Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The discourse on the explanation of His statement, exalted is His mention: وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمِيثَاقَهُ الَّذِي وَاثَقَكُمْ بِهِ إِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ (5:7) (And remember the favor of Allah upon you and His covenant which He bound you with, when you said: we have heard and we obey; and fear Allah, indeed Allah is All-Knowing of what is concealed in the hearts.) (5:7)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: He, exalted is His praise, means by it the following: And remember the favor of Allah upon you, O believers, through the commitments which you have undertaken before Allah concerning yourselves, and remember His favor upon you therein, in that He led you out of those commitments toward that which bears His good pleasure, and enabled you to that which contains your deliverance from misguidance and ruin, alongside many other favors. As in:

   11550 – Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, on the authority of ʿĪsā, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "And remember the favor of Allah upon you" – he said: the favors (al-niʿam): these are the bounties (ālāʾ) of Allah.

   11551 – Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, he said: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, the same.

   * * *

   As for His statement: "and His covenant which He bound you with" – He means by it: And remember also, O believers, among the favors of Allah with which He has favored you, "His covenant which He bound you with," and that is His agreement which He concluded with you.

   * * *

   The people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) differed concerning the "covenant" (mīthāq) which Allah mentions in this verse: which of His covenants He meant.

   Some of them said: He meant by it the covenant of Allah which He concluded with the believers among the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when they pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ upon hearing and obeying him in what they loved and what was disagreeable to them, and upon acting according to all that Allah and His Messenger commanded them.

   Mention of who said that:

   11552 – Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: "And remember the favor of Allah upon you and His covenant which He bound you with, when you said: we have heard and we obey" – the verse; he means: when Allah sent the Prophet ﷺ and sent down the Book to him, and they said: "We believe in the Prophet ﷺ and in the Book, and we acknowledge what is in the Torah." Then Allah reminded them of His covenant which they had acknowledged concerning themselves, and commanded them to fulfill it.

   11553 – Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "And remember the favor of Allah upon you and His covenant which He bound you with, when you said: we have heard and we obey" – for He took our covenant, and we said: we have heard and we obey, upon faith and the acknowledgment thereof and of His Messenger.

   * * *

   And others said: He, exalted is His praise, rather meant by it His covenant which He took from His servants when He brought them forth from the loins of Adam ﷺ and made them testify against themselves: Am I not your Lord? Whereupon they said: Yes indeed, we testify.

   Mention of who said that:

   11554 – Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement: "and His covenant which He bound you with" – he said: the covenant which He concluded with the children of Adam in the back of Adam.

   11555 – Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, he said: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, something similar.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The most correct of the statements in its interpretation is the statement of Ibn ʿAbbās, namely that the meaning is: "And remember," O believers, "the favor of Allah upon you" with which He has favored you through your guidance to Islam, "and His covenant which He bound you with," that is to say: and His agreement which He concluded with you when you pledged allegiance to His Messenger Muḥammad ﷺ upon hearing and obeying him in ease and adversity, in hardship and comfort, "when you said: we have heard" what You have said to us and what You have imposed upon us of commitments, and we obey You in what You have commanded us and forbidden us. And He has also favored you by enabling you to accept that from Him with your statement to Him: "We have heard and we obey." He says: So fulfill toward Allah, O believers, His covenant which He concluded with you, and His favor with which He has favored you therein through your acknowledgment concerning yourselves of hearing Him and obeying in what He has commanded you and forbidden you; then He will fulfill toward you what He has promised you to fulfill, when you fulfill toward Him His covenant: namely the completion of His favor upon you, your entry into His paradise (janna), your being favored with eternity in the abode of His honor, and your deliverance from His punishment and His painful torment (ʿadhāb).

   And we have only said that this is more correct than the statement of the one who said: "He meant by it the covenant which was taken from them in the loins of Adam, the blessings of Allah be upon him," because Allah, exalted is His praise, immediately after reminding the believers of His covenant which He concluded with them, made mention of His covenant which He concluded with the people of the Torah – after He had sent down His Book upon His prophet Mūsā ﷺ concerning what He had commanded them and forbidden them therein – and thus He said: وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا (And indeed, Allah took the covenant of the children of Israel, and We raised up from them twelve chieftains), with the verses thereafter [Surah Al-Māʾidah: 12]. He thereby pointed out to the companions of the Messenger of Allah Muḥammad ﷺ the places of their portion in fulfilling toward Allah what He had agreed upon with them, and He made known to them the evil outcome of the People of the Book in their neglect of what they neglected of His covenant which He concluded with them concerning His command and prohibition and the support of His prophets and messengers; thus restraining them from breaking their covenants, lest there befall them what befell the covenant-breakers of the People of the Book before them.

   For – since that of which He reminded them and with which He admonished them and forbade them from committing anything of the like of that deed, was the covenant of a people whose covenant was taken after the sending of the Messenger to them and the sending down of the Book upon them – it was necessary that the state in which the covenant was taken, and that of the admonished, should be equal to the state of those by whose example they were admonished. And since that is so, the correctness of what we have said concerning it is clear, and the untenability of its contrary.

   * * *

   As for His statement: "and fear Allah, indeed Allah is All-Knowing of what is concealed in the hearts" – this is a threat from Allah, glorified be His name, to the believers who were around His Messenger ﷺ among his companions, and a warning to them against breaking the covenant of Allah which He concluded with them concerning His Messenger, and their agreement which they concluded with Him regarding it, by concealing toward Him the opposite of what they manifested to Him with their tongues.

   He, exalted is His praise, says to them: And fear Allah, O believers; so be apprehensive of Him lest you should alter His agreement and break His covenant which He concluded with you, or lest you should act in contradiction to what you have promised Him with your statement: "we have heard and we obey," by concealing toward Him within yourselves something other than its fulfillment; for Allah is aware of what your hearts conceal and knowing of what your souls keep hidden – none of that is hidden from Him – so that He would then cause to descend upon you of His punishment what you would not be able to bear, just as descended upon those before you among the Jews of transformation of form and various kinds of punishments, and so that upon your return you would end up in the wrath of Allah and His painful punishment.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله عز ذكره : وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمِيثَاقَهُ الَّذِي وَاثَقَكُمْ بِهِ إِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ (7) قال أبو جعفر: يعني جل ثناؤه بذلك: (182) واذكروا نعمة الله عليكم أيها المؤمنون، بالعقود التي عقدتموها لله على أنفسكم، واذكروا نعمته عليكم في ذلك بأن هداكم من العقود لما فيه الرضا، ووفقكم لما فيه نجاتكم من الضلالة والرَّدَى في نِعم غيرها جَمّة. كما:- 11550 - حدثني محمد بن عمرو قال، حدثنا أبو عاصم، عن عيسى، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد: " واذكروا نعمة الله عليكم " قال، النعم: آلاءُ الله. 11551 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا أبو حذيفة قال، حدثنا شبل، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، مثله. * * * وأما قوله: " وميثاقه الذي واثقكم به " فإنه يعني: واذكروا أيضا أيها المؤمنون، في نعم الله التي أنعم عليكم=" ميثاقه الذي واثقكم به "، وهو عهده الذي عاهدكم به. (183) * * * واختلف أهل التأويل في" الميثاق " الذي ذكر الله في هذه الآية، أيَّ مواثيقه عَنى؟ فقال بعضهم: عنى به ميثاقَ الله الذي واثقَ به المؤمنين من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، حين بايعوا رسولَ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على السمع والطاعة له فيما أحبّو وكرهوا، والعمل بكل ما أمرهم الله به ورسوله. ذكر من قال ذلك: 11552 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا عبد الله بن صالح قال، حدثني معاوية، عن علي، عن ابن عباس، قوله: " واذكروا نعمة الله عليكم وميثاقه الذي واثقكم به إذ قلتم سمعنا وأطعنا " الآية، يعني: حيث بعث الله النبيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، وأنـزل عليه الكتاب، (184) فقالوا: "آمنا بالنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وبالكتاب، (185) وأقررنا بما في التوراة "، فذكّرهم الله ميثاقَه الذي أقروا به على أنفسهم، وأمرهم بالوفاء به. 11553 - حدثنا محمد بن الحسين قال، حدثنا أحمد بن مفضل قال، حدثنا أسباط، عن السدي: " واذكروا نعمة الله عليكم وميثاقه الذي واثقكم به إذ قلتم سمعنا وأطعنا "، فإنه أخذ ميثاقنا فقلنا: سمعنا وأطعنا على الإيمان والإقرار به وبرسوله. * * * وقال آخرون: بل عنى به جلّ ثناؤه: ميثاقه الذي أخذ على عباده حين أخرجهم من صُلب آدم صلى الله عليه وسلم، وأشهدهم على أنفسهم: ألستُ بربكم؟ فقالوا: بلى شهدنا. ذكر من قال ذلك: 11554 - حدثنا محمد بن عمرو قال، حدثنا أبو عاصم قال، حدثنا عيسى، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد في قوله: " وميثاقه الذي واثقكم به " قال: الذي واثق به بني آدم في ظهر آدم. 11555 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا أبو حذيفة قال، حدثنا شبل، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، نحوه. * * * ثال أبو جعفر: وأولى الأقوال بالصواب في تأويل ذلك: قولُ ابن عباس، وهو أن معناه: " واذكروا " أيها المؤمنون=" نعمة الله عليكم " التي أنعمها عليكم بهدايته إياكم للإسلام=" وميثاقه الذي واثقكم به "، يعني: وعهده الذي عاهدكم به حين بايعتم رسوله محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم على السمع والطاعة له في المنشَط والمكرَه، والعُسر واليُسر=" إذ قلتم سمعنا " ما قلت لنا، وأخذت علينا من المواثيق وأطعناك فيما أمرتنا به ونهيتنا عنه، وأنعم عليكم أيضا بتوفيقكم لقبول ذلك منه بقولكم له: " سمعنا وأطعنا "، يقول: ففُوا لله، أيها المؤمنون بميثاقه الذي واثقكم به، ونعمته التي أنعم عليكم في ذلك بإقراركم على أنفسكم بالسمع له والطاعة فيما أمركم به وفيما نهاكم عنه، يَفِ لكم بما ضمن لكم الوفاءَ به إذا أنتم وفيتم له بميثاقه، من إتمام نعمته عليكم، وبإدخالكم جنته وإنعامكم بالخلود في دار كرامته، وإنقاذكم من عقابه وأليم عذابه. وإنما قلنا ذلك أولى بالصواب من قول من قال: " عنى به الميثاق الذي أخذ عليهم في صلب آدم صلوات الله عليه "، لأن الله جل ثناؤه ذكرَ بعقب تذكرة المؤمنين ميثاقَه الذي واثقهم به، ميثاقَه الذي واثق به أهل التوراة= بعد ما أنـزل كتابه على نبيه موسى صلى الله عليه وسلم فيما أمرهم به ونهاهم= فيها، (186) فقال: وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا ، الآيات بعدها [سورة المائدة: 12]= مُنبِّهًا بذلك أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم &; 10-94 &; محمد على مواضع حظوظهم من الوفاء لله بما عاهدهم عليه= ومعرِّفَهم سوء عاقبة أهل الكتاب في تضييعهم ما ضيعوا من ميثاقه الذي واثقهم به في أمره ونهيه، وتعزير أنبيائه ورسله= زاجرًا لهم عن نكث عهودهم، فيُحلّ بهم ما أحلَّ بالناكثين عهوده من أهل الكتاب قبلهم. فكان= إذْ كان الذي ذكرهم فوعظهم به ونهاهم عن أن يركبوا من الفعل مثلَه، ميثاقَ قوم أخذ ميثاقهم بعد إرسال الرسول إليهم وإنـزال الكتاب عليهم (187) واجبًا أن يكون الحال التي أخذ فيها الميثاق والموعوظين نظيرَ حال الذين وعظوا بهم. وإذا كان ذلك كذلك، كان بيِّنًا صحة ما قلنا في ذلك وفسادُ خلافه. * * * وأما قوله: " واتقوا الله إنّ الله عليم بذات الصدور "، فإنه وعيد من الله جل اسمه للمؤمنين كانوا برسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم من أصحابه (188) وتهدُّدًا لهم أن ينقضوا ميثاق الله الذي واثقهم به في رسوله (189) وعهدهم الذي عاهدوه فيه= بأن يضمروا له خِلاف ما أبدوا له بألسنتهم. (190) . يقول لهم جل ثناؤه: واتقوا الله، أيها المؤمنون، فخافوه أن تبدِّلوا عهده وتنقضوا ميثاقه الذي واثقكم به، أو تخالفوا ما ضمنتم له بقولكم: " سمعنا وأطعنا "، بأن تضمروا له غير الوفاء بذلك في أنفسكم، فإن الله مطلع على ضمائر صدوركم (191) وعالم بما تخفيه نفوسكم لا يخفى عليه شيء من ذلك، فيُحّل بكم من عقوبته ما لا قبل لكم به، كالذي حلَّ بمن قبلكم من اليهود من المسخ وصنوف النّقم، وتصيروا في معادِكم إلى سخط الله وأليم عقابه. ---------------- الهوامش : (182) في المطبوعة والمخطوطة: "يعني جل ثناؤه بقوله" ، والسياق يقتضي ما أثبت. (183) انظر تفسير"الميثاق" فيما سلف 9: 363 ، تعليق: 1 ، والمراجع هناك. (184) "حيث" هنا ، استعملت في موضع"حين". وقد قال الأصمعي: "ومما تخطئ فيه العامة والخاصة ، باب"حين" و"حيث" ، غلط فيه العلماء ، مثل أبي عبيدة وسيبويه".وقال أبو حاتم: "رأيت في كتاب سيبويه أشياء كثيرة ، يجعل حين: حيث" ، وكذلك في كتاب أبي عبيدة بخطه. قال أبو حاتم: واعلم أن"حين" و"حيث" ظرفان ، فحين ظرف للزمان ، وحيث ظرف للمكان ، ولكل واحد منهما حد لا يجاوزه ، والأكثر من الناس جعلوهما معا: حيث". ثم انظر مقالة الأخفش أن"حيث" ظرف للزمان ، في الخزانة 3: 162. والأمر يحتاج إلى زيادة بحث. ليس هذا موضعه. (185) في المطبوعة: "بالنبي والكتاب" وأثبت ما في المخطوطة. (186) قوله: "فيها" ، أي في التوراة ، والسياق: "ميثاقه الذي واثق به أهل التوراة.. فيها". (187) سياق هذه العبارة: "فكان.. واجبا أن يكون الحال.." ، وأما الجملة التي بينهما فهي معترضة ، فمن أجل ذلك وضعتها بين خطين. (188) في المطبوعة: ".. للمؤمنين الذين أطافوا برسوله" ، غير ما في المخطوطة ، وهو صواب محض وعربي عريق ، وضع مكان"كانوا": "الذي أطافوا". (189) في المطبوعة: "وتهديدا لهم" ، وأثبت ما في المخطوطة ، وهو صواب محض. (190) قوله: "بأن يضمروا.." متعلق"أن ينقضوا ميثاق الله.." ، بأن يضمروا. (191) انظر تفسير"ذات الصدور" فيما سلف 7: 155 ، 325.