Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Allah says to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: Say to them, O Muhammad: (Indeed, my Lord extends provision) of sustenance and prosperity in this world (for whom He wills) of His creatures (and He restricts it), so that He makes it scarce for whom He wills — not out of love for the one for whom He extends it, nor because there would be any good or any privileged nearness in him whereby he would have merited that with Him, nor out of aversion toward the one for whom He restricts it or out of hatred. Rather, He does that as a trial for His servants and as a test. Most people do not know that Allah does that as a trial for His servants, but they suppose that it proceeds from Him out of love toward the one for whom He extends it and out of hatred toward the one for whom He restricts it.

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

   * Mention of who said that:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word And neither your wealth nor your children are that which brings you nearer to Us in privileged nearness… — the entire āyah —, he said: They said, "We have more wealth and children," whereupon Allah informed them that it is not your wealth and not your children that are what brings you nearer to Us in privileged nearness except whoever believes and performs righteous deeds. He said: And this is the statement of the polytheists (mushrikīn) to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his companions; they said, "Had Allah not been pleased with us, He would not have given us this," just as Qārūn said, "Were it not that Allah was pleased with me and with my state, He would not have given me this." He said: Did he not then know that Allah had already destroyed before him generations… — to the end of the āyah.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول الله لنبيه محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: قل لهم يا محمد (إِنَّ رَبِّي يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ) من المعاش والرياش في الدنيا(لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ) من خلقه (وَيَقْدِرُ) فيضيق على من يشاء لا لمحبة فيمن يبسط له ذلك ولا خير فيه ولا زلفة له استحق بها منه، ولا لبغض منه لمن قدر عليه ذلك ولا مقت، ولكنه يفعل ذلك محنة لعباده وابتلاء، وأكثر الناس لا يعلمون أن الله يفعل ذلك اختبارًا لعباده ولكنهم يظنون أن ذلك منه محبة لمن بسط له ومقت لمن قدر عليه. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله وَمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلا أَوْلادُكُمْ بِالَّتِي تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِنْدَنَا زُلْفَى ... الآية، قال: قالوا: نحن أكثر أموالا وأولادًا، فأخبرهم الله أنه ليست أموالكم ولا أولادكم بالتي تقربكم عندنا زلفى إِلا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ، قال: وهذا قول المشركين لرسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم وأصحابه، قالوا: لو لم يكن الله عنا راضيًا لم يعطنا هذا، كما قال قارون: لولا أن الله رضِيَ بي وبحالي ما أعطاني هذا، قال: أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ ... إلى آخر الآية.