Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   And His saying ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا ) ("Has he made the gods into one god?"): He says: and these unbelievers, who said that Muḥammad was a lying sorcerer, said: has Muḥammad made all the objects of worship into one, who hears the supplication of all of us and knows the worship of each one of us who worships him? ( إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ) ("Truly, this is indeed an astonishing thing"): that is to say, this is truly a wondrous matter.

   As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ), he said: the polytheists were astonished that they were being called to Allah alone, and said: does one god hear all our needs?! We have not heard of this in the last religious community.

   And the occasion for what these polytheists said — that which Allah has reported of them that they said — was that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them: ("I ask you to answer me in one matter, by which the Arabs will submit to you and by which the non-Arabs will pay you tribute. They said: and what is that? He said: you say: there is no god but Allah. At that moment they said: ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا ), out of astonishment at that").

   * Mention of who said that:

   Abū Kurayb and Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, both of them said: Abū Usāma related to us, he said: al-Aʿmash related to us, he said: ʿAbbād related to us, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: ("When Abū Ṭālib fell ill, a group of the Quraysh came in to him, among whom was Abū Jahl ibn Hishām, and they said: your brother's son reviles our gods, and he does such and such, and he says such and such; send for him and restrain him. He sent for him, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came and entered the house, and between them and Abū Ṭālib there was a space the size of the seat of one man. Abū Jahl feared that, if the Prophet were to sit next to Abū Ṭālib, he would be gentler toward him, so he sprang up and sat in that place. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, found no seat close to his uncle and sat down by the door. Abū Ṭālib said to him: O son of my brother, what do your people have that they complain about you? They claim that you revile their gods and say such and such. They heaped words upon him, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, spoke and said: 'O uncle, I wish that they accept one word which they utter, by which the Arabs will submit to them and by which the non-Arabs will pay them the poll-tax for non-Muslims (jizyah).' They were startled at his word and his statement, and the people said: one word? Yes, by your father, ten even! They said: and what is that? Abū Ṭālib said: and what word is that, O son of my brother? He said: 'There is no god but Allah.' Then they rose up in fright, shook out their garments, and said: ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ). He said: and it was revealed from this place up to His saying لَمَّا يَذُوقُوا عَذَابِ ('while they have not yet tasted My punishment'"). The wording is that of Abū Kurayb.

   Abū Kurayb related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya ibn Hishām related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Yaḥyā ibn ʿUmāra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: Abū Ṭālib fell ill, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to visit him while they were sitting around him, and by his head was an empty place. Abū Jahl stood up and sat there. Abū Ṭālib said: O son of my brother, what is the matter with your people that they complain about you? He said: O uncle, I wish that they accept one word by which the Arabs will submit to them and by which the non-Arabs will pay them the poll-tax for non-Muslims (jizyah). He said: what is that? He said: 'There is no god but Allah.' Then they rose up and said: مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَذَا فِي الْمِلَّةِ الآخِرَةِ إِنْ هَذَا إِلا اخْتِلاقٌ ('We have not heard of this in the last religious community; this is nothing but a fabrication'). And the Qurʾān was revealed: ص وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ ('Ṣād. By the Qurʾān, full of remembrance') — full of honor — بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ ('Nay, those who disbelieve are in self-glory and dissension') up to His saying ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا ).

   Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Yaḥyā ibn ʿUmāra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: Abū Ṭālib fell ill — and then he mentioned something similar, except that he did not say "full of honor," and he said: up to His saying ( إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ).

   Ibn Bashshār related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, he said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Yaḥyā ibn ʿUmāra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, he said: Abū Ṭālib fell ill. He said: and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to visit him, and by his head was the seat of one man. Abū Jahl stood up and sat there. They complained to Abū Ṭālib about the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: he disparages our gods. He said: O son of my brother, what do you want by this? He said: 'O uncle, I wish that they accept one word by which the Arabs will submit to them and by which the non-Arabs will pay them the poll-tax for non-Muslims (jizyah).' He said: and what is that? He said: 'There is no god but Allah.' Then they said: ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ).

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا ) يقول: وقال هؤلاء الكافرون الذين قالوا: محمد ساحر كذاب: أجعل محمد المعبودات كلها واحدا, يسمع دعاءنا جميعنا, ويعلم عبادة كل عابد عبدَه منا( إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ) : أي إن هذا لشيء عجيب. كما حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ) قال: عجب المشركون أن دُعوا إلى الله وحده, وقالوا: يسمع لحاجاتنا جميعا إله واحد! ما سمعنا بهذا في الملة الآخرة. وكان سبب قيل هؤلاء المشركين ما أخبر الله عنهم أنهم قالوه, من ذلك, أن رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم قال لهم: ( أسألكم أن تجيبوني إلى واحدة تدين لكم بها العرب, وتعطيكم بها الخراج العجم ، فقالوا: وما هي؟ فقال:تقولون لا إله إلا الله, فعند ذلك قالوا: ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا ) تعجبا منهم من ذلك ). * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا أبو كُرَيب وابن وكيع, قالا ثنا أبو أسامة, قال: ثنا الأعمش, قال: ثنا عباد, عن سعيد بن جُبَير, عن ابن عباس, قال: ( لما مرض أبو طالب دخل عليه رهط من قريش فيهم أبو جهل بن هشام فقالوا: إن ابن أخيك يشتم آلهتنا, ويفعل ويفعل, ويقول ويقول, فلو بعثت إليه فنهيته; فبعث إليه, فجاء النبي صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم فدخل البيت, وبينهم وبين أبي طالب قدر مجلس رجل, قال: فخشي أبو جهل إن جلس إلى جنب أبي طالب أن يكون أرق له عليه, فوثب فجلس في ذلك المجلس, ولم يجد رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم مجلسا قرب عمه, فجلس عند الباب, فقال له أبو طالب: أي ابن أخي, ما بال قومك يشكونك؟ يزعمون أنك تشتم آلهتهم, وتقول وتقول; قال: فأكثروا عليه القول, وتكلم رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم فقال: " يا عَمّ إنّي أُرِيدهُمْ عَلى كَلِمَةٍ وَاحِدةٍ يَقُولُونَهَا, تَدِينُ لَهُمْ بِها العَرَبُ, وتُؤَدِّي إلَيْهِم بِها العَجَمُ الجِزْيَةَ", ففزعوا لكلمته ولقوله, فقال القوم: كلمة واحدة؟ نعم وأبيك عَشْرًا; فقالوا: وما هي؟ فقال أبو طالب: وأيّ كلمة هي يا ابن أخي؟ قال: " لا إلَهَ إلا الله "; قال: فقاموا فزِعين ينفضون ثيابهم, وهم يقولون: ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ) قال: ونـزلت من هذا الموضع إلى قوله لَمَّا يَذُوقُوا عَذَابِ اللفظ لأبي كريب. حدثنا أبو كُرَيب, قال: ثنا معاوية بن هشام, عن سفيان, عن يحيى بن عمارة, عن سعيد بن جُبَير عن ابن عباس, قال: مرض أبو طالب, فأتاه رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم يعوده, وهم حوله جلوس, وعند رأسه مكان فارغ, فقام أبو جهل فجلس فيه, فقال أبو طالب: يا ابن أخي ما لقومك يشكونك؟ قال: يا عَمّ أُرِيدُهُمْ عَلى كَلِمَةٍ تَدِينُ لَهُمْ بِهَا العَرَبُ, وتُؤَدِّي إلَيْهِمْ بِهَا العَجَمُ الجِزْيَةَ قال: ما هي؟ قال: لا إلَهَ إلا الله " فقاموا وهم يقولون: مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَذَا فِي الْمِلَّةِ الآخِرَةِ إِنْ هَذَا إِلا اخْتِلاقٌ ونـزل القرآن: ص وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ ذي الشرف بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ حتى قوله ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا ) . حدثنا ابن وكيع, قال: ثنا يحيى بن سعيد, عن سفيان, عن الأعمش, عن يحيى بن عمارة, عن سعيد بن جُبَير, عن ابن عباس, قال: مرض أبو طالب, ثم ذكر نحوه, إلا أنه لم يقل ذي الشرف, وقال: إلى قوله ( إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ). حدثنا ابن بشار, قال: ثنا عبد الرحمن, قال: ثنا سفيان, عن الأعمش, عن يحيى بن عمارة, عن سعيد بن جُبَير, قال: مرض أبو طالب, قال: فجاء النبي صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم يعوده, فكان عند رأسه مقعدُ رجل, فقام أبو جهل, فجلس فيه, فشَكَوا النبيّ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم إلى أبي طالب, وقالوا: إنه يقع في آلهتنا, فقال: يا ابن أخي ما تريد إلى هذا؟ قال: " يا عمّ إنَّي أُرِيدُهُمْ عَلَى كَلِمَةٍ تَدِينُ لَهُمْ بِهَا العَرَبُ, وتُؤَدِّي إلَيْهِمُ العَجَمُ الْجِزْيَةَ" قال: وما هي؟ قال: " لا إلَهَ إلا الله ", فقالوا: ( أَجَعَلَ الآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ).