Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of His word: "Say: Do you worship besides Allah that which can cause you neither harm nor benefit? And Allah is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." (5:76)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: This too is an argument from the Exalted, whose praise be mentioned, on behalf of His Prophet ﷺ against the Christians who said about the Messiah what was previously described concerning their saying.

   The Exalted, whose praise be mentioned, says to Muḥammad ﷺ: "Say," O Muḥammad, to these unbelievers among the Christians, who claim that the Messiah is their lord and who say that Allah is the third of three: Do you worship, besides Allah—who holds your harm and your benefit in His power, and who created you and provided for you, and who grants you life and causes you to die—something that can cause you neither harm nor benefit? The Exalted, whose praise be mentioned, informs them that the Messiah, whom whoever of the Christians claimed it claimed to be a god, and whom whoever of them claimed it claimed to be a son for Allah, cannot ward off from them any harm that He might bring down upon them were Allah to decree it against them, and cannot bring to them any benefit if Allah has not ordained it for them. The Exalted, whose praise be mentioned, says: How then can one who has this attribute be a lord and a god? Rather, the Lord who is worshipped is: The One in whose hand all things lie, and who is capable of all things. Him, then, you ought to worship, and to Him you ought to devote worship purely, and not to any other than Him among the powerless ones who neither benefit you nor harm you.

   As for His word: "And Allah is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing," by it the Exalted, whose praise be mentioned, means: "And Allah is the All-Hearing," of their plea for forgiveness, were they to ask Him for forgiveness for their saying of which He informed about them that they utter it concerning the Messiah, and of the rest of their speech and the speech of His creatures; "the All-Knowing," of their repentance were they to show repentance from it, and of the rest of their affairs.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : قُلْ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لا يَمْلِكُ لَكُمْ ضَرًّا وَلا نَفْعًا وَاللَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (76) قال أبو جعفر: وهذا أيضًا احتجاجٌ من الله تعالى ذكره لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم على النصارى القائلين في المسيح ما وصف من قِيلهم فيه قبلُ. يقول تعالى ذكره لمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: " قل "، يا محمد، لهؤلاء الكفرة من النصارى، الزاعمين أن المسيح ربهم، والقائلين إن الله ثالث ثلاثة= أتعبدون سوى الله الذي يملك ضركم ونفعكم، وهو الذي خلقكم ورزقكم، وهو يحييكم ويميتكم= شيئًا لا يملك لكم ضرًّا ولا نفعًا؟ يخبرهم تعالى ذكره أن المسيح الذي زعم من زعم من النصارى أنه إله، والذي زعم من زعم منهم أنه لله ابنٌ، لا يملك لهم ضرًّا يدفعه عنهم إن أحلَّه الله بهم، ولا نفعًا يجلبه إليهم إن لم يقضه الله لهم. يقول تعالى ذكره: فكيف يكون ربًّا وإلهًا من كانت هذه صفته؟ بل الربُّ المعبودُ: الذي بيده كل شيء، والقادر على كل شيء. فإياه فاعبدوا وأخلصوا له العبادة، دون غيره من العجزة الذين لا ينفعونكم ولا يضرون. * * * وأما قوله: " والله هو السميع العليم " فإنه يعني تعالى ذكره بذلك: " والله هو السميع "، لاستغفارهم لو استغفروه من قِيلهم ما أخبر عنهم أنهم يقولونه في المسيح، ولغير ذلك من منطقهم ومنطق خلقه=" العليم "، بتوبتهم لو تابوا منه، وبغير ذلك من أمورهم. (25) * * * --------------- الهوامش: (25) انظر تفسير"سميع" و"عليم" فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة.