Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The statement concerning the explanation of the words of the Exalted: وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا لِكَيْ لا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولا ("And when you said to him upon whom Allah had bestowed favour and upon whom you had bestowed favour: 'Keep your wife to yourself and fear Allah,' and you concealed within yourself what Allah was to make manifest, and you feared the people while Allah has more right that you should fear Him. So when Zayd had fulfilled his need of her, We gave her to you in marriage, so that there should be no objection for the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons, when they have fulfilled their need of them. And the command of Allah is carried out") (37).

   The Exalted, Whose mention is lofty, says to His Prophet ﷺ, by way of Allah's reproach to him: and (remember), O Muḥammad, إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ ("when you said to him upon whom Allah had bestowed favour") with guidance, وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ ("and upon whom you had bestowed favour") with manumission (ʿitq) — namely Zayd ibn Ḥāritha, the freedman (mawlā) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ ("keep your wife to yourself and fear Allah"). And that was because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw Zaynab bint Jaḥsh — according to what is reported — and she pleased him, while she was in the marriage bond of his freedman. Then an aversion to her was cast into the heart of Zayd, on account of what Allah knew of what had occurred in the heart of His Prophet. Thus Zayd wished to separate from her, and he mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ ("keep your wife to yourself"), while he ﷺ longed for her to be separated from him, so that he might marry her. وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ ("and fear Allah") — and be wary of Allah concerning the duty you owe toward your wife. وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ("and you conceal within yourself what Allah will make manifest"). He says: and you conceal within yourself the wish that he might separate from her, so that you might marry her if he separated from her; and Allah will make manifest what you conceal of that within yourself. وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ ("and you fear the people while Allah has more right that you should fear Him"). The Exalted, Whose mention is lofty, says: and you fear that the people will say: he commanded a man to divorce his wife and then married her when he had divorced her; and Allah has more right that you should fear Him than the people.

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, the scholars of interpretation have spoken.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ ("and when you said to him upon whom Allah had bestowed favour") — and that is Zayd, upon whom Allah had bestowed favour with Islam — وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ ("and upon whom you had bestowed favour") — the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had manumitted him — أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ("keep your wife to yourself and fear Allah, and you conceal within yourself what Allah will make manifest"). He said: and he concealed within himself the wish that he might divorce her. Al-Ḥasan said: no verse was revealed to him that was heavier upon him than this: His statement وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ("and you conceal within yourself what Allah will make manifest"); and had the Prophet of Allah ﷺ concealed anything of the revelation, he would have concealed this. وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ ("and you fear the people while Allah has more right that you should fear Him"). He said: the Prophet of Allah ﷺ feared the talk of the people.

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said: the Prophet ﷺ had given Zayd ibn Ḥāritha in marriage to Zaynab bint Jaḥsh, the daughter of his paternal aunt. One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out, wishing to visit him (Zayd), and over the door hung a curtain of hers. The wind lifted the curtain, so that it blew aside, while she was in her chamber unveiled. Then her charm fell into the heart of the Prophet ﷺ. And when that happened, she was made disagreeable to the other (Zayd). He came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I wish to separate from my wife." He said: "What is the matter? Has something about her troubled you?" He said: "No, by Allah, nothing about her has troubled me, O Messenger of Allah, and I have seen only good." Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: "Keep your wife to yourself and fear Allah." And that is the statement of Allah the Exalted: وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ("And when you said to him upon whom Allah had bestowed favour and upon whom you had bestowed favour: 'Keep your wife to yourself and fear Allah,' and you concealed within yourself what Allah was to make manifest") — you conceal within yourself: if he separates from her, I will marry her.

   Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Jurashī related to me, saying: Ḥammād ibn Zayd related to us, on the authority of Thābit, on the authority of Abū Ḥamza, who said: this verse وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ("and you conceal within yourself what Allah will make manifest") was revealed concerning Zaynab bint Jaḥsh.

   Khallād ibn Aslam related to us, saying: Sufyān ibn ʿUyayna related to us, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Zayd ibn Judʿān, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Ḥusayn, who said: Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, had informed His Prophet ﷺ that Zaynab would be among his wives. So when Zayd came to him to complain about her, he said: "Fear Allah and keep your wife to yourself." Allah said: وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ("and you conceal within yourself what Allah will make manifest").

   Isḥāq ibn Shāhīn related to me, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of ʿĀmir, on the authority of ʿĀʾisha, who said: had the Messenger of Allah ﷺ concealed anything of what was revealed to him of the Book of Allah, he would have concealed: وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ ("and you conceal within yourself what Allah will make manifest, and you fear the people while Allah has more right that you should fear Him").

   And His statement: فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا ("So when Zayd had fulfilled his need of her, We gave her to you in marriage"). The Exalted, Whose mention is lofty, says: when Zayd ibn Ḥāritha had fulfilled his need of Zaynab — and that is the waṭar (need) — of which there is also the saying of the poet:

   "He bade me farewell before I bade him farewell, when he had fulfilled his need (waṭar) of our youth." (1)

   زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا ("We gave her to you in marriage"). He says: We gave Zaynab to you in marriage, after Zayd had divorced her and she had been separated from him; لِكَيْ لا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ ("so that there should be no objection for the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons") — that is to say: concerning the marrying of the wives of those whom they have adopted as sons, while they are not their actual sons or children, when they (the adopted sons) have divorced them and they have been separated from them — إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا ("when they have fulfilled their need of them"). He says: when they have fulfilled their needs and desires of them, and have separated from them, and they have become permitted to others, without this entailing any yielding on their part in favour of them (the adopters). وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولا ("And the command of Allah is carried out"). He says: and what Allah has decreed as ordainment is carried out — that is to say: it comes to pass inevitably. And what is meant by this is that the decree of Allah concerning Zaynab — that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would marry her — was carried out, executed, and came to pass.

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, the scholars of interpretation have spoken.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his statement: لِكَيْ لا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا ("so that there should be no objection for the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons, when they have fulfilled their need of them"). He says: when they have divorced them. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had adopted Zayd ibn Ḥāritha as a son.

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning his statement: فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا .... ("So when Zayd had fulfilled his need of her...") up to his statement وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولا ("And the command of Allah is carried out"): when that is from him (the adopted son), without its entailing any yielding in your favour. And that is the statement of Allah: وَحَلائِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلابِكُمْ ("and the wives of your sons who are from your loins").

   Muḥammad ibn ʿUthmān al-Wāsiṭī related to me, saying: Jaʿfar ibn ʿAwn related to us, on the authority of al-Muʿallā ibn ʿIrfān, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jaḥsh, who said: ʿĀʾisha and Zaynab vaunted themselves over one another. He said: Zaynab then said: "I am the one whose marriage was sent down (revealed)."

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Mughīra, on the authority of al-Shaʿbī, who said: Zaynab, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, said to the Prophet ﷺ: "Indeed, I vaunt myself over you with three things that no wife of your wives possesses to vaunt herself with: that my grandfather and your grandfather are one, and that Allah gave me to you in marriage from the heavens, and that the intermediary (al-safīr) was Jibrāʾīl, peace be upon him."

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   The footnotes:

   (1) In (al-Lisān: waṭar). Al-Zajjāj said: al-waṭar and al-arab have the same meaning. Then he said: al-Khalīl said: al-waṭar is every need in which you have a striving; when someone attains it, one says: he has fulfilled his waṭar and his arab. No verb is derived from it. And the relevance of the citation in the verse lies in: the word al-waṭar in the meaning of need.

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   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا لِكَيْ لا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولا (37) يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم عتابا من الله له (و) اذكر يا محمد (إذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ) بالهداية (وَأنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ) بالعتق، يعني زيد بن حارثة مولى رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم (أمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ) وذلك أن زينب بنت جحش فيما ذكر رآها رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم فأعجبته، وهي في حبال مولاه، فألقِي في نفس زيد كراهتها لما علم الله مما وقع في نفس نبيه ما وقع، فأراد فراقها، فذكر ذلك لرسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم زيد، فقال له رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: (أمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ) وهو صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم يحب أن تكون قد بانت منه لينكحها(وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ) وخف الله في الواجب له عليك في زوجتك ( وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ) يقول: وتخفي في نفسك محبة فراقه إياها لتتزوجها إن هو فارقها، والله مبد ما تخفي في نفسك من ذلك ( وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: وتخاف أن يقول الناس: أمر رجلا بطلاق امرأته ونكحها حين طلقها، والله أحق أن تخشاه من الناس. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة (وَإذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ) وهو زيد أنعم الله عليه بالإسلام (وَأنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ) أعتقه رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: (أمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ) قال: وكان يخفي في نفسه ودَّ أنه طلقها. قال الحسن: ما أنـزلت عليه آية كانت أشد عليه منها؛ قوله (وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ) ولو كان نبي الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم كاتما شيئا من الوحي لكتمها( وَتَخْشَى &; 20-274 &; النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ ) قال: خشِي نبي الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم مقالة الناس. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد: كان النبي صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم قد زوج زيد بن حارثة زينب بنت جحش، ابنة عمته، فخرج رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم يومًا يريده وعلى الباب ستر من شعر، فرفعت الريح الستر فانكشف، وهي في حجرتها حاسرة، فوقع إعجابها في قلب النبي صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم، فلما وقع ذلك كرِّهت إلى الآخر، فجاء فقال: يا رسول الله إني أريد أن أفارق صاحبتي، قال: ما ذاك، أرابك منها شيء؟ " قال: لا والله ما رابني منها شيء يا رسول الله، ولا رأيت إلا خيرًا، فقال له رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: أمسك عليك زوجك واتق الله، فذلك قول الله تعالى ( وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ) تخفي في نفسك إن فارقها تزوجتها. حدثني محمد بن موسى الجرشي، قال: ثنا حماد بن زيد، عن ثابت، عن أَبي حمزة قال: نـزلت هذه الآية ( وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ) في زينب بنت جحش. حدثنا خلاد بن أسلم، قال: ثنا سفيان بن عيينة، عن علي بن زيد بن جدعان، عن علي بن حسين قال: كان الله تبارك وتعالى أعلم نبيه صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم أن زينب ستكون من أزواجه، فلما أتاه زيد يشكوها، قال: اتق الله وأمسك عليك زوجك، قال الله: ( وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ) . حدثني إسحاق بن شاهين، قال: ثنا داود، عن عامر، عن عائشة، قالت: لو كتم رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم شيئا مما أوحي إليه من كتاب الله لكتم ( وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ ) . وقوله: ( فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا ) يقول تعالى ذكره: فلما قضى زيد بن حارثة من زينب حاجته، وهي الوطر، ومنه قول الشاعر: وَدَّعَنـــي قَبْـــلَ أن أُوَدِّعَـــهُ لمَّــا قَضَــى مِـنْ شَـبابِنا وَطَـرَا (1) (زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا) يقول: زوجناك زينب بعد ما طلقها زيد وبانت منه؛( لِكَيْ لا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ ) يعني: في نكاح نساء من تبنوا وليسوا ببنيهم ولا أولادهم على صحة إذا هم طلقوهن وبِنَّ منهم ( إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا ) يقول: إذا قضوا منهن حاجاتهم وآرابهم، وفارقوهن وحللن لغيرهم، ولم يكن ذلك نـزولا منهم لهم عنهن ( وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولا ) يقول: وكان ما قضى الله من قضاء مفعولا أي: كائنا كان لا محالة. وإنما يعني بذلك أن قضاء الله في زينب أن يتزوجها رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم كان ماضيا مفعولا كائنا. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله ( لِكَيْ لا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا ) يقول: إذا طلقوهن، وكان رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم تبنى زيد بن حارثة. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله (فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا ....) إلى قوله (وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولا) إذا كان ذلك منه غير نازل لك، فذلك قول الله وَحَلائِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلابِكُمْ . حدثني محمد بن عثمان الواسطي، قال: ثنا جعفر بن عون، عن المعلى بن عرفان، عن محمد بن عبد الله بن جحش. قال: تفاخرت عائشة وزينب، قال: فقالت زينب: أنا الذي نـزل تزويجي . حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا جرير، عن مغيرة، عن الشعبي، قال: كانت زينب زوج النبي صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم تقول للنبي صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: إني لأدل عليك بثلاث ما من نسائك امرأة تدل بهن؛ إن جدي وجدك واحد، وإني أنكحنيك الله من السماء، وإن السفير لجبرائيل عليه السلام. ------------------------ الهوامش: (1) في (اللسان: وطر). قال الزجاج: الوطر والأرب: بمعنى واحد. ثم قال: قال الخليل: الوطر كل حاجة يكون لك فيها همة فإذا بلغها البالغ قيل: قضى وطره وأربه. ولا يبني منه فعل. ومحل الشاهد في البيت: لفظة الوطر بمعنى الحاجة.