Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَمَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (59:6) (And whatever Allah restored to His Messenger from them as fayʾ — for it you spurred neither horses nor riding-camels; but Allah gives His messengers power over whom He wills, and Allah is powerful over all things.)

   The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: And that which Allah restored to His Messenger from them — that is to say: of the possessions of Banū al-Naḍīr. One says of this: fāʾa al-shayʾ ʿalā fulān ("the thing returned to so-and-so"): when it returns to him; and afaʾtuhu anā ʿalayhi ("I restored it to him"): when I gave it back to him. And it has been said: that what is meant by this are the possessions of [Banū] Qurayẓa. ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) (for it you spurred neither horses nor riding-camels) He says: for it you did not make horses run hard, nor camels — and these are the rikāb (riding-mounts). And He, mighty is His praise, described that which He restored to His Messenger from them as something for which no horses were spurred, because the Muslims waged no war for it and undertook no expense for it; for the people were in their vicinity and in their [own] land, so that there occurred therein no spurring of horses or riding-mounts.

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his saying: ( وَمَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) (And whatever Allah restored to His Messenger from them as fayʾ — for it you spurred neither horses nor riding-camels) ... the verse, he says: you traversed no valley for it, nor did you set out upon any journey for it; for they were only the walled gardens of Banū al-Naḍīr, a gift of sustenance which Allah fed to His Messenger. It has been mentioned to us that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say: "Whatever settlement surrenders to Allah and His Messenger belongs to Allah and to His Messenger; and whatever settlement the Muslims conquer by force, of it the fifth belongs to Allah and to His Messenger, and what remains is spoils for those who fought for it."

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of al-Zuhrī, concerning his saying: ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) (for it you spurred neither horses nor riding-camels) he said: The Prophet ﷺ made peace with the people of Fadak and with settlements which he named but which I do not remember, while he was besieging another people, and they sent to him [a message] to make peace. He said: ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) (for it you spurred neither horses nor riding-camels) he says: without fighting. Al-Zuhrī said: Banū al-Naḍīr thus belonged exclusively to the Prophet ﷺ; they had not conquered them by force, but through peace. Then the Prophet ﷺ divided it among the Emigrants (muhājirūn) and gave the Helpers (Anṣār) nothing of it, except two men who were in need.

   Ibn Humayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Ishāq related to me, on the authority of Yazīd ibn Rūmān: ( وَمَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ ) (And whatever Allah restored to His Messenger from them as fayʾ), that is to say: Banū al-Naḍīr ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ) (for it you spurred neither horses nor riding-camels; but Allah gives His messengers power over whom He wills, and Allah is powerful over all things).

   Muhammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Hārith related to me, saying: al-Hasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīh, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning his saying: ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) (for it you spurred neither horses nor riding-camels) he said: He reminds them that their Lord helped them and sufficed them, without horse and without equipment, at [Banū] Qurayẓa and Khaybar. What Allah restored to His Messenger from [Banū] Qurayẓa as fayʾ, He made the property of the Emigrants of the Quraysh.

   Muhammad 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: ( وَمَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ) (And whatever Allah restored to His Messenger from them as fayʾ — for it you spurred neither horses nor riding-camels; but Allah gives His messengers power over whom He wills, and Allah is powerful over all things) he said: Allah, mighty and exalted is He, commanded His Prophet to march against [Banū] Qurayẓa and al-Naḍīr, while the Muslims on that day did not possess a great number of horses or riding-mounts. Then He made that which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ obtained [something] over which he could dispose according to his own judgment; for on that day there were no horses or riding-mounts with which one could spur. He said: and al-ījāf is that they urge [the animals] to speed in running. And the [property] belonged to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Among it were Khaybar, Fadak, and Arab settlements. And Allah commanded His Messenger to make ready for Yanbuʿ, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came there and took possession of the whole of it. Then some people said: "Would that he had divided it!" Then Allah, mighty and exalted is He, sent down His justification, and He said: مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ (What Allah restored to His Messenger as fayʾ from the people of the settlements belongs to Allah and to the Messenger and to the kinsfolk and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer). Then He said: وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا (And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it) ... the verse.

   It was related to me, on the authority of al-Husayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard al-Daḥḥāk say, concerning his saying: ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) (for it you spurred neither horses nor riding-camels) that is to say: the day of [Banū] Qurayẓa.

   And His saying: ( وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ ) (but Allah gives His messengers power over whom He wills) He makes known to you that, just as He gave Muhammad ﷺ power over Banū al-Naḍīr, He, mighty is His praise, thereby informs that that which Allah restored to him as fayʾ of possessions — for which the Muslims spurred no horses and riding-mounts against the enemies, [possessions] over which they made peace with him — belongs to him exclusively, for him to dispose of according to his own judgment. He says: for Muhammad ﷺ obtained the possessions of Banū al-Naḍīr through peace, not through force, so that no division applies to them. ( وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ) (and Allah is powerful over all things) He says: and Allah is powerful over all that He wills; nothing renders Him powerless. And through His power over what He wills, He gave His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ power over that which He gave him power over — the possessions of Banū al-Naḍīr — so that he took possession of them from them.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَمَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (6) يقول تعالى ذكره: والذي ردّه الله على رسوله منهم، يعني من أموال بني النضير. يقال منه: فاء الشيء على فلان: إذا رجع إليه، و أفأته أنا عليه: إذا رددته عليه. وقد قيل: إنه عنى بذلك أموال قُرَيظة ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) يقول: فما أوضعتم فيه من خيل ولا في إبل وهي الركاب. وإنما وصف جلّ ثناؤه الذي أفاءه على رسوله منهم بأنه لم يوجف عليه بخيل من أجل أن المسلمين لم يلقوا في ذلك حربًا، ولا كلفوا فيه مئونة، وإنما كان القوم معهم، وفي بلدهم، فلم يكن فيه إيجاف خيل ولا ركاب. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله: ( وَمَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) ... الآية، يقول: ما قطعتم إليها واديًا، ولا سرتم إليها سيرًا، وإنما كان حوائط لبني النضير طعمة أطعمها الله رسوله، ذُكر لنا أن رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم كان يقول: " أيُّمَا قَرْيَةٍ أَعْطَتِ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ، فَهِيَ لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ، وَأيُّمَا قَرْيَةٍ فَتَحَهَا المُسْلِمُونَ عَنْوَةً فَإنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَمَا بَقِيَ غَنِيمَةٌ لِمَنْ قَاتَلَ عَلَيْهَا ". حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن الزهري، في قوله: ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) قال: صالح النبي صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم أهل فدك وقرى قد سماها لا أحفظها، وهو محاصر قومًا آخرين، فأرسلوا إليه بالصلح، قال: ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) يقول: بغير قتال. قال الزهريّ: فكانت بنو النضير للنبيّ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم خالصة لم يفتحوها عنوة، بل على صلح، فقسمها النبيّ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم بين المهاجرين لم يعط الأنصار منها شيئًا، إلا رجلين كانت بهما حاجة. حدثنا ابن حُميد، قال: ثنا سلمة، قال: ثني محمد بن إسحاق، عن يزيد بن رومان ( وَمَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ )، يعني: بني النضير ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ) . حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى؛ وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعًا، عن ابن أَبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، في قوله: ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) قال: يذكر ربهم أنه نصرهم، وكفاهم بغير كراع، ولا عدة في قريظة وخيبر، ما أفاء الله على رسوله من قريظة، جعلها لمهاجرة قريش. حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أَبي، قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أَبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس، قوله: ( وَمَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ) قال: أمر الله عزّ وجلّ نبيه بالسير إلى قريظة والنضير، وليس للمسلمين يومئذ كثير خيل ولا ركاب، فجعل ما أصاب رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم يحكم فيه ما أراد، ولم يكن يومئذ خيل ولا ركاب يوجف بها. قال: والإيجاف: أن يوضعوا السير، وهي لرسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم، فكان من ذلك خيبر وَفَدَك وَقُرًى عَرَبَيةً، وأمر الله رسوله أن يعد لينبع، فأتاها رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم، فاحتواها كلها، فقال ناس: هلا قسَّمها، فأنـزل الله عزّ وجلّ عذره، فقال: مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ ثم قال: وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا ... الآية. حُدثت عن الحسين، قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: ثنا عبيد، قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول، في قوله: ( فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) يعني: يوم قريظة. وقوله: ( وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ ) أعلمك أنه كما سلَّط محمدًا صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم على بني النضير، يخبر بذلك جلّ ثناؤه أن ما أفاء الله عليه من أموال لم يُوجف المسلمون بالخيل والركاب، من الأعداء مما صالحوه عليه له خاصة يعمل فيه بما يرى. يقول: فمحمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم إنما صار إليه أموال بني النضير بالصلح لا عنوة، فتقع فيها القسمة.( وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ) يقول: والله على كلّ شيء أراده ذو قدرة لا يُعجزه شيء، وبقُدرته على ما يشاء سلَّط نبيه محمدًا صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم على ما سلط عليه من أموال بني النضير، فحازه عليهم.