Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The discourse on the explanation of His statement: وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُوا عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُوا يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (27) (And if you could see them when they are made to stand before the Fire (al-nār), then they will say: "Oh, would that we were brought back, then we would not deny the signs of our Lord and we would be among the believers!" (27))

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, exalted be His mention, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: "And if you could see," O Muḥammad, these who equate idols and graven images with their Lord, who deny your prophethood, those of whom I have described to you the condition = "when they are made to stand," that is to say: when they are held fast = "before the Fire," by which is meant: in the Fire — where "ʿalā" (upon/before) is put in place of "fī" (in), just as He has said: وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ [Surah Al-Baqarah: 102] (And they followed what the devils recited concerning the kingdom of Sulaymān), with the meaning: in the kingdom of Sulaymān.

   * * *

   And it is said: "And if you could see when they are made to stand (idh wuqifū)," the meaning of which is: when they are made to stand (idhā wuqifū) = on account of what we have previously described, in what has preceded, namely that the Arabs sometimes put "idh" in place of "idhā," and "idhā" in place of "idh," even though it is the proper nature of "idh" to accompany those reports that have already occurred and been concluded, and the proper nature of "idhā" to accompany those reports that have not yet occurred. But that is as the rajaz-poet has said, and that is Abū al-Najm:

   The Lord of Ṭāhā has prolonged for us his lifespan, Then Allah rewarded him on our behalf when He rewarded,

   With the Gardens of ʿAdn (Eden) in the loftiest, most exalted abodes.

   So he said: "Then Allah rewarded him on our behalf when He rewarded (idh jazā)," and thus he put "idh" in place of "idhā."

   * * *

   And it is said: "wuqifū" (they were made to stand), and it is not said: "ūqifū," because that is the eloquent form in the language of the Arabs. One says: "waqaftu al-dābbata wa-ghayrahā" (I made the riding-beast and other things stand still), without an alif, when you have held it fast. And likewise: "waqaftu al-arḍa" (I made the land into a waqf), when you have designated it as an established endowment, without an alif. And it has been transmitted:-

   13179 - Al-Ḥārith related to me, on the authority of Abū ʿUbayd, who said: Al-Yazīdī and al-Aṣmaʿī both informed me, on the authority of Abū ʿAmr, who said: I have never heard anyone of the Arabs say: "awqaftu al-shayʾa" (I made the thing stand still) with the alif. He said: Except that, if I were to see a man at a place and were to say: "Mā awqafaka hā hunā?" (What has made you stand still here?) with the alif, I would find that fine.

   = "Then they will say: oh, would that we were brought back," that is to say: then these who ascribe partners to their Lord will say, when they are held fast in the Fire: "Oh, would that we were brought back," to the worldly life, so that we might repent and return to obedience to Allah = "and we would not deny the signs of our Lord," that is to say: and we would not deny the proofs of our Lord and would not reject them = "and we would be among the believers," that is to say: and we would be among those who hold Allah, His proofs, and His messengers to be true, who follow His command and His prohibition.

   * * *

   And the reciters differed concerning the recitation of this.

   Most of the reciters of the Ḥijāz, Medina, and the two Iraqs recited it: ( يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبُ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ) (in the nominative), with the meaning: oh, would that we were brought back, and we do not deny the signs of our Lord, but we will be among the believers.

   * * *

   And some of the reciters of Kūfa recited it: يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (in the accusative), with the meaning: oh, would that we were brought back, and that we would not deny the signs of our Lord, and that we would be among the believers. And they explained something in connection with that:-

   13180 - Aḥmad ibn Yūsuf related it to me, he said: Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to us, on the authority of Hārūn, who said: In the reading of Ibn Masʿūd it stands: ( يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ فَلا نُكَذِّبَ ) (oh, would that we were brought back, then we would not deny) with the fāʾ.

   * * *

   And it has been transmitted from some of the reciters of the people of Syria (al-Shām), that he recited it: ( يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبُ ) in the nominative, and ( وَنَكُونَ ) in the accusative, as though he directed its interpretation toward the notion that they wished for the return and wished to be among the believers, and reported that they would not deny the signs of their Lord if they were brought back to the worldly life.

   * * *

   And the linguistic scholars of Arabic differed concerning the meaning of this, both in the accusative and in the nominative.

   Some grammarians of Basra said: "wa-lā nukadhdhiba bi-āyāti rabbinā wa-nakūna mina al-muʾminīn" stands in the accusative, because it is an answer to the wish, and what comes after the "wāw" is like what comes after the "fāʾ." He said: And if you wish, you may use the nominative and not relate it to the wish, as though they said: and we, by Allah, do not deny the signs of our Lord, and we, by Allah, are among the believers. This, when it is in this manner, stands apart from what precedes. He said: And the nominative is the correct form of the utterance, for when one uses the accusative, one makes it a "wāw" of conjunction (ʿaṭf). And when one makes it a conjunctive "wāw," then it is as though they had wished that they would not deny and that they would be among the believers. He said: And this, and Allah knows best, cannot be so, for they did not wish this; they only wished for the return, and reported that they would not deny and would be among the believers.

   * * *

   And some grammarians of Kūfa said: If one were to put "nukadhdhib" and "nakūn" in the accusative as an answer with the "wāw," that would be correct. He said: And the Arabs answer with the "wāw" and with "thumma," just as they answer with the "fāʾ." They say: "Layta lī mālan fa-uʿṭiyaka" (would that I had wealth, then I would give you), "wa-layta lī mālan wa-uʿṭiyaka," and "wa-thumma uʿṭiyaka." He said: And it may also stand in the accusative on the grounds of the ṣarf (turning away), as in your statement: "Lā yasaʿunī shayʾun wa-yaʿjiza ʿanka" (no matter can encompass me while it eludes you).

   * * *

   And another of them said: I do not like the accusative here, because it is not a wish of theirs; it is only a report by which they reported about themselves. Do you not see that Allah, the Exalted, exalted be His mention, has already charged them with lying, for He said: وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ (And if they were brought back, they would return to that which was forbidden to them)? And the charge of lying applies only to a report, not to a wish.

   * * *

   And some of them denied that the answer could occur with the "wāw" or with any letter other than the "fāʾ." And he said: The "wāw" denotes only a state (ḥāl): "Lā yasaʿunī shayʾun wa-yaḍīqa ʿanka," that is to say: while it is too narrow for you. He said: And likewise is the ṣarf throughout all of Arabic. He said: And as for the "fāʾ," it is an answer of requital: "Mā qumta fa-naʾtiyaka," that is to say: if you stood up, we would come to you. He said: This, then, is the rule of the ṣarf and the "fāʾ." He said: And as for His statement: "wa-lā nukadhdhib" and "nakūn," that is permissible only because they said: "yā laytanā nuraddu" (oh, would that we were brought back) with respect to a state other than the one in which we were made to stand before the Fire. For their being made to stand took place in that state, and so they wished that they had not been made to stand in that state.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And it is as though the meaning of the proponent of this view in this statement of his is: And if you could see when they are made to stand before the Fire, and they said: We have already been made to stand before it while we were denying the signs of our Lord, as unbelievers, so oh, would that we were brought back to it again, so that we might be made to stand before it again without denying the signs of our Lord and without being unbelievers.

   And this is an interpretation that is refuted by the clear wording of the revelation, namely the statement of Allah, the Exalted, exalted be His mention: وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ (And if they were brought back, they would return to that which was forbidden to them, and indeed they are liars), for Allah, the Exalted, reported that in that statement of theirs they are liars, and the charge of lying does not coincide with the wish. But as for the proponent of this view, I suspect that he did not thoroughly ponder the interpretation and adhered to the course of the Arabic.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And the recitation that I prefer above no other is: ( يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبُ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ) with the nominative in both, with the meaning: oh, would that we were brought back, and we do not deny the signs of our Lord if we are brought back, but we will be among the believers = by way of a report from them concerning what they would do if they were brought back to the worldly life, not by way of a wish from them that they would not deny the signs of their Lord and would be among the believers. For Allah, the Exalted, exalted be His mention, has reported about them that, if they were brought back, they would return to that which was forbidden to them, and that they are liars in that statement of theirs. And if that statement of theirs were by way of a wish, it would be impossible to charge them with lying therein, for a wish is not charged with lying; affirmation and the charge of lying occur only with reports.

   * * *

   And as for the accusative here, I suspect of its reciter that he was striving after the interpretation of the recitation of ʿAbd Allāh which we have mentioned from him, namely his recitation: ( يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ فَلا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ), by way of an answer to the wish with the "fāʾ." And when it is recited thus with the "fāʾ," there is no doubt as to the correctness of its case-ending. And its meaning is then: if we were brought back to the worldly life, we would not deny the signs of our Lord, and we would be among the believers. If, then, what the one who transmits it has transmitted concerning the Arabs — namely that from them the answer with the "wāw" and with "thumma" has been heard in the manner of the answer with the "fāʾ" — is correct, then there is no doubt as to the correctness of the recitation of whoever recited it: يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ in the accusative, as an answer to the wish with the "wāw," on the grounds of the interpretation of the recitation of ʿAbd Allāh with the "fāʾ." And if not, then that recitation is far removed from the meaning of the interpretation of the revelation. And I know of no sound transmission of it from the Arabs; rather, what is known of their language is: the answer with the "fāʾ" and the ṣarf with the "wāw."

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُوا عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُوا يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (27) قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيّه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: " ولو ترى " ، يا محمد، هؤلاء العادلين بربهم الأصنامَ والأوثانَ، الجاحدين نبوّتك، الذين وصفت لك صفتهم =" إذ وُقفوا " ، يقول: إذ حُبِسوا =" على النار "، يعني: في النار- فوضعت " على " موضع " في" كما قال: وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ [سورة البقرة: 102] ، بمعنى في ملك سليمان. (69) * * * وقيل: " ولو ترى إذ وقفوا " ، ومعناه: إذا وقفوا = لما وصفنا قبلُ فيما مضى: أن العرب قد تضع " إذ " مكان " إذا ", و " إذا " مكان " إذ ", وإن كان حظّ" إذ " أن تصاحب من الأخبار ما قد وُجد فقضي, وحظ " إذا " أن تصاحب من الأخبار ما لم يوجد, (70) ولكن ذلك كما قال الراجز، وهو أبو النجم: مَــدَّ لَنَــا فِـي عُمْـرِهِ رَبُّ طَهَـا ثُــمَّ جَــزَاهُ اللـهُ عَنَّـا إذْ جَـزَى جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ فِي العَلالِيِّ العُلَى (71) فقال: " ثم جزاه الله عنا إذ جزى " فوضع،" إذ " مكان " إذا ". * * * وقيل: " وقفوا "، ولم يُقَل: " أُوقِفوا ", لأن ذلك هو الفصيح من كلام العرب. يقال: " وقَفتُ الدابة وغيرها "، بغير ألف، إذا حبستها. وكذلك: " وقفت الأرضَ"، إذا جعلتها صدقةً حَبيسًا, بغير ألف، وقد:- 13179- حدثني الحارث, عن أبي عبيد قال: أخبرني اليزيديّ والأصمعي، كلاهما, عن أبي عمرو قال: ما سمعت أحدًا من العرب يقول: " أوقفت الشيء " بالألف. قال: إلا أني لو رأيت رجلا بمكانٍ فقلت: " ما أوقفك ها هنا؟"، بالألف، لرأيته حسنًا. (72) =" فقالوا يا ليتنا نردّ"، يقول: فقال هؤلاء المشركون بربهم، إذ حُبسوا في النار: " يا ليتنا نردّ"، إلى الدنيا حتى نتوب ونراجعَ طاعة الله =" ولا نكذب بآيات ربنا " ، يقول: ولا نكذّب بحجج ربنا ولا نجحدها =" ونكون من المؤمنين " ، يقول: ونكون من المصدّقين بالله وحججه ورسله, متَّبعي أمره ونهيه. * * * واختلفت القرأة في قراءة ذلك. فقرأته عامة قرأة الحجاز والمدينة والعراقيين: ( يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبُ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ)، بمعنى: يا ليتنا نردُّ, ولسنا نكذب بآيات ربنا، ولكنّا نكون من المؤمنين. * * * وقرأ ذلك بعض قرأة الكوفة : يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ، بمعنى: يا ليتنا نرد, وأن لا نكذب بآيات ربنا، ونكونَ من المؤمنين. وتأوَّلوا في ذلك شيئًا:- 13180 - حدثنيه أحمد بن يوسف قال، حدثنا القاسم بن سلام قال، حدثنا حجاج, عن هارون قال: في حرف ابن مسعود: ( يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ فَلا نُكَذِّبَ) بالفاء . * * * وذكر عن بعض قرأة أهل الشام، أنه قرأ ذلك: ( يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبُ) بالرفع (وَنَكُونَ) بالنصب، كأنه وجَّه تأويله إلى أنهم تمنوا الردَّ، وأن يكونوا من المؤمنين, وأخبروا أنهم لا يكذِّبون بآيات ربهم إن رُدُّوا إلى الدنيا . * * * واختلف أهل العربية في معنى ذلك منصوبًا ومرفوعًا. فقال بعض نحويي البصرة: " ولا نكذِّبَ بآيات ربِّنا ونكونَ من المؤمنين "، نصبٌ، لأنه جواب للتمني, وما بعد " الواو " كما بعد " الفاء ". قال: وإن شئت رفعتَ وجعلته على غير التمني, كأنهم قالوا: ولا نكذِّبُ والله بآيات ربنا, ونكونُ والله من المؤمنين. هذا، إذا كان على ذا الوجه، كان منقطعًا من الأوّل. قال: والرفع وجهُ الكلام , لأنه إذا نصب جعلها " واوَ" عطف. فإذا جعلها " واو " عطف, فكأنهم قد تمنوا أن لا يكذِّبوا، وأن يكونوا من المؤمنين. قال: وهذا، والله أعلم، لا يكون, لأنهم لم يتمنوا هذا, إنما تمنوا الردّ , وأخبروا أنهم لا يكذبون، ويكونون من المؤمنين. * * * وكان بعض نحويي الكوفة يقول: لو نصب " نكذب " و " نكون " على الجواب بالواو، لكان صوابًا. قال: والعرب تجيب ب " الواو "، و " ثم ", كما تجيب بالفاء. يقولون: " ليت لي مالا فأعطيَك "," وليت لي مالا وأُعْطيَك "،" وثم أعطيَك ". قال: وقد تكون نصبًا على الصَّرف, كقولك: " لا يَسَعُنِي شيء ويعجِزَ عَنك. (73) * * * وقال آخر منهم: لا أحبُّ النصب في هذا, لأنه ليس بتمنٍّ منهم, إنما هو خبرٌ، أخبروا به عن أنفسهم. ألا ترى أن الله تعالى ذكره قد كذَّبهم فقال: وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ ؟ وإنما يكون التكذيب للخبر لا للتمنِّي. * * * وكان بعضهم ينكر أن يكون الجواب " بالواو " , وبحرف غير " الفاء ". وكان يقول: إنما " الواو " موضع حال, لا يسعني شيء ويضيقَ عنك "، أي: وهو يضيق عنك. قال: وكذلك الصَّرف في جميع العربية. قال: وأما " الفاء " فجواب جزاء: " ما قمت فنأتيَك "، أي: لو قمت لأتينَاك. قال: فهذا حكم الصرف و " الفاء ". قال: وأمّا قوله: " ولا نكذب "، و " نكون " فإنما جاز, لأنهم قالوا: " يا ليتنا نرد "، في غير الحال التي وقفنا فيها على النار. فكان وقفهم في تلك, فتمنَّوا أن لا يكونوا وُقِفُوا في تلك الحال. * * * قال أبو جعفر: وكأنّ معنى صاحب هذه المقالة في قوله هذا: ولو ترى إذ وقفوا على النار, فقالوا: قد وقفنا عليها مكذِّبين بآيات ربِّنا كفارًا, فيا ليتنا نردّ إليها فنُوقَف عليها غير مكذبين بآيات ربِّنا ولا كفارًا. وهذا تأويلٌ يدفعه ظاهر التنـزيل, وذلك قول الله تعالى ذكره: وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ ، فأخبر الله تعالى أنهم في قيلهم ذلك كذبة, والتكذيب لا يقع في التمني. ولكن صاحب هذه المقالة أظنُّ به أنَّه لم يتدبر التأويل، ولَزِم سَنَن العربيّة. * * * قال أبو جعفر: والقراءة التي لا أختار غيرها في ذلك: ( يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبُ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ) بالرفع في كليهما, بمعنى: يا ليتنا نردّ, ولسنا نكذب بآيات ربِّنا إن رددنا, ولكنا نكون من المؤمنين= على وجه الخبر منهم عما يفعلون إن هم ردُّوا إلى الدنيا, لا على التمنّي منهم أن لا يكذِّبوا بآيات ربهم ويكونوا من المؤمنين. لأن الله تعالى ذكره قد أخبر عنهم أنهم لو ردُّوا لعادوا لما نهوا عنه, وأنهم كذبة في قيلهم ذلك. ولو كان قيلهم ذلك على وجه التمني، لاستحال تكذيبهم فيه, لأن التمني لا يكذَّب, وإنما يكون التصديقُ والتكذيبُ في الأخبار. * * * وأما النصب في ذلك, فإني أظنّ بقارئه أنه توخَّى تأويل قراءة عبد الله التي ذكرناها عنه, (74) وذلك قراءته ذلك: ( يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ فَلا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ) ، على وجه جواب التمني بالفاء. وهو إذا قرئ بالفاء كذلك، لا شك في صحة إعرابه. ومعناه في ذلك: أن تأويله إذا قرئ كذلك: لو أنّا رددنا إلى الدنيا ما كذَّبنا بآيات ربِّنا, ولكُنَّا من المؤمنين. فإن يكن الذي حَكَى من حكى عن العرب من السماع منهم الجوابَ بالواو، و " ثم " كهيئة الجواب بالفاء، صحيحًا, فلا شك في صحّة قراءة من قرأ ذلك: يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ نصبًا على جواب التمني بالواو, على تأويل قراءة عبد الله ذلك بالفاء. وإلا فإن القراءة بذلك بعيدةُ المعنى من تأويل التنـزيل. ولستُ أعلم سماعَ ذلك من العرب صحيحًا, بل المعروف من كلامها: الجوابُ بالفاء، والصرفُ بالواو. * * * ------------------------ الهوامش : (69) انظر تفسير"على" بمعنى"في" فيما سلف 1: 299/ 2 : 411 ، 412/11 : 200 ، 201 ومواضع أخرى ، التمسها في فهارس النحو والعربية. (70) انظر"إذا" و"إذ" فيما سلف ص: 236 ، تعليق: 1 ، والمراجع هناك. (71) مضى بيتان منها فيما سلف ص: 235 ، والبيت الأول من الرجز ، في اللسان (طها) وقال: "وإنما أراد: رب طه ، فحذف الألف". وكان رسم"طها" في المطبوعة والمخطوطة: "طه" ، فآثرت رسمها كما كتبها صاحب اللسان (طها). (72) الأثر: 13179 - انظر هذا الخبر في لسان العرب"وقف". وكان في المطبوعة: "الحارث بن أبي عبيد" ، وهو خطأ ، صوابه من المخطوطة. وقد مضى هذا الإسناد مرارًا. (73) "الصرف" ، مضى تفسيره فيما سلف 1: 569 ، تعليق: 1/3: 552 ، تعليق: 1/7: 247 ، تعليق: 2. (74) في المطبوعة: "فإني أظن بقارئه أنه برجاء تأويل قراءة عبد الله" ، وهو كلام غث. وفي المخطوطة: " . . . أنه برحا تأويل قراءة عبد الله" غير منقوطة ، وصواب قراءتها ما أثبت.