Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ وَلا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ (35:14) (If you call upon them, they do not hear your call; and even if they were to hear, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will reject your ascription of partnership. And none informs you like One Well-Acquainted.)

   His saying (إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ / "If you call upon them, they do not hear your call; and even if they were to hear, they would not respond to you"). The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: if you, O people, call upon these gods whom you worship besides Allah, then they do not hear your call, for they are lifeless matter that does not understand what you say. (وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ / "and even if they were to hear, they would not respond to you") He says: and even if they were to hear your call to them, and understand from you that it is your speech — were a hearing to be given to them by which they hear — then they would still not respond to you, for they are not speaking; and not everyone who hears a word is able to answer it. The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says to those who worship the gods and the idols besides Him: how then can you worship besides Allah something that has this quality, while it possesses no benefit for you and no power to harm you, and you abandon the worship of the One in whose hand lies your benefit and your harm, and who is the one who created you and bestowed favors upon you?

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

   * Mention of who said that:

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying (إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ / "If you call upon them, they do not hear your call; and even if they were to hear, they would not respond to you"), that is: they did not accept that from you, and they did not benefit you therein.

   And His saying (وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ / "And on the Day of Resurrection they will reject your ascription of partnership"). The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says to the polytheists (mushrikīn) among the idol-worshippers: and on the Day of Resurrection your gods whom you worship besides Allah will disavow having been a partner to Allah in the worldly life.

   As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: (وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ / "And on the Day of Resurrection they will reject your ascription of partnership") to them, and they will not be content with it nor acknowledge it.

   And His saying (وَلا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ / "And none informs you like One Well-Acquainted"). The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: and none informs you, O Muḥammad, about the gods of these polytheists and about what will befall their affair and the affair of their worshippers on the Day of Resurrection — namely their disavowal of them and their rejection of them — like one who has thorough knowledge of their affair and of their matter. And that One Well-Acquainted is Allah, from whom nothing is hidden, whether it has been or is yet to be, glory be to Him.

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

   * Mention of who said that:

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying (وَلا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ / "And none informs you like One Well-Acquainted"): and Allah is the One Well-Acquainted, that this will befall them on the Day of Resurrection.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ وَلا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ (14) قوله ( إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ ) &; 20-453 &; يقول تعالى ذكره: إن تدعوا أيها الناس هؤلاء الآلهة التي تعبدونها من دون الله لا يسمعوا دعاءكم؛ لأنها جماد لا تفهم عنكم ما تقولون ( وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ ) يقول: ولو سمعوا دعاءكم إياهم، وفهموا عنكم أنها قولكم، بأن جعل لهم سمع يسمعون به، ما استجابوا لكم؛ لأنها ليست ناطقة، وليس كل سامع قولا متيسرًا له الجواب عنه، يقول تعالى ذكره للمشركين به الآلهة والأوثان: فكيف تعبدون من دون الله من هذه صفته، وهو لا نفع لكم عنده، ولا قدرة له على ضركم، وتدعون عبادة الذي بيده نفعكم وضركم، وهو الذي خلقكم وأنعم عليكم. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله ( إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ ) أي: ما قبلوا ذلك عنكم، ولا نفعوكم فيه. وقوله ( وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ ) يقول تعالى ذكره للمشركين من عبدة الأوثان: ويوم القيامة تتبرأ آلهتكم التي تعبدونها من دون الله من أن تكون كانت لله شريكًا في الدنيا. كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ ) إياهم ولا يرضون ولا يقرون به. وقوله (وَلا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ) يقول تعالى ذكره: ولا يخبرك يا محمد عن آلهة هؤلاء المشركين وما يكون من أمرها وأمر عَبَدَتها يوم القيامة؛ من تبرئها منهم، وكفرها بهم، مثل ذي خبرة بأمرها وأمرهم، وذلك الخبير هو الله الذي لا يخفى عليه شيء كان أو يكون سبحانه. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل &; 20-454 &; . * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله ( وَلا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ ) والله هو الخبير أنه سيكون هذا منهم يوم القيامة.