Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ ("Allah is He who created seven heavens") — not that which the polytheists (mushrikīn) worship of gods and idols that are not able to create anything at all.

   And His word: وَمِنَ الأرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ ("and of the earth the like of them") means: and He created of the earth as many as them, for in each of them is something comparable to what is present in the heavens of creation.

   * Mention of who said this:

   ʿAmr ibn ʿAlī and Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā related to me, both saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Abū al-Ḍuḥā, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said concerning this verse: اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الأرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ — ʿAmr said: he said: in each earth is a [figure comparable to] Ibrāhīm and something similar of the creatures that are upon the earth. And Ibn al-Muthannā said: in each heaven is an Ibrāhīm.

   ʿAmr ibn ʿAlī related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, saying: al-Aʿmash related to us, on the authority of Ibrāhīm ibn Muhājir, on the authority of Mujāhid, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الأرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ he said: If I were to tell you its interpretation, you would become unbelievers, and your unbelief would consist of your denial of it.

   Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Abū Bakr related to us, on the authority of ʿĀṣim, on the authority of Zirr, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh, who said: Allah created seven heavens; the thickness of each of them is a distance of five hundred years, and between each of them is five hundred years, and above the seven heavens is the water, and Allah, exalted is His praise, is above the water; nothing of the deeds of the children of Ādam remains hidden from Him. And the earth is sevenfold; between each pair of earths is five hundred years, and the thickness of each earth is five hundred years.

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaʿqūb ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Saʿd al-Qummī al-Ashʿarī related to us, on the authority of Jaʿfar ibn Abī al-Mughīra al-Khuzāʿī, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said: A man said to Ibn ʿAbbās: اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الأرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ ... [the verse]. Then Ibn ʿAbbās said: What assures you that I will not tell you about it, and you then become an unbeliever?

   He said: ʿAbbās related to us, on the authority of ʿAnbasa, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of Mujāhid, who said: This earth in relation to that one is like a tent that you pitch in an open plain, and this heaven in relation to that heaven is like a ring that you have thrown in an open plain.

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ ibn Anas, who said: The first heaven is a restrained wave; the second is rock; the third is iron; the fourth is copper; the fifth is silver; the sixth is gold; and the seventh is ruby.

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Jarīr ibn Ḥāzim related to us, saying: Ḥumayd ibn Qays related to me, on the authority of Mujāhid, who said: This house, the Kaʿba, is the fourth of fourteen houses; in each heaven is a house, and each of those houses lies directly opposite the corresponding one; if it were to fall, it would fall upon the other. And this sacred precinct (ḥaram) is my sacred precinct; its structure extends through the seven heavens and the seven earths.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الأرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ — He created seven heavens and seven earths; in each heaven of His heavens and each earth of His earths is a creation of His creatures, a command of His commands, and a decree of His decrees.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, who said: While the Prophet ﷺ was once sitting with his companions, a cloud passed by. Then the Prophet ﷺ said: "Do you know what this is? These are the clouds (al-ʿanān); these are the water-carriers of the earth; Allah drives them toward a people who do not worship Him." He said: "Do you know what this heaven is?" They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: "This heaven is a restrained wave and a protected roof." Then he said: "Do you know what is above it?" They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: "Above it is another heaven," until he had enumerated seven heavens, while saying: "Do you know what is between those two? Five hundred years." Then he said: "Do you know what is above it?" They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: "Above it is the Throne (al-ʿArsh)." He said: "Do you know what is between those two?" They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: "Between those two is five hundred years." Then he said: "Do you know what this earth is?" They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: "Beneath it is an earth." He said: "Do you know how much is between those two?" They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: "Between those two is a distance of five hundred years," until he had enumerated seven earths. Then he said: "By Him in whose hand my soul is, if a man were lowered with a rope until he reached the bottom of the seventh earth, he would descend upon Allah." Then he recited: هُوَ الأَوَّلُ وَالآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ("He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, and He is All-Knowing of all things").

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, who said: "Four of the angels met one another between the heaven and the earth, and they said to one another: From where have you come? One of them said: My Lord sent me from the seventh heaven, and I left Him there. Then the other said: My Lord sent me from the seventh earth, and I left Him there. Then the other said: My Lord sent me from the east, and I left Him there. Then the other said: My Lord sent me from the west, and I left Him there."

   And His word: يَتَنَزَّلُ الأمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ ("the command descends between them") — the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: the command of Allah descends between the seventh heaven and the seventh earth.

   As Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: يَتَنَزَّلُ الأمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ he said: between the seventh earth and the seventh heaven.

   And His word: لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ("that you may know that Allah is capable of all things") — the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: the decree and command of Allah descends between them so that you, O people, may know the full extent of His power and His sovereignty, and that nothing He wills is impossible for Him, and no matter He desires is withheld from Him; rather He is capable of all that He wills. وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا ("and that Allah encompasses all things in knowledge") — the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: and so that you, O people, may know that Allah encompasses everything of His creation with His knowledge; not even the weight of a speck of dust on the earth nor in the heaven escapes Him, nor anything smaller than that, nor anything greater. The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: therefore fear, O people who transgress the command of your Lord, His punishment, for nothing prevents Him from punishing you, and He is capable of that, and He likewise encompasses your deeds, so that none of them is hidden from Him; He records them against you, to requite you for them, on the day when every soul is requited for what it has earned.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: ( اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ ) لا ما يعبده المشركون من الآلهة والأوثان التي لا تقدر على خلق شيء. وقوله: ( وَمِنَ الأرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ ) يقول: وخلق من الأرض مثلهنّ لما في كلّ واحدة منهنّ مثل ما في السموات من الخلق. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني عمرو بن عليّ ومحمد بن المثنى، قالا ثنا محمد بن جعفر، قال: ثنا شعبة، عن عمرو بن مرّة، عن أَبي الضحى، عن ابن عباس، قال في هذه الآية: ( اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الأرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ ) قال عمرو: قال: في كل أرض مثل إبراهيم ونحو ما على الأرض من الخلق. وقال ابن المثنى: في كلّ سماء إبراهيم. حدثنا عمرو بن عليّ، قال: ثنا وكيع، قال: ثنا الأعمش، عن إبراهيم بن مهاجر، عن مجاهد، عن ابن عباس، في قوله: ( اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الأرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ ) قال: لو حدثتكم بتفسيرها لكفرتم وكفركم تكذيبكم بها. حدثنا أَبو كُرَيب، قال: ثنا أَبو بكر، عن عاصم، عن زِرّ، عن عبد الله، قال: خلق الله سبع سموات غلظ كلّ واحدة مسيرة خمس مئة عام، وبين كلّ واحدة منهنّ خمس مئة عام، وفوق السبع السموات الماء، والله جلّ ثناؤه فوق الماء، لا يخفى عليه شيء من أعمال بني آدم. والأرض سبع، بين كلّ أرضين خمس مئة عام، وغلظ كلّ أرض خمس مئَة عام. حدثنا ابن حُمَيد، قال: ثنا يعقوب بن عبد الله بن سعد القُمي الأشعري، عن جعفر بن أبي المُغيرة الخزاعي، عن سعيد بن جبَير، قال: قال رجل لابن عباس ( اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الأرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ ) ... الآية، فقال ابن عباس: ما يؤمنك أن أخبرك بها فتكفر. قال: ثنا عباس، عن عنبسة، عن ليث، عن مجاهد، قال: هذه الأرض إلى تلك مثل الفسطاط ضربته في فلاة، وهذه السماء إلى تلك السماء، مثل حلقة رميت بها في أرض فلاة. حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا حكام، عن أَبي جعفر، عن الربيع بن أنس، قال: السماء أوّلها موج مكفوف؛ والثانية صخرة؛ والثالثة حديد؛ والرابعة نحاس؛ والخامسة فضة؛ والسادسة ذهب، والسابعة ياقوتة. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: ثنا جرير بن حازم، قال: ثني حميد بن قيس، عن مجاهد، قال: هذا البيت الكعبة رابع أربعة عشر بيتًا في كل سماء بيت، كل بيت منها حذو صاحبه، لو وقع وقع عليه، وإن هذا الحرم حرمي بناؤه من السموات السبع والأرضين السبع. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله: ( اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الأرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ ) خلق سبع سموات وسبع أرضين في كل سماء من سمائه، وأرض من أرضه، خلق من خلقه وأمر من أمره، وقضاء من قضائه. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة قال: بينا النبيّ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم جالس مرّة مع أصحابه، إذ مرّت سحابة، فقال النبيّ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم " أتدرون ما هَذَا؟ هَذِهِ العنَانُ، هَذِهِ رَوَايَا الأرْضِ يَسوُقُهَا اللهُ إلَى قَوْمٍ لا يَعْبُدُونَهُ"؛ قال: " أَتدْرُونَ مَا هَذِهِ السَّمَاءُ؟ " قالوا: الله ورسوله أعلم، قال: " هَذِهِ السَّمَاءُ مَوْجٌ مَكْفُوفٌ، وَسَقْفٌ مَحْفُوظٌ"؛ ثُم قال: " أَتَدْرُونَ مَا فَوْقَ ذَلِك؟" قالوا: الله ورسوله أعلم، قال: " فَوْقَ ذَلك سَمَاءٌ أُخْرَى "، حتى عدّ سبع سموات وهو يقول: " أَتَدْرُونَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا؟ خَمْس مِئَةِ سَنَةَ"؛ ثم قال: " أَتَدْرُونَ مَا فَوْق ذَلك؟" قالوا: الله ورسوله أعلم، قال: " فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ الْعَرْشُ"، قال: " أتدرون ما بينهما؟" قالوا: الله ورسوله أعلم قال: " بَينَهُمَا خَمْسُ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ"؛ ثُمَّ قَالَ: " أَتَدْرُونَ مَا هذِهِ الأرْضُ؟ قالوا: الله وَرَسولُهُ أَعلم، قَالَ: " تَحْتَ ذِلكَ أَرْضٌ"، قال: أَتَدْرُونَ كَمْ بَيْنَهُمَا؟ قَالُوا: الله وَرسوله أَعلم. قال: " بَيْنَهُمَا مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِ مِئَةِ سَنَةٍ، حتى عدّ سبع أرضين، ثم قال: " وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ دُلِي رَجُلٌ بِحَبْلٍ حَتى يَبْلُغَ أَسْفَلَ الأرْضِينَ السَّابِعَةِ لَهَبَطَ عَلَى اللهِ"؛ ثُم قَال: هُوَ الأَوَّلُ وَالآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ . حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة، قال: " التقى أربعة من الملائكة بين السماء والأرض، فقال بعضهم لبعض: من أين جئت؟ قال أحدهم: أرْسلني ربي من السماء السابعة، وتركته؛ ثمَّ، قال الآخر: أرسلني ربي من الأرض السابعة وتركته؛ ثمَّ، قال الآخر: أرسلني ربي من المشرق وتركته؛ ثمَّ، قال الآخر: أرسلني ربي من المغرب وتركته ثمَّ". وقوله: ( يَتَنـزلُ الأمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: يتنـزل أمر الله بين السماء السابعة والأرض السابعة. كما حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أَبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى؛ وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعًا عن ابن أَبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، قوله: ( يَتَنـزلُ الأمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ ) قال: بين الأرض السابعة إلى السماء السابعة. وقوله: ( لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: ينـزل قضاء الله وأمره بين ذلك كي تعلموا أيها الناس كنه قدرته وسلطانه، وأنه لا يتعذّر عليه شيء أراده، ولا يمتنع عليه أمر شاءه؛ ولكنه على ما يشاء قدير، ( وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا ) يقول جلّ ثناؤه: ولتعلموا أيها الناس أن الله بكل شيء من خلقه محيط علمًا، لا يعزُب عنه مثقالُ ذرّة في الأرض ولا في السماء، ولا أصغر من ذلك ولا أكبر: يقول جلّ ثناؤه فخافوا أيها الناس المخالفون أمر ربكم عقوبته، فإنه لا يمنعه من عقوبتكم مانع، وهو على ذلك قادر، ومحيط أيضًا بأعمالكم، فلا يخفى عليه منها خاف، وهو محصيها عليكم، ليجازيكم بها، يوم تجزى كلّ نفس ما كسبت.