Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of His word: وَقَالُوا لَوْلا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يُنَزِّلَ آيَةً وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لا يَعْلَمُونَ (37) (And they said: "Why has no sign been sent down upon him from his Lord?" Say: "Indeed, Allah is able to send down a sign," but most of them do not know) (37).

   Abū Jaʿfar said: He, exalted be His remembrance, says: And these people who ascribe equals to their Lord, who turn away from His signs, said: "Why has no sign been sent down upon him from his Lord?" He says: they said: Why has no sign been sent down upon Muḥammad from his Lord? As the poet said:

   "You reckon the slaughtering of the old camels as your loftiest glory, O sons of Ḍawṭarā — why not the armored, valiant warrior?"

   with the meaning: why not the valiant warrior.

   * * *

   And "the sign (al-āya)" is the token.

   * * *

   And that is because they said: مَالِ هَذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الأَسْوَاقِ لَوْلا أُنْـزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فَيَكُونَ مَعَهُ نَذِيرًا * أَوْ يُلْقَى إِلَيْهِ كَنْـزٌ أَوْ تَكُونُ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا [Surah Al-Furqān: 7, 8] ("What is the matter with this Messenger that he eats food and walks about in the markets? Why is no angel sent down to him to be a warner with him? Or why is no treasure cast down to him, or why has he no garden from which he eats?"). Allah, the Exalted, said to His prophet Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: Say, O Muḥammad, to those who direct this statement to you: "Indeed, Allah is able to send down a sign," that is to say: a proof such as they desire and ask for. "But most of them do not know," He says: but most of those who say that and ask you for a sign do not know what trial would befall them through the sign were He to send it down, and they do not realize what the wisdom is in withholding the sending down of it upon you. And were they to know the reason why I have not sent it down upon you, they would not say that nor ask you for it; but most of them do not know that.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : وَقَالُوا لَوْلا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يُنَزِّلَ آيَةً وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لا يَعْلَمُونَ (37) قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره: وقال هؤلاء العادلون بربهم، المعرضون عن آياته: " لولا نزل عليه آية من ربه " ، يقول: قالوا: هلا نـزل على محمد آية من ربه؟ (4) كما قال الشاعر: (5) تَعُـدُّونَ عَقْـرَ النِّيـبِ أَفْضَـل مَجْدِكُمْ بَنِـي ضَوْطَـرَي, لَـولا الكَمِيَّ المُقَنَّعَا (6) بمعنى: هلا الكميَّ. * * * و " الآية "، العلامة. (7) * * * وذلك أنهم قالوا: مَالِ هَذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الأَسْوَاقِ لَوْلا أُنْـزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فَيَكُونَ مَعَهُ نَذِيرًا * أَوْ يُلْقَى إِلَيْهِ كَنْـزٌ أَوْ تَكُونُ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا [سورة الفرقان : 7،8] . قال الله تعالى لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: قل، يا محمد، لقائلي هذه المقالة لك: " إنّ الله قادر على أن ينزل آية ", يعني: حجة على ما يريدون ويسألون=" ولكن أكثرهم لا يعلمون " ، يقول: ولكن أكثر الذين يقولون ذلك فيسألونك آية, (8) لا يعلمون ما عليهم في الآية إن نـزلها من البلاء, ولا يدرون ما وجه ترك إنـزال ذلك عليك, ولو علموا السبب الذي من أجله لم أنـزلها عليك، لم يقولوا ذلك، ولم يسألوكه, ولكن أكثرهم لا يعلمون ذلك. ------------------ الهوامش : (4) انظر تفسير"لولا" فيما سلف 2: 552 ، 553/10 : 448/ 11 : 262 ، (5) هو جرير. (6) مضى البيت وتخريجه وتفسيره وصواب نسبته فيما سلف 2: 552 ، 553. (7) انظر تفسير"الآية" فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة (أيي). (8) في المخطوطة: "ولكن أكثرهم الذين يقولون" ، والجيد ما في المطبوعة.