Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ (O you who believe, if a corrupt person (fāsiq) comes to you with a report, then verify it carefully, lest you afflict a people out of ignorance and thereby come to regret what you have done) (49:6).

   The Exalted, whose remembrance is sublime, says: O you who held Allah and His Messenger to be true, إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ (if a corrupt person comes to you with a report) about a people, فَتَبَيَّنُوا (then verify it carefully).

   The Qurʾān-reciters differed concerning the reading of His saying فَتَبَيَّنُوا (then verify it carefully). Most of the reciters of Medina read it as فَتَثَبَّتُوا (then ascertain) with the thāʾ, and it has been related that in the codex (muṣḥaf) of ʿAbd Allāh it is dotted with the thāʾ of points. Some reciters read it as fa-tabayyanū with the bāʾ, with the meaning: defer it until you know its correctness; do not hasten to accept it. Such too is the meaning of فَتَثَبَّتُوا .

   The correct view concerning that is that these are two well-known readings whose meanings are close to one another, so that whichever of the two the reciter reads with, he acts correctly.

   It has been related that this verse was revealed concerning al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ.

   * Mention of the reason why that was said:

   Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Jaʿfar ibn ʿAwn related to us, on the authority of Mūsā ibn ʿUbayda, on the authority of Thābit, the freedman (mawlā) of Umm Salama, on the authority of Umm Salama; she said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, after the battle, sent out a man to collect the alms (ṣadaqāt) of the Banū al-Muṣṭaliq. The people learned of that and went out to meet him, honoring the affair of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." She said: "But Satan whispered to him that they wished to kill him." She said: "So he returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: 'Indeed, the Banū al-Muṣṭaliq have refused their alms.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Muslims became angry." She said: "It reached the people that he had returned." She said: "So they came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and stood before him after he had performed the noon prayer (ẓuhr), and said: 'We seek refuge in Allah from the wrath of Allah and the wrath of His Messenger. You sent to us a man as a collector of alms, and we rejoiced at that and our eyes were gladdened by it; but then he turned back from midway along the road, and we feared that this was wrath from Allah and from His Messenger.' They kept speaking with him until Bilāl came and made the call for the afternoon prayer (ʿaṣr)." She said: "And there was revealed يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ (O you who believe, if a corrupt person comes to you with a report, then verify it carefully, lest you afflict a people out of ignorance and thereby come to regret what you have done)."

   Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His saying يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ (O you who believe, if a corrupt person comes to you with a report)... to the end of the verse; he said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had sent al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ — who was a confederate of the Banū ʿAmr ibn Umayya, and thereafter a confederate of the Banū Abī Muʿayṭ — to the Banū al-Muṣṭaliq to collect the alms from them. When the report reached them, they rejoiced and went out to meet the envoy of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. But when al-Walīd learned that they had gone out to meet him, he returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "O Messenger of Allah, indeed the Banū al-Muṣṭaliq have refused the alms." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ became severely angry, and while he was considering making war on them, the delegation came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, we were told that your envoy turned back from midway along the road, and we feared that only a letter reaching him from you had made him return on account of some wrath with which you had become angry at us; and we seek refuge in Allah from His wrath and the wrath of His Messenger." Then Allah revealed their excuse in the Book, and He said يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ (O you who believe, if a corrupt person comes to you with a report, then verify it carefully, lest you afflict a people out of ignorance and thereby come to regret what you have done).

   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 — all of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "concerning His saying إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ (if a corrupt person comes to you with a report); he said: it was al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ; the Prophet of Allah ﷺ had sent him to the Banū al-Muṣṭaliq to collect their alms, but they went out to meet him with the gift, and he returned to Muḥammad ﷺ and said: 'Indeed, the Banū al-Muṣṭaliq have gathered to fight you.'"

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ (O you who believe, if a corrupt person comes to you with a report)... until He reached بِجَهَالَةٍ (out of ignorance): it was Ibn Abī Muʿayṭ, al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba; the Prophet of Allah ﷺ had sent him as a collector of alms to the Banū al-Muṣṭaliq, and when they saw him, they came toward him, and he feared them and returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and informed him that they had apostatized from Islam. Then the Prophet of Allah ﷺ sent Khālid ibn al-Walīd and commanded him to ascertain the matter and not to be hasty. He set out until he reached them by night, and he sent out his scouts; when they returned, they informed Khālid that they were holding fast to Islam, and they had heard their call to prayer (adhān) and their prayer. When morning came, Khālid came to them and saw what pleased him, and he returned to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ and informed him of the news. Then Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, revealed what you hear. And the Prophet of Allah used to say: "Ascertaining (al-tabayyun) is from Allah, and haste is from Satan."

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ (O you who believe, if a corrupt person comes to you with a report); and he mentioned something similar.

   Muḥammad ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Hilāl al-Wazzān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Laylā, concerning His saying يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا (O you who believe, if a corrupt person comes to you with a report, then verify it carefully); he said: it was revealed concerning al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ.

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ḥumayd, on the authority of Hilāl al-Anṣārī, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ (if a corrupt person comes to you with a report); he said: it was revealed concerning al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba when he was sent to the Banū al-Muṣṭaliq.

   He said: Salama related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related to us, on the authority of Yazīd ibn Rūmān, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, after their conversion to Islam, sent al-Walīd ibn Abī Muʿayṭ to the Banū al-Muṣṭaliq. When they heard of him, they mounted their riding-beasts toward him; and when he learned of them, he feared them and returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and informed him that the people intended to kill him and that they had refused the alms that were due from them. Then the Muslims spoke much about making war on them, until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ considered making war on them. While they were thus occupied, their delegation came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "O Messenger of Allah, we heard of your envoy when you sent him to us, and we went out toward him to honor him and to hand over to him the alms that were due from us, but he turned back. It reached us that he claims before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that we went out to fight him; and by Allah, we did not go out for that." Then Allah revealed concerning al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba and them: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ (O you who believe, if a corrupt person comes to you with a report)... to the end of the verse.

   He said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a man of his companions to a people to collect their alms. The man came to them, and between him and them there existed an enmity from the time of ignorance (jāhilīya). When he came to them, they welcomed him, acknowledged the zakāh, and gave what they owed of the obligation. The man returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "O Messenger of Allah, the Banū so-and-so have refused the alms and have apostatized from Islam." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ became angry and sent to them, and they came to him. He said: "Did you refuse the zakāh and drive away my envoy?" They said: "By Allah, we did not do that, and indeed we know that you are the Messenger of Allah, and we cannot do without you, and we have not refused Allah's right in our wealth." But the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not believe them, until Allah revealed this verse and excused them.

   And His saying أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ (lest you afflict a people out of ignorance) means, the Exalted says: verify it carefully, lest you afflict a people who are innocent of that of which they are accused, with a wrong out of ignorance on your part, فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ (and thereby come to regret what you have done), that is to say: so that you come to regret inflicting upon them the wrong with which you afflict them.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ (6) يقول تعالى ذكره: يا أيها الذين صدّقوا الله ورسوله ( إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ ) عن قوم ( فَتَبَيَّنُوا ). واختلفت القرّاء في قراءة قوله ( فَتَبَيَّنُوا ) فقرأ ذلك عامة قراء أهل المدينة ( فَتَثَبَّتُوا ) بالثاء, وذُكر أنها في مصحف عبد الله منقوطة بالثاء. وقرأ ذلك بعض القرّاء فتبيَّنوا بالباء, بمعنى: أمهلوا حتى تعرفوا صحته, لا تعجلوا بقبوله, وكذلك معنى ( فَتَثَبَّتُوا ). والصواب من القول في ذلك أنهما قراءتان معروفتان متقاربتا المعنى, فبأيتهما قرأ القارئ فمصيب. وذُكر أن هذه الآية نـزلت في الوليد بن عقبة بن أبي مُعَيط. * ذكر السبب الذي من أجله قيل ذلك: حدثنا أبو كُريب, قال: ثنا جعفر بن عون, عن موسى بن عبيدة, عن ثابت موْلى أمّ سلمة, عن أمّ سلمة, قالت: " بعث رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم رجلا في صدقات بني المصطلق بعد الوقعة, فسمع بذلك القوم, فتلقوه يعظمون أمر رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, قال: فحدّثه الشيطان أنهم يريدون قتله, قالت: فرجع إلى رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, فقال: إن بني المصطلق قد منعوا صدقاتهم, فغضب رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم والمسلمون قال: فبلغ القوم رجوعه قال: فأتوا رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم فصفوا &; 22-287 &; له حين صلى الظهر فقالوا: نعوذ بالله من سخط الله وسخط رسوله بعثت إلينا رجلا مصدّقا, فسررنا بذلك, وقرّت به أعيننا, ثم إنه رجع من بعض الطريق, فخشينا أن يكون ذلك غضبا من الله ومن رسوله, فلم يزالوا يكلمونه حتى جاء بلال, وأذّن بصلاة العصر; قال: ونـزلت ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ ). حدثني محمد بن سعد, قال: ثني أبي, قال: ثني عمي, قال: ثني أبي, عن أبيه, عن ابن عباس, قوله ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ ). . . الآية, قال: كان رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم بعث الوليد بن عقبة بن أبي معيط, ثم أحد بني عمرو بن أمية, ثم أحد بني أبي معيط إلى بني المصطلق, ليأخذ منهم الصدقات, وإنه لما أتاهم الخبر فرحوا, وخرجوا ليَتَلَقَّوْا رسول رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, وإنه لما حدّث الوليد أنهم خرجوا يتلقونه, رجع إلى رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, فقال: يا رسول الله إن بني المصطلق قد منعوا الصدقة, فغضب رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم غضبا شديدا, فبينما هو يحدّث نفسه أن يغزوهم, إذ أتاه الوفد, فقالوا: يا رسول الله, إنا حدّثنا أن رسولك رجع من نصف الطريق, وإنا خشينا أن يكون إنما ردّه كتاب جاءه منك لغضب غضبته علينا, وإنا نعوذ بالله من غضبه وغضب رسوله, فأنـزل الله عذرهم في الكتاب, فقال ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ ). 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 " في قوله ( إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ ) قال: الوليد بن عقبة بن أبي معيط, بعثه نبيّ الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم إلى بني المصطلق, ليصدّقهم, فتلقوه بالهدية فرجع إلى محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, فقال: إن بني المصطلق جمعت &; 22-288 &; لتقاتلك ". حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة, قوله ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ )... حتى بلغ ( بِجَهَالَةٍ ) وهو ابن أبي معيط الوليد بن عقبة, بعثه نبيّ لله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم مصدّقا إلى بني المصطلق, فلما أبصروه أقبلوا نحوه, فهابهم, فرجع إلى رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, فأخبره أنهم قد ارتدّوا عن الإسلام, فبعث نبيّ الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم خالد بن الوليد, وأمره أن يتثبَّت ولا يعجل, فانطلق حتى أتاهم ليلا فبعث عيونه; فلما جاءوا أخبروا خالدا أنهم مستمسكون بالإسلام, وسمعوا أذانهم وصلاتهم, فلما أصبحوا أتاهم خالد, فرأى الذي يعجبه, فرجع إلى نبيّ الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, فأخبره الخبر, فأنـزل الله عزّ وجلّ ما تسمعون, فكان نبيّ الله يقول: التَّبَيُّنُ مِنَ اللّهِ, والعَجَلَةُ مِنَ الشَّيْطان ". حدثنا بن عبد الأعلى, قال: ثنا أبن ثور, عن معمر, عن قتادة ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ ) فذكر نحوه. حدثنا محمد بن بشار, قال: ثنا عبد الرحمن, قال: ثنا سفيان, عن هلال الوزّان, عن ابن أبي ليلى, في قوله ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا ) قال: نـزلت في الوليد بن عقبة بن أبي معيط. حدثنا ابن حُمَيد, قال: ثنا مهران, عن سفيان, عن حُمَيد, عن هلال الأنصاري, عن عبد الرحمن بن أبي لَيلى ( إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ ) قال: نـزلت في الوليد بن عقبة حين أُرسل إلى بني المصطلق. قال: ثنا سلمة, قال: ثنا محمد بن إسحاق, عن يزيد بن رومان, أن رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم بعث إلى بني المصطلق بعد إسلامهم, الوليد بن أبي معيط; فلما سمعوا به ركبوا إليه; فلما سمع بهم خافهم فرجع إلى رسول الله صلى الله, فأخبره أن القوم قد هَموا بقتله, ومنعوا ما قِبَلهم من صدقاتهم, فأكثر المسلمون في ذكر غزوهم حتى همّ رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم بأن يغزوهم, فبينما هم في ذلك قَدِم وفدهم على رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ &; 22-289 &; وَسَلَّم, فقالوا: يا رسول الله سمعنا برسولك حين بعثته إلينا, فخرجنا إليه لنكرمه, ولنؤدّي إليه ما قبلنا من الصدقة, فاستمرّ راجعا, فبلغنا أنه يزعم لرسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم أنا خرجنا إليه لنقاتله, ووالله ما خرجنا لذلك; فأنـزل الله في الوليد بن عقبة وفيهم : ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ )... الآية. قال: (1) بعث رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم رجلا من أصحابه إلى قوم يصدقهم, فأتاهم الرجل, وكان بينه وبينهم إحنة في الجاهلية; فلما أتاهم رحبوا به, وأقرّوا بالزكاة, وأعطوا ما عليهم من الحقّ, فرجع الرجل إلى رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, فقال: يا رسول الله, منع بنو فلان الصدقة, ورَجعوا عن الإسلام, فغضب رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, وبعث إليهم فأتوْه فقال: أمَنَعْتُمُ الزَّكاةَ, وَطَرَدْتُمْ رَسُولي؟ " فقالوا: والله ما فعلنا, وإنا لنعلم أنك رسول الله, ولا بدّ لنا, ولا منعنا حقّ الله في أموالنا, فلم يصدقهم رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, فأنـزل الله هذه الآية, فعذرهم. وقوله ( أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: فتبيَّنوا لئلا تصيبوا قوما برآء مما قذفوا به بجناية بجهالة منكم ( فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ ) يقول: فتندموا على إصابتكم إياهم بالجناية التي تصيبونهم بها. ------------------------ الهوامش: (1) ‌يظهر أن هذا بدء رواية أخرى ، أوردها في الدر عن جابر .