Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   And His statement لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl") means: in this wine there is no ghawl — that is, it does not rob them of their reason. He says: this wine does not make the reason of its drinkers disappear, as the wines of the people of this world do when they drink them and take of them abundantly. As the poet said:

   And the cup kept snatching us away, taking one after another.

   The Arabs say: "laysa fīhā ghīla wa-ghāʾila wa-ghawl" — these three all have the same meaning. The word "ghawl" is in the nominative (rafʿ) and is not put in the accusative with "lā," because of the intrusion of the particle of determination (the preposition "fīhā") between "lā" and "al-ghawl." Thus the Arabs also act in the case of negation (al-tabriʾa): when they place between "lā" and the noun one of the prepositional particles, they raise the noun to the nominative and do not put it in the accusative.

   It is also possible that His statement لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl") has the meaning: therein is nothing that afflicts them with unpleasantness. That is so because the Arabs, concerning a man who is struck by something unpleasant or overcome by a great calamity, say: "ghāla fulānan ghawlun" (a ghawl has struck so-and-so). And the exegetes differed over the interpretation of it. Some of them said: its meaning is: therein is no headache.

   * Mention of who said that:

   ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl"), he says: therein is no headache.

   And others said: no, its meaning is: therein is no torment by which their bellies would complain.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl"), he said: it is the wine in which there is no belly-ache.

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl"), he said: belly-ache.

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl"), he said: the ghawl is that which pains the bellies, and the drinker of wine complains here of his belly.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl"), he says: therein is no belly-ache and no headache.

   And others said: its meaning is: that it does not rob them of their reason.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl"), he said: it does not rob them of their reason.

   And others said: no, its meaning is: therein is no torment and nothing unpleasant.

   * Mention of who said that:

   It was related to me on the authority of Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā ibn Abī Zāʾida, on the authority of Isrāʾīl, on the authority of Sālim al-Afṭas, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning His statement لا فيها غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl"), he said: neither torment nor anything unpleasant.

   Muḥammad ibn Sinān al-Qazzāz related to us, saying: ʿAbdallāh ibn Yazīʿa related to us, saying: Isrāʾīl informed us, on the authority of Sālim, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning His statement لا فيها غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl"), he said: therein is no torment and nothing unpleasant.

   And others said: no, its meaning is: therein is no sin.

   All these statements that we have mentioned have each their basis. That is so because the "ghawl" in the language of the Arabs is that which overwhelms a person and carries him off. Everyone who is struck by something he detests — for that they set this as a proverb and said: "ghālat fulānan ghawlun" (a ghawl has struck so-and-so). So the one whose reason disappears through drinking the drink, and the one who complains of his belly because of it, and the one whose head aches from it, and the one who is struck by something unpleasant because of it — for all of them a ghawl has struck them.

   If that is so, and Allah, exalted is His remembrance, has denied of the drink of the Garden (janna) that there should be in it a ghawl, then the most fitting to His description is that it be said about it as the Exalted said: لا فِيها غَوْلٌ ("therein is no ghawl"), so that it denies all the meanings of the ghawl of it in general. And the most comprehensive of that is that one says: therein is no torment and nothing unpleasant for its drinkers, neither in body, nor in reason, nor otherwise.

   The Qurʾān reciters differed in the recitation of His statement وَلا هُمْ عَنْها يُنـزفُونَ ("and they are not by it intoxicated/exhausted"). The majority of the reciters of Medina and Basra and a portion of the reciters of Kūfa read it as "yunzafūn" with a fatḥa on the zāy, with the meaning: and their reason is not taken away by drinking it. And the majority of the reciters of Kūfa read that as وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ with a kasra on the zāy, with the meaning: and their drink does not run out through drinking it.

   And the correct view concerning this is that they are two well-known recitations, both correct in meaning and not mutually contradictory. With whichever of the two the reciter recites, he has the correct one, because the people of the Garden both have a drink that does not run out, and their drinking of it does not make them drunk so that their reason would disappear.

   And the exegetes differed over the meaning of that. Some of them said: its meaning is: their reason does not disappear.

   * Mention of who said that:

   ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: وَلا هُمْ عنْها يُنـزفُونَ ("and they are not by it intoxicated"), he says: their reason does not disappear.

   Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ("and they are not by it intoxicated"), he said: they are not intoxicated so that their reason would disappear.

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ("and they are not by it intoxicated"), he said: their reason does not disappear.

   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 statement وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ("and they are not by it intoxicated"), he said: their reason is not taken away.

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ("and they are not by it intoxicated"), he said: the reason is not taken away.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ("and they are not by it intoxicated"), he said: it does not overpower their reason.

   And this interpretation that we have transmitted from those from whom we have transmitted it — the transmitters did not make clear to us to which recitation this interpretation pertains. It is possible that this is the interpretation of the recitation of both the one who reads it as "yanzifūn" and the one who reads it as "yunzafūn" — both. That is so because the Arabs say: "nazafa al-rajulu fa-huwa manzūfun" (the man is intoxicated, so he is exhausted of reason) when his reason disappears through drunkenness, and also "anzafa fa-huwa munzifun"; both forms are transmitted from them for the disappearance of the reason through drunkenness. But when the wine of a people runs out, then I have only heard "anzafa al-qawmu" with the alif for that. And to the "inzāf" in the meaning of the disappearance of the reason through drunkenness belongs the statement of al-Abayrid:

   By my life, whether you were intoxicated or sober, evil drinking-companions you were, O clan of Abjar.

   ------------------------

   Footnotes:

   (2) The verse belongs to the proof-verses of Abū ʿUbayda in Majāz al-Qurʾān. He said: "lā fīhā ghawl": its purport is: therein is no ghawl. And the ghawl is that it robs them of their reason. The poet said: "wa-mā zālati l-kaʾsu … (the verse)." And al-Farrāʾ said in Maʿānī al-Qurʾān: and His statement "lā fīhā ghawl": if you were to say "lā ghawla fīhā," both the nominative (rafʿ) and the accusative (naṣb) would be possible (that is, that "lā" works like "laysa" or like "inna"). He said: but when you place between "lā" and the ghawl a lām or another particle of determination (preposition), only the nominative is possible. And the ghawl, he says: therein is no ghīla, ghāʾila, ghawl. End of quotation. And the verse is cited in (al-Lisān: ghawl) on the authority of Abū ʿUbayda, in which "al-khamr" (the wine) stands in place of "al-kaʾs" (the cup). End.

   (3) The verse belongs to the proof-verses of Abū ʿUbayda in Majāz al-Qurʾān. He said concerning "wa-lā hum ʿanhā yunzafūn": the Arabs say "lā tuqṭaʿu ʿanhu wa-tunzafu sukran." And al-Abayrid al-Riyāḥī, of the Banū ʿIjl, said: "laʿamrī … (the verse)." He said: "āl Abjarā": the clan of Abjar of ʿIjl. And al-Farrāʾ said in Maʿānī al-Qurʾān, concerning His statement "wa-lā hum ʿanhā yunzafūn" and "yanzifūn" (in the passive and the active form): the followers of ʿAbdallāh read "yunzifūn," and it has two meanings. One says: "anzafa al-rajul" when his wine runs out, and "anzafa" when his reason disappears. So those are two possibilities. And whoever says "yanzifūn" says: their reason does not disappear, while he is intoxicated (manzūf). And in (al-Lisān: nazaf): in the Revelation it stands: "lā yuṣaddaʿūna fīhā wa-lā yunzifūn" — that is: they are not made drunk. And al-Jawharī cited for al-Abayrid:

   By my life, whether you were intoxicated or sober, evil drinking-companions you were, O clan of Abjar. You drank and befouled yourselves, and your father was just the same, every time he drank the cup, he befouled himself.

   Ibn Barrī said: it is Abjar ibn Jābir al-ʿIjlī, and he was a Christian. He said: and some equate al-munzif with al-manzūf, the one whose blood has flowed out. And al-Liḥyānī said: "nazafa al-rajulu fa-huwa manzūfun wa-nazīfun" — he became intoxicated, so that his reason disappeared. End. And al-Abayrid's statement "sharibtum wa-madartum" probably means: you befouled yourselves through the disappearance of your reason, after their expression "madarat al-ḍabuʿ" when she befouls herself. See (al-Lisān: madar).

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله ( لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ) يقول: لا في هذه الخمر غول، وهو أن تغتال عقولهم: يقول: لا تذهب هذه الخمر بعقول شاربيها كما تذهب بها خمور أهل الدنيا إذا شربوها فأكثروا منها، كما قال الشاعر: وَمــا زَالَــتِ الكــأْسُ تَغْتَالُنَــا وَتَـــــذْهَبُ بِــــالأوَّلِ الأوَّلِ (2) والعرب تقول: ليس فيها غيلة وغائلة وغَوْل بمعنى واحد; ورفع غول ولم ينصب بلا لدخول حرف الصفة بينها وبين الغول، وكذلك تفعل العرب في التبرِئة إذا حالت بين لا والاسم بحرف من حروف الصفات رفعوا الاسم ولم ينصبوه ، وقد يحتمل قوله ( لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ) أن يكون معنيا به: ليس فيها ما يؤذيهم من مكروه، وذلك أن العرب تقول للرجل يصاب بأمر مكروه، أو ينال بداهية عظيمة: غالَ فلانا غولٌ وقد اختلف أهل التأويل في تأويل ذلك، فقال بعضهم: معناه: ليس فيها صُداع. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني علي، قال: ثنا أبو صالح، قال: ثني معاوية، عن عليّ، عن ابن عباس، قوله ( لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ) يقول: ليس فيها صداع. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: ليس فيها أذى فتشكَّى منه بطونهم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أبي، قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس ( لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ) قال: هي الخمر ليس فيها وجع بطن. حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد قوله ( لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ) قال: وجع بطن. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد في قوله ( لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ) قال: الغول ما يوجع البطون، وشارب الخمر ههنا يشتكي بطنه. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ) يقول: ليس فيها وجع بطن، ولا صُداع رأس. وقال آخرون: معنى ذلك: أنها لا تغول عقولهم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا محمد بن الحسين، قال: ثنا أحمد، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السديّ( لا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ ) قال: لا تغتال عقولهم. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: ليس فيها أذًى ولا مكروه. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حُدثت عن يحيى بن زكريا بن أبي زائدة، عن إسرائيل، عن سالم الأفطس، عن سعيد بن جُبَير، في قوله ( لا فيها غَوْلٌ ) قال: أذًى ولا مكروه. حدثنا محمد بن سنان القزاز، قال: ثنا عبد الله بن يزيعة، قال: أخبرنا إسرائيل، عن سالم، عن سعيد بن جُبَير، في قوله: ( لا فيها غَوْلٌ ) قال: ليس فيها أذًى ولا مكروه. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: ليس فيها إثم. ولكل هذه الأقوال التي ذكرناها وجه، وذلك أن الغَوْل في كلام العرب: هو ما غال الإنسان فذهب به، فكل من ناله أمر يكرهه ضربوا له بذلك المثل، فقالوا: غالت فلانا غول، فالذاهب العقل من شرب الشراب، والمشتكي البطن منه، والمصدع الرأس من ذلك، والذي ناله منه مكروه كلهم قد غالته غُول. فإذا كان ذلك كذلك، وكان الله تعالى ذكره قد نفى عن شراب الجنة أن يكون فيه غَوْل، فالذي هو أولى بصفته أن يقال فيه كما قال جل ثناؤه ( لا فِيها غَوْلٌ ) فيعم بنفي كل معاني الغَوْل عنه، وأعم ذلك أن يقال: لا أذى فيها ولا مكروه على شاربيها في جسم ولا عقل، ولا غير ذلك. واختلفت القرّاء في قراءة قوله ( وَلا هُمْ عَنْها يُنـزفُونَ ) فقرأته عامة قراء المدينة والبصرة وبعض قراء الكوفة (يُنـزفُونَ) بفتح الزاي، بمعنى: ولا هم عن شربها تُنـزف عقولهم. وقرأ ذلك عامة قراء الكوفة: ( وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ) بكسر الزاي، بمعنى: ولا هم عن شربها يَنْفَد شرابهم. والصواب من القول في ذلك أنهما قراءتان معروفتان صحيحتا المعنى غير مختلفتيه، فبأيتهما قرأ القارئ فمصيب، وذلك أن أهل الجنة لا ينفد شرابهم، ولا يُسكرهم شربهم إياه، فيُذْهب عقولهم. واختلف أهل التأويل في معنى ذلك، فقال بعضهم: معناه: لا تذهب عقولهم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني علي، قال: ثنا أبو صالح، قال: ثني معاوية، عن علي، عن ابن عباس ( وَلا هُمْ عنْها يُنـزفُونَ ) يقول: لا تذهب عقولهم. حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أبي، قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس ( وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ) قال: لا تُنـزف فتذهب عقولهم. حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد ( وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ) قال: لا تذهب عقولهم. حدثنا محمد بن الحسين، قال: ثنا أحمد بن المفضل، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السدي، في قوله ( وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ) قال: لا تُنـزف عقولهم. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله ( وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ) قال: لا تُنـزف العقول. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( وَلا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنـزفُونَ ) قال: لا تغلبهم على عقولهم. وهذا التأويل الذي ذكرناه عمَّن ذكرنا عنه لم تفصل لنا رواته القراءة الذي هذا تأويلها، وقد يحتمل أن يكون ذلك تأويل قراءة من قرأها ينـزفُونَ ويُنـزفُونَ كلتيهما، وذلك أن العرب تقول: قد نـزف الرجل فهو منـزوف: إذا ذهب عقله من السكر، وأنـزف فهو مُنـزف، محكية عنهم اللغتان كلتاهما في ذهاب العقل من السكر; وأما إذا فَنِيت خمر القوم فإني لم أسمع فيه إلا أنـزفَ القوم بالألف، ومن الإنـزاف بمعنى: ذهاب العقل من السكر، قول الأبَيْرد: لَعَمْـرِي لَئِـنْ أنزفْتُمُـوا أوْ صَحَـوْتُمُ لَبِئْــسَ النَّــدَامَى كُـنْتُمُ آلَ أبجَـرا (3) ------------------------ الهوامش: (2) البيت من شواهد أبي عبيدة في مجاز القرآن ( مصورة الجامعة الورقة 209 - 1 ) قال:"لا فيها غول": مجازه: ليس فيها غول. والغول: أن تغتال عقولهم. قال الشاعر:" وما زالت الكأس .... البيت". وقال الفرّاء في معاني القرآن ( مصورة الجامعة ص 272 ): وقوله"لا فيها غول":" لو قلت: لا غول فيها كان رفعا ونصبا ( أي كانت"لا" عاملة عمل ليس أو عمل إن ). قال: فإذا حلت بين الغول بلام أو بغيرها من الصفات ( حروف جر ) لم يكن إلا الرفع. والغول: يقول: ليس فيها غيلة، غائلة وغول.اهـ. وأنشد البيت في ( اللسان: غول ) عن أبي عبيدة، وفيه:"الخمر" في موضع:"الكأس".اهـ. (3) البيت من شواهد أبي عبيدة في مجاز القرآن ( مصورة الجامعة الورقة 209 - 1 ) قال في" ولا هم عنها ينزفون": تقول العرب لا تقطع عنه وتنزف سكرا. وقال الأبيرد الرياحي من بني عجل:" لعمري ...... البيت" قال:" آل أبجرا": آل أبجر من عجل. وقال الفرّاء في معاني القرآن ( مصورة الجامعة ص 272 )، وقوله" ولا هم عنها ينزفون" وينزفون ( مبنيا للمجهول والمعلوم ) وأصحاب عبد الله يقرءون: ينزفون، وله معنيان يقال: قد أنزف الرجل: إذا فنيت خمره ، وأنزف: إذا ذهب عقله. فهذان وجهان. ومن قال: ينزفون يقول: لا تذهب عقولهم وهو منزوف. وفي ( اللسان: نزف ): وفي التنزيل:" لا يصدعون فيها ولا ينزفون": أي لا يسكرون. وأنشد الجوهري للأبيرد: لعمــري لئـن أنـزفتمُ أو صحـوتمُ لبئــس النــدامى كـنتم آل أبجـرا شـربتم ومــدرتم وكــان أبـوكم كـذاكمْ إذا مـا يشـربُ الكـأس مدرَ قال ابن بري: هو أبجر بن جابر العجلي، وكان نصرانيا. قال: وقوم يجعلون المنزف مثل المنزوف، الذي قد نزف دمه. وقال اللحياني: نزف الرجل، فهو منزوف ونزيف سكر، فذهب عقله.اهـ.. وقول الأبيرد" شربتم ومدرتم" لعله يريد: سلحتم على أنفسكم لذهاب عقولكم، من قولهم مدرت الضبع: إذا سلحت. وانظر ( اللسان: مدر ).