Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of His word: And if you call them to guidance, they will not follow you. It is the same for you whether you call them or whether you remain silent (7:193).

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says — while describing and condemning what these polytheists (mushrikīn) ascribe as partners to their Lord in their worship: And among their qualities is that you, O people, if you call them to the right path, and to the correct and wise course of conduct, they will not follow you, because they contain nothing. So they do not leave the paths that deviate from the correct course and that are crooked and unjust, and they do not enter upon what is straight and wise.

   * * *

   Allah, whose praise is exalted, intended by describing their gods with this quality only to alert them to the enormity of their error and the ugliness of their choice. The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: How can someone guide you to right discernment who — if he is called to right discernment and it is taught to him — does not recognize it, and does not distinguish a straight course from error, and for whom the call of the one who calls to right discernment is the same as his silence, because he does not understand his call, nor hears his voice, nor contains what is said to him? He says: How then can one be worshipped whose quality is this, or how does the enormous ignorance remain hidden of him who has taken as a god something with this quality? For the worshipped Lord is only He who brings benefit to whoever worships Him, inflicts harm on whoever disobeys Him, supports His friend, forsakes His enemy, guides to right discernment whoever obeys Him, and hears the call of whoever calls upon Him.

   * * *

   And it was said: (It is the same for you whether you call them or whether you remain silent) — He connected, with His word "ṣāmitūn" (silent ones), which is a noun, to His word "a-daʿawtumūhum" (have you called them), which is a perfect verb, and He did not say: "am ṣamattum" (or have you been silent), (41) as the poet said: (42)

   "It is the same for you whether there is departure, or whether you spent a night with the people of the tents of Numayr ibn ʿĀmir." (43)

   And sometimes it is recited as: "am anta bāʾitun" (or are you one who spends the night).

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

   The footnotes:

   (41) See Sībawayh 1: 435, 456.

   (42) I do not know the poet of it.

   (43) Maʿānī al-Qurʾān of al-Farrāʾ 1: 401. In the printed and the handwritten edition it had "ʿalayka al-faqr" (upon you is poverty), which is a pure error; the correct reading is from the Maʿānī. And "al-nafr" means: the departure from Minā in the days of the ḥajj, and that is the second of the days of al-tashrīq.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : وَإِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْهُدَى لا يَتَّبِعُوكُمْ سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْكُمْ أَدَعَوْتُمُوهُمْ أَمْ أَنْتُمْ صَامِتُونَ (193) قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره في وصفه وعيبه ما يشرك هؤلاء المشركون في عبادتهم ربَّهم إياه: ومن صفته أنكم، أيها الناس، إن تدعوهم إلى الطريق المستقيم, والأمر الصحيح السديد لا يتبعوكم، لأنها ليست تعقل شيئًا, فتترك من الطرق ما كان عن القصد منعدلا جائرًا, وتركب ما كان مستقيمًا سديدًا. * * * وإنما أراد الله جل ثناؤه بوصف آلهتهم بذلك من صفتها، تنبيهَهم على عظيم خطئهم, وقبح اختيارهم. يقول جل ثناؤه: فكيف يهديكم إلى الرشاد مَنْ إن دُعي إلى الرشاد وعُرِّفه لم يعرفه, ولم يفهم رشادًا من ضلال, وكان سواءً دعاءُ داعيه إلى الرشاد وسكوته, لأنه لا يفهم دعاءه, ولا يسمع صوته, ولا يعقل ما يقال له. يقول: فكيف يُعبد من كانت هذه صفته، أم كيف يُشْكِل عظيمُ جهل من اتخذ ما هذه صفته إلهًا؟ وإنما الرب المعبود هو النافع من يعبده, الضارّ من يعصيه, الناصرُ وليَّه, الخاذل عدوه, الهادي إلى الرشاد من أطاعه, السامع دعاء من دعاه. * * * وقيل: (سواء عليكم أدعوتموهم أم أنتم صامتون)، فعطف بقوله: " صامتون ", وهو اسم على قوله: " أدعوتموهم ", وهو فعل ماض, ولم يقل: أم صمتم, (41) كما قال الشاعر: (42) سَــوَاءٌ عَلَيْـكَ النَّفْـرُ أَمْ بِـتَّ لَيْلَـةً بِـأَهْلِ الْقِبَـابِ مِـنْ نُمَـيْرِ بنِ عَامِرِ (43) وقد ينشد: " أم أنْتَ بَائِتٌ". -------------------- الهوامش : (41) انظر سيبويه 1 : 435 ، 456 . (42) لم أعرف قائله . (43) معاني القرآن للفراء 1 : 401 ، وكان في المطبوعة والمخطوطة (( عليك الفقر )) ، وهو خطأ محض ، صوابه من المعاني . و (( النفر )) بمعنى : النفر من منى في أيام الحج ، وهو الثاني من أيام التشريق .