Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   And His word تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا ("which sails under Our eyes"); He, exalted is His praise, says: the ship in which We carried Nūḥ sails in Our presence and under Our gaze.

   Concerning the explanation of this, there is reported from Sufyān that which Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, regarding His word تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا ("which sails under Our eyes"); he says: by Our command. جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ ("as a recompense for him who was disbelieved in").

   The exegetes differed concerning its explanation. Some said: its explanation is: We did that as a reward for the one toward whom disbelief was practiced, in the meaning: toward whom Allah was disbelieved.

   * Mention of who said this:

   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, جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ ("as a recompense for him who was disbelieved in"), he said: Allah was disbelieved.

   And al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ ("as a recompense for him who was disbelieved in"), he said: for the one toward whom disbelief was practiced [in the matter of Nūḥ].

   Others assigned the meaning of "man" ("who") to the meaning of "mā" ("that which") in this place, and said: the meaning of the verse is: as a recompense for that which was disbelieved in of the blessings of Allah and His favors among those whom He destroyed and drowned of the people of Nūḥ.

   * Mention of who said this:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said regarding His word جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ ("as a recompense for him who was disbelieved in"), he said: for that which was committed in disbelief toward the blessings of Allah, and toward which ingratitude was shown regarding His gifts, His favors, His messengers, and His books; that, then, is a recompense for it.

   The correct view concerning this, in my opinion, is what Mujāhid said, namely that its meaning is: We opened the gates of heaven with pouring water, and We caused the earth to burst forth in springs, and so We drowned the people of Nūḥ and saved Nūḥ, as a punishment from Allah and as a reward for the One who was disbelieved in and rejected. For the meaning of kufr is: denial; and the One whose divinity and oneness was denied was [by] the people of Nūḥ, for they said to one another لا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلا سُوَاعًا وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ("Do not abandon your gods, and do not abandon Wadd, nor Suwāʿ, nor Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr"). And for whoever held this explanation, it applies that it was "for Allah," as though it were said: they were punished for the sake of Allah and because of their disbelief in Him. And if someone were to take it as referring to Nūḥ and the believers with him, that would be a possible interpretation; the meaning of the verse would then be: We did that as a recompense for Nūḥ and for those who were with him in the ship, as though it were said: We drowned them for the sake of Nūḥ and because of what they had done to Nūḥ through their disbelief in him.

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله ( تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا ) يقول جلّ ثناؤه: تجري السفينة التي حملنا نوحا فيها بمرأى منا ومنظر. وذُكر عن سفيان في تأويل ذلك ما حدثنا ابن حُمَيد, قال: ثنا مهران, عن سفيان, في قوله ( تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا ) يقول: بأمرنا( جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ ) . اختلف أهل التأويل في تأويله: فقال بعضهم: تأويله فعلنا ذلك ثوابا لمن كان كُفر فيه, بمعنى: كفر بالله فيه. * 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 ( جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ ) قال: كَفَر بالله. وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن, قال: ثنا ورقاء, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد ( جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ ) قال: لمن كان كفر فيه. ووجه آخرون معنى (مَنْ) إلى معنى (ما) في هذا الموضع, وقالوا: معنى الكلام: جزاء لما كان كَفَر من أيادي الله ونعمه عند الذين أهلكهم وغرّقهم من قوم نوح. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد, في قوله ( جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ ) قال: لمن كان كفر نعم الله, وكفر بأياديه وآلائه ورسله وكتبه, فإن ذلك جزاء له. والصواب من القول من ذلك عندي ما قاله مجاهد, وهو أن معناه: ففتحنا أبواب السماء بماء منهمر, وفجرنا الأرض عيونا, فغرّقنا قوم نوح, ونجينا نوحا عقابا من الله وثوابا للذي جُحد وكُفر, لأن معنى الكفر: الجحود, والذي جحد ألوهته ووحدانيته قوم نوح, فقال بعضهم لبعض لا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلا سُوَاعًا وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ومن ذهب به إلى هذا التأويل كانت من الله, كأنه قيل: عوقبوا للَّه ولكفرهم به. ولو وجَّه مُوَجَّه إلى أنها مراد بها نوح والمؤمنون به كان مذهبا, فيكون معنى الكلام حينئذ, فعلنا ذلك جزاء لنوح ولمن كان معه في الفلك, كأنه قيل: غرقناهم لنوح ولصنيعهم بنوح ما صنعوا من كفرهم به.