Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   ( Then we would surely have been sincere servants of Allah ) — that is, those whom He has made pure for His worship and whom He has chosen for His paradise (janna).

   And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes (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 word ( And they indeed used to say: "If only we had a reminder from the ancients, then we would surely have been sincere servants of Allah" ). He said: This people had already said that before Muḥammad ﷺ was sent: "If only we had a reminder from the ancients, then we would surely have been sincere servants of Allah." But when Muḥammad ﷺ came to them, they denied him; and they will come to know.

   Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word ( a reminder from the ancients ). He said: These were people from the polytheists (mushrikīn) of the Arabs who said: "If only we had a scripture from the scriptures of the ancients, or if only knowledge from the knowledge of the ancients came to us." He said: Muḥammad has already come to you with that.

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said: The discourse returns to the ancients, the people of ascribing partners to Allah (shirk): ( And they indeed used to say: "If only we had a reminder from the ancients" ).

   It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word ( If only we had a reminder from the ancients, then we would surely have been sincere servants of Allah ): This is the statement of the polytheists of the people of Mecca. But when the reminder of the ancients and the knowledge of the latter came to them, they denied it; and they will come to know.

   Show original Arabic

   ( لَكُنَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ ) الذين أخلصهم لعبادته، واصطفاهم لجنته. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( وَإِنْ كَانُوا لَيَقُولُونَ لَوْ أَنَّ عِنْدَنَا ذِكْرًا مِنَ الأوَّلِينَ لَكُنَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ ) قال: قد قالت هذه الأمة ذاك قبل أن يبعث محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم : لو كان عندنا ذكر من الأولين، لكنا عباد الله المخلصين; فلما جاءهم محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم كفروا به، فسوف يعلمون. حدثنا محمد بن الحسين، قال: ثنا أحمد بن المفضل، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السديّ في قوله ( ذِكْرًا مِنَ الأوَّلِينَ ) قال: هؤلاء ناس من مشركي العرب قالوا: لو أن عندنا كتابا من كتب الأولين، أو جاءنا علم من علم الأولين قال: قد جاءكم محمد بذلك. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد: رجع الحديث إلى الأولين أهل الشرك ( وَإِنْ كَانُوا لَيَقُولُونَ لَوْ أَنَّ عِنْدَنَا ذِكْرًا مِنَ الأوَّلِينَ ) حُدثت عن الحسين، قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: أخبرنا عبيد، قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله ( لَوْ أَنَّ عِنْدَنَا ذِكْرًا مِنَ الأوَّلِينَ لَكُنَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ ) هذا قول مشركي أهل مكة، فلما جاءهم ذكر الأولين وعلم الآخرين، كفروا به فسوف يعلمون.