Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Discussion of the explanation of His word: "Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Book? They are called to the Book of Allah, that it may judge between them, and then a group of them turns away while they are averse" (3:23)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: He, exalted is His praise, means by this: "Have you not seen," O Muḥammad = "those who were given a portion of the Book," He says: those who were given a share of the Book = "they are called to the Book of Allah."

   * * *

   The exegetes differed concerning "the Book" that Allah meant by His word "they are called to the Book of Allah."

   Some of them said: it is the Torah; He called them to be content with what is in it, since the sects that laid claim to the Scriptures acknowledged that [Torah] and what is in it: that they were the ordinances of Allah, before there was abrogated (nasakha) from it what was abrogated.

   Mention of who said that:

   6781 - Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Yūnus related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Abī Muḥammad, the freedman of Zayd ibn Thābit, related to me, saying: Saʿīd ibn Jubayr and ʿIkrima related to me, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered the study-house (bayt al-midrās) among a group of the Jews, and he called them to Allah. Then Nuʿaym ibn ʿAmr said to him, and al-Ḥārith ibn Zayd: What religion do you follow, O Muḥammad? He said: "The creed of Ibrāhīm and his religion." Then they both said: But Ibrāhīm was a Jew! Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to them both: Come then to the Torah, for it is [arbiter] between us and you! But they refused him that. Then Allah, mighty and exalted, revealed: "Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Book? They are called to the Book of Allah, that it may judge between them, and then a group of them turns away while they are averse," up to His word: "what they used to fabricate."

   6782 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Abī Muḥammad, the freedman of the family of Zayd, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr or ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered the study-house = and he mentioned something similar, except that he said: Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to them both: Come then to the Torah = and he also said: Then Allah revealed concerning them both: "Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Book" = and the rest of the report is like the report of Abū Kurayb.

   * * *

   And some of them said: No, rather it is the Book of Allah that He sent down to Muḥammad, and a group of them were called only to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he might judge between them with the truth, but they refused.

   Mention of who said that:

   6783 - Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: "Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Book? They are called to the Book of Allah, that it may judge between them, and then a group of them turns away while they are averse" — those are the enemies of Allah, the Jews; they were called to the Book of Allah that it might judge between them, and to His Prophet that he might judge between them, while they found him recorded with them in the Torah and the Gospel; then they turned away from him while they were averse.

   6784 - Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbdallāh ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Qatāda: "Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Book," the verse — he said: they are the Jews; they were called to the Book of Allah and to His Prophet, while they found him recorded with them; then they turn away while they are averse!

   6785 - Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning His word: "Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Book? They are called to the Book of Allah, that it may judge between them," he said: The People of the Book were called to a Book that it might judge between them with the truth, and concerning the prescribed punishments (ḥudūd). And the Prophet ﷺ called them to Islam, but they turned away from it.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The most preferable of the statements concerning the explanation of this is, in my judgment, that it be said: Verily Allah, exalted is His praise, gave news concerning a group of the Jews = those who were present in the midst of the place to which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had emigrated, in his time, among those who had been given knowledge of the Torah = that they were called to the Book of Allah which they acknowledged to be from Allah — and that is the Torah — concerning a part of that over which they and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had fallen into dispute. It is possible that their dispute in which they had become entangled, after which they were called to the judgment of the Torah therein, and they refused to comply with it, concerned the matter of Muḥammad ﷺ and the matter of his prophethood = and it is possible that that concerned the matter of Ibrāhīm, the bosom-friend of the Most Merciful, and his religion = and it is possible that that was what they were called to concerning the matter of Islam and the acknowledgment of it = and it is possible that that was concerning a prescribed punishment (ḥadd). For all of that is among that over which they had fallen into dispute with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, after which he called them therein to the judgment of the Torah, but he [the opponent] refused to comply with it, and some of them concealed it.

   There is in the verse no indication as to which of these it was; it is thus permissible to say: it is this rather than that. But we have no need of knowledge of that, for the matter to which they were called to submit to its judgment is among that which it was obligatory upon them in their religion to comply with, but they refused that. Allah, exalted is His praise, thus gave news concerning them about their apostasy (ridda), and their denial of what is in their Book, and their repudiation of that for which He had taken from them their covenants and pacts, namely that they would observe it and act according to it. For in their denial of Muḥammad and the truth he brought they do not go beyond the like of their denial of Mūsā and what he brought, while they cling to him [Mūsā] and acknowledge him.

   * * *

   The meaning of His word: "then a group of them turns away while they are averse," is: then he turns his back upon the Book of Allah to which he was called to submit to its judgment, turning away from it and recoiling, while he knows its reality and its proof.

   * * *

   We have said only that that "Book" is the Torah, because they denied the Qurʾān and affirmed the Torah according to their own claim; thus the proof against them — through their denial of that which they acknowledged according to their own claim — was stronger, and more decisive in removing every excuse.

   ---------------

   The footnotes:

   (1) See the explanation of "alam tara" (have you not seen) in what was treated earlier, 3: 160 / then 5: 429, 430.

   (2) See the explanation of "naṣīb" (portion) in what was treated earlier, 4: 206.

   (3) In the manuscript and the printed edition: "Nuʿaym ibn ʿAmr," and so it also occurs in the tafsīr of al-Qurṭubī 4: 50, and the tafsīr of al-Baghawī (in the margin of Ibn Kathīr) 2: 119; but what occurs in the report of Ibn Hishām on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq in his Sīra 2: 201 is "Nuʿmān ibn ʿAmr," and so he is also mentioned previously among the enemies of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the Sīra of Ibn Hishām 2: 161, and so it also occurs in what al-Suyūṭī brought out in al-Durr al-manthūr 2: 14, which he attributed to Ibn Isḥāq, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Abī Ḥātim. The discrepancies in the names of the Jews are numerous and confusing!!

   (4) In the printed edition: "fa-abaw ʿalayhi" (they refused, plural), and that is an intervention of the bad judgment of the first editor; the correct reading is according to the manuscript and the other reference works mentioned in the note on the following report.

   (5) "fa-halummā," that is to say in the dual; and as for the preceding report, "fa-halummū" all [in the plural]. And in the printed edition of the Sīra of Ibn Hishām 2: 201 "fa-halumma" occurs in the singular, and that is an error, for the European edition of the Sīra of Ibn Hishām, on the basis of which this edition of al-Ḥalabī was published, has as its text "fa-halummā." Thus it agreed with the report of al-Ṭabarī. This is therefore once again a falsification of the printers!! And see the precision of Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭabarī in recording the slight difference in the report, and the frivolity of the editors of our era in neglecting what is recorded and written under their hands and before their eyes!!

   (6) The two reports 6781, 6782 - Sīra of Ibn Hishām 2: 201, and the tafsīr of al-Qurṭubī 4: 50, and the tafsīr of al-Baghawī (in the margin of Ibn Kathīr) 2: 119, and al-Durr al-manthūr 2: 14.

   (7) Thus it occurred in the manuscript and the printed edition "...with the truth is, and concerning the prescribed punishments," and in al-Durr al-manthūr 2: 14 "with the truth and concerning the prescribed punishments" with the omission of "is"; and I consider neither of them to run correctly, and I prefer that the correct coherence requires that it read: "with the truth that is concerning the prescribed punishments" with the omission of the wāw. For in the report of Ibn al-Kalbī, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, it occurs: that the verse was revealed concerning the matter of the Jewish man and the Jewish woman of the People of Khaybar; they committed fornication (zinā), and the Jews were averse to their stoning (rajm) on account of their standing, and they were brought before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he judged for their stoning. Then the rabbis said: Stoning does not rest upon them! Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Between me and you both is the Torah. Then when they came with the Torah, and had reached the verse of stoning, Ibn Ṣūriyā placed his hand upon it and read what came after it. And the report is well known. Furthermore, the word of al-Ṭabarī afterward is an indication in favor of what I have said: namely his word afterward: "and it is possible that that was concerning a prescribed punishment."

   (8) In the printed edition: "and there is in the verse no indication that that came from him who refused," and that is a statement without meaning. And in the manuscript: "that that was from him who refused," which is the same; and the correct reading is what I have established. The meaning is: and there is in the verse no indication for establishing one of these causes, and which of them it was. This is an expression that occurred several times before in the word of al-Ṭabarī; see 1: 520 "and if there were in the knowledge as to which of them was which any satisfaction, He would not have relieved His servants of setting up an indication thereof..." and 2: 517 "since there was in the verse no indication as to which of which..." and 3: 64 "and we have no knowledge as to which of them was which."

   (9) In the printed edition: "to which they were called in its entirety," which is a statement without meaning. And in the manuscript: "to which they were called to bear it" without diacritical points; and the correct reading is what I have established, for the verse indicates it, namely His word, exalted is He: "they are called to the Book of Allah, that it may judge between them," and because the coherence requires what I have established. And hereafter, at line 13, will come what likewise indicates its correctness.

   (10) See the meaning of "al-tawallī" (the turning away) in what was treated earlier, p. 144, note 1, and the reference works there.

   (11) See the meaning of "al-iʿrāḍ" (the aversion) in what was treated earlier, 2: 298, 299.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْكِتَابِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّى فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ (23) قال أبو جعفر: يعني بذلك جل ثناؤه: " ألم تر "، يا محمد (1) =" إلى الذين أوتوا نصيبًا من الكتاب "، يقول: الذين أعطوا حظًّا من الكتاب =" يدْعون إلى كتاب الله ". (2) * * * واختلف أهل التأويل في" الكتاب " الذي عنى الله بقوله: " يدعون إلى كتاب الله ". فقال بعضهم: هو التوراة، دعاهم إلى الرضى بما فيها، إذ كانت الفِرَق المنتحِلةُ الكتبَ تقرُّ بها وبما فيها: أنها كانت أحكامَ الله قبل أن ينسخ منها ما نُسخ. ذكر من قال ذلك: 6781 - حدثنا أبو كريب قال، حدثنا يونس قال، حدثنا محمد بن إسحاق قال، حدثني محمد بن أبي محمد مولى زيد بن ثابت قال، حدثني سعيد بن جبير وعكرمة، عن ابن عباس قال: دخل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيت المِدْرَاس على جماعة من يهود، فدعاهم إلى الله، فقال له نعيم بن عمرو، (3) والحارث &; 6-289 &; ابن زيد: على أيّ دين أنت يا محمد؟ فقال: " على ملة إبراهيم ودينه. فقالا فإنّ إبراهيم كان يهوديًّا! فقال لهما رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: فهلمُّوا إلى التوراة، فهي بيننا وبينكم! فأبيا عليه، (4) فأنـزل الله عز وجل: " ألم تَر إلى الذين أوتوا نصيبًا من الكتاب يُدْعونَ إلى كتاب الله ليحكم بينهم ثم يَتولى فريق منهم وهم معرضون " إلى قوله: مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ . 6782 - حدثنا ابن حميد قال، حدثنا سلمة، عن محمد بن إسحاق، عن محمد بن أبي محمد مولى آل زيد، عن سعيد بن جبير أو عكرمة، عن ابن عباس، قال: دخل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: بيت المدراس = فذكر نحوه، إلا أنه قال: فقال لهما رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: فهلمَّا إلى التوراة (5) = وقال أيضًا: فأنـزل الله فيهما: " ألم تَر إلى الذين أوتوا نصيبًا من الكتاب " = وسائر الحديث مثل حديث أبي كريب. (6) * * * وقال بعضهم: بل ذلك كتابُ الله الذي أنـزله على محمد، وإنما دُعِيت طائفةٌ منهم إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليحكم بينهم بالحقّ، فأبتْ. ذكر من قال ذلك: 6783 - حدثنا بشر قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله: " ألم تر إلى الذين أوتوا نصيبًا من الكتاب يدعون إلى كتاب الله ليحكم بينهم &; 6-290 &; ثم يتولى فريق منهم وهم معرضون "، أولئك أعداء الله اليهود، دُعوا إلى كتاب الله ليحكم بينهم، وإلى نبيه ليحكم بينهم، وهم يجدونه مكتوبًا عندهم في التوراة والإنجيل، ثم تولوا عنه وهم معرضون. 6784 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا إسحاق قال، حدثنا عبد الله بن أبي جعفر، عن أبيه، عن قتادة: " ألم تر إلى الذين أوتوا نصيبًا من الكتاب "، الآية قال: هم اليهود، دُعوا إلى كتاب الله وإلى نبيه، وهم يجدونه مكتوبًا عندهم، ثم يتولون وهم معرضون! 6785 - حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج قوله: " ألم تر إلى الذين أوتوا نصيبًا من الكتاب يدعون إلى كتاب الله ليحكم بينهم "، قال: كان أهل الكتاب يُدْعون إلى كتاب ليحكم بينهم بالحق يكون، وفي الحدود. (7) وكان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يدعوهم إلى الإسلام، فيتولون عن ذلك. * * * قال أبو جعفر: وأولى الأقوال في تأويل ذلك عندي بالصواب أن يقال: إن الله جل ثناؤه أخبر عن طائفة من اليهود = الذين كانوا بين ظَهراني مُهاجَر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في عهده، ممن قد أوتي علمًا بالتوراة = أنهم دُعوا إلى كتاب الله الذي كانوا يقرّون أنه من عند الله - وهو التوراة - في بعض ما تنازعوا فيه هم ورسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. وقد يجوز أن يكون تنازعهم الذي كانوا &; 6-291 &; تنازعوا فيه، ثم دعوا إلى حكم التوراة فيه فامتنعوا من الإجابة إليه، كان أمرَ محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وأمرَ نبوته = ويجوز أن يكون ذلك كان أمرَ إبراهيم خليل الرّحمن ودينه = ويجوز أن يكون ذلك ما دُعوا إليه من أمر الإسلام والإقرار به = ويجوز أن يكون ذلك كان في حدّ. فَإن كل ذلك مما قد كانوا نازعوا فيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فدعاهم فيه إلى حكم التوراة، فأبى الإجابة فيه وكتمه بعضهم. ولا دلالة في الآية على أيّ ذلك كان من أيٍّ، (8) فيجوز أن يقال: هو هذا دون هذا. ولا حاجة بنا إلى معرفة ذلك، لأن المعنى الذي دُعوا إلى حكمه، (9) هو مما كان فرضًا عليهم الإجابة إليه في دينهم، فامتنعوا منه، فأخبر الله جل ثناؤه عنهم بردّتهم، وتكذيبهم بما في كتابهم، وجحودهم ما قد أخذ عليهم عهودَهم ومواثيقهم بإقامته والعمل به. فلن يعدُوا أن يكونوا في تكذيبهم محمدًا وما جاء به من الحق، مثلهم في تكذيبهم موسى وما جاء به وهم يتولونه ويقرّون به. * * * ومعنى قوله: " ثم يتولى فريق منهم وهم معرضون "، (10) ثم يستدبر عن كتاب الله الذي دعا إلى حكمه، معرضًا عنه منصرفًا، وهو بحقيقته وحجته عالم. (11) * * * &; 6-292 &; وإنما قلنا إن ذلك " الكتاب " هو التوراة، لأنهم كانوا بالقرآن مكذبين، وبالتوراة بزعمهم مصدّقين، فكانت الحجة عليهم بتكذيبهم بما هم به في زعمهم مقرُّون، أبلغَ، وللعذر أقطعَ. --------------- الهوامش : (1) انظر تفسير"ألم تر" فيما سلف 3: 160 / ثم 5: 429 ، 430. (2) انظر تفسير"نصيب" فيما سلف 4: 206. (3) في المخطوطة والمطبوعة: "نعيم بن عمرو" وكذلك جاء في تفسير القرطبي 4: 50 ، وتفسير البغوي (بهامش ابن كثير) 2: 119 ، ولكن الذي جاء في رواية ابن هشام عن ابن إسحاق في سيرته 2: 201 ، "نعمان بن عمرو" ، وكذلك جاء ذكره قبل ذلك في أعداء رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من سيرة ابن هشام 2: 161 ، وكذلك جاء أيضًا فيما أخرجه السيوطي في الدر المنثور 2: 14 ، ونسبه إلى ابن إسحاق ، وابن جرير ، وابن المنذر ، وابن أبي حاتم ، والاختلاف في أسماء يهود كثير مشكل!! (4) في المطبوعة: "فأبوا عليه" ، وهو تصرف من سوء رأي الناشر الأول ، والصواب من المخطوطة ، وسائر المراجع المذكورة في التعليق على الأثر التالي. (5) "فهلما" ، يعني بالتثنية ، وأما الرواية السالفة"فهلموا" جميعًا. وجاء في مطبوعة سيرة ابن هشام 2: 201"فهلم" مفردة ، وهو خطأ ، فإن النسخة الأوروبية من سيرة ابن هشام ، التي نشرت عنها طبعة الحلبي هذه ، نصها"فهلما". فوافقت رواية الطبري. فهذا تحريف آخر من الطابعين!! وانظر إلى دقة أبي جعفر الطبري في إثبات الاختلاف اليسير في الرواية ، وإلى استخفاف الناشرين من أهل دهرنا في إهمال ما هو مكتوب مرقوم بين أيديهم وتحت أبصارهم!! (6) الأثران: 6781 ، 6782 - سيرة ابن هشام 2: 201 ، وتفسير القرطبي 4: 50 ، وتفسير البغوي (بهامش ابن كثير) 2: 119 ، والدر المنثور 2: 14. (7) هكذا جاءت في المخطوطة والمطبوعة"... بالحق يكون وفي الحدود" ، وفي الدر المنثور 2: 14"بالحق وفي الحدود" بإسقاط"يكون" ، وكلتاهما لا أراها تستقيم ، وأنا أرجح أن صواب السياق يقتضي أن تكون: "بالحق يكون في الحدود" بحذف الواو. فقد جاء في رواية ابن الكلبي ، عن أبي صالح ، عن ابن عباس: أن الآية نزلت في أمر اليهودي واليهودية من أهل خيبر ، فزنيا ، فكرهت اليهود رجمهما لشرفهما ، فرفعا إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فحكم برجمهما ، فقالت الأحبار: ليس عليهما الرجم! فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: بيني وبينكما التوراة. فلما جاءوا بالتوراة ، وانتهوا إلى آية الرجم ، وضع ابن صوريا يده عليها وقرأ ما بعدها. والخبر مشهور. ثم إن كلام الطبري بعد مرجح لما قلت: وذلك قوله بعد: "ويجوز أن يكون ذلك كان في حد". (8) في المطبوعة: "ولا دلالة في الآية على أن ذلك كان ممن أبى" ، وهو كلام بلا معنى. وفي المخطوطة: "على أن ذلك كان من أبى" ، وهو مثله ، والصواب ما أثبت. والمعنى: ولا دلالة في الآية على تعيين أحد هذه الأسباب ، وأيها هو الذي كان. وهذا تعبير قد سلف مرارًا في كلام الطبري ، انظر 1: 520"ولو كان في العلم بأي ذلك من أي رضًا ، لم يخل عباده من نصب دلالة عليها..." و 2: 517"إذ لم يكن في الآية دلالة على أي من أي..." و 3: 64"ولا علم عندنا بأي ذلك كان من أي". (9) في المطبوعة: "الذي دعوا إليه جملته" ، وهو كلام لا معنى له. وفي المخطوطة: "الذي دعوا إلى حمله" غير منقوطة ، والصواب ما أثبت ، لأن الآية دالة عليه ، وذلك قوله تعالى: "يدعون إلى كتاب الله ليحكم بينهم" ولأن السياق يقتضي ما أثبت. وسيأتي ، بعد ، س: 13 ما يدل على صواب ذلك أيضًا. (10) انظر معنى"التولي" فيما سلف ص: 144 تعليق: 1 ، والمراجع هناك. (11) انظر معنى"الإعراض" فيما سلف 2: 298 ، 299.