Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of His word: وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لا يُفَرِّطُونَ (61) ("And He is the Subjugator above His servants, and He sends over you guardians, until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him away; and they do not fall short") (6:61).

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: "And He is the Subjugator," and Allah is the One who subdues His creation, who is exalted above them through His power, (12) not the subdued one among their idols and statues, which is humiliated and over which one exalts oneself on account of its lowliness. (13) = "and He sends over you guardians," and these are His angels who relieve one another over you by night and by day, who guard and record your deeds, and they do not fall short in guarding and recording them and they do not let them go to waste. (14)

   In accordance with what we have said concerning this, the people of exegesis spoke.

   * Mention of who said that:

   13323 - Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī concerning His word: "and He sends over you guardians," he said: these are the successive angels, who guard him and guard his deeds.

   13324 - Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, he said: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda concerning His word: "And He is the Subjugator above His servants, and He sends over you guardians, until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him away; and they do not fall short," he says: guardians, O son of Adam, who guard over you your deeds, your sustenance, and your lifespan; when that comes to an end, you are taken away to your Lord = "until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him away; and they do not fall short," the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: your Lord guards you by means of messengers whom He makes relieve one another; He sends them to you to guard you and your deeds, until death draws near to you and the command of Allah descends upon you. When that comes to one of you, Our angels who are charged with taking away the souls take him away, and Our messengers who are sent with that = "and they do not fall short," therein, so that they would let it go to waste. (15)

   * * *

   If someone were to say: is not the one who takes away the souls the Angel of Death? How then is it said "Our messengers take him away," while "the messengers" are a plural and he is one? And has He not said: قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ [Surah As-Sajdah: 11] ("Say: the Angel of Death, who is charged with you, takes you away") (32:11)?

   The answer is: it is possible that Allah, the Exalted whose praise is exalted, has aided the Angel of Death with helpers from Himself, who carry that out by the command of the Angel of Death, so that the "taking away" is attributed = even though that is an act of the helpers of the Angel of Death = to the Angel of Death, (16) since what they did of that they did by his command, just as the killing of those whom the helpers of the ruler kill, and the flogging of those whom they flog by the command of the ruler, is attributed to the ruler, even though the ruler did not carry that out himself, nor did he do it with his own hand.

   * * *

   And thus a group of the people of exegesis explained this.

   * Mention of who said that:

   13325 - Abū Kurayb related to us, he said: Ibn Idrīs related to us, he said: al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbayd Allāh related to us, on the authority of Ibrāhīm concerning His word: "until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him away; and they do not fall short," he said: Ibn ʿAbbās used to say: the Angel of Death has helpers from the angels.

   13326 - Abū al-Sāʾib related to me, he said: Ibn Idrīs related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbayd Allāh concerning His word: "Our messengers take him away; and they do not fall short," he said: Ibn ʿAbbās was asked about it and said: indeed, the Angel of Death has helpers from the angels.

   13327 - Muḥammad ibn Bashshār related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, he said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, on the authority of Ibrāhīm concerning His word: "Our messengers take him away; and they do not fall short," he said: the helpers of the Angel of Death.

   13328 - Ibn Bashshār related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, he said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm: "Our messengers take him away; and they do not fall short," he said: the messengers take away the souls, and the Angel of Death carries them away.

   13329 - Hannād related to us, he said: Ḥafṣ related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: "Our messengers take him away; and they do not fall short," the helpers of the Angel of Death from among the angels. (17)

   13330 - [Hannād related to us, he said: Ḥafṣ related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: "Our messengers take him away; and they do not fall short." He said: the helpers of the Angel of Death from among the angels.] (18)

   13331 - Hannād related to us, he said: Qabīṣa related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, on the authority of Ibrāhīm: "Our messengers take him away," he said: they are the angels, the helpers of the Angel of Death.

   13332 - Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, he said: Maʿmar related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "Our messengers take him away," he said: indeed, the Angel of Death has messengers; he sends them out and they convey that to him. = And al-Kalbī said: indeed, the Angel of Death is the one who carries that out; he hands him over, if he is a believer, to the angels of mercy, and if he is an unbeliever, to the angels of punishment (ʿadhāb).

   13333 - Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda: "Our messengers take him away," he said: the messengers carry out the taking away of them, and then hand them over to the Angel of Death.

   13334 - Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: al-Thawrī informed us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm concerning His word: "Our messengers take him away," he said: the messengers take him away, and then the Angel of Death takes over their souls from them. = Al-Thawrī said: and al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbayd Allāh informed me, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, he said: they are helpers of the Angel of Death. = Al-Thawrī said: and a man informed me, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: the earth has been made for the Angel of Death like a basin, from which he takes whatever he wills, and he has been given helpers who take away the souls, after which he takes them over from them.

   13335 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: Ibn Idrīs related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning His word: "Our messengers take him away," he said: the helpers of the Angel of Death from among the angels.

   13336 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: my father related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, he said: the angels are the helpers of the Angel of Death.

   13337 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: Qabīṣa related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm: "Our messengers take him away," he said: they take him away, and then hand him over to the Angel of Death.

   13338 - Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Isḥāq related to us, he said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, he said: I asked al-Rabīʿ ibn Anas about the Angel of Death, whether he alone is the one who takes away the souls. He said: he is the one who carries out the governance over the souls, and he has helpers for that. Do you not hear the word of Allah, the Exalted whose praise is exalted: حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا يَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ ? [Surah Al-Aʿrāf: 37] ("until, when Our messengers come to them to take them away") (7:37). And He said: "Our messengers take him away; and they do not fall short," except that the Angel of Death is the one who traverses every pace from the east to the west. I said: where are the souls of the believers? He said: at the lote-tree (al-sidra) in Paradise (al-janna).

   13339 - Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Muslim informed us, on the authority of Ibrāhīm ibn Maysara, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: there is no household of hair (tents) nor of clay (houses) but the Angel of Death goes around among them twice each day.

   * * *

   And we have already previously set forth that the meaning of "al-tafrīṭ" is letting go to waste. (19) And thus the exegetes have explained it in this place.

   13340 - Al-Muthannā related to us, he said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya ibn Ṣāliḥ related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning His word: "and they do not fall short," he says: they do not let it go to waste.

   13341 - Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "and they do not fall short," he said: they do not let it go to waste.

   ----------------------

   Footnotes:

   (12) See the explanation of "al-qāhir" as previously mentioned p. 288.

   (13) In the printed edition: "al-maghlūb ʿalayhi li-dhillatihi," and that is an error and a poor emendation; what is in the manuscript is the correct reading.

   (14) See the explanation of "al-ḥifẓ" in its meanings as previously mentioned 5: 167 / 8: 296, 297, 562 / 10: 343, 562.

   (15) See the explanation of "al-tawaffī" as previously mentioned p. 405 note 1, and the references therein.

   (16) The sentence connection: "so that the taking away is attributed ... to the Angel of Death."

   (17) The narration 13329 - the explanation of this verse in this narration read: "he said: the messengers take away the souls, and the Angel of Death carries them away," and this is utterly contrary to what is in the manuscript, so I have established what is in it, and that appears to be the correct reading, if Allah wills.

   (18) The narration 13330 - this narration is not in the manuscript, therefore I have placed it between brackets, and my supposition is that it is a repetition through the doing of a copyist, for its isnād is the isnād of the one before it, except that there is no "on the authority of Ibrāhīm" in it between "al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbayd Allāh" and "Ibn ʿAbbās."

   (19) See the explanation of "al-tafrīṭ" as previously mentioned pp. 345, 346.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لا يُفَرِّطُونَ (61) قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره: " وهو القاهر "، والله الغالب خلقه، العالي عليهم بقدرته, (12) لا المقهور من أوثانهم وأصنامهم، المذلَّل المعْلُوّ عليه لذلته (13) =" ويرسل عليكم حفظة "، وهي ملائكته الذين يتعاقبونكم ليلا ونهارًا, يحفظون أعمالكم ويحصونها, ولا يفرطون في حفظ ذلك وإحصائه ولا يُضيعون. (14) وبنحو ما قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل . * ذكر من قال ذلك: 13323 - حدثنا محمد بن الحسين قال، حدثنا أحمد بن المفضل قال، حدثنا أسباط, عن السدي قوله: " ويرسل عليكم حفظة "، قال: هي المعقبات من الملائكة, يحفظونه ويحفظون عمله. 13324 - حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد بن زريع قال، حدثنا سعيد, عن قتادة قوله: " وهو القاهر فوق عباده ويرسل عليكم حفظة حتى إذا جاء أحدكم الموت توفته رسلنا وهم لا يفرطون "، يقول: حفظة، يا ابن آدم، يحفظون عليك عملك ورزقك وأجلك، إذا توفَّيت ذلك قبضت إلى ربك =" حتى إذا جاء أحدكم الموت توفته رسلنا وهم لا يفرطون "، يقول تعالى ذكره: إن ربكم يحفظكم برسل يعقِّب بينها، يرسلهم إليكم بحفظكم وبحفظ أعمالكم، إلى أن يحضركم الموت، وينـزل بكم أمر الله, فإذا جاء ذلك أحدكم، توفاه أملاكنا الموكَّلون بقبض الأرواح، ورسلنا المرسلون به =" وهم لا يفرطون "، في ذلك فيضيعونه. (15) * * * فإن قال قائل: أو ليس الذي يقبض الأرواح ملك الموت, فكيف قيل: " توفته رسلنا "،" والرسل " جملة وهو واحد ؟ أو ليس قد قال: قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ [سورة السجدة: 11] ؟ قيل: جائز أن يكون الله تعالى ذكره أعان ملك الموت بأعوان من عنده, فيتولون ذلك بأمر ملك الموت, فيكون " التوفي" مضافًا = وإن كان ذلك من فعل أعوان ملك الموت = إلى ملك الموت (16) إذ كان فعلهم ما فعلوا من ذلك بأمره، كما يضاف قتلُ من قتل أعوانُ السلطان وجلدُ من جلدوه بأمر السلطان، إلى السلطان, وإن لم يكن السلطان باشر ذلك بنفسه، ولا وليه بيده. * * * وقد تأول ذلك كذلك جماعة من أهل التأويل . * ذكر من قال ذلك: 13325 - حدثنا أبو كريب قال، حدثنا ابن إدريس قال، حدثنا الحسن بن عبيد الله, عن إبراهيم في قوله: " حتى إذا جاء أحدكم الموت توفته رسلنا وهم لا يفرطون "، قال: كان ابن عباس يقول: لملك الموت أعوانٌ من الملائكة. 13326- حدثني أبو السائب قال، حدثنا ابن إدريس, عن الحسن بن عبيد الله في قوله: " توفته رسلنا وهم لا يفرطون "، قال: سئل ابن عباس عنها فقال: إن لملك الموت أعوانًا من الملائكة . 13327 - حدثنا محمد بن بشار قال، حدثنا عبد الرحمن قال، حدثنا سفيان, عن الحسن بن عبيد الله, عن إبراهيم في قوله: " توفته رسلنا وهم لا يفرطون "، قال: أعوان ملك الموت. 13328- حدثنا ابن بشار قال، حدثنا عبد الرحمن قال، حدثنا سفيان, عن منصور, عن إبراهيم: " توفته رسلنا وهم لا يفرطون "، قال: الرسل توفَّى الأنفس, ويذهب بها ملك الموت. 13329 - حدثنا هناد قال، حدثنا حفص, عن الحسن بن عبيد الله, عن إبراهيم, عن ابن عباس: " توفته رسلنا وهم لا يفرطون "، أعوان ملك الموت من الملائكة. (17) 13330- [حدثنا هناد قال، حدثنا حفص, عن الحسن بن عبيد الله, عن ابن عباس : " توفته رسلنا وهم لا يفرطون " . قال: أعوان ملك الموت من الملائكة]. (18) 13331- حدثنا هناد قال، حدثنا قبيصة, عن سفيان, عن الحسن بن عبيد الله, عن إبراهيم: " توفته رسلنا " ، قال: هم الملائكة أعوان ملك الموت . 13332 - حدثنا محمد بن عبد الأعلى قال، حدثنا محمد بن ثور قال، حدثنا معمر, عن قتادة: " توفته رسلنا " ، قال: إن ملك الموت له رسل، فيرسل ويرفع ذلك إليه = وقال الكلبي: إن ملك الموت هو يلي ذلك, فيدفعه، إن كان مؤمنًا، إلى ملائكة الرحمة, وإن كان كافرًا إلى ملائكة العذاب . 13333 - حدثنا الحسن بن يحيى قال، أخبرنا عبد الرزاق قال، أخبرنا معمر, عن قتادة: " توفته رسلنا " ، قال: يلي قبضَها الرسل, ثم يدفعونها إلى ملك الموت . 13334 - حدثنا الحسن بن يحيى قال، أخبرنا عبد الرزاق قال، أخبرنا الثوري, عن منصور عن إبراهيم في قوله: " توفته رسلنا " ، قال: تتوفاه الرسل, ثم يقبض منهم ملك الموت الأنفس = قال الثوري: وأخبرني الحسن بن عبيد الله, عن إبراهيم قال: هم أعوان لملك الموت = قال الثوري: وأخبرني رجل، عن مجاهد قال: جعلت الأرض لملك الموت مثل الطست يتناول من حيث شاء, وجعلت له أعوان يتوفَّون الأنفس ثم يقبضها منهم. 13335 حدثنا ابن وكيع قال، حدثنا ابن إدريس, عن الحسن بن عبيد الله, عن إبراهيم, عن ابن عباس في قوله: " توفته رسلنا "، قال : أعوان ملك الموت من الملائكة . 13336 - حدثنا ابن وكيع قال، حدثنا أبي, عن سفيان, عن الحسن بن عبيد الله, عن إبراهيم قال: الملائكة أعوان ملك الموت . 13337- حدثنا ابن وكيع قال، حدثنا قبيصة, عن سفيان, عن منصور, عن إبراهيم: " توفته رسلنا " ، قال: يتوفونه, ثم يدفعونه إلى ملك الموت . 13338 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا إسحاق قال، حدثنا عبد الله بن أبي جعفر, عن أبيه قال : سألت الربيع بن أنس عن ملك الموت, أهو وحده الذي يقبض الأرواح ، قال: هو الذي يلي أمرَ الأرواح, وله أعوان على ذلك, ألا تسمع إلى قول الله تعالى ذكره: حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا يَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ ؟ [سورة الأعراف: 37] . وقال: " توفته رسلنا وهم لا يفرطون " ، غير أن ملك الموت هو الذي يسير كل خطوة منه من المشرق إلى المغرب. قلت: أين تكون أرواح المؤمنين؟ قال: عند السدرة في الجنة . 13339- حدثنا الحسن بن يحيى قال، أخبرنا عبد الرزاق قال، أخبرنا محمد بن مسلم, عن إبراهيم بن ميسرة, عن مجاهد قال: ما من أهل بيت شَعَرٍ ولا مَدَرٍ إلا وملك الموت يُطيف بهم كل يوم مرتين . * * * وقد بينا أن معنى " التفريط"، التضييع, فيما مضى قبل. (19) وكذلك تأوله المتأوّلون في هذا الموضع . 13340- حدثنا المثنى قال، حدثنا عبد الله بن صالح قال، حدثني معاوية بن صالح, عن علي بن أبي طلحة, عن ابن عباس قوله: " وهم لا يفرطون "، يقول: لا يضيعون. 13341 - حدثني محمد بن الحسين قال، حدثنا أحمد بن المفضل قال، حدثنا أسباط, عن السدي: " وهم لا يفرطون "، قال: لا يضيعون . ---------------------- الهوامش : (12) انظر تفسير"القاهر" فيما سلف ص: 288. (13) في المطبوعة: "المغلوب عليه لذلته" وهو خطأ وسوء تصرف ، والذي في المخطوطة هو الصواب. (14) انظر تفسير"الحفظ" بمعانيه فيما سلف 5: 167/8 : 296 ، 297 ، 562/10 : 343 ، 562. (15) انظر تفسير"التوفي" فيما سلف ص: 405 تعليق: 1 ، والمراجع هناك. (16) السياق: "فيكون التوفي مضافًا . . . إلى ملك الموت". (17) الأثر: 13329 - كان تفسير هذه الآية في هذا الخبر: "قال: الرسل توفى الأنفس ، ويذهب بها ملك الموت" ، وهذا مخالف كل المخالفة لما في المخطوطة ، فأثبت ما فيها ، وكأنه الصواب إن شاء الله. (18) الأثر: 13330 - هذا الأثر ليس في المخطوطة ، ولذلك وضعته بين قوسين ، وظني أنه تكرار من تصرف ناسخ ، فإن إسناده إسناد الذي قبله ، إلا أنه ليس فيه"عن إبراهيم" بين"الحسن بن عبيد الله" و"ابن عباس". (19) انظر تفسير"التفريط" فيما سلف ص: 345 ، 346.