Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْبَغْيُ هُمْ يَنْتَصِرُونَ (42:39) (And those who, when injustice befalls them, defend themselves.)

   The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: and those who, when someone wrongfully turns against them and assaults them, defend themselves and obtain their right.

   Then the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) differed concerning the wrongdoer (al-bāghī) in respect of whom the Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, has praised the one who obtains his right from him after he had brought injustice upon him. Some of them said: that is the polytheist (mushrik) when he commits injustice against the Muslim.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed me, saying: Ibn Zayd said: He mentioned the muhājirūn in two groups: a group that forgave and a group that obtained its right. And he recited: وَالَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَ (And those who avoid the major sins and the abominations, and when they are angry, they forgive). He said: with them He began: وَالَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ (And those who responded to their Lord) ... up to His saying: وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ (and who spend of what We have provided them) — and they are the Anṣār. Then He mentioned the third group and said: (وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْبَغْيُ هُمْ يَنْتَصِرُونَ) — from the polytheists (mushrikīn).

   And others said: no, it concerns every wrongdoer who commits injustice; the one who obtains his right from him is praised.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His saying: (وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْبَغْيُ هُمْ يَنْتَصِرُونَ) he said: they obtain their right from the one who commits injustice against them, without transgressing the bounds.

   And this second judgment is the most correct here, because Allah has not excluded from it any meaning in favor of another, but rather praised everyone who rightfully obtains his right from the one who committed injustice against him.

   If someone says: and what is praiseworthy about obtaining one's right? — then it is answered: indeed, in bringing the wrongdoer onto the path of truth and in punishing him with that which he deserves, there is a setting-right for him; and therein lies the greatest praise.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْبَغْيُ هُمْ يَنْتَصِرُونَ (39) يقول تعالى ذكره: والذين إذا بغى عليهم باغ, واعتدى عليهم هم ينتصرون. ثم اختلف أهل التأويل في الباغي الذي حمد تعالى ذكره, المنتصر منه بعد بغيه عليه, فقال بعضهم: هو المشرك إذا بغى على المسلم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرني ابن وهب قال: قال ابن زيد: ذكر المهاجرين صنفين, صنفا عفا, وصنفا انتصر, وقرأ وَالَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَ قال: فبدأ بهم وَالَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ ... إلى قوله: وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ وهم الأنصار. ثم ذكر الصنف الثالث فقال: (وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْبَغْيُ هُمْ يَنْتَصِرُونَ) من المشركين. وقال آخرون: بل هو كلّ باغ بغى فحمد المنتصر منه * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا محمد, قال: ثنا أحمد, قال: ثنا أسباط, عن السديّ, فى قوله: (وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْبَغْيُ هُمْ يَنْتَصِرُونَ) قال: ينتصرون ممن بغى عليهم من غير أن يعتدوا. وهذا القول الثاني أولى في ذلك بالصواب, لأن الله لم يخصص من ذلك معنى دون معنى, بل حمد كلّ منتصر بحقّ ممن بغى عليه. فإن قال قائل: وما في الانتصار من المدح؟ قيل: إن في إقامة الظالم على سبيل الحقّ وعقوبته بما هو له أهل تقويما له, وفي ذلك أعظم المدح.