Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of His word: فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مِيثَاقَهُمْ وَكُفْرِهِمْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَقَتْلِهِمُ الأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَقَوْلِهِمْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ بَلْ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلا قَلِيلا (4:155) (Because of their breaking of their covenant and their disbelief in the signs of Allah and their killing of the prophets without right and their saying "Our hearts are wrapped" — nay, Allah has set a seal upon them because of their disbelief, so that they do not believe except a little.)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: He, exalted is His praise, means: so because of the breaking by these whose characteristic I have described from among the People of the Book of "their covenant," that is to say: their pledges which they entered into with Allah to act according to what is in the Tawrāt; "and their disbelief in the signs of Allah," He says: and their denial of "the signs of Allah," that is to say: of Allah's proof-signs and indications by which He established the proof against them concerning the truthfulness of His prophets and messengers and the genuineness of that with which they came to them from Him; "and their killing of the prophets without right," He says: and because of their killing of the prophets after the proof of their prophethood had been established against them; "without right," that is to say: without their deserving that through some great sin they had committed or a transgression for which they would deserve the death penalty; "and their saying 'Our hearts are wrapped'," that is to say: and because of their saying "Our hearts are wrapped (ghulf)," that is to say: they say: there is a covering and wrappings over them, away from that to which you call us, so that we do not understand what you say nor grasp it.

   We have already expounded the meaning of "the wrapped (al-ghulf)," and we have mentioned what narration exists concerning it, previously.

   "Nay, Allah has set a seal upon them because of their disbelief," He says, exalted is His praise: they have lied in their statement "Our hearts are wrapped"; they are not wrapped, nor are there coverings over them, but Allah, exalted is His praise, has set a seal upon them because of their disbelief in Allah.

   We have already expounded the nature of "the sealing of the heart," in a manner that frees us from repetition.

   "So that they do not believe except a little," He says: so that these whose characteristic Allah has described — because of His sealing of their hearts — do not believe, that is to say: do not hold as true Allah and His messengers and what they brought to them from Allah, except with a slight belief, that is to say: a slight assent. And it was only "slight" because they did not hold as true that which Allah had commanded them, but they held some prophets and some books as true and denied others. So their assent to that with which they assented was slight, for even though they assented to it from one aspect, they nevertheless denied it from another aspect, and that from the aspect of their denial of the prophets whom they denied and of the books of Allah with which they came, while the messengers of Allah confirm one another. And with this each prophet commanded his community. Likewise the books of Allah confirm one another and verify one another. So whoever denies a part of it denies the whole of it, from the aspect of his denial of that which the Book confirms whose validity he acknowledges. Therefore their belief in that in which they believed was slight.

   And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation have spoken.

   Mention of who said that:

   10774 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word "Because of their breaking of their covenant," he says: so because of their breaking of their covenant We cursed them; "and their saying 'Our hearts are wrapped'," that is to say: we do not understand; "nay, Allah has set a seal upon them because of their disbelief," and He cursed them when they did that.

   And they differed concerning the meaning of His word "Because of their breaking of their covenant," the verse: whether it is connected with what precedes it in the text, or whether it is separate from it.

   Some said: it is separate from what precedes it, and its meaning is: so because of their breaking of their covenant, and their disbelief in the signs of Allah, and their killing of the prophets without right, and their saying "Our hearts are wrapped," Allah set a seal upon them because of their disbelief and cursed them.

   Mention of who said that:

   10775 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "So that they do not believe except a little," when the people abandoned the command of Allah, and killed His messengers, and disbelieved in His signs, and broke the covenant that had been taken from them, Allah set a seal upon them because of their disbelief and cursed them.

   And others said: nay, it is connected with what precedes it. They said: and the meaning of the text is: so the thunderbolt seized them because of their wrongdoing — because of their breaking of their covenant, and their disbelief in the signs of Allah, and because of their killing of the prophets without right, and because of this and that the thunderbolt seized them. They said: the text thus follows on from one another, and its meaning returns to its beginning. And the explanation of "their wrongdoing," for which the thunderbolt seized them, is that which He, exalted is His mention, explained: their breaking of the covenant, and their killing of the prophets, and all the rest that He clarified of their conduct in which they wronged themselves.

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And the correct view concerning that is that His word "Because of their breaking of their covenant" and what follows it is, in meaning, separate from the meaning of what precedes it, and that the meaning of the text is: so because of their breaking of their covenant, and their disbelief in the signs of Allah, and because of this and that, We cursed them and were wrathful with them — the mention of "We cursed them" being omitted, because of the indication of His word "Nay, Allah has set a seal upon them because of their disbelief" upon that meaning. For whosoever's heart is sealed, he is already cursed and wrath rests upon him.

   And we have only said that this is the most correct, because those whom the thunderbolt seized lived only in the time of Mūsā, while those who killed the prophets, and those who cast against Maryam the tremendous slander and said قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ (We have killed the Messiah), lived a long time after Mūsā. And those who cast against Maryam the tremendous slander did not live in the time of Mūsā, nor did those of his people who were struck by the thunderbolt.

   And if that is so, then it is known that those whom the thunderbolt seized were not seized as punishment for their casting against Maryam the tremendous slander, nor for their word إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ (Indeed we have killed the Messiah, ʿĪsā the son of Maryam). And if that is so, then it is clear that the people who made this statement were others than those who were punished with the thunderbolt. And if that is so, then it was clear that the meaning of His word "Because of their breaking of their covenant" is separate from the meaning of His word فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ (so the thunderbolt seized them because of their wrongdoing).

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مِيثَاقَهُمْ وَكُفْرِهِمْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَقَتْلِهِمُ الأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَقَوْلِهِمْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ بَلْ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلا قَلِيلا (155) قال أبو جعفر: يعني جل ثناؤه: فبنقض هؤلاء الذين وصفتُ صفتهم من أهل الكتاب=" ميثاقهم "، يعني: عهودهم التي عاهدوا الله أن يعملوا بما في التوراة (1) =" وكفرهم بآيات الله "، يقول: وجحودهم=" بآيات الله "، يعني: بأعلام الله وأدلته التي احتج بها عليهم في صدق أنبيائه ورسله (2) وحقيقة ما جاءوهم به من عنده (3) =" وقتلهم الأنبياء بغير حق "، يقول: وبقتلهم الأنبياء بعد قيام الحجة عليهم بنبوّتهم=" بغير حق "، يعني: بغير استحقاق منهم ذلك لكبيرة أتوها، ولا خطيئة استوجبوا القتل عليها (4) =" وقولهم قلوبنا غلف "، يعني: وبقولهم " قلوبنا غلف "، يعني: يقولون: عليها غِشاوة وأغطِية عما تدعونا إليه، فلا نفقَه ما تقول ولا نعقله. * * * وقد بينا معنى: " الغلف "، وذكرنا ما في ذلك من الرواية فيما مضى قبل. (5) * * * =" بل طبع الله عليها بكفرهم "، يقول جل ثناؤه: كذبوا في قولهم: " قلوبنا غلف "، ما هي بغلف، ولا عليها أغطية، ولكن الله جل ثناؤه جعل عليها طابعًا بكفرهم بالله. * * * وقد بينا صفة " الطبع على القلب "، فيما مضى، بما أغنى عن إعادته. (6) * * * =" فلا يؤمنون إلا قليلا "، يقول: فلا يؤمن -هؤلاء الذين وصف الله صفتهم، لطبعه على قلوبهم، فيصدقوا بالله ورسله وما جاءتهم به من عند الله- إلا إيمانًا قليلا يعني: تصديقًا قليلا وإنما صار " قليلا "، (7) لأنهم لم يصدقوا على ما أمرهم الله به، ولكن صدَّقوا ببعض الأنبياء وببعض الكتب، وكذبوا ببعض. فكان تصديقهم بما صدَّقوا به قليلا لأنهم وإن صدقوا به من وجه، فهم به مكذبون من وجه آخر، وذلك من وجه تكذيبهم من كذَّبوا به من الأنبياء وما جاءوا به من كتب الله، ورسلُ الله يصدِّق بعضهم بعضًا. وبذلك أمر كل نبي أمته. وكذلك كتب الله يصدق بعضها بعضًا، ويحقق بعض بعضًا. فالمكذب ببعضها مكذب بجميعها، من جهة جحوده ما صدقه الكتاب الذي يقرّ بصحته. فلذلك صار إيمانهم بما آمنوا من ذلك قليلا. (8) * * * وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. *ذكر من قال ذلك: 10774- حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة في قوله: " فبما نقضهم ميثاقهم "، يقول: فبنقضهم ميثاقهم لعنَّاهم=" وقولهم قلوبنا غلف "، أي لا نفقه= ،" بل طبع الله عليها بكفرهم "، ولعنهم حين فعلوا ذلك. * * * واختلف في معنى قوله: " فبما نقضهم "، الآية، هل هو مواصلٌ لما قبله من الكلام، أو هو منفصل منه. (9) فقال بعضهم: هو منفصل مما قبله، ومعناه: فبنقضهم ميثاقهم، وكفرهم بآيات الله، وقتلهم الأنبياء بغير حق، وقولهم قلوبنا غلف، طبع الله عليها بكفرهم ولعنهم. (10) *ذكر من قال ذلك: 10775- حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة: " فلا يؤمنون إلا قليلا "، لما ترك القوم أمرَ الله، وقتلوا رسله، وكفروا بآياته، ونقضوا الميثاق الذي أخذ عليهم، طبع الله عليها بكفرهم ولعنهم. * * * وقال آخرون: بل هو مواصل لما قبله. قالوا: ومعنى الكلام: فأخذتهم الصاعقة بظلمهم= فبنقضهم ميثاقهم، وكفرهم بآيات الله، وبقتلهم الأنبياء بغير حق، وبكذا وكذا أخذتهم الصاعقة. قالوا: فتبع الكلام بعضه بعضًا، ومعناه: مردود إلى أوله. وتفسير " ظلمهم "، الذي أخذتهم الصاعقة من أجله، بما فسر به تعالى ذكره، من نقضهم الميثاق، وقتلهم الأنبياء، وسائر ما بيَّن من أمرهم الذي ظلموا فيه أنفسهم. * * * قال أبو جعفر: والصواب من القول في ذلك أن قوله: " فبما نقضهم ميثاقهم " وما بعده، منفصل معناه من معنى ما قبله، وأن معنى الكلام: فبما نقضهم ميثاقهم، وكفرهم بآيات الله، وبكذا وبكذا، لعناهم وغضبنا عليهم= فترك ذكر " لعناهم "، لدلالة قوله: " بل طبع الله عليها بكفرهم "، على معنى ذلك. إذ كان من طبع على قلبه، فقد لُعِن وسُخِط عليه. وإنما قلنا ذلك أولى بالصواب، لأن الذين أخذتهم الصاعقة، إنما كانوا على عهد موسى= والذين قتلوا الأنبياء، والذين رموا مريم بالبهتان العظيم، وقالوا: قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ ، كانوا بعد موسى بدهر طويل. ولم يدرك الذين رموا مريم بالبهتان العظيم زمان موسى، ولا من صُعق من قومه. وإذ كان ذلك كذلك، فمعلوم أنّ الذين أخذتهم الصاعقة، لم تأخذهم عقوبةً لرميهم مريم بالبهتان العظيم، ولا لقولهم: إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ . وإذ كان ذلك كذلك، فبيِّنٌ أن القوم الذين قالوا هذه المقالة، غير الذين عوقبوا بالصاعقة. وإذ كان ذلك كذلك، كان بيِّنًا انفصال معنى قوله: " فبما نقضهم ميثاقهم "، من معنى قوله: فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ . -------------------- الهوامش : (1) انظر تفسير"الميثاق" آنفًا ص: 362 ، تعليق: 2. (2) انظر تفسير"الآيات" فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة ، مادة (أيي). (3) في المطبوعة: "وحقية ما جاؤوهم به" ، بدل ما في المخطوطة. وانظر التعليق السالف ص: 360 ، تعليق: 2. (4) انظر تفسير"قتل الأنبياء بغير حق" فيما سلف 7 : 116 ، 117 ، 446. (5) انظر تفسير"غلف" فيما سلف 2 : 324-328. (6) انظر تفسير"الطبع" فيما سلف 1 : 258. ولم يمض ذكر"الطبع" بهذا اللفظ في آية قبل هذه الآية ، ولكنه نسي ، إنما الذي مضى ما هو في معناه وهو"ختم الله على قلوبهم" ، و"الختم" هو"الطبع". (7) انظر تفسير"قليل" فيما سلف 2 : 329-331 / 8 : 439 ، 577. (8) تفسير"قليل" فيما سلف من الآيات التي أشرنا إليها ، فهو أجود مما هنا. (9) وانظر زيادة"ما" في قوله"فبما نقضهم ميثاقهم" فيما سلف 7 : 340. وترك أبي جعفر بيان ذلك هنا ، أحد الأدلة على منهاجه في اختصار هذا التفسير. (10) في المطبوعة: "بل طبع الله عليها" كنص الآية ، وهو لا يستقيم ، والصواب ما في المخطوطة.