Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of His word: وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَا أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلا تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُمْ بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا فَأَيُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالأَمْنِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (81)

   ("And how should I fear what you associate as partners, while you do not fear that you have associated partners with Allah for which He has sent down to you no authority? Which of the two parties, then, has more right to security, if you but know?" (6:81))

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And this is Ibrāhīm's reply to his people, when they frightened him with their gods, claiming that these would strike him because he had inwardly disparaged them as evil, as something detestable. He said to them: And how should I fear and be afraid of what you have associated as partners in your worship of your Lord, so that you have worshipped it alongside Him, while it neither harms nor benefits? And if they could bring benefit or inflict harm, then they would have warded off from themselves my breaking them and my striking them with the axe! And you do not fear Allah, Who created you and sustained you, and Who is powerful to benefit you and to harm you, in your associating partners in your worship of Him = "mā lam yunazzil bihi ʿalaykum sulṭānan" ("for which He has sent down to you no authority"), that is to say: for which He has given you no proof for your associating partners with Him in His worship, and for which He has laid down for you no evidence, and for which He has given you no excuse (78) = "fa-ayyu al-farīqayni aḥaqqu bi-l-amni" ("which of the two parties, then, has more right to security"), (79) He says: I have more right to security on account of the outcome of my worship of my Lord, sincere toward Him in worship, purely inclined (ḥanīf) in my religion, free from the worship of the idol-images and the idols — or you, who worship besides Allah idols for which Allah has given you no evidence nor proof for your worshipping them (80) = "in kuntum taʿlamūn" ("if you but know"), He says: if you know the truthfulness of what I say, and the reality of that with which I argue against you, then say it and inform me: which of the two parties has more right to security?

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   And in agreement with what we have said concerning this, Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq said, in what follows:-

   13467 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq said concerning His word: "wa-kayfa akhāfu mā ashraktum wa-lā takhāfūna annakum ashraktum bi-llāh" ("and how should I fear what you associate as partners, while you do not fear that you have associated partners with Allah"), he says: how should I fear an idol-image which you worship besides Allah, which neither harms nor benefits, while you do not fear Him Who harms and benefits, and you have set up besides Him partners which neither harm nor benefit? = "fa-ayyu al-farīqayni aḥaqqu bi-l-amni in kuntum taʿlamūn" ("which of the two parties, then, has more right to security, if you but know"), that is to say: to security from the punishment of Allah in this world and the Hereafter — he who worships Him in Whose hand lie harm and benefit, or he who worships that which neither harms nor benefits? He sets forth for them the parables and expounds for them the lessons, so that they might know that Allah has more right to be feared and worshipped than what they worship besides Him.

   13468 - Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, who said: Allah caused Ibrāhīm — peace and blessings be upon him — to prevail when he disputed with them, (81) and he said: "wa-kayfa akhāfu mā ashraktum wa-lā takhāfūna annakum ashraktum bi-llāhi mā lam yunazzil bihi ʿalaykum sulṭānan fa-ayyu al-farīqayni aḥaqqu bi-l-amni in kuntum taʿlamūn" ("and how should I fear what you associate as partners, while you do not fear that you have associated partners with Allah for which He has sent down to you no authority? Which of the two parties, then, has more right to security, if you but know?"). Then He said: وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَا آتَيْنَاهَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ ("And that is Our proof which We gave to Ibrāhīm against his people.").

   13469 - Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the word of Ibrāhīm when he asked them: "ayyu al-farīqayni aḥaqqu bi-l-amni" ("which of the two parties has more right to security"), this is the proof of Ibrāhīm — peace and blessings be upon him.

   13470 - Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the word of Allah, the Exalted whose remembrance is exalted: Ibrāhīm said when he asked them: "fa-ayyu al-farīqayni aḥaqqu bi-l-amni" ("which of the two parties, then, has more right to security"). He said: and this is the proof of Ibrāhīm — peace be upon him.

   13471 - Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: "fa-ayyu al-farīqayni aḥaqqu bi-l-amni in kuntum taʿlamūn" ("which of the two parties, then, has more right to security, if you but know"): is it he who worships one single Lord, or he who worships many lords? His people say: those who believe in one single Lord. (82)

   13472 - Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: "fa-ayyu al-farīqayni aḥaqqu bi-l-amni in kuntum taʿlamūn" ("which of the two parties, then, has more right to security, if you but know"): is it he who fears one other than Allah and does not fear Him, or he who fears Allah and fears none other than Him? Then Allah, the Exalted whose remembrance is exalted, said: الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ ("Those who believe and do not mix their faith with wrongdoing"), the verse.

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   (78) See the explanation of "al-sulṭān" in what preceded, 7: 279 / 9: 336, 337, 360.

   (79) See the explanation of "al-farīq" in what preceded, 8: 548, note: 5, and the references therein.

   (80) See the explanation of "al-amn" in what preceded, 3: 29, 4: 87.

   (81) "Aflajtu fulānan ʿalā khaṣmihi" when you grant him victory over his opponent, and "aflajahu Allāhu ʿalayhi" — He bestowed upon him triumph, success, and victory.

   (82) The report 13471 — see the following report number 13475, and that this is a statement of the people of Ibrāhīm.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَا أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلا تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُمْ بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَـزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا فَأَيُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالأَمْنِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (81) قال أبو جعفر: وهذا جواب إبراهيم لقومه حين خوفوه من آلهتهم أن تمسَّه، لذكره إياها بسوء في نفسه بمكروه, فقال لهم: وكيف أخاف وأرهب ما أشركتموه في عبادتكم ربَّكم فعبدتموه من دونه، وهو لا يضر ولا ينفع ؟ ولو كانت تنفع أو تضر، لدفعت عن أنفسها كسرِى إياها وضربي لها بالفأس! وأنتم لا تخافون الله الذي خلقكم ورزقكم، وهو القادر على نفعكم وضركم في إشراككم في عبادتكم إياه =" ما لم ينـزل به عليكم سلطانًا "، يعني: ما لم يعطكم على إشراككم إياه في عبادته حُجّة, ولم يضع لكم عليه برهانًا, ولم يجعل لكم به عذرًا (78) =" فأي الفريقين أحقّ بالأمن "، (79) يقول: أنا أحق بالأمن من عاقبة عبادتي ربّي مخلصًا له العبادة، حنيفًا له ديني، بريئًا من عبادة الأوثان والأصنام, أم أنتم الذين تعبدون من دون الله أصنامًا لم يجعل الله لكم بعبادتكم إياها برهانًا ولا حجة (80) =" إن كنتم تعلمون "، يقول: إن كنتم تعلمون صدق ما أقول، وحقيقة ما أحتجُّ به عليكم, فقولوا وأخبروني: أيُّ الفريقين أحق بالأمن؟ * * * وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك, كان محمد بن إسحاق يقول فيما:- 13467 - حدثنا ابن حميد قال، حدثنا سلمة قال، قال محمد بن إسحاق في قوله: " وكيف أخاف ما أشركتم ولا تخافون أنكم أشركتم بالله " ، يقول : كيف أخاف وثَنًا تعبدون من دون الله لا يضرُّ ولا ينفع, ولا تخافون أنتم الذي يضر وينفع, وقد جعلتم معه شركاء لا تضر ولا تنفع ؟ =" فأيّ الفريقين أحقّ بالأمن إن كنتم تعلمون "، أي: بالأمن من عذاب الله في الدنيا والآخرة، الذي يَعْبد الذي بيده الضرّ والنفع، أم الذي يعبد ما لا يضرّ ولا ينفع؟ يضرب لهم الأمثال, ويصرِّف لهم العبر, ليعلموا أنَّ الله هو أحق أن يخاف ويعبد مما يعبُدون من دونه. 13468 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا إسحاق قال، حدثنا عبد الله بن أبي جعفر, عن أبيه, عن الربيع قال: أفلج الله إبراهيم صلى الله عليه وسلم حين خاصمهم, (81) فقال: " وكيف أخاف ما أشركتم ولا تخافون أنكم أشركتم بالله ما لم ينـزل به عليكم سلطانًا فأيّ الفريقين أحق بالأمن إن كنتم تعلمون " ؟ ثم قال: وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَا آتَيْنَاهَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ . 13469 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا أبو حذيفة قال، حدثنا شبل, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد قول إبراهيم حين سألهم: " أيُّ الفريقين أحق بالأمن "، هي حجة إبراهيم صلى الله عليه وسلم. 13470- حدثني محمد بن عمرو قال، حدثنا أبو عاصم قال، حدثنا عيسى, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد في قول الله تعالى ذكره، قال إبراهيم حين سألهم: " فأي الفريقين أحق بالأمن " ؟ قال: وهي حجة إبراهيم عليه السلام . 13471 - حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج, عن ابن جريج قال: " فأي الفريقين أحق بالأمن إن كنتم تعلمون "، أمَنْ يعبد ربًّا واحدًا, أم من يعبد أربابًا كثيرة؟ يقول قومه: الذين آمنوا برب واحد. (82) 13472 - حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: " فأي الفريقين أحق بالأمن إن كنتم تعلمون "، أمن خاف غير الله ولم يخفه، أم من خاف الله ولم يخف غيره؟ فقال الله تعالى ذكره: الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ ، الآية. * * * ------------------ (78) انظر تفسير"السلطان" فيما سلف 7: 279/9 : 336 ، 337 ، 360. (79) انظر تفسير"الفريق" فيما سلف 8: 548 ، تعليق: 5 ، والمراجع هناك. (80) انظر تفسير"الأمن" فيما سلف 3: 29 ، 4: 87. (81) "أفلجت فلانا على خصمه" ، إذا غلبته ، و"أفلجه الله عليه" ، آتاه الظفر والفوز والغلبة. (82) الأثر: 13471 - انظر الأثر التالي رقم: 13475 ، وأن هذه مقالة قوم إبراهيم.