Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The discourse on the explanation of His saying: فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَذَا الأَدْنَى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِنْ يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ (Then there succeeded after them successors who inherited the Book; they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world], and said: "It will be forgiven us," and if other goods like them were to come to them, they would take them too.) (7:169)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: There succeeded, after that people whose attribute He has described, = "successors" (khalf), by which He means an evil succession. He says: after them and in their place there came an evil replacement, which replaced them with an evil replacement.

   * * *

   Of this one says: "he is a successor for good" (khalaf ṣidq) and "a successor for ill" (khalf sawʾ). Most often it occurs in praise with a vocalized "lām" (khalaf), and in censure with a sukūn upon it (khalf). Yet sometimes it is also vocalized in censure and used with a sukūn in praise. An example of the sukūn in praise is the saying of Ḥassān:

   For us is the first step toward You, and what comes after us (khalfunā) follows our predecessors in obedience to Allah.

   I suppose that, when it is directed at corruption, it is derived from their saying: "the milk has gone off (khalafa)," when it sours from being left too long in the waterskin until it spoils; it is as though the corrupt man is likened to that. It may also be derived from this: their saying "the mouth of the fasting person has gone off (khalafa)," when its breath changes. As for the sukūn upon the "lām" in censure, that is the saying of Labīd:

   Gone are those in whose flanks one lived protected, and I have remained behind among a succession (khalf) like the skin of a mangy [beast].

   * * *

   It has been said: the successors (khalf) whom Allah mentioned in this verse, namely that they succeeded their predecessors, are the Christians.

   * Mention of who said that:

   15313 - 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 saying of Allah: "Then there succeeded after them successors," he said: the Christians.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The correct statement concerning this, in my view, is that one says: Allah, the Exalted whose mention is exalted, has only described that an evil, contemptible succession followed the people whose stories He has told in the preceding verses, and He has not mentioned to us in His Book that they were Christians. Their story more closely resembles the stories of the Jews than the stories of the Christians. Moreover, what precedes this is a report about the Children of Israel, and what follows it likewise; so it is more fitting that what stands between the two be a report about them, since there is no indication in the verse to divert the report from them to others, nor has there come any indication that necessitates the validity of such a statement.

   * * *

   The explanation of the discourse is then: There came after them an evil replacement; they inherited the Book of Allah and it was taught to them, but they neglected to act upon it and contravened its judgment. They allowed themselves to be bribed in the judgment of Allah and took bribes for that, from the fleeting goods of this worldly "nearer" (al-adnā), where by "the nearer" is meant: the nearer in relation to the further, the later. And they said, when they did so: indeed, Allah will forgive our sins, and so they entertained false wishful imaginings concerning Allah, just as He, whose praise is exalted, said about them: فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَذَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلا فَوَيْلٌ لَهُمْ مِمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَهُمْ مِمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ (So woe to those who write the book with their own hands and then say: "This is from Allah," in order to sell it for a small price. So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.) [Surah Al-Baqarah: 79] = "and if other goods like them were to come to them, they would take them too," He says: and if there were presented to them after that yet another forbidden sin of bribery of the same kind, they would take it, declare it permissible, and not be restrained from it. He, whose praise is exalted, reports about them that they are a people who persist in their sins, and not a people of turning back nor of repentance.

   * * *

   In the sense of what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation have spoken, even though their wordings concerning it differed.

   * Mention of who said that:

   15314 - Aḥmad ibn al-Miqdām related to us, saying: Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning the saying: "they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world] and said: it will be forgiven us, and if other goods like them were to come to them, they would take them too," he said: they commit the sin, then they ask Allah for forgiveness, and if that sin presents itself again, they take it once more.

   15315 - Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: "and if other goods like them were to come to them, they would take them too," he said: of the sins.

   153116 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: "they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world] and said: it will be forgiven us," he said: they act according to the sins = "and if other goods like them were to come to them, they would take them too," he said: another sin, according to which they act.

   15317 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: my father related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: "they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world]," he said: the sins = "and if other goods like them were to come to them, they would take them too," he said: the sins.

   15318 - 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: "they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world]," he said: whatever of worldly matters presented itself to them that day, permitted or forbidden, and whatever they desired, that they took, and they sought forgiveness; and if the next day they encountered something of the same kind, they took it.

   15319 - Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, in a similar manner = except that he said: they wished forgiveness for themselves.

   15320 - Al-Ḥārith related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, saying: Abū Saʿd related to us, on the authority of Mujāhid: "they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world]," he said: nothing of the world presented itself to them but they took it, whether it was permitted or forbidden, and they wished forgiveness for themselves and said: "it will be forgiven us," and if they encountered goods of the same kind they took them.

   15321 - Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, his saying: "Then there succeeded after them successors," yes, by Allah, it was an evil succession; they inherited the Book after their prophets and messengers, Allah caused them to inherit it and imposed upon them a covenant. And Allah said in another verse: فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ (Then there succeeded after them successors who neglected the prayer (ṣalāh) and followed the lusts.) [Surah Maryam: 59], he said: "they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world] and said: it will be forgiven us," they entertained toward Allah wishful imaginings and a delusion by which they let themselves be deceived = "and if other goods like them were to come to them," nothing held them back from one for the sake of another, and nothing restrained them from it; whenever something of the world presented itself to them, they devoured it, without concerning themselves whether it was permitted or forbidden.

   15322 - Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: "they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world]," he said: they took it, whether it was permitted or forbidden = "and if other goods like them were to come to them," he said: if something permitted or forbidden came to them, they took it.

   15323 - Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, his saying: "Then there succeeded after them successors" up to His saying: وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ (and they studied what was in it), he said: the Children of Israel never appointed a judge but that he let himself be bribed in judgment, and their best men gathered and bound one another by covenants that they would not do that and would not let themselves be bribed. But whenever one of them was appointed as judge, he let himself be bribed, and then it was said to him: "How is it that you let yourself be bribed in judgment?" whereupon he said: "It will be forgiven me!" Then the rest of the Children of Israel condemned him for what he had done. And when he died or was deposed and in his place a man was set from among those who had condemned him, then that one let himself be bribed. He says: and if worldly goods reached the others, they took them. As for "the fleeting goods of the nearer [world]," those are the worldly goods of wealth.

   15324 - Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, his saying: "Then there succeeded after them successors who inherited the Book; they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world] and said: it will be forgiven us," he says: they took whatever they could lay hold of and left aside whatever they wished, permitted or forbidden, and said: "it will be forgiven us."

   15325 - And Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning his saying: "they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world]," he said: the book that they had written = "and said: it will be forgiven us," we associate no partners with Allah in anything = "and if other goods like them were to come to them, they would take them too," the one who was in the right came to them with a bribe, then they brought out for him the Book of Allah, and after that they passed judgment for him on the basis of the bribe. And when the wrongdoer came to them with a bribe, they brought out for him "al-mathnāh," which is the book that they themselves had written, and so they passed judgment for him according to what was in "al-mathnāh," on the basis of the bribe; thus he stood in the right according to that book, while according to the Tawrāh he was a wrongdoer. For this reason Allah said: أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ لا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلا الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ (Was the covenant of the Book not taken from them that they would say about Allah only the truth, while they had studied what was in it?).

   15326 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, his saying: "Then there succeeded after them successors who inherited the Book; they took the fleeting goods of this nearer [world]," he said: they act according to the sins = "and said: it will be forgiven us, and if other goods like them were to come to them, they would take them too," he said: the sins.

   * * *

   The discourse on the explanation of His saying: أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ لا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلا الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ وَالدَّارُ الآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلا تَعْقِلُونَ (Was the covenant of the Book not taken from them that they would say about Allah only the truth, while they had studied what was in it? And the last abode is better for those who are godfearing. Do you then not understand?) (169)

   And Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: "Was there not taken" from these who were bribable in their judgments, who said: "Allah will forgive us for having done this," when they were rebuked for it = "the covenant of the Book," and that is the covenant that Allah took from the Children of Israel, to uphold the Tawrāh and to act according to what is in it. He, whose praise is exalted, thus said to these whose story He has told in this verse, while rebuking them for their transgression of His command and their breaking of His covenant and pledge: did Allah not take from them the covenant of His Book, that they would say about Allah only the truth, and ascribe to Him only what He had sent down to His messenger Mūsā (peace be upon him) in the Tawrāh, and that they would not lie about Him? As [in the following]: -

   15327 - Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said: "Was the covenant of the Book not taken from them that they would say about Allah only the truth," he said: in what they impose upon Allah as an obligation, namely the forgiveness of their sins into which they continually relapse and of which they show no repentance.

   * * *

   As for His saying: "while they had studied what was in it," that is connected to His saying: وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ (they inherited the Book), and the meaning is: فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ (Then there succeeded after them successors who inherited the Book), "and they studied what was in it" = and by His saying "and they studied what was in it" is meant: they read what was in it. He says: they inherited the Book and so knew what was in it and studied it, but they neglected it and failed to act according to it, and they thereby transgressed the covenant of Allah with them, as [in the following]: -

   15328 - Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning his saying: "while they had studied what was in it," he said: they taught it, they taught what was in the Book that Allah has mentioned, and he recited: بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ (because you were teaching the Book and because you were studying it.) [Surah Āl ʿImrān: 79].

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: "And the last abode is better for those who are godfearing," He, whose praise is exalted, says: and what is in the last abode, that is what lies in the return to Allah, of what He has prepared for His close friends and for those who act according to what He has sent down in His Book and who observe His limits = "is better for those who have godfearing (taqwā) toward Allah," and who fear His punishment, and therefore watch Him in His command and prohibition, and obey Him in all of that in their worldly life = "do you then not understand," He says: do these who take the fleeting goods of this nearer [world] for their judgments and say: سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا (it will be forgiven us), then not understand, that what is with Allah in the last abode, for the godfearing who judge justly between the people, is better than these paltry fleeting goods that they hastily pursue in this worldly life, in opposition to the command of Allah, by judging unjustly between the people?

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَذَا الأَدْنَى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِنْ يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره: فخلف من بعد هؤلاء القوم الذين وصف صفتهم (65) = " خلف " يعني: خَلف سوء. يقول: حدث بعدهم وخلافَهم, وتبدل منهم، بَدَلُ سَوْءٍ. * * * يقال منه: " هو خَلَف صِدْقٍ", " وخَلْفُ سَوْءٍ", وأكثر ما جاء في المدح بفتح " اللام "، وفي الذم بتسكينها, وقد تحرَّك في الذم، وتسكّن في المدح, ومن ذلك في تسكينها في المدح قول حسان: لَنَــا القَـدَمُ الأُولَـى إلَيْـكَ, وَخَلْفُنَـا لأَوَّلِنَــا فِــي طَاعَــةِ اللـهِ تَـابِعُ (66) وأحسب أنّه إذا وُجّه إلى الفساد، مأخوذ من قولهم: " خَلَف اللبن "، إذا حمض من طُول تَركه في السقاء حتى يفسد, فكأنَّ الرجل الفاسد مشبَّهٌ به. وقد يجوز أن يكون منه قولهم (67) " خَلَف فم الصائم "، إذا تغيرت ريحه. وأما في تسكين " اللام " في الذمّ, فقول لبيد: ذَهَـبَ الَّـذِينَ يُعَـاشُ فِـي أَكْنَـافِهِمْ وَبَقِيـتُ فِـي خَـلْفٍ كَجِـلْدِ الأَجْرَبِ (68) * * * وقيل: إن الخلف الذي ذكر الله في هذه الآية أنهم خَلَفوا من قبلهم، هم النصارى. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 15313- حدثني محمد بن عمرو قال، حدثنا أبو عاصم قال، حدثنا عيسى, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد في قول الله: " فخلف من بعدهم خلف "، قال: النصارى. * * * قال أبو جعفر: والصواب من القول في ذلك عندي أن يقال: إن الله تعالى ذكره، إنما وصف أنه خَلَف القومَ الذين قصّ قصصهم في الآيات التي مضت، خَلْف سوءِ رديء, ولم يذكر لنا أنهم نصارى في كتابه, وقصتهم بقصص اليهود أشبه منها بقصص النصارى. وبعدُ, فإن ما قبل ذلك خبرٌ عن بني إسرائيل، وما بعده كذلك, فما بينهما بأن يكون خبرًا عنهم أشبه, إذ لم يكن في الآية دليل على صرف الخبر عنهم إلى غيرهم, ولا جاء بذلك دليل يوجب صحة القول به. * * * فتأويل الكلام إذًا: فتبدَّل من بعدهم بَدَل سوء, ورثوا كتاب الله فَعُلِّموه, (69) وضيعوا العمل به، فخالفوا حكمه, يُرْشَون في حكم الله, فيأخذون الرشوة فيه من عَرَض هذا العاجل " الأدنى ", (70) يعني ب " الأدنى ": الأقرب من الآجل الأبعد. (71) ويقولون إذا فعلوا ذلك: إن الله سيغفر لنا ذنوبنا، تمنِّيًا على الله الأباطيل, كما قال جل ثناؤه فيهم: فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَذَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلا فَوَيْلٌ لَهُمْ مِمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَهُمْ مِمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ ، [سورة البقرة: 79]= " وإن يأتهم عرض مثله يأخذوه "، يقول: وإن شرع لهم ذنبٌ حرامٌ مثله من الرشوة بعد ذلك، (72) أخذوه واستحلوه ولم يرتدعوا عنه. يخبر جل ثناؤه عنهم أنهم أهل إصرار على ذنُوبهم, وليسوا بأهل إنابة ولا تَوْبة. * * * وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل وإن اختلفت عنه عباراتهم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 15314- حدثنا أحمد بن المقدام قال، حدثنا فضيل بن عياض, عن منصور, عن سعيد بن جبير في قوله: " يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى ويقولون سيغفر لنا وإن يأتهم عَرَض مثله يأخذوه "، قال: يعملون الذنب، ثم يستغفرون الله, فإن عرض ذلك الذنب أخذوه. 15315- حدثنا ابن بشار قال، حدثنا عبد الرحمن قال، حدثنا سفيان, عن منصور, عن سعيد بن جبير: " وإن يأتهم عرض مثله يأخذوه "، قال: من الذنوب. 153116- حدثنا ابن وكيع قال، حدثنا جرير, عن منصور, عن سعيد بن جبير: " يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى ويقولون سيغفر لنا "، قال: يعملون بالذنوب = " وإن يأتهم عرض مثله يأخذوه "، : قال: ذنبٌ آخر، يعملون به. 15317- حدثنا ابن وكيع قال، حدثنا أبي, عن سفيان, عن منصور, عن سعيد بن جبير: " يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى "، قال: الذنوب= " وإن يأتهم عرض مثله يأخذوه "، قال: الذنوب. 15318- حدثني محمد بن عمرو قال، حدثنا أبو عاصم قال، حدثنا عيسى, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد: (يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى) قال: ما أشرف لهم من شيء في اليوم من الدنيا حلالٌ أو حرام يشتهونه أخذوه, ويبتغون المغفرة, فإن يجدوا الغد مثلَه يأخذوه. 15319- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج, عن ابن جريج, عن مجاهد, بنحوه= إلا أنه قال: يتمنَّون المغفرة. 15320- حدثنا الحارث قال، حدثنا عبد العزيز قال، حدثنا أبو سعد, عن مجاهد: " يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى "، قال: لا يشرف لهم شيء من الدنيا إلا أخذوه، حلالا كان أو حرامًا, ويتمنون المغفرة, ويقولون: " سيغفر لنا "، وإن يجدوا عرضًا مثله يأخذوه. 15321- حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد, عن قتادة قوله: " فخلف من بعدهم خلف "، إي والله، لَخَلْفُ سَوْء ورِثوا الكتابَ بعد أنبيائهم ورسلهم, ورَّثهم الله وَعهِد إليهم, وقال الله في آية أخرى: فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ ، [سورة مريم: 59]، قال: " يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى ويقولون سيغفر لنا "، تمنوا على الله أمانيّ، وغِرّةٌ يغتَرُّون بها. = " وإن يأتهم عرض مثله "، لا يشغلهم شيء عن شيء ولا ينهاهم عن ذلك, (73) كلما أشرف لهم شيء من الدنيا أكلوه، لا يبالون حلالا كان أو حرامًا. 15322- حدثنا محمد بن عبد الأعلى قال، حدثنا محمد بن ثور, عن معمر, عن قتادة: " يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى "، قال: يأخذونه إن كان حلالا وإن كان حرامًا= " وإن يأتهم عرض مثله "، قال: إن جاءهم حلال أو حرامٌ أخذوه. 15323- حدثني محمد بن الحسين قال، حدثنا أحمد بن المفضل قال، حدثنا أسباط, عن السدي قوله: " فخلف من بعدهم خلف " إلى قوله: وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ ، قال: كانت بنو إسرائيل لا يستقضون قاضيًا إلا ارتشى في الحكم، وإن خيارهم اجتمعُوا، فأخذ بعضهم على بعض العهود أن لا يفعلوا ولا يرتشوا, (74) فجعل الرجل منهم إذا استُقْضِي ارتشى, فيقال له: ما شأنك ترتشي في الحكم؟ فيقول: سيغفر لي ! فيطعن عليه البقية الآخرون من بني إسرائيل فيما صنع. فإذا مات، أو نـزع, وجعل مكانه رجل ممن كان يطعن عليه، فيرتشي. يقول: وإن يأت الآخرين عرضُ الدنيا يأخذوه. وأما " عرض الأدنى ", فعرض الدنيا من المال. 15324- حدثني محمد بن سعد قال، حدثني أبي قال، حدثني عمي قال، حدثني أبي, عن أبيه, عن ابن عباس قوله: " فخلف من بعدهم خلف ورثوا الكتاب يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى ويقولون سيغفر لنا "، يقول: يأخذون ما أصابوا ويتركون ما شاءوا من حلال أو حرام, ويقولون: " سيغفر لنا ". 15325- وحدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: " يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى "، قال: الكتاب الذي كتبوه= " ويقولون سيغفر لنا "، لا نشرك بالله شيئًا= " وإن يأتهم عرض مثله يأخذوه "، يأتهم المحقّ برشوة فيخرجوا له كتاب الله، ثم يحكموا له بالرشوة. وكان الظالم إذا جاءهم برشوة أخرجوا له " المثنّاة ", وهو الكتاب الذي كتبوه, فحكموا له بما في " المثنّاة "، بالرشوة, فهو فيها محق, وهو في التوراة ظالم, فقال الله: أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ لا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلا الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ . 15326- حدثنا ابن حميد قال، حدثنا جرير, عن منصور, عن سعيد بن جبير قوله: " فخلف من بعدهم خلف ورثوا الكتاب يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى "، قال: يعملون بالذنوب= " ويقولون سيغفر لنا وإن يأتهم عرض مثله يأخذوه "، قال: الذنوب. * * * القول في تأويل قوله : أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ لا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلا الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ وَالدَّارُ الآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلا تَعْقِلُونَ (169) وقال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره: " ألم يؤخذ "، على هؤلاء المرتشين في أحكامهم, القائلين: " سيغفر الله لنا فعلنا هذا ", إذا عوتبوا على ذلك= " ميثاقُ الكتاب ", وهو أخذ الله العهود على بني إسرائيل، بإقامة التوراة، والعمل بما فيها. فقال جل ثناؤه لهؤلاء الذين قص قصتهم في هذه الآية، موبخًا على خلافهم أمرَه، ونقضهم عهده وميثاقه: ألم يأخذ الله عليهم ميثاق كتابه، (75) ألا يقولوا على الله إلا الحق، ولا يُضيفوا إليه إلا ما أنـزله على رسوله موسى صلى الله عليه وسلم في التوراة, وأن لا يكذبوا عليه؟ كما: - 15327- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج, عن ابن جريج قال، قال ابن عباس: " ألم يؤخذ عليهم ميثاق الكتاب ألا يقولوا على الله إلا الحق "، قال: فيما يوجبون على الله من غُفران ذنوبهم التي لا يَزَالون يعودون فيها ولا يَتُوبون منها. * * * وأما قوله: " ودرسوا ما فيه "، فإنه معطوف على قوله: وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ ، ومعناه: فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ , " ودرسوا ما فيه "= ويعني بقوله: " ودرسوا ما فيه "، قرأوا ما فيه، (76) يقول: ورثوا الكتاب فعلموا ما فيه ودرسوه, فضيعوه وتركوا العمل به, وخالفوا عهد الله إليهم في ذلك، كما: - 15328- حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: " ودرسوا ما فيه "، قال: علّموه، علّموا ما في الكتاب الذي ذكر الله، وقرأ: بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ ، [سورة آل عمران: 79]. * * * قال أبو جعفر: " والدار الآخرة خير للذين يتقون "، يقول جل ثناؤه: وما في الدار الآخرة, وهو ما في المعادِ عند الله، (77) مما أعدّ لأوليائه، والعاملين بما أنـزل في كتابه، المحافظين على حدوده= " خير للذين يتقون الله "، (78) ويخافون عقابه, فيراقبونه في أمره ونهيه, ويطيعونه في ذلك كله في دنياهم= " أفلا يعقلون "، (79) يقول: أفلا يعقل هؤلاء الذين يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى على أحكامهم, ويقولون: سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا , أنَّ ما عند الله في الدار الآخرة للمتقين العادِلين بين الناس في أحكامهم, خير من هذا العرض القليل الذي يستعجلونه في الدنيا على خلافِ أمر الله، والقضاء بين الناس بالجور؟ ----------------- الهوامش : (65) (3) انظر تفسير (( خلف )) فيما سلف ص : 122 ، تعليق : 1 ، والمراجع هناك . (66) (4) ديوانه : 254 ، وسيرة ابن هشام 3 : 283 واللسان( خلف ) ، وسيأتي في التفسير 11: 59 بولاق ، من قصيدة بكى فيها سعد بن معاذ ، في يوم بنى قريظة ورجالا من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من الشهداء . وقوله : (( القدم الأولى )) ، يعنى سابقة الأنصار في الإسلام .وروى السيرة : (( في ملة الله تابع )) . (67) ( 1) في المطبوعة والمخطوطة : (( منه قولهم )) ، وهو خطأ . (68) (2) ديوانه ، القصيدة : 8 ، واللسان ( خلف ) ، وغيرها كثير . يرثي بها أربد ، صاحبه وابن عمه ، قال :قَــضِّ اللُّبَانَــةَ لا أَبَـالَكَ وَاذْهـبِ وَالْحَــقْ بأُسْــرَتِكَ الكِـرام الغُيَّـبِ ذَهَـــبَ الَّــذِين................. ذَهَـــبَ الَّــذِين.................. يَتَـــأَكَّلُونَ مَغَالَـــةً وَخِيَانَـــةً وَيُعَــابُ قَــائلُهُمْ وَإِنْ لَـمْ يَشْـغَبِ يَــا أرْبَـدَ الخَـيْرِ الكـريمُ جُـدُودُهُ خَــلَّيْتَني أَمْشِــي بِقَـرْنٍ أعْضَـبِ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . إنَّ الرَّزِيَّـــةَ، لا رَزِيَّــةَ مِثْلُهَــا فِقْــدَانُ كُـلَّ أَخٍ كَضَـوْءِ الكَـوْكَبِ (( المغالة )) الفحش في العداوة والوشاية عن تعاديه ، و(( القرن الأعْضب )) ، المكسور ، يعنى أنه قد فتر حده بموت أربد . (69) (1) في المطبوعة : (( تعلموه )) وصواب قراءة ما في المخطوطة ، هو ما أثبت (70) (2) انظر تفسير (( عرض الدنيا )) فيما سلف 9 : 71 . (71) (3) انظر تفسير (( الأدنى )) فيما سلف 2 : 131 . (72) (4) في المخطوطة : (( وإن شرع لهم ذنباً )) ، سيئة الكتابة ، والذي في المطبوعة ليس يبعد عن الصواب ، وإن كنت غير راض عنه . (73) (1) في المخطوطة : (( لا يسلعهم شيء ... )) سيئة الكتابة ، وكأن ما في المطبوعة صواب . (74) (2) في المخطوطة : (( ولا يرتشى )) ، والصواب ما في المطبوعة . (75) (1) انظر تفسير (( الميثاق )) فيما سلف 10 : 110 ، تعليق : 1 ، والمراجع هناك . (76) (2 ) انظر تفسير (( درس )) فيما سلف 6 : 546 / 12 : 25 - 31 / 12 : 241 . (77) (3) انظر تفسير (( الدار الآخرة )) فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة ( أخر ) . (78) (4) انظر تفسير (( التقوى)) فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة ( وقى ) . (79) (1) قراءة أبي جعفر كما هو بين {أَفَلا يَعْقِلُونَ} بإلياء ، وتفسيره جرى عليها ، فلذلك تركتها هنا كما فسرها ، وإن كنت قد وضعت الآية فيما سلف برسم مصحفنا وقراءتنا . ولم يشر أبو جعفر إلى هذه القراءة .