37) ولكن ينقادون للحق، فيعملون بما أمرهم الله به فيما أنـزل إليهم من كتبه، وينتهون عما نهاهم عنه فيها، ويؤثرون أمرَ الله تعالى على هَوَى أنفسهم. * * * القول في تأويل قوله : أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ (199) قال أبو جعفر: يعني بقوله جل ثناؤه (38) " أولئك لهم أجرهم "، هؤلاء الذين يؤمنون بالله وما أنـزل إليكم وما أنـزل إليهم=" لهم أجرهم عند ربهم "، يعني: لهم عوض أعمالهم التي عملوها، وثواب طاعتهم ربَّهم فيما أطاعوه فيه (39) =" عند ربهم " يعني: مذخور ذلك لهم لديه، حتى يصيروا إليه في القيامة، فيوفِّيهم ذلك =" إنّ الله سريع الحساب "، وسرعة حسابه تعالى ذكره: أنه لا يخفى عليه شيء من أعمالهم قبل أن يعملوها، وبعد ما عملوها، فلا حاجة به إلى إحصاء عدد ذلك، فيقع في الإحصاء إبطاء، فلذلك قال: " إن الله سريع الحساب ". (40) --------------------- الهوامش : (32) "العلج": الرجل من كفار العجم ، غير العرب ، والجمع"علوج" و"أعلاج". (33) الحديث: 8376 - عصام بن رواد بن الجراح: مضت ترجمته وتوثيقه: 2183. وقع هنا في المطبوعة"عصام بن زياد بن رواد بن الجراح"؛ فزيادة اسم"زياد" في نسبه لا أصل لها. وثبت في المخطوطة بحذفها ، على الصواب. أبوه"رواد بن الجراح": مضت ترجمته وتضعيفه: 126 ، 2183. أبو بكر الهذلي: سبق بيان ضعفه جدًا ، في: 597 ، وشرح: 2526. وهذا الحديث ذكره السيوطي 2: 113 ، ولم ينسبه لغير الطبري. وذكره ابن كثير 2: 330 ، عن الطبري ، ولكن في روايته خلاف في بعض لفظه لما هنا ، ولم يذكر أول إسناده. فلعله نقله عن موضع آخر من الطبري. وهذا الحديث ضعيف كما ترى ، وسيأتي قول الطبري ، ص: 499 س: 15"قيل: ذلك خبر في إسناده نظر". والضعف إنما هو في هذا الإسناد لحديث جابر ، أما أصل المعنى ، في صلاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم على النجاشي صلاة الجنازة الغائبة ، فإنه ثابت صحيح لا شك في صحته. رواه الشيخان وغيرهما من حديث جابر ، ومن حديث أبي هريرة. انظر المنتقى: 1821 - 1824. (34) في المطبوعة: "خلاف" ، والصواب ما في المخطوطة. وقوله: "بخلاف" ، أي بمخالف. (35) انظر تفسير"الخشوع" فيما سلف 2: 16 ، 17. (36) انظر معاني القرآن للفراء 1: 251. (37) انظر تفسير"الاشتراء" وتفسير"الثمن" فيما سلف قريبًا: 459 ، تعليق: 2 ، والمراجع هناك. (38) في المطبوعة: "يعني بذلك جل ثناؤه" ، والسياق يقتضي ما أثبت. (39) انظر تفسير"الأجر" فيما سلف 2: 148 ، 512 / 5: 519. (40) انظر تفسير"سريع الحساب" فيما سلف 4: 207 / 6: 279.