Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The statement concerning the explanation of His word, the Exalted: Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened, whereupon they said: Indeed, we have heard a wondrous Qurʾān

   The Exalted says to His Prophet Muḥammad, may the peace and blessings be upon him: Say, O Muḥammad, Allah has revealed to me (that a group of the jinn listened) to this Qurʾān (whereupon they) said to their people, when they had heard it, (said: Indeed, we have heard a wondrous Qurʾān that guides to the right path) — He says: that points to the truth and the way of righteousness (and we have believed in it) — He says: and we have held it to be true (and we will never associate anyone) of His creatures (as a partner with our Lord).

   The cause of this group of jinn listening to the Qurʾān was, as Muḥammad ibn Maʿmar related to me, he said: Abū Hishām — that is, al-Makhzūmī — related to us, he said: Abū ʿAwāna related to us, on the authority of Abū Bishr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings be upon him, did not recite the Qurʾān to the jinn, nor did he see them. The Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings be upon him, set out with a group of his Companions, heading toward the market of ʿUkāẓ. He said: And a barrier had been set up between the devils and the news of heaven, and blazing meteors were sent down upon them. Then the devils returned to their people, who said: What is the matter with you? They said: A barrier has been set up between us and the news of heaven, and blazing meteors were sent down upon us. They said: Nothing has set up a barrier between you and the news of heaven except something that has happened.

   He said: Then set out and traverse the eastern and western regions of the earth, and see what this is that has happened. He said: Then they set out and traversed the eastern and western regions of the earth, seeking what this was that had set up a barrier between them and the news of heaven. He said: The group that headed toward Tihāma went out to the Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings be upon him, at Nakhla, while he was on his way to the market of ʿUkāẓ, and he was performing the dawn prayer (ṣalāt al-fajr) with his Companions. He said: When they heard the Qurʾān, they listened to it and said: This, by Allah, is that which has set up a barrier between you and the news of heaven. He said: Thereupon, when they returned to their people, they said: O our people, (indeed, we have heard a wondrous Qurʾān that guides to the right path, and we have believed in it, and we will never associate anyone as a partner with our Lord). He said: Then Allah revealed to His Prophet, may the peace and blessings be upon him: (Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened) — and only the statement of the jinn was revealed to him.

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of ʿĀṣim, on the authority of Warqāʾ, who said: A band of Zawbaʿa and his companions came to Mecca to the Prophet, may the peace and blessings be upon him, and they heard the recitation of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings be upon him, and then turned away. That is His word: And when We turned toward you a group of the jinn to listen to the Qurʾān; and when they were present at it, they said: Be silent. He said: They were nine, among them Zawbaʿa.

   It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd related to us, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word: (Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened) — that is the word of Allah And when We turned toward you a group of the jinn. Heaven was not guarded in the interval between ʿĪsā and Muḥammad; and when Allah sent Muḥammad, may the peace and blessings be upon him, the nearest heaven was guarded, and the devils were pelted with blazing meteors. Then Iblīs said: Something has happened in the earth. Thereupon he commanded the jinn, and they spread out over the earth to bring him the news of what had happened. The first to be sent out were a group from the inhabitants of Naṣībīn — and that is a region in Yemen — and they were the nobles of the jinn and their leaders. He sent them to Tihāma and what borders Yemen. That group set out and arrived at the valley, the valley of Nakhla, which is two nights' journey from the valley, and they found there the Prophet of Allah, may the peace and blessings be upon him, while he was performing the dawn prayer, and they heard him reciting the Qurʾān. When they were present at it, they said: Be silent. And when it was concluded — that is, when the prayer was completed — they turned to their people as warners — that is, as believers. The Prophet of Allah, may the peace and blessings be upon him, knew nothing of them and did not perceive that they had turned toward him, until Allah revealed to him: (Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened).

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْآنًا عَجَبًا يقول جلّ ثناؤه لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم : قل يا محمد أوحى الله إلىَّ( أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ ) هذا القرآن ( فَقَالُوا ) لقومهم لما سمعوه: ( إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْآنًا عَجَبًا يَهْدِي إِلَى الرُّشْدِ ) يقول: يدلّ على الحقّ وسبيل الصواب ( فَآمَنَّا بِهِ ) يقول: فصدّقناه ( وَلَنْ نُشْرِكَ بِرَبِّنَا أَحَدًا ) من خلقه. وكان سبب استماع هؤلاء النفر من الجنّ القرآن، كما حدثني محمد بن معمر، قال: ثنا أبو هشام، يعني المخزومي، قال: ثنا أبو عوانة، عن أبي بشر، عن سعيد بن جُبير، عن ابن عباس، قال: ما قرأ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على الجنّ ولا رآهم؛ انطلق رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في نفر من أصحابه، عامدين إلى سوق عكاظ، قال: وقد حِيل بين الشياطين وبين خبر السماء، وأُرسلت عليهم الشهب، فرجعت الشياطين إلى قومهم، فقالوا: ما لكم ؟ فقالوا: حيل بيننا وبين خبر السماء، وأُرسلت علينا الشهب، فقالوا: ما حال بينكم وبين خبر السماء إلا شيء حدث. قال: فانطلقوا فاضربوا مشارق الأرض ومغاربها فانظروا ما هذا الذي حدث، قال: فانطلقوا يضربون مشارق الأرض ومغاربها، يتتبعون ما هذا الذي حال بينهم وبين خبر السماء؛ قال: فانطلق النفر الذين توجهوا نحو تهامة إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بنخلة، وهو عامد إلى سوق عكاظ، وهو يصلي بأصحابه صلاة الفجر؛ قال: فلما سمعوا القرآن استمعوا له فقالوا: هذا والله الذي حال بينكم وبين خبر السماء، قال: فهنالك حين رجعوا إلى قومهم، فقالوا: يا قومنا( إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْآنًا عَجَبًا يَهْدِي إِلَى الرُّشْدِ فَآمَنَّا بِهِ وَلَنْ نُشْرِكَ بِرَبِّنَا أَحَدًا ) قال: فأنـزل الله على نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم: ( قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ ) وإنما أوحي إليه قول الجنّ. حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا مهران، عن سفيان، عن عاصم، عن ورقاء، قال: قدم رهط زوبعة وأصحابه مكة على النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فسمعوا قراءة النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثم انصرفوا، فذلك قوله: وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَا إِلَيْكَ نَفَرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوهُ قَالُوا أَنْصِتُوا قال: كانوا تسعة فيهم زوبعة. حُدثت عن الحسين، قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: ثنا عبيد، قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله: ( قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ ) هو قول الله وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَا إِلَيْكَ نَفَرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ لم تُحرس السماء في الفترة بين عيسى ومحمد؛ فلما بعث الله محمدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم حرست السماء الدنيا، ورُميت الشياطين بالشهب، فقال إبليس: لقد حدث في الأرض حدث، فأمر الجنّ فتفرّقت في الأرض لتأتيه بخبر ما حدث. وكان أوّل من بُعث نفر من أهل نصيبين وهي أرض باليمن، وهم أشراف الجنّ، وسادتهم، فبعثهم إلى تهامة وما يلي اليمن، فمضى أولئك النفر، فأتوا على الوادي وادي نخلة، وهو من الوادي مسيرة ليلتين، فوجدوا به نبيّ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلي صلاة الغداة فسمعوه يتلو القرآن؛ فلما حضروه، قالوا: أنصتوا، فلما قُضِيَ، يعني فُرِغ من الصلاة، وَلَّوْا إلى قومهم منذرين، يعني مؤمنين، لم يعلم بهم نبيّ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولم يشعر أنه صُرِف إليه، حتى أنـزل الله عليه: ( قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ ).