Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   And His word: أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ ("Is it they who apportion the mercy of your Lord?") — He, exalted is His mention, says: is it these who say, "If only this Qurʾān had been sent down upon a great man from the two cities," O Muḥammad — is it they who apportion the mercy of your Lord among His creation, and assign His honor to whom they will and His favor to whom they choose? Or is it Allah who apportions that, and gives it to whom He loves and withholds it from whom He wills?

   And in the sense of what we have said about this, the scholars of interpretation have spoken.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd related to us, saying: Bishr ibn ʿUmāra related to us, on the authority of Abū Rawq, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: when Allah sent Muḥammad as a messenger, the Arabs denied that, and whoever of them denied it said: Allah is too exalted that His messenger should be a human being like Muḥammad. He said: then Allah, mighty and exalted is He, sent down: أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنْذِرِ النَّاسَ ("Is it a wonder to the people that We revealed to a man from among them: warn the people?"), and He said: وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلا رِجَالا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ ("And We sent not before you but men to whom We revealed; so ask the people of the reminder"), that is to say: the people of the past scriptures — were the messengers who came to you human beings or angels? If angels came to you, and if they were human beings, then do not deny that Muḥammad is a messenger. He said: then He said: وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلا رِجَالا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى ("And We sent not before you but men from the people of the towns to whom We revealed"), that is to say: they are not from the people of heaven, as you said. He said: when Allah repeated the proofs against them, they said: and even if he is a human being, then someone other than Muḥammad was more worthy of messengership, so: لَوْلا نـزلَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ ("If only this Qurʾān had been sent down upon a great man from the two cities"), by which they mean: more eminent than Muḥammad ﷺ — they intend al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra al-Makhzūmī, who was called the "rose of Quraysh," this one from Mecca, and Masʿūd ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿUbayd Allāh al-Thaqafī from the people of Ṭāʾif. He said: Allah, mighty and exalted is He, says, refuting them: أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ ("Is it they who apportion the mercy of your Lord?") — I do what I will.

   And His word: نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ("We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world") — He, exalted is His mention, says: rather, it is We who apportion Our mercy and Our honor among whom We will of Our creation, and We make whom We will a messenger, and whom We will a sincere friend, and We take whom We will as an intimate friend (khalīl) — just as We have apportioned among them their livelihood by which they live in their worldly life, in provisions and food; and We have raised some of them above others in rank therein, indeed We have made this one rich and that one poor, and this one a lord (mālik, owner) and that one a possession (mamlūk, property/slave). لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ("so that some of them may take others in service").

   And in the sense of what we have said about this, the scholars of interpretation have spoken.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, who said: Allah, blessed and exalted is He, said: أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ("Is it they who apportion the mercy of your Lord? We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world"). You will find a man who is weak in wit and deficient in tongue, while he is abundantly provided with livelihood, and you will find a man who is strong in wit and sharp of tongue, while it is straitened for him. Allah, exalted is His praise, said: نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ("We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world"), just as He has apportioned among them their forms and their characters — blessed and exalted is our Lord.

   And His word: لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ("so that some of them may take others in service") — He says: so that this one may engage that one in his service, and so that this one may fall back upon that one with what he has in hand of abundance. He says: He, exalted is His mention, has made the one a cause for the other in livelihood in the worldly life.

   The scholars of interpretation have differed over what is meant by His word: لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ("so that some of them may take others in service"). Some of them said: its meaning is what we have said about it.

   * 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, regarding His word: لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ("so that some of them may take others in service"); he said: that the one takes the other into service for the labor (al-sukhra).

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, regarding His word: لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ("so that some of them may take others in service"); he said: they are all the children of Adam. He said: and this one is the slave (ʿabd) of that one, and He has raised this one one rank above that one, and so he puts him to service through labor and sets him to it, as one says: so-and-so put so-and-so to service (sakhkhara).

   And some of them said: rather, what is meant by this is: so that the one may possess (yamliku) the other.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, saying: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān related to us, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, regarding His word: لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ("so that some of them may take others in service"); by it He means: the slaves (al-ʿabīd) and the servants are put to service for them.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ("so that some of them may take others in service"): possession (milka).

   And His word: وَرَحْمَةُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ("And the mercy of your Lord is better than what they amass") — He, exalted is His mention, says: and the mercy of your Lord, O Muḥammad, by admitting them into Paradise, is better for them than what they amass of riches in the worldly life.

   And in the sense of what we have said about this, the scholars of interpretation have spoken.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَرَحْمَةُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ("and the mercy of your Lord is better than what they amass"): he means Paradise.

   Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: وَرَحْمَةُ رَبِّكَ ("and the mercy of your Lord"); he says: Paradise is better than what they amass in the worldly life.

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله: ( أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: أهؤلاء القائلون: لولا نـزل هذا القرآن على رجل من القريتين عظيم يا محمد, يقسمون رحمة ربك بين خلقه, فيجعلون كرامته لمن شاءوا, وفضله لمن أرادوا, أم الله الذي يقسم ذلك, فيعطيه من أحبّ, ويحرمه مَنْ شاء؟. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا أبو كريب, قال: ثنا عثمان بن سعيد, قال: ثنا بشر بن عمارة, عن أبي روق, عن الضحاك عن ابن عباس, قال: لما بعث الله محمدا رسولا أنكرت العرب ذلك, ومن أنكر منهم, فقالوا: الله أعظم من أن يكون رسوله بشرا مثل محمد, قال: فأنـزل الله عزّ وجلّ: أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنْذِرِ النَّاسَ وقال وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلا رِجَالا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ يعني: أهل الكتب الماضية, أبشرا كانت الرسل التي أتتكم أم ملائكة؟ فإن كانوا ملائكة أتتكم, وإن كانوا بشرا فلا تنكرون أن يكون محمد رسولا قال: ثم قال: وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلا رِجَالا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى أي ليسوا من أهل السماء كما قلتم; قال: فلما كرر الله عليهم الحجج قالوا, وإذا كان بشرا فغير محمد كان أحق بالرسالة فـ( لَوْلا نـزلَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ ) يقولون: أشرف من محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, يعنون الوليد بن المغيرة المخزومي, وكان يسمى ريحانة قريش, هذا من مكة, ومسعود بن عمرو بن عبيد الله الثقفي من أهل الطائف, قال: يقول الله عزّ وجلّ ردّا عليهم ( أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ ) أنا أفعل ما شئت. وقوله: ( نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ) يقول تعالى ذكره: بل نحن نقسم رحمتنا وكرامتنا بين من شئنا من خلقنا, فنجعل من شئنا رسولا ومن أردنا صديقا, ونتخذ من أردنا خليلا كما قسمنا بينهم معيشتهم التي يعيشون بها في حياتهم الدنيا من الأرزاق والأقوات, فجعلنا بعضهم فيها أرفع من بعض درجة, بل جعلنا هذا غنيا, وهذا فقيرا, وهذا ملكًا, وهذا مملوكًا( لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ). وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة, قال: قال الله تبارك وتعالى ( أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ) فتلقاه ضعيف الحيلة, عي اللسان, وهو مبسوط له في الرزق, وتلقاه شديد الحيلة, سليط اللسان, وهو مقتور عليه, قال الله جلّ ثناؤه: ( نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ) كما قسم بينهم صورهم وأخلاقهم تبارك ربنا وتعالى. وقوله: ( لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ) يقول: ليستسخر هذا هذا في خدمته إياه, وفي عود هذا على هذا بما في يديه من فضل, يقول: جعل تعالى ذكره بعضا لبعض سببا فى المعاش, في الدنيا. وقد اختلف أهل التأويل فيما عنى بقوله: ( لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ) فقال بعضهم: معناه ما قلنا فيه. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا محمد, قال: ثنا أحمد, قال: ثنا أسباط, عن السديّ, في قوله: ( لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ) قال: يستخدم بعضهم بعضا في السخرة. حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد, في قوله: ( لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ) قال: هم بنو آدم جميعا, قال: وهذا عبد هذا, ورفع هذا على هذا درجة, فهو يسخره بالعمل, يستعمله به, كما يقال: سخر فلان فلانا. وقال بعضهم: بل عنى بذلك: ليملك بعضهم بعضا. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن حميد, قال: ثنا يحيى بن واضح, قال: ثنا عبيد بن سليمان, عن الضحاك, في قوله: ( لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ) يعني بذلك: العبيد والخدم سخر لهم. حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة ( لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ) مِلْكة. وقوله: ( وَرَحْمَةُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: ورحمة ربك يا محمد بإدخالهم الجنة خير لهم مما يجمعون من الأموال في الدنيا. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة ( وَرَحْمَةُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ) يعني الجنة. حدثنا محمد, قال: ثنا أحمد, قال: ثنا أسباط, عن السديّ( وَرَحْمَةُ رَبِّكَ ) يقول: الجنة خير مما يجمعون في الدنيا.