Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they should pass away; and if they were both to pass away, none could hold them after Him. Indeed, He is Forbearing, Forgiving (41)

   The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: (Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth) lest they should pass away from their places. (And if they were both to pass away) — He says: and if they were both to pass away, (none could hold them after Him) — He says: none besides Him would hold them. And "laʾin" (and if) in His saying (and if they were both to pass away) is placed in the position of "law" (if), because both are answered with one and the same answer, so that they resemble one another in meaning. A similar case is His saying And if We were to send a wind and they were to see it turn yellow, they would surely persist in disbelief thereafter with the meaning: and if We were to send a wind; and as He said And if you were to come to those who have been given the Book with the meaning: if you were to come. And we have already expounded that earlier in a manner that makes it unnecessary to repeat it in this place.

   And in agreement with what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) also 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 ( Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they should pass away ) — from their place.

   Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Abū Wāʾil, who said: a man came to ʿAbd Allāh and said: where do you come from? He said: from Syria. He said: whom did you meet? He said: I met Kaʿb. He said: what did Kaʿb tell you? He said: he told me that the heavens revolve upon the shoulder of an angel. He said: did you believe him or disbelieve him? He said: I neither believed him nor disbelieved him. He said: I would wish that you had ransomed your journey to him with your mount and its saddle; Kaʿb has lied, for Allah says ( Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they should pass away; and if they were both to pass away, none could hold them after Him ).

   Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Mughīra, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, who said: Jundab al-Bajalī went to Kaʿb al-Aḥbār and came to him, and then returned. ʿAbd Allāh said to him: tell us what he told you. He said: he told me that the heaven stands upon an axle like the axle of the mill, and the axle is a pillar upon the shoulder of an angel. ʿAbd Allāh said: I would wish that you had ransomed your journey with the equivalent value of your mount. Then he said: Judaism has crept into the heart of a servant, so that it had almost departed from him. Then he said ( Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they should pass away ) — it suffices as passing away that they should revolve.

   And His saying (Indeed, He is Forbearing, Forgiving) — the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: indeed, Allah is Forbearing toward those of His creatures who associate partners with Him and disbelieve in Him, in that He refrains from hastening His punishment upon him; Forgiving of the sins of those of them who repent and turn to belief in Him and to performing what is pleasing to Him.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ أَنْ تَزُولا وَلَئِنْ زَالَتَا إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا (41) يقول تعالى ذكره: (إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ) لئلا تزولا من أماكنهما(وَلَئِنْ زَالَتَا) يقول: ولو زالتا(إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ) يقول: ما أمسكهما أحد سواه. ووضعت " لئن " في قوله (وَلَئِنْ زَالَتَا) في موضع " لو " لأنهما يجابان بجواب واحد، فيتشابهان في المعنى، ونظير ذلك قوله وَلَئِنْ أَرْسَلْنَا رِيحًا فَرَأَوْهُ مُصْفَرًّا لَظَلُّوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ يَكْفُرُونَ بمعنى: ولو أرسلنا ريحًا، وكما قال وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ بمعنى: لو أتيت. وقد بيَّنا ذلك فيما مضى بما أغنى عن إعادته في هذا الموضع. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله ( إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ أَنْ تَزُولا ) من مكانهما. حدثنا ابن بشار قال: ثنا عبد الرحمن قال: ثنا سفيان عن الأعمش عن أَبي وائل قال: جاء رجل إلى عبد الله فقال: من أين جئت ؟ قال: من الشأم. قال: من لَقيتَ؟ قال: لقيتُ كعبًا. فقال: ما حدثك كعب ؟ قال: حدثني أن السماوات تدور على منكب ملك. قال: فصدقته أو كذبته ؟ قال: ما صدقته ولا كذبته. قال: لوددت أنك افتديت من رحلتك إليه براحلتك ورحلها، وكذب كعب، إن الله يقول ( إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ أَنْ تَزُولا وَلَئِنْ زَالَتَا إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ ). حدثنا جرير عن مغيرة عن إبراهيم قال: ذهب جُندَب البَجَلي إلى كعب الأحبار فقدم عليه ثم رجع فقال له عبد الله: حدثنا ما حدثك. فقال: حدثني أن السماء في قطب كقطب الرحا، والقطب عمود على منكب ملك. قال عبد الله: لوددت أنك افتديت رحلتك بمثل راحلتك، ثم قال: ما تنتكت اليهودية في قلب عبد فكادت أن تفارقه، ثم قال ( إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ أَنْ تَزُولا ) كفى بها زوالا أن تدور. وقوله (إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا) يقول تعالى ذكره: إن الله كان حليمًا عمن أشرك وكفر به من خلقه فى تركه تعجيل عذابه له، غفورًا لذنوب من تاب منهم، وأناب إلى الإيمان به، والعمل بما يرضيه.