Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of His statement: قَالَ أَنْظِرْنِي إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ (7:14) ("He [Iblīs] said: Grant me respite until the Day on which they are resurrected.")

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And this too is yet another ignorance among his malicious ignorances. He asked his Lord for something which he already knew that no creature of Allah has any way to attain. That is, he asked for respite until the coming of the Hour, which is the Day on which creation is resurrected. And if he had been granted what he asked for in respite, then he would have been granted eternity and a perpetual existence without end, for after the resurrection there is no more death. For this reason He, exalted is His praise, said to him: فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنْظَرِينَ * إِلَى يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ [Sūrat al-Ḥijr: 37-38 / Sūrat Ṣād: 80, 81] ("Verily, you are among those to whom respite is granted, until the Day of the appointed time"), and that is until the Day on which Allah has decreed for him perdition, death, and annihilation, for nothing remains in existence without perishing, except our Lord, the Living, who does not die. Allah, exalted is His mention, says: كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 185 / Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ: 35 / Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt: 57] ("Every soul shall taste death").

   * * *

   And "al-inẓār" means in the language of the Arabs: respite. One says of it: "anẓartuhu bi-ḥaqqī ʿalayhi anẓuruhu bihi inẓāran" ("I granted him respite with regard to my right against him, I grant him respite, with respite") (18).

   * * *

   And if someone were to say: but Allah said to him, when he asked for respite until the Day on which they are resurrected: إنك من المنظرين ("verily, you are among those to whom respite is granted") in this place, did He then not grant him what he asked for?

   He is told: it is not so. He would have granted him what he asked for only if He had said to him: "verily, you are among those to whom respite is granted until the time for which you asked" = or: "until the Day of the resurrection" = or: "until the Day on which they are resurrected", or something of that sort, which would indicate the granting of what he asked for in respite.

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

   Footnotes:

   (18) See the explanation of "al-inẓār" earlier, 2: 467, 468 / 3: 264 / 6: 577 / 11: 267.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : قَالَ أَنْظِرْنِي إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ (14) قال أبو جعفر: وهذه أيضًا جَهْلة أخرى من جَهَلاته الخبيثة. سأل ربه ما قد علم أنه لا سبيل لأحد من خلق الله إليه . وذلك أنه سأل النَّظِرة إلى قيام الساعة, وذلك هو يوم يبعث فيه الخلق. ولو أعطي ما سأل من النَّظِرة، كان قد أعطي الخلودَ وبقاءً لا فناء معه, وذلك أنه لا موت بعد البعث. فقال جل ثناؤه له: فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنْظَرِينَ * إِلَى يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ [سورة الحجر: 37-38 / سورة ص: 80 ، 81 ]، وذلك إلى اليوم الذي قد كتب الله عليه فيه الهلاك والموت والفناء، لأنه لا شيء يبقى فلا يفنى، غير ربِّنا الحيِّ الذي لا يموت. يقول الله تعالى ذكره: كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ، [سورة آل عمران: 185 / سورة الأنبياء: 35 / سورة العنكبوت: 57]. * * * و " الإنظار " في كلام العرب، التأخير. يقال منه: " أنظرته بحقي عليه أنظره به إنظارًا ". (18) * * * فإن قال قائل: فإن الله قد قال له إذ سأله الإنظار إلى يوم يبعثون: (إنك من المنظرين) في هذا الموضع, فقد أجابه إلى ما سأل؟ قيل له: ليس الأمر كذلك, وإنما كان مجيبًا له إلى ما سأل لو كان قال له: " إنك من المنظرين إلى الوقت الذي سألت = أو: إلى يوم البعث = أو إلى يوم يبعثون ", أو ما أشبه ذلك، مما يدل على إجابته إلى ما سأل من النظرة. ------------------------- الهوامش : (18) انظر تفسير (( الإنظار )) فيما سلف 2 : 467 ، 468 /3 : 264 / 6 : 577 /11 : 267 .