Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The statement concerning the interpretation of His word: Inna lladhīna kafarū wa-ẓalamū lam yakuni llāhu li-yaghfira lahum wa-lā li-yahdiyahum ṭarīqan (168) illā ṭarīqa jahannama khālidīna fīhā abadan wa-kāna dhālika ʿalā llāhi yasīran (169)

   (Verily, those who have disbelieved and committed wrong, Allah will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to any path (168), except to the path of Hell (jahannam), in which they will abide forever; and that is easy for Allah (169).)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: By this He means, exalted is His praise: verily, those who have denied the mission of the Prophet ﷺ and have thereby become disbelieving (kāfir) toward Allah through that denial, and who have committed wrong through their persistence in disbelief (kufr) while having knowledge of it — through their wronging of the servants of Allah, out of envy toward the Arabs, and out of transgression (baghy) against His Messenger, the Prophet ﷺ — "Allah will not forgive them" means: it would not befit Allah to forgive their sins by refraining from His punishment for them, but rather He will disgrace them thereby by punishing them for it. "Nor will He guide them to any path" says: it would not befit Allah, exalted is His mention, to guide these who have disbelieved and committed wrong, whose characteristic We have described, and to lead them to one of the paths by which they would attain the reward of Allah and by which, through holding fast to it, they would reach Paradise (janna); but rather He abandons them therein, until they take the path of Hell (jahannam). By the mention of "the path" here is meant religion (al-dīn). For the meaning of the statement is: it would not befit Allah to lead them to Islam, but rather He abandons them therein and guides them to "the path of Hell," that is, disbelief; that is to say: until they disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and thus enter Hell. "Abiding therein forever" says: remaining in it continually, for all time. "And that is easy for Allah" says: causing these whose characteristic I have described to you to abide forever in Hell is easy for Allah, for whomever He wills to do that to is unable to escape from it, and there is no one who can prevent Him from it, and it is not burdensome for Him to do with him what He wills; and that is easy for Allah, for the creation is His creation and the disposal is His disposal.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَظَلَمُوا لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ طَرِيقًا (168) إِلا طَرِيقَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرًا (169) قال أبو جعفر: يعني بذلك جل ثناؤه: إن الذين جحدوا رسالة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، فكفروا بالله بجحود ذلك، وظلموا بمُقامهم على الكفر على علم منهم، بظلمهم عبادَ الله، وحسدًا للعرب، وبغيًا على رسوله محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم=" لم يكن الله ليغفر لهم "، يعني: لم يكن الله ليعفو عن ذنوبهم بتركه عقوبتهم عليها، ولكنه يفضحهم بها بعقوبته إياهم عليها (23) =" ولا ليهديهم طريقًا "، يقول: ولم يكن الله تعالى ذكره ليهدي هؤلاء الذين كفروا وظلموا، الذين وصفنا صفتهم، فيوفقهم لطريق من الطرق التي ينالون بها ثوابَ الله، ويصلون بلزومهم إياه إلى الجنة، ولكنه يخذلهم عن ذلك، حتى يسلكوا طريق جهنم. وإنما كنى بذكر " الطريق " عن الدين. وإنما معنى الكلام: لم يكن الله ليوفقهم للإسلام، ولكنه يخذلهم عنه إلى " طريق جهنم "، وهو الكفر، يعني: حتى يكفروا بالله ورسله، فيدخلوا جهنم=" خالدين فيها أبدًا "، يقول: مقيمين فيها أبدًا=" وكان ذلك على الله يسيرًا "، يقول: وكان تخليدُ هؤلاء الذين وصفت لكم صفتهم في جهنم، على الله يسيرًا، لأنه لا يقدر من أراد ذلك به على الامتناع منه، ولا له أحد يمنعه منه، ولا يستصعب عليه ما أراد فعله به من ذلك، وكان ذلك على الله يسيرًا، لأن الخلق خلقُه، والأمرَ أمرُه. ___________________ الهوامش : (23) في المطبوعة: "إياهم عليهم" ، والصواب من المخطوطة.