Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   If someone were now to say: how is it said تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ("you believe in Allah and His Messenger"), while it has already been said to them يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ("O you who believe"), whereby they are qualified with belief? Then the answer to that is the same as our answer concerning His statement يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا آمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ ("O you who believe, believe in Allah"), and the exposition of that has already been given in its proper place, in a manner that exempts us from repeating it.

   And His statement وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ ("and you strive in the way of Allah with your wealth and your lives"). The Exalted, whose praise is proclaimed, says: and you perform jihād in the religion of Allah and in His way which He has prescribed for you, with your wealth and your lives. ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ("that is better for you"). He says: your belief in Allah and His Messenger, and your jihād in the way of Allah with your wealth and your lives, خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ("is better for you") than neglecting and disregarding it, إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ("if only you knew") — the harmful and the beneficial aspects of matters. And it has been mentioned that in the reading of ʿAbd Allāh it reads آمِنُوا بِاللهِ ("Believe in Allah") in the imperative mood, and the commerce (al-tijāra) is clarified by His statement هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ ("Shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you") and explained by His statement تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ ("you believe in Allah"). And He did not say "أَنْ تُؤْمِنُوا" ("that you believe"), because the Arabs, when they explain a noun by means of a verb, sometimes place the particle "an" in their explanation and sometimes omit it. One says to a man: "Have you an interest in something good, that you go up with us to so-and-so so that we may visit him?" (hal laka fī khayrin taqūmu binā) and also: "Have you an interest in something good, that you go up to so-and-so so that we may visit him?" (hal laka fī khayrin an taqūma) — with "an" and with its omission. And among that which occurs in both forms in both ways is His statement فَلْيَنْظُرِ الإِنْسَانُ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ * أَنَّا ("So let man look at his food * that We…"), both with "annā" and with "innā." The fatḥa in "anna" is the usage of the one who inserts the "an" in "yaqūmu," as in their saying "hal laka fī khayrin an taqūma"; and the kasra in it is the usage of the one who omits the "an" from "taqūmu." And among that also is His statement فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَاهُمْ ("So see how the end of their plotting was, that We destroyed them"), both "annā dammarnāhum" and "innā dammarnāhum," in the manner that we have expounded.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his statement يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ ("O you who believe, shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you") — the verse. He said: were it not that Allah has clarified it and pointed the believers to it, men would have yearned to know it, until they would have wished to keep it for themselves; but Allah has pointed you to it and made it known to you, and said: تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ("you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and you strive in the way of Allah with your wealth and your lives; that is better for you, if only you knew").

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, saying: Qatāda recited: هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ("Shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you from a painful punishment? You believe in Allah and His Messenger, and you strive in the way of Allah"). He said: all praise be to Allah, who has clarified it.

   Show original Arabic

   فإن قال قائل: وكيف قيل: ( تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ) ، وقد قيل لهم: ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ) بوصفهم بالإيمان؟ فإن الجواب في ذلك نظير جوابنا في قوله: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا آمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وقد مضى البيان عن ذلك في موضعه بما أغنى عن إعادته. وقوله: ( وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: وتجاهدون في دين الله، وطريقه الذي شرعه لكم بأموالكم وأنفسكم ( ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ) يقول: إيمانكم بالله ورسوله، وجهادكم في سبيل الله بأموالكم وأنفسكم ( خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ) من تضييع ذلك والتفريط ( إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ) مضارّ الأشياء ومنافعها. وذُكر أن ذلك في قراءة عبد الله ( آمِنُوا بِاللهِ ) على وجه الأمر، وبيَّنت التجارة من قوله: ( هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ ) وفسِّرت بقوله: ( تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ ) ولم يقل: أن تؤمنوا، لأن العرب إذا فسرت الاسم بفعل تثبت في تفسيره أن أحيانًا، وتطرحها أحيانًا، فتقول للرجل: هل لك في خير تقوم بنا إلى فلان فنعوده؟ هل لك في خير أن تقوم إلى فلان فنعوده؟، بأن وبطرحها. ومما جاء في الوجهين على الوجهين جميعًا قوله: فَلْيَنْظُرِ الإِنْسَانُ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ * أَنَّا وإنا؛ فالفتح في أن لغة من أدخل في يقوم أن من قولهم: هل لك في خير أن تقوم، والكسر فيها لغة من يُلقي أن من تقوم؛ ومنه قوله: فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَاهُمْ وإنا دمرناهم، على ما بيَّنا. حدثنا بشر، قال : ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله: ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ ) .. الآية، فلولا أن الله بينها، ودلّ عليها المؤمنين، لتلهف عليها رجال أن يكونوا يعلمونها ، حتى يضنوا بها (1) وقد دلكم الله عليها، وأعلمكم إياها فقال: ( تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ) . حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال : ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، قال: تلا قتادة: ( هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ) قال: الحمد لله الذي بينها. ------------------------ الهوامش: (1) الذي في الدر "حتى يطلبوها".