Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالا مُبِينًا (36) (And it is not for a believing man nor a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should still have a free choice in their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has clearly gone astray. (36))

   The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: It was not fitting for a believer in Allah and His Messenger, nor for a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger had made a decision concerning themselves, that they should choose in their affair something other than what He had decided concerning them, and that they should contradict the command of Allah and the command of His Messenger and the decision of them both, and thereby be disobedient to them. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger in what they have commanded or forbidden, فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالا مُبِينًا (has clearly gone astray). He says: he has deviated from the straight way and trodden a path other than the path of guidance and uprightness.

   And it has been mentioned that this verse was sent down concerning Zaynab bint Jaḥsh, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked for her hand in marriage on behalf of his client Zayd ibn Ḥāritha, and she refused to be given in marriage to him.

   * Mention of who said that:

   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, His saying: وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا .... (And it is not for a believing man nor a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter ...) to the end of the verse. And that was because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out to ask for a hand in marriage on behalf of his client Zayd ibn Ḥāritha, and he entered upon Zaynab bint Jaḥsh al-Asadiyya and asked for her hand in marriage. She said: I will not marry him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Then marry him. She said: O Messenger of Allah, may I dispose of myself as I choose? And while the two of them were conversing, Allah sent down this verse to His Messenger: وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ .... (And it is not for a believing man nor a believing woman ...) up to His saying ضَلالا مُبِينًا (clearly astray). She said: Have you approved him for me as a husband, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "Yes." She said: Then I will not disobey the Messenger of Allah; I have given myself in marriage to him.

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Waraqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, His saying: أنْ تَكُونَ لَهُمُ الخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أمْرِهِمْ (that they should still have a free choice in their affair). He said: Zaynab bint Jaḥsh and her aversion to marrying Zayd ibn Ḥāritha, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded her to do so.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, His saying: وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الخِيرَةُ مِنْ أمْرِهِمْ (And it is not for a believing man nor a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should still have a free choice in their affair). He said: This verse was sent down concerning Zaynab bint Jaḥsh, and she was the daughter of the paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked for her hand in marriage, and she consented and supposed that he was asking for her hand for himself. But when she learned that he was asking for her hand on behalf of Zayd ibn Ḥāritha, she refused and rejected it. Then Allah sent down: وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا أنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الخِيرَةُ مِنْ أمْرِهِمْ (And it is not for a believing man nor a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should still have a free choice in their affair). He said: Thereafter she consented to him and was content.

   Abū ʿUbayd al-Waṣṣāfī related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn Ḥimyar related to us, saying: Ibn Lahīʿa related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿAmra, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked for the hand of Zaynab bint Jaḥsh in marriage on behalf of Zayd ibn Ḥāritha, but she turned away from him in disdain and said: I am nobler in lineage than he — and she was a woman of fierce temperament. Then Allah sent down: وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا .... (And it is not for a believing man nor a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter ...), the whole verse.

   And it has been said: It was sent down concerning Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ, and that was because she had given herself to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whereupon he gave her in marriage to Zayd ibn Ḥāritha.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying: وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا .... (And it is not for a believing man nor a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter ...) to the end of the verse; he said: It was sent down concerning Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ, and she was among the first of the women who emigrated. She gave herself to the Prophet ﷺ, whereupon he gave her in marriage to Zayd ibn Ḥāritha. Then she and her brother became indignant, and they said: We wanted only the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he has given us in marriage to his slave. He said: Then the Qurʾān was sent down: وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا أنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الخِيرَةُ مِنْ أمْرِهِمْ .... (And it is not for a believing man nor a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should still have a free choice in their affair ...) to the end of the verse. He said: And there came a command more comprehensive than this: النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ (The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves). He said: That latter is particular, and this is general.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالا مُبِينًا (36) يقول تعالى ذكره: لم يكن لمؤمن بالله ورسوله، ولا مؤمنة إذا قضى الله ورسوله في أنفسهم قضاء أن يتخيروا من أمرهم غير الذي قضى فيهم، ويخالفوا أمر الله وأمر رسوله وقضاءهما فيعصوهما، ومن يعص الله ورسوله فيما أمرا أو نهيا(فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالا مُبِينًا) يقول: فقد جار عن قصد السبيل، وسلك غير سبيل الهدى والرشاد. وذكر أن هذه الآية نـزلت في زينب بنت جحش حين خطبها رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم على فتاه زيد بن حارثة، فامتنعت من إنكاحه نفسها. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أبي، قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس قوله (وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا ....) إلى آخر الآية، وذلك أن رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم انطلق يخطب على فتاه زيد بن حارثة، فدخل على زينب بنت جحش الأسدية فخطبها، فقالت: لست بناكحته، فقال رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: فانكحيه، فقالت: يا رسول الله أؤمر في نفسي، فبينما هما يتحدثان أنـزل الله هذه الآية على رسوله (وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ ....) إلى قوله (ضَلالا مُبِينًا) قالت: قد رضيته لي يا رسول الله مَنكحًا؟ قال: " نعم " قالت: إذن لا أعصي رسول الله، قد أنكحته نفسي. حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أَبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى، وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء، جميعا عن ابن أَبي نجيح، عن مجاهد قوله (أنْ تَكُونَ لَهُمُ الخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أمْرِهِمْ) قال: زينب بنت جحش وكراهتها نكاح زيد بن حارثة حين أمرها به رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم . حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله (وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الخِيرَةُ مِنْ أمْرِهِمْ) قال: نـزلت هذه الآية في زينب بنت جحش، وكانت بنت عمة رسول الله &; 20-272 &; صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم ، فخطبها رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم فرضيت ورأت أنه يخطبها على نفسه، فلما علمت أنه يخطبها على زيد بن حارثة أبت وأنكرت، فأنـزل الله (وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا أنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الخِيرَةُ مِنْ أمْرِهِمْ) قال: فتابعته بعد ذلك ورضيت. حدثني أَبو عبيد الوصافي، قال: ثنا محمد بن حمير، قال: ثنا ابن لهيعة، عن ابن أَبي عمرة، عن عكرمة، عن ابن عباس قال: خطب رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم زينب بنت جحش لزيد بن حارثة، فاستنكفت منه وقالت: أنا خير منه حسبا وكانت امرأة فيها حدة؛ فأنـزل الله (وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا ....) الآية كلها. وقيل: نـزلت في أم كلثوم بنت عقبة بن أبي معيط، وذلك أنها وهبت نفسها لرسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم فزوجها زيد بن حارثة. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد في قوله (وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا ....) إلى آخر الآية، قال: نـزلت في أم كلثوم بنت عقبة بن أبي معيط، وكانت من أول من هاجر من النساء، فوهبت نفسها للنبي صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم ، فزوجها زيد بن حارثة، فسخطت هي وأخوها، وقالا إنما أردنا رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم فزوجنا عبده. قال: فنـزل القرآن (وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا أنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الخِيرَةُ مِنْ أمْرِهِمْ ....) إلى آخر الآية. قال: وجاء أمر أجمع من هذا النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ قال: فذاك خاص، وهذا إجماع.