Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of His, the Exalted's, word: And they said: "Do not abandon your gods, and do not abandon Wadd, nor Suwāʿ, nor Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr" (23) And they have led many astray; and increase the wrongdoers only in error (24).

   He, exalted be His remembrance, says, reporting what Nūḥ related about his people: (And they said: "Do not abandon your gods, and do not abandon Wadd, nor Suwāʿ, nor Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr") (71:23). These were, according to what has been transmitted, a number of men from the sons of Adam, belonging to the gods of the people whom they used to worship.

   And among their account, as far as it has reached us, is what Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Mūsā, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Qays, concerning (and Yaʿūq and Nasr): he said: They were righteous men from the sons of Adam, and they had followers who took them as an example. When they died, their companions who took them as an example said: "If we were to depict them, that would make us yearn more strongly for worship when we remember them." So they depicted them. When these died and others came, Iblīs crept up to them and said: "Verily, they used to worship them, and through them they were given rain." Thus they worshipped them.

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of his father, on the authority of ʿIkrima, who said: Between Adam and Nūḥ there were ten generations, all of them adhering to Islam.

   And others said: These are the names of the idols (aṣnām) of the people of Nūḥ.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: (Do not abandon your gods, and do not abandon Wadd, nor Suwāʿ, nor Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr): he said: Wadd belonged to this tribe of Kalb at Dūmat al-Jandal; Suwāʿ belonged to Hudhayl at Ruhāṭ; Yaghūth belonged to the Banū ʿUṭayf of Murād at al-Juruf near Sabaʾ; Yaʿūq belonged to Hamdān at Balkhaʿ; and Nasr belonged to Dhū Kulāʿ of Ḥimyar. He said: These gods were worshipped by the people of Nūḥ, and afterwards the Arabs took them over. And by Allah, they were nothing but a piece of wood, or clay, or a stone.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda (Do not abandon your gods, and do not abandon Wadd, nor Suwāʿ, nor Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr): he said: They were gods who were worshipped by the people of Nūḥ, and afterwards the Arabs worshipped them. He said: Wadd belonged to Kalb at Dūmat al-Jandal, Suwāʿ belonged to Hudhayl, Yaghūth belonged to the Banū ʿUṭayf of Murād at al-Juruf, Yaʿūq belonged to Hamdān, and Nasr belonged to Dhū al-Kulāʿ of Ḥimyar.

   ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: (Do not abandon your gods, and do not abandon Wadd, nor Suwāʿ, nor Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr): he said: These were idols that were worshipped in the time of Nūḥ.

   It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh saying: ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk saying concerning His word: (nor Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr): he said: These are idols, and they were worshipped in the time of Nūḥ.

   It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh saying: ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk saying concerning His word: (nor Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr): they are gods that used to be in Yemen.

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: (nor Yaghūth and Yaʿūq and Nasr): he said: These are their gods whom they worship.

   The reciters differed over the reading of His word: (Waddan). Most of the reciters of Medina read it (Wuddan) with a ḍamma on the wāw, and most of the reciters of Kūfa and Baṣra read it (Waddan) with a fatḥa on the wāw.

   And the correct view concerning this, in our opinion, is that they are two readings that are well known among the reciters of the cities; with whichever of the two the reciter recites, he attains what is correct.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَقَالُوا لا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلا سُوَاعًا وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا (23) وَقَدْ أَضَلُّوا كَثِيرًا وَلا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلا ضَلالا (24) يقول تعالى ذكره مخبرا عن إخبار نوح، عن قومه: (وَقَالُوا لا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلا سُوَاعًا وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ) كان هؤلاء نفرًا من بني آدم فيما ذُكر عن آلهة القوم التي كانوا يعبدونها. وكان من خبرهم فيما بلغنا ما حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا مهران، عن سفيان، عن موسى، عن محمد بن قيس (وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ) قال: كانوا قومًا صالحين من بنى آدم، وكان لهم أتباع يقتدون بهم، فلما ماتوا قال أصحابهم الذين كانوا يقتدون بهم: لو صوّرناهم كان أشوق لنا إلى العبادة إذا ذكرناهم، فصوّروهم، فلما ماتوا، وجاء آخرون دبّ إليهم إبليس، فقال: إنما كانوا يعبدونهم، وبهم يُسقون المطر فعبدوهم. حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا مهران، عن سفيان، عن أبيه، عن عكرِمة، قال: كان بين آدم ونوح عشرة قرون، كلهم على الإسلام. وقال آخرون: هذه أسماء أصنام قوم نوح. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله: (لا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلا سُوَاعًا وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ) قال: كان ودّ لهذا الحيّ من كَلْب بدومة الجَندل، وكانت سُواع لهذيل برياط، وكان يغوث لبني عُطَيف من مُراد بالجُرْف من سبَأ، وكان يعوق لهمدان ببلخع، وكان نسر لذي كلاع من حِمْير؛ قال: وكانت هذه الآلهة يعبدها قوم نوح، ثم اتخذها العرب بعد ذلك. والله ما عدا خشبة أو طينة أو حجرًا. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة (لا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلا سُوَاعًا وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ) قال: كانت آلهة يعبدها قوم نوح، ثم عبدتها العرب بعد ذلك، قال: فكان ودّ لكلب بدومة الجندل، وكان سُواعٌ لهُذَيل، وكان يغوث لبني عطيف من مراد بالجُرف، وكان يعوق لهمْدان، وكان نَسْر لذي الكُلاع من حِمْير. حدثني عليّ، قال: ثنا أبو صالح، قال: ثني معاوية، عن عليّ، عن ابن عباس، قوله: (لا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلا سُوَاعًا وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ) قال: هذه أصنام كانت تُعبد في زمان نوح. حُدثت عن الحسين، قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: ثنا عبيد، قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله: (وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ) قال: هذه أصنام، وكانت تُعبد في زمان نوح. حُدثت عن الحسين، قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: ثنا عبيد، قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله: (وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ) هي آلهة كانت تكون باليمن. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله: (وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ) قال: هذه آلهتهم التي يعبدون. واختلفت القرّاء في قراءة قوله: (وُدًّا ) فقرأته عامة قرّاء المدينة ( وُدًّا ) بضم الواو، وقرأته عامة قرّاء الكوفة والبصرة: (وَدًّا ) بفتح الواو. والصواب من القول في ذلك عندنا أنهما قراءتان معروفتان في قرّاء الأمصار، فبأيتهما قرأ القارئ فمصيب.