Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The statement on the explanation of His word, the Exalted: سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا انْطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَى مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ قُلْ لَنْ تَتَّبِعُونَا كَذَلِكُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَا بَلْ كَانُوا لا يَفْقَهُونَ إِلا قَلِيلا (15)

   (The ones who stayed behind will say, when you set out toward spoils to take them: "Let us follow you." They wish to change the word of Allah. Say: "You will not follow us; thus has Allah said beforehand." Then they will say: "No, you are envious of us." No, they understood but little. (15))

   He, exalted is His mention, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: the ones who stayed behind — those who remained with their families instead of accompanying you — will say, O Muḥammad, when you set out on the lesser pilgrimage (ʿumra) with the Sacred House of Allah as your destination, when you and those who accompany you on that journey set out toward what Allah has allotted to you and them of spoils (ghanīma) ( لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ) to take them — and that is what Allah had promised the people of al-Ḥudaybiyya of the spoils of Khaybar — ( ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ ) let us follow you to Khaybar, that we may take part with you in fighting its inhabitants. ( يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) They wish to change the word of Allah — He says: they wish to change the promise of Allah which He made to the people of al-Ḥudaybiyya, and that is because Allah assigned the spoils of Khaybar to them and promised them that as compensation for the spoils of the people of Mecca, when they turned away from them on the basis of a peace treaty and took nothing from them.

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, who said: he returned — that is, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — from Mecca, and Allah promised him many spoils, and Khaybar was hastened for him. Then the ones who stayed behind said ( ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) Let us follow you; they wish to change the word of Allah — and these are the spoils to take them, those of which Allah, exalted is His praise, said ( إِذَا انْطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَى مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ) when you set out toward spoils to take them; and He set before them the fight against a people of severe might in battle.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of a man of his companions, on the authority of Miqsam, who said: when Allah promised them that He would conquer Khaybar for them — and Allah had promised it to those who had been present at al-Ḥudaybiyya, and He gave none other than them anything of it — and when the hypocrites realized that it was the spoils, they said ( ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) Let us follow you; they wish to change the word of Allah — He says: what He had promised them.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda ( سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا انْطَلَقْتُمْ ) The ones who stayed behind will say, when you set out ... the āya; and these are those who stayed behind from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at al-Ḥudaybiyya. It has been related to us that, when the polytheists (mushrikīn) barred the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at al-Ḥudaybiyya from the Sacred Mosque and from the sacrificial animal, al-Miqdād said: "O Prophet of Allah, we say, by Allah, not as the chiefs of the Children of Israel said to their prophet: فَاذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ (So go, you and your Lord, and fight, both of you; we are sitting right here); rather we say: go, you and your Lord, and fight, both of you, and we will fight alongside you." When the companions of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ heard that, they pledged loyalty to one another upon what he had said. When the Prophet of Allah ﷺ saw that, he made peace with Quraysh and returned that year.

   And others have said: no, by His word ( يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) They wish to change the word of Allah was meant their wish to set out on campaign with the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, whereas Allah, blessed and exalted, has said: فَقُلْ لَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا (Then say: you will never set out with me, and you will never fight an enemy alongside me).

   * Mention of those who said that:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His word ( سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا انْطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَى مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ ) ... the āya: Allah, mighty and exalted, said when he returned from his campaign: فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُلْ لَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا (And they ask your permission to set out; then say: you will never set out with me, and you will never fight an enemy alongside me) ... the āya. "They wish to change the word of Allah": they desired to change the word of Allah which He had spoken to His Prophet ﷺ, and to set out with him, but Allah refused them that, and His Prophet ﷺ likewise.

   And this which Ibn Zayd said is a statement that has no basis, for the word of Allah, mighty and exalted, فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُلْ لَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا was revealed only to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ upon his return from Tabūk, and by it were meant those who stayed behind from him when he set out for Tabūk to fight the Romans (Rūm). And there is no disagreement among the experts on the campaigns of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that Tabūk took place after the conquest of Khaybar and also after the conquest of Mecca. How then would it be permissible that the matter be as we have described, namely that by the word of Allah ( يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) They wish to change the word of Allah — which is a report about those who stayed behind from the journey with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when he departed as a performer of ʿumra with the House as his destination and the polytheists barred him from the House — would be meant those who stayed behind from him in the campaign of Tabūk, whereas the campaign of Tabūk had not yet taken place on the day this āya was revealed, nor had Allah's word فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُلْ لَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا been revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?

   Since the matter is so, the correct view about this is what Mujāhid and Qatāda have said, as we have explained.

   The reciters (qurrāʾ) differed over the reading of His word ( يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ). Most of the reciters of Medina and Basra, and some of the reciters of Kufa, read it ( كَلامَ اللهِ ) kalāma llāh in the form of a verbal noun (maṣdar), retaining the alif. And most of the reciters of Kufa read it ( كَلِمَ اللهِ ) kalima llāh without the alif, in the sense of a plural of "word" (kalima). And both, in our view, are two widespread readings in the recitations of the regions, closely related in meaning; with whichever of the two the reciter recites, he is correct, even though I incline more toward the reading with the alif.

   And His word ( قُلْ لَنْ تَتَّبِعُونَا كَذَلِكُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ ) Say: you will not follow us; thus has Allah said beforehand — He, exalted is His mention, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: say to these who stayed behind from the journey with you, O Muḥammad: you will not follow us to Khaybar when we wish to set out toward them to fight them. ( كَذَلِكُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ ) Thus has Allah said beforehand — He says: thus has Allah said to us before our return to you, that the spoils of Khaybar belong to those who were present with us at al-Ḥudaybiyya, and you were not among those who were present there, so it is not yours to follow us to Khaybar, for its spoils belong to others than you.

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word ( كَذَلِكُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ ) Thus has Allah said beforehand: that is, the spoils are given only to the people of jihād, and the spoils of Khaybar belonged only to those who had been present at al-Ḥudaybiyya; no one else had any share in them.

   And His word ( فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَا ) Then they will say: no, you are envious of us — that we would obtain a share of the spoils with you if we were present with you; therefore you prevent us from setting out with you.

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His word ( فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَا ) Then they will say: no, you are envious of us: that we would acquire spoils with you.

   And His word ( بَلْ كَانُوا لا يَفْقَهُونَ إِلا قَلِيلا ) No, they understood but little — He, exalted is His mention, says to His Prophet ﷺ and his companions: the matter is not as these hypocrites among the bedouins say, namely that you prevent them from following you only out of envy on your part toward them, lest they gain spoils with you over the enemy; rather, they understood of Allah nothing except a scant little of what is to their benefit and to their detriment regarding religion. Had they understood that, they would not have said to the Messenger of Allah and the believers — after these had informed them, on behalf of Allah, exalted is His mention, that He had denied them the spoils of Khaybar — "you prevent us from accompanying you there only because you are envious of us."

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   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا انْطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَى مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ قُلْ لَنْ تَتَّبِعُونَا كَذَلِكُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَا بَلْ كَانُوا لا يَفْقَهُونَ إِلا قَلِيلا (15) يقول تعالى ذكره لنييه محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: سيقول يا محمد المخلفون في أهليهم عن صحبتك إذا سرت معتمرا تريد بيت الله الحرام, إذا انطلقت أنت ومن صحبك في سفرك ذلك إلى ما أفاء الله عليك وعليهم من الغنيمة ( لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ) وذلك ما كان الله وعد أهل الحديبية من غنائم خيبر ( ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ ) إلى خيبر, فنشهد معكم قتال أهلها( يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) يقول: يريدون أن يغيروا وعد الله الذي وعد أهل الحديبية, وذلك أن الله جعل غنائم خيبر لهم, ووعدهم ذلك عوضا من غنائم أهل مكة إذا انصرفوا عنهم على صلح, ولم يصيبوا منهم شيئا. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثنا أبو عاصم, قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن, قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد, قال: رجع, يعني رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم عن مكة, فوعده الله مغانم كثيرة, فعجلت له خيبر, فقال المخلفون ( ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) وهي المغانم ليأخذوها, التي قال الله جلّ ثناؤه ( إِذَا انْطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَى مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ) وعرض عليهم قتال قوم أولي بأس شديد. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى, قال: ثنا ابن ثور, عن معمر, عن رجل من أصحابه, عن مقسم قال: لما وعدهم الله أن يفتح عليهم خيبر, وكان الله قد وعدها من شهد الحديبية لم يعط أحدا غيرهم منها شيئا, فلما علم المنافقون أنها الغنيمة قالوا( ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) يقول: ما وعدهم. حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة ( سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا انْطَلَقْتُمْ ).... الآية, وهم الذين تخلفوا عن رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم من الحديبية. ذُكر لنا أن المشركين لما صدّوا رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم من الحديبية عن المسجد الحرام والهدي, قال المقداد: يا نبيّ الله, إنا والله لا نقول كالملأ من بني إسرائيل إذ قالوا لنبيهم فَاذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ ولكن نقول: اذهب أنت وربك فقاتلا إنا معكما مقاتلون; فلما سمع ذلك أصحاب نبيّ الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم تبايعوا على ما قال; فلما رأى ذلك نبيّ الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم صالح قريشا, ورجع من عامه ذلك ". وقال آخرون: بل عنى بقوله ( يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) إرادتهم الخروج مع نبيّ الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم في غزوه, وقد قال الله تبارك وتعالى فَقُلْ لَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا . * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد, في قوله: ( سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا انْطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَى مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ )... الآية, قال الله عزّ وجلّ حين رجع من غزوه, فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُلْ لَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا .... الآية يريدون أن يبدّلوا كلام الله: أرادوا أن يغيروا كلام الله الذي قال لنبيه صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم ويخرجوا معه وأبى الله ذلك عليهم ونبيه صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم. وهذا الذي قاله ابن زيد قول لا وجه له, لأن قول الله عزّ وجلّ فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُلْ لَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا إنما نـزل على رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم مُنْصَرَفَه من تَبوك, وعُنِي به الذين تخلَّفوا عنه حين توجه إلى تبوك لغزو الروم, ولا اختلاف بين أهل العلم بمغازي رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم أن تبوك كانت بعد فتح خيبر وبعد فتح مكة أيضا, فكيف يجوز أن يكون الأمر على ما وصفنا معنيا بقول الله ( يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) وهو خبر عن المتخلفين عن المسير مع رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, إذ شخص معتمرا يريد البيت, فصدّه المشركون عن البيت, الذين تخلَّفوا عنه في غزوة تبوك, وغزوة تبوك لم تكن كانت يوم نـزلت هذه الآية, ولا كان أُوحِيَ إلى رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم قوله فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُلْ لَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا . فإذ كان ذلك كذلك, فالصواب من القول في ذلك: ما قاله مجاهد وقتادة على ما قد بيَّنا. واختلفت القرّاء في قراءة قوله ( يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ) فقرأ ذلك عامة قرّاء المدينة والبصرة, وبعض قرّاء الكوفة ( كَلامَ اللهِ ) على وجه المصدر, بإثبات الألف. وقرأ ذلك عامة قرّاء الكوفة ( كَلِمَ اللهِ ) بغير ألف, بمعنى جمع كلمة, وهما عندنا قراءتان مستفيضتان في قراءة الأمصار, متقاربتا المعنى, فبأيتهما قرأ القارئ فمصيب, وإن كنتُ إلى قراءته بالألف أَمْيل. وقوله ( قُلْ لَنْ تَتَّبِعُونَا كَذَلِكُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ ) يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: قل لهؤلاء المخلفين عن المسير معك يا محمد: لن تتبعونا إلى خيبر إذا أردنا السير إليهم لقتالهم ( كَذَلِكُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ ) يقول: هكذا قال الله لنا من قبل مَرْجِعنا إليكم, إن غنيمة خيبر لمن شهد الحديبية معنا, ولستم ممن شهدها, فليس لكم أن تَتَّبعونا إلى خيبر, لأن غنيمتها لغيركم. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة, قوله ( كَذَلِكُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ ) أي إنما جعلت الغنيمة لأهل الجهاد, وإنما كانت غنيمة خيبر لمن شهد الحديبية ليس لغيرهم فيها نصيب. وقوله ( فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَا ) أن نصيب معكم مغنما إن نحن شهدنا معكم, فلذلك تمنعوننا من الخروج معكم. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد, في قوله ( فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَا ) أن نصيب معكم غنائم. وقوله ( بَلْ كَانُوا لا يَفْقَهُونَ إِلا قَلِيلا ) يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم وأصحابه: ما الأمر كما يقول هؤلاء المنافقون من الأعراب من أنكم إنما تمنعونهم من اتباعكم حسدا منكم لهم على أن يصيبوا معكم من العدوّ مغنما, بل كانوا لا يفقهون عن الله ما لهم وعليهم من أمر الدين إلا قليلا يسيرا, ولو عقلوا ذلك ما قالوا لرسول الله والمؤمنين به, وقد أخبروهم عن الله تعالى ذكره أنه حرمهم غنائم خيبر, إنما تمنعوننا من صحبتكم إليها لأنكم تحسدوننا.