Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of His word, the Exalted: وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَلائِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمُ الْمَوْتَى وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ قُبُلا مَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا إِلا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ (111) ("And even if We had sent down the angels to them, and the dead had spoken to them, and We had gathered all things before them openly, they still would not have believed, unless Allah willed it, but most of them are ignorant." (6:111))

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says to His prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ): O Muḥammad, despair of the success of these who equate their Lord with the idols and statues, who say to you: "If you bring us a sign, we will surely believe in you." For indeed, even if We were to send down the angels to them so that they would see them with their own eyes, and even if the dead were to speak to them by Our bringing them to life as a proof for you and as an indication of your prophethood, and even if they were to inform them that you are truthful in what you say and that what you have brought them is the truth from Allah, and even if We were to gather all things before them and set them before you against them — they still would not believe, would not hold you to be truthful, and would not follow you, unless Allah were to will that for whomever of them He wills — "but most of them are ignorant," that is to say: but most of these polytheists (mushrikīn) do not know that it is so; they suppose that faith belongs to them and that disbelief lies in their hands, that they believe when they will and disbelieve when they will. But it is not so; that lies in My hand. None of them believes except him whom I have guided to faith and whom I have enabled for it, and none disbelieves except him whom I have abandoned to right guidance [being withheld] and thus caused to stray.

   * * *

   And it has been said: this was revealed concerning the mockers of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and of that which he had brought from Allah, from among the polytheists of the Quraysh.

   * Mention of who said that:

   13755 — al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: It was revealed concerning the mockers who asked the Prophet (ﷺ) for a sign, and He said: "Say," O Muḥammad, "Indeed, the signs are with Allah, and what makes you perceive that, when they come, they will not believe?" And concerning them was revealed: ("And even if We had sent down the angels to them, and the dead had spoken to them, and We had gathered all things before them openly").

   * * *

   And others have said: it was said only ("they still would not believe") with respect to the people of misery (the damned), and it was said ("unless Allah willed it"), this being excepted from His word ("would they believe"), referring to the people of faith and felicity.

   * Mention of who said that:

   13756 — al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya ibn Ṣāliḥ related to me, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: ("And even if We had sent down the angels to them, and the dead had spoken to them, and We had gathered all things before them openly, they still would not believe") — those are the people of misery. Then He said: ("unless Allah willed it") — those are the people of felicity, for whom it had already been established beforehand in His knowledge that they would enter into faith.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And the correct of the two statements herein is the statement of Ibn ʿAbbās, for Allah, praised be His praise, has by His word ("they still would not believe") encompassed in a general sense the people mentioned earlier in His word: "And they swore by Allah their strongest oaths that, if a sign were to come to them, they would surely believe in it."

   And it is possible that those who asked for the sign were the very mockers intended by this verse according to Ibn Jurayj, but there is in the outward wording of the revelation no indication of that, and no narration by which a proof could be established that it is so. And the report of Allah comes forth in general wording; therefore the statement that what is intended thereby is the people of misery among them is the most correct, for what we have described.

   * * *

   And the reciters differed in the recitation of His word: ("and even if We had gathered all things before them openly," qubulan).

   The reciters of Medina read it as "qibalan," with a kasra on the "qāf" and a fatḥa on the "bāʾ," in the meaning of: with their own eyes — after the expression of the one who says: "I met him qibalan," that is to say: with my own eyes and openly.

   * * *

   And the general reciters of Kufa and Basra read it as: ("and even if We had gathered all things before them," qubulan), with a ḍamma on the "qāf" and the "bāʾ."

   And when it is read thus, it has three possible interpretations:

   The first of them is that "al-qubul" is the plural of "qabīl," just as "al-rughuf" is the plural of "raghīf" (loaf), and "al-quḍub" is the plural of "qaḍīb" (twig), and then "al-qubul" would mean the sureties and guarantors. And when that is its meaning, then the explanation of the words is: and We gathered before them all things as guarantors who would assure them that that which We promise them for their faith in Allah if they believe, or what We threaten them with for their disbelief in Allah if they perish in their disbelief, [would take place] — yet they would not believe, unless Allah willed it.

   The other possibility is that "al-qubul" has the meaning of being set opposite and confrontation, after the expression of the one who says: "I came to you qubulan, not from behind," when he came to him from the front.

   The third possibility is that the meaning is: and We gathered before them all things, tribe by tribe, kind by kind, group by group, so that "al-qubul" would then be the plural of "qabīl," which itself is the plural of "qabīla" (tribe), so that "al-qubul" is a plural of a plural.

   * * *

   And all of these [interpretations] have been proclaimed by groups of the exegetes.

   * Mention of who said: the meaning of it is: with their own eyes.

   13757 — al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya ibn Ṣāliḥ related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: ("and even if We had gathered all things before them openly"), he says: with their own eyes.

   13758 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ("and even if We had gathered all things before them openly"), until they would behold that with their own eyes — ("they still would not believe, unless Allah willed it").

   * * *

   * Mention of who said: the meaning of it is: tribe by tribe, kind by kind.

   13759 — al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Yazīd related to us: whoever reads it as ("qubulan"), the meaning of it is: tribe by tribe.

   13760 — al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: Mujāhid said: ("qubulan"), in throngs, tribe by tribe.

   13761 — al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn Yūnus related to us, on the authority of Abū Khaythama, he said: Abān ibn Taghlib related to us, saying: Ṭalḥa related to me that Mujāhid read in "al-Anʿām": ("all things qubulan"), he said: tribes, tribe and tribe and tribe.

   * * *

   * Mention of who said: the meaning of it is: standing opposite.

   13762 — Muḥammad 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 word: ("And even if We had sent down the angels to them, and the dead had spoken to them, and We had gathered all things before them openly"), he says: even if all that were to come to meet them, they would not believe, unless Allah willed it.

   13763 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: ("and even if We had gathered all things before them openly"), he said: they were all gathered to them, and so they stood opposite them and confronted them face to face.

   13764 — al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Yazīd related to us: ʿĪsā read ("qubulan"), and the meaning of it is: with their own eyes.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And the correct of the two recitations herein is, in our view, the recitation of the one who read: ("and even if We had gathered all things before them," qubulan), with a ḍamma on the "qāf" and the "bāʾ," because of what we have mentioned of the possibility that it encompasses the [various] meanings that we have explained, and because the meaning of "al-qibal" is contained therein, while the meanings of "al-qibal" do not encompass [the meaning of] "al-qubul."

   * * *

   And as for His word: ("and We gathered before them"), the meaning of it is: and We brought together before them, and We drove [them] to them.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَلائِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمُ الْمَوْتَى وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ قُبُلا مَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا إِلا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ (111) قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: يا محمد, آيسْ من فلاح هؤلاء العادلين بربهم الأوثانَ والأصنام ، القائلين لك: " لئن جئتنا بآية لنؤمنن لك ", فإننا لو نـزلنا إليهم الملائكة حتى يروها عيانًا، وكلمهم الموتى بإحيائنا إياهم حُجَّةً لك، ودلالة على نبوّتك, وأخبروهم أنك محقٌّ فيما تقول, وأن ما جئتهم به حقٌّ من عند الله, وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء فجعلناهُم لك قبلا ما آمنوا ولا صدّقوك ولا اتبعوك إلا أن يشاء الله ذلك لمن شاء منهم =(ولكن أكثرهم يجهلون)، يقول: ولكن أكثر هؤلاء المشركين يجهلون أن ذلك كذلك, يحسبون أن الإيمان إليهم، والكفرَ بأيديهم, متى شاؤوا آمنوا، ومتى شاؤوا كفروا . وليس ذلك كذلك, ذلك بيدي, لا يؤمن منهم إلا من هديته له فوفقته, ولا يكفر إلا من خذلته عن الرشد فأضللته . * * * وقيل: إن ذلك نـزل في المستهزئين برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم, وما جاء به من عند الله, من مشركي قريش . * ذكر من قال ذلك: 13755- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثنا حجاج, عن ابن جريج قال: نـزلت في المستهزئين الذين سألوا النبيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الآية, فقال: قُلْ ، يا محمد، إِنَّمَا الآيَاتُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءَتْ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ ، ونـزل فيهم: (ولو أننا نـزلنا إليهم الملائكة وكلمهم الموتى وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء قبلا) . * * * وقال آخرون: إنما قيل: (ما كانوا ليؤمنوا)، يراد به أهل الشقاء, وقيل: (إلا أن يشاء الله)، فاستثنى ذلك من قوله: (ليؤمنوا)، يراد به أهل الإيمان والسعادة . * ذكر من قال ذلك: 13756- حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا عبد الله بن صالح قال، حدثني معاوية بن صالح, عن ابن عباس قوله: (ولو أننا نـزلنا إليهم الملائكة وكلمهم الموتى وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء قبلا ما كانوا ليؤمنوا)، وهم أهل الشقاء = ثم قال: (إلا أن يشاء الله)، وهم أهل السعادة الذين سبق لهم في علمه أن يدخلوا في الإيمان . * * * قال أبو جعفر: وأولى القولين في ذلك بالصواب، قولُ ابن عباس, لأن الله جل ثناؤه عمَّ بقوله: (ما كانوا ليؤمنوا)، القوم الذين تقدّم ذكرهم في قوله: وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِنْ جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ لَيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا . وقد يجوز أن يكون الذين سألوا الآية كانوا هم المستهزئين الذين قال ابن جريج إنهم عُنوا بهذه الآية، ولكن لا دلالة في ظاهر التنـزيل على ذلك، ولا خبر تقوم به حجة بأن ذلك كذلك . والخبر من الله خارجٌ مخرجَ العموم, فالقول بأنَّ ذلك عنى به أهل الشقاء منهم أولى، لما وصفنا . * * * واختلفت القرأة في قراءة قوله: (وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء قبلا). فقرأته قرأة أهل المدينة: " قِبَلا "، بكسر " القاف " وفتح " الباء ", بمعنى: معاينةً= من قول القائل: " لقيته قِبَلا "، أي معاينة ومُجاهرةً . * * * وقرأ ذلك عامة قرأة الكوفيين والبصريين: ( وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ قُبُلا )، بضم " القاف "،" والباء " . وإذا قرئ كذلك، كان له من التأويل ثلاثة أوجه: أحدها أن يكون " القبل " جمع " قبيل "، كالرُّغُف التي هي جمع " رغيف ", و " القُضُب " التي هي جمع " قضيب ", ويكون " القبل "، الضمناء والكفلاء= وإذا كان ذلك معناه, كان تأويل الكلام: وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء كُفَلاء يكفلون لهم بأن الذي نعدهم على إيمانهم بالله إن آمنوا، أو نوعدهم على كفرهم بالله إن هلكوا على كفرهم, ما آمنوا إلا أن يشاء الله . والوجه الآخر: أن يكون " القبل " بمعنى المقابلة والمواجهة, من قول القائل: " أتيتُك قُبُلا لا دُبُرًا ", إذا أتاه من قبل وجهه . والوجه الثالث: أن يكون معناه: وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء قبيلةً قبيلةً, صنفًا صنفًا, وجماعة جماعةً ، فيكون " القبل " حينئذ جمع " قبيل "، الذي هو ج مع " قبيلة ", فيكون " القبل " جمع الجمع . (1) * * * وبكل ذلك قد قالت جماعة من أهل التأويل . * ذكر من قال: معنى ذلك: معاينةً . 13757- حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا عبد الله بن صالح قال، حدثني معاوية بن صالح, عن علي بن أبي طلحة, عن ابن عباس: (وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء قبلا)، يقول: معاينة . 13758- حدثنا بشر قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد, عن قتادة: (وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء قبلا)، حتى يعاينوا ذلك معاينة=(ما كانوا ليؤمنوا إلا أن يشاء الله) . * * * * ذكر من قال: معنى ذلك: قبيلة قبيلة، صنفًا صنفًا . 13759- حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا إسحاق قال، حدثنا عبد الله بن يزيد: من قرأ: (قُبُلا)، معناه: قبيلا قبيلا . 13760- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج, عن ابن جريج قال، قال مجاهد: (قُبُلا)، أفواجًا, قبيلا قبيلا . 13761- حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا إسحاق قال، حدثنا أحمد بن يونس, عن أبي خيثمة قال، حدثنا أبان بن تغلب قال، حدثني طلحة أن مجاهدًا قرأ في" الأنعام ": (كل شيء قُبُلا)، قال: قبائل, قبيلا وقبيلا وقبيلا . * * * * ذكر من قال: معناه: مقابلةً . 13762- حدثني محمد بن سعد قال، حدثني أبي قال، حدثني عمي قال، حدثني أبي, عن أبيه, عن ابن عباس قوله: (ولو أننا نـزلنا إليهم الملائكة وكلمهم الموتى وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء قبلا)، يقول: لو استقبلهم ذلك كله, لم يؤمنوا إلا أن يشاء الله . 13763- حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: (وحشرنا عليهم كل شيء قبلا)، قال: حشروا إليهم جميعًا, فقابلوهم وواجهوهم . 13764- حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا إسحاق قال، حدثنا عبد الله بن يزيد: قرأ عيسى: (قُبُلا) ومعناه: عيانًا . * * * قال أبو جعفر: وأولى القراءتين في ذلك بالصواب عندنا, قراءةُ من قرأ: ( وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ قُبُلا )، بضم " القاف " و " الباء "، لما ذكرنا من احتمال ذلك الأوجهَ التي بينّا من المعاني, وأن معنى " القِبَل " داخلٌ فيه, وغير داخل في القبل معاني" القِبَل " . * * * وأما قوله: (وحشرنا عليهم)، فإن معناه: وجمعنا عليهم, وسقنا إليهم . (2) ------------------------- الهوامش : (1) انظر معاني القرآن للفراء 1 : 350 ، 351 . (2) انظر تفسير (( حشر )) فيما سلف 457 : 11 ، تعليق : 5 ، والمراجع هناك .