Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   And His words: ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) (Like the parable of Satan, when he said to man: Disbelieve; and when he had disbelieved, he said: Verily, I have nothing to do with you; verily, I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds.)

   He, exalted is His remembrance, says: the parable of these hypocrites, who promised the Jews of the Banū al-Naḍīr that they would help them if they were fought, or that they would march out with them if they were expelled — and the parable of the Banū al-Naḍīr in that the hypocrites deceived them by breaking their promise and abandoning them at the moment they needed them most and required their help — is like the parable of Satan, who deceived a man and promised him help, in exchange for following him and disbelieving in Allah, at the moment he would need it. Then he disbelieved in Allah, followed him, and obeyed him; but when he needed his help, he abandoned him and dissociated himself from him, and said to him: ( إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) (verily, I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds) regarding helping you.

   And the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) differed concerning the man about whom Allah, exalted is His praise, said: ( إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ ) (when he said to man: Disbelieve) — whether it concerns a particular man, or whether the parable is intended for everyone with whom Satan does that. Some of them said: a particular man is meant by it.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Khallād ibn Aslam related to us, he said: al-Naḍr ibn Shumayl related to us, he said: Shuʿba informed us, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq, he said: I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Nuhayk say: I heard ʿAlī — may Allah be pleased with him — say: there was a monk who devoutly worshipped for sixty years, and Satan wished to seduce him but did not succeed. So he resorted to a woman and drove her mad; she had brothers. He said to her brothers: "Go to this priest, that he may cure her." They brought her to him, and he cured her, and she stayed with him. One day, while he was with her, she appeared pleasing to him; he approached her and she became pregnant. Then he took her unawares and killed her. Then her brothers came, and Satan said to the monk: "I am your companion; I did this to you when you resisted me. So obey me, and I will save you from what I have done to you: prostrate yourself before me one single time." So he prostrated himself before him. And when he had prostrated himself before him, he said: "Verily, I have nothing to do with you, ( إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) (verily, I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds)." And those are His words: ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) (like the parable of Satan, when he said to man: Disbelieve; and when he had disbelieved, he said: Verily, I have nothing to do with you; verily, I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds).

   Yaḥyā ibn Ibrāhīm al-Masʿūdī related to me, he said: my father related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of ʿUmāra, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Zayd, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd concerning this verse ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ): he said: there was a woman who herded sheep, and she had four brothers, and at night she would take refuge in the hermitage of a monk. He said: the monk came down and committed fornication (fajara) with her, and she became pregnant. Then Satan came to him and said to him: "Kill her and then bury her, for you are a man whose word is believed and to whose speech one listens." So he killed her and buried her. He said: then Satan came to her brothers in sleep, and said to them: "Verily, the monk, the inhabitant of the hermitage, has committed fornication with your sister; and when he had made her pregnant, he killed her and then buried her in such-and-such a place." When they were in the morning, one of them said: "By Allah, I saw a dream last night, and I do not know whether I shall tell it to you or leave it be." They said: "No, rather tell it to us." He said: and he told it. Then the other said: "And I, by Allah, have seen that too." They said: "This can only be about something." So they set out and invoked against that monk the aid of their king. They went to him, brought him down, and took him away. Then Satan met him and said: "Verily, I am the one who made you fall into this, and none other than I will save you from it. So prostrate yourself before me one single time, and I will save you from that into which I made you fall." He said: so he prostrated himself before him. And when they brought him to their king, Satan dissociated himself from him, and he was seized and killed.

   Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words: ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ ) (like the parable of Satan, when he said to man: Disbelieve) ... up to وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ (and that is the recompense of the wrongdoers). ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās said: there was a monk of the Banū Isrāʾīl who worshipped Allah and performed his worship excellently. He was visited from every land and questioned about jurisprudence (fiqh), and he was a scholar. And there were three brothers who had a sister, beautiful, of the most beautiful of people. They wished to go on a journey, but it was hard for them to leave her unprotected, so they consulted about what they should do with her. One of them said: "Shall I point you to someone with whom you may leave her?" They said: "Who is that?" He said: "The monk of the Banū Isrāʾīl; if she dies, he will take care of her, and if she lives, he will guard her until you return to him." So they went to him and said: "We wish to go on a journey, and we find no one whom we trust more, nor who better guards what is entrusted to him, than you for what is left with you. If you find it acceptable that we leave our sister with you — for she is unprotected and severely ill — then take care of her if she dies, and treat her well if she lives, until we return." He said: "By you, if Allah wills." So they departed, and he took care of her and cured her until she recovered and her beauty returned to her. He looked at her and found her adorned, and Satan kept working on him until he made it attractive to him to have intercourse with her, until he had intercourse with her and she became pregnant. Then Satan made him regret it and made it attractive to him to kill her. He said: "If you do not kill her, you will be disgraced, and your likeness will be recognized in the child, and you will have no excuse." And he kept working on him until he killed her. When her brothers arrived, they asked him: "What have you done?" He said: "She died and I buried her." They said: "You have done well." Then they began to see in sleep, and they were informed that it was the monk who had killed her, and that she lay beneath such-and-such a tree. So they went to the tree and found her beneath it, killed. Then they went to him and seized him. Satan said to him: "I made fornication (zinā) attractive to you and the killing of her after the fornication; do you want me to save you?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Will you then obey me?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Then prostrate yourself before me one single time." So he prostrated himself before him, and then he was killed. And those are His words: ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ ) (like the parable of Satan, when he said to man: Disbelieve; and when he had disbelieved, he said: Verily, I have nothing to do with you) — the verse.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Ibn Ṭāwūs, on the authority of his father, he said: "There was a man of the Banū Isrāʾīl who worshipped devoutly, and he would sometimes cure the insane. There was a beautiful woman who was seized by madness, and she was brought to him and left with him. She appeared pleasing to him, and he had intercourse with her and she became pregnant. Then Satan came to him and said: 'If this becomes known, you will be disgraced; so kill her and bury her in your house.' So he killed her and buried her. Some time later her family came, who asked about her, and he said: 'She has died.' They did not suspect him, because of his piety in their eyes. Then Satan came to them and said: 'Verily, she has not died, but he had intercourse with her and killed her and buried her in his house, in such-and-such a place.' So her family came and said: 'We do not suspect you, so tell us where you buried her and who was with you.' They found her where he had buried her, and he was seized and imprisoned. Then Satan came to him and said: 'If you want me to bring you out of the state you are in, so that you come out of it, then disbelieve in Allah.' So he obeyed Satan and disbelieved in Allah; and he was seized and killed, and Satan then dissociated himself from him." He said: "And I know nothing but that this verse was sent down concerning him: ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ )."

   And others said: no, all people are meant by it, and they said: this is only a parable set forth for the Banū al-Naḍīr regarding the deception of the hypocrites toward them.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ ) (like the parable of Satan, when he said to man: Disbelieve): people in general.

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله: ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: مثل هؤلاء المنافقين الذين وعدوا اليهود من النضير، النصرة إن قوتلوا، أو الخروج معهم إن أُخرجوا، ومثل النضير في غرورهم إياهم بإخلافهم الوعد، وإسلامهم إياهم عند شدّة حاجتهم إليهم، وإلى نُصرتهم إياهم، كمثل الشيطان الذي غرّ إنْسانًا، ووعده على اتباعه وكفره بالله، النصرة عند الحاجة إليه، فكفر بالله واتبعه وأطاعه، فلما احتاج إلى نُصرته أسلمه وتبرأ منه، وقال له: ( إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) في نُصرتك. وقد اختلف أهل التأويل في الإنسان الذي قال الله جلّ ثناؤه ( إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ ) هو إنسان بعينه، أم أريد به المثل لمن فعل الشيطان ذلك به، فقال بعضهم: عُنِي بذلك إنسان بعينه. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا خلاد بن أسلم، قال: ثنا النضر بن شميل، قال: أخبرنا شعبة، عن أَبي إسحاق، قال: سمعت عبد الله بن نهيك، قال: سمعت عليًا رضي الله عنه يقول: إن راهبًا تعبَّد ستين سنة، وأن الشيطان أراده فأعياه، فعمد إلى امرأة فأجنها، ولها إخوة، فقال لإخوتها: عليكم بهذا القسّ فيداويها، فجاءوا بها، قال: فداواها، وكانت عنده؛ فبينما هو يوما عندها إذا أعجبته، فأتاها فحملت، فعمد إليها فقتلها، فجاء إخوتها، فقال الشيطان للراهب: أنا صاحبك، إن أعييتني، أنا صنعت بك هذا فأطعني أنجك مما صنعتُ بك، اسجد لي سجدة، فسجد له؛ فلما سجد له قال: إني بريء منك، ( إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) فذلك قوله: ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) . حدثني يحيى بن إبراهيم المسعودي، قال: ثنا أَبي، عن أبيه، عن جده، عن الأعمش، عن عمارة، عن عبد الرحمن بن زيد، عن عبد الله بن مسعود في هذه الآية ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) قال: كانت امرأة ترعى الغنم، وكان لها أربعة إخوة، وكانت تأوي بالليل إلى صومعة راهب، قال: فنـزل الراهب ففجر بها، فحملت، فأتاه الشيطان، فقال له: اقتلها ثم ادفنها، فإنك رجل مصدّق يسمع كلامك، فقتلها ثم دفنها؛ قال: فأتى الشيطان إخوتها في المنام، فقال لهم: إن الراهب صاحب الصومعة فجر بأختكم؛ فلما أحبلها قتلها، ثم دفنها في مكان كذا وكذا؛ فلما أصبحوا قال رجل منهم: والله لقد رأيت البارحة رؤيا وما أدري أقصها عليكم أم أترك؟ قالوا: لا بل قُصَّها علينا؛ قال: فقصها، فقال الآخر: وأنا والله لقد رأيت ذلك؛ قالوا: فما هذا إلا لشيء، فانطلقوا فاستعدوْا مَلِكَهُم على ذلك الراهب، فأتَوه فأنـزلوه، ثم انطلقوا به، فلقيه الشيطان فقال: إني أنا الذي أوقعتك في هذا ولن ينجيك منه غيري فاسجد لي سجدة واحدة وأنا أنجيك مما أوقعتك فيه؛ قال: فسجد له؛ فلما أتَوا به ملكَهم تبرأ منه، وأُخِذ فقتل. حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أَبي، قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أَبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس، قوله: ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ ) ... إلى وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ قال عبد الله بن عباس: كان راهب من بني إسرائيل يعبد الله فيحسن عبادته، وكان يُؤتى من كلّ أرض فيُسأل عن الفقه، وكان عالمًا، وإن ثلاثة إخوة كانت لهم أخت حسنة من أحسن الناس، وإنهم أرادوا أن يسافروا، فكبر عليهم أن يخلفوها ضائعة، فجعلوا يأتمرون ما يفعلون بها؛ فقال أحدهم: أدلكم على من تتركونها عنده؟ قالوا: من هو؟ قال: راهب بني إسرائيل، إن ماتت قام عليها، وإن عاشت حفظها حتى ترجعوا إليه؛ فعمدوا إليه فقالوا: إنا نريد السفر، ولا نجد أحدًا أوثق فى أنفسنا، ولا أحفظ لما وُلِّيً منك لما جعل عندك، فإن رأيت أن نجعل أختنا عندك فإنها ضائعة شديدة الوجع، فإن ماتت فقم عليها، وإن عاشت فأصلح إليها حتى نرجع، فقال: أفيكم إن شاء الله؛ فانطلقوا فقام عليها فداواها حتى بَرَأَت، وعاد إليها حسنها، فاطلع إليها فوجدها متصنعة، فلم يزل به الشيطان حتى يزين له أن يقع عليها حتى وقع عليها، فحملت، ثم ندمه الشيطان فزين له قتلها؛ قال: إن لم تقتلها افتضحت وعرف شبهك في الولد، فلم يكن لك معذرة، فلم يزل به حتى قتلها؛ فلما قدم إخوتها سألوه ما فعلت؟ قال: ماتت فدفنتها، قالوا: قد أحسنت، ثم جعلوا يرون في المنام، ويخبرون أن الراهب هو قتلها، وأنها تحت شجرة كذا وكذا، فعمدوا إلى الشجرة فوجدوها تحتها قد قتلت، فعمدوا إليه فأخذوه، فقال له الشيطان: أنا زيَّنت لك الزنا وقتلها بعد الزنا، فهل لك أن أنجيك؟ قال: نعم، قال: أفتطيعني؟ قال: نعم قال: فاسجد لي سجدة واحدة، فسجد له ثم قتل، فذلك قوله: ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ ) الآية حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن ابن طاوس، عن أبيه قال: " كان رجل من بني إسرائيل عابدًا، وكان ربما داوى المجانين، فكانت امرأة جميلة، فأخذها الجنون، فجيء بها إليه، فتركت عنده، فأعجبته فوقع عليها فحملت، فجاءه الشيطان فقال: إن عُلم بهذا افتضحت، فاقتلها وادفنها في بيتك، فقتلها ودفنها، فجاء أهلها بعد ذلك بزمان يسألونه، فقال: ماتت، فلم يتهموه لصلاحه فيهم، فجاءهم الشيطان فقال: إنها لم تمت، ولكنه وقع عليها فقتلها ودفنها في بيته في مكان كذا وكذا، فجاء أهلها، فقالوا: ما نتهمك، فأخبرنا أين دفنتها، ومن كان معك، فوجدوها حيث دفنها، فأُخذ وسُجن، فجاءه الشيطان فقال: إن كنت تريد أن أخرجك مما أنت فيه فتخرج منه، فاكفر بالله، فأطاع الشيطان، وكفر بالله، فأُخذ وقُتل، فتبرأ الشيطان منه حينئذ. قال: فما أعلم هذه الآية إلا نـزلت فيه ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) . وقال آخرون: بل عُنِي بذلك الناس كلهم، وقالوا: إنما هذا مثل ضُرِب للنضير فى غرور المنافقين إياهم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أَبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى؛ وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء، جميعًا عن ابن أَبي نجيح، عن مجاهد ( كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ ) عامة الناس.