Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   And His statement وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ (and indeed, for him there is, with Us, nearness and a good return) means: and indeed, for Sulaymān there is, with Us, a nearness, on account of his penitent turning to Us, his repentance, and his obedience to Us; and "a good return" (ḥusna maʾāb) means: and a good homecoming and destination in the Hereafter.

   As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ (and indeed, for him there is, with Us, nearness and a good return): that is to say, a destination.

   Should someone ask us: what is the basis of Sulaymān's longing for the kingdom from his Lord, while he is a prophet among the prophets — for only the people of this world long for kingdom, those who prefer it over the Hereafter? Or what is the basis of his request for it, when he asked Him for a kingdom that would belong to no one after him, while it would not have harmed him that everyone after him be given the like of what had been given to him? Was there in him stinginess regarding this, such that it would not be part of his kingdom to give it to whomever it might be given, or envy toward people, as is reported concerning al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf? For it is reported that he read His statement وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لا يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي (and grant me a kingdom that belongs to no one after me), and said: he was truly envious, and that surely does not belong to the character traits of the prophets!

   To this it is answered: as for his longing to his Lord for the kingdom for which he longed — that was, if Allah wills, in him no longing for this world, but rather a wish of his to know his rank with Allah in His granting of that for which he asked Him, in His acceptance of his repentance, and in His answering of his supplication.

   And as for his request to his Lord for a kingdom that would belong to no one after him — we have already mentioned earlier the statement of him who said that its meaning is: grant me a kingdom that will not be taken from me, as it was taken from me before. According to these, the meaning is thus: grant me a kingdom that it belongs to no one after me to take it from me. It may also tend in this direction, that the meaning is: it belongs to no one besides me among the people of my time, so that it is a proof and a sign for me of my prophethood, and that I am Your messenger, sent forth to them — since the messengers must indeed have signs by which they are distinguished from the rest of mankind. It may also tend in this direction, that the meaning is: and grant me a kingdom that You bestow upon me in particular, which You give to no one besides me, as an honoring from You to me thereby and a distinction, so that my rank with You becomes clear thereby amid the ranks of others than me. And in none of these directions is there anything of what al-Ḥajjāj supposed concerning its meaning.

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله ( وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ ) يقول: وإن لسليمان عندنا لقُرْبةً بإنابته إلينا وتوبته وطاعته لنا, وحُسْنَ مآب: يقول: وحسن مرجع ومصير في الآخرة. كما حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة ( وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ ) : أي مصير. إن قال لنا قائل: وما وجه رغبة سليمان إلى ربه في الملك, وهو نبيّ من الأنبياء, وإنما يرغب في الملك أهل الدنيا المؤثِرون لها على الآخرة؟ أم ما وجه مسألته إياه, إذ سأله ذلك مُلكا لا ينبغي لأحد من بعده, وما كان يضرّه أن يكون كلّ من بعده يُؤْتَى مثل الذي أوتي من ذلك؟ أكان به بخل بذلك, فلم يكن من مُلكه, يُعطي ذلك من يعطاه, أم حسد للناس, كما ذُكر عن الحجاج بن يوسف; فإنه ذكر أنه قرأ قوله وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لا يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي فقال: إن كان لحسودًا, فإن ذلك ليس من أخلاق الأنبياء! قيل: أما رغبته إلى ربه فيما يرغب إليه من المُلك, فلم تكن إن شاء الله به رغبةً في الدنيا, ولكن إرادة منه أن يعلم منـزلته من الله فى إجابته فيما رغب إليه فيه, وقبوله توبته, وإجابته دعاءه. وأما مسألته ربه مُلكا لا ينبغي لأحد من بعده, فإنا قد ذكرنا فيما مضى قبلُ قولَ من قال: إن معنى ذلك: هب لي مُلكا لا أسلبه كما سلبته قبل. وإنما معناه عند هؤلاء: هب لي ملكا لا ينبغي لأحد من بعدي أن يَسلُبنيه. وقد يتجه ذلك أن يكون بمعنى: لا ينبغي لأحد سواي من أهل زماني, فيكون حجة وعَلَما لي على نبوتي وأني رسولك إليهم مبعوث, إذ كانت الرسل لا بد لها من أعلام تفارق بها سائر الناس سواهم. ويتجه أيضا لأن يكون معناه: وهب لي ملكا تخُصُّني به, لا تعطيه أحدا غيري تشريفا منك لي بذلك, وتكرمة, لتبين منـزلتي منك به من منازل من سواي, وليس في وجه من هذه الوجوه مما ظنه الحجاج في معنى ذلك شيء.