Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   And His statement ( وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ ) ("and We did not teach him poetry, nor is it fitting for him"): He, exalted is His mention, says: and We did not teach Muḥammad poetry, and it is not fitting for him to be a poet.

   As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement ( وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ ), he said: It was said to ʿĀʾisha: Did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ever recite anything of poetry? She said: It was to him the most detestable form of speech; only he would sometimes recite a verse-line from the brother of Banū Qays, in which he would place the end of it at the front and the beginning of it at the back. Then Abū Bakr said to him: It does not go like that. Thereupon the Prophet of Allah said: "By Allah, I am no poet, and it is not fitting for me."

   And His statement ( إِنْ هُوَ إِلا ذِكْرٌ ) ("it is nothing but a reminder"): He, exalted is His mention, says: it is nothing but a reminder. By His words ( إِنْ هُوَ ) ("it") He means: Muḥammad is nothing but a reminder for you, O people; Allah has admonished you by sending him and thereby pointed you to what serves your salvation. ( وَقُرْآنٍ مُبِينٍ ) ("and a clear Qurʾān"): He says: and this which Muḥammad has brought you is a clear Qurʾān. He says: it makes clear to whoever reflects upon it with reason and insight that it is a revelation from Allah, which He has sent down to Muḥammad, and that it is not poetry and is not connected with a soothsayer.

   As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda ( وَقُرْآنٍ مُبِينٍ ), he said: this is the Qurʾān.

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله ( وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: وما علَّمنا محمدا الشعر، وما ينبغي له أن يكون شاعرا. كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ ) قال: قيل لعائشة: هل كان رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم يتمثل بشيء من الشعر؟ قالت: كان أبغض الحديث إليه، غير أنه كان يتمثَّل ببيت أخي بني قيس، فيجعل آخره أوله، وأوله آخره، فقال له أبو بكر: إنه ليس هكذا، فقال نبي الله: " إني وَاللهِ ما أنا بِشاعِرٍ، وَلا يَنْبَغِي لي". وقوله ( إِنْ هُوَ إِلا ذِكْرٌ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: ما هو إلا ذكر، يعني بقوله) إنْ هُوَ) أي: محمد إلا ذكر لكم أيها الناس، ذكركم الله بإرساله إياه إليكم، ونبهكم به على حظكم ( وَقُرْآنٍ مُبِينٍ ) يقول: وهذا الذي جاءكم به محمد قرآن مبين، يقول: يَبِين لمن تدبَّره بعقل ولب، أنه تنـزيل من الله أنـزله إلى محمد، وأنه ليس بشعر ولا مع كاهن. كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( وَقُرْآنٍ مُبِينٍ ) قال: هذا القرآن .