Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: ذَرْنِي وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيدًا * وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُ مَالا مَمْدُودًا "Leave Me with him whom I created alone, and to whom I gave extended wealth..." up to His word ( إِنْ هَذَا إِلا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ) "this is nothing but transmitted sorcery" — he said: this is al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra. He said: "Tonight I will put this man to the test for you." He came to the Prophet ﷺ and found him standing, praying and reciting. Then he returned to them, and they said: "Well?" He said: "I have heard words, sweet, fresh, and fruitful, that seize the hearts." They said: "It is poetry." He said: "No, by Allah, it is not poetry; no one is more knowledgeable about poetry than I. Did the poets not present their verses to me — al-Nābigha and so-and-so and so-and-so?" They said: "Then he is a soothsayer." He said: "No, by Allah, he is not a soothsayer; soothsaying has been presented to me." They said: "Then this is the sorcery of the Ancients, which he has copied down." He said: "I do not know; if it is anything, then perhaps it is sorcery that is transmitted." Then he recited: ( فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ) "Cursed is he, how he judged! Again, cursed is he, how he judged!" (74:19-20). He said: cursed is he, how he judged when he said: "It is not poetry"; then: cursed is he, how he judged when he said: "It is not soothsaying."

   And His word: ( ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ ) "then he turned away and was arrogant." The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: then he turned away from faith and from affirming what Allah had sent down of His Book, and he was too arrogant to acknowledge the truth, ( فَقَالَ إِنْ هَذَا إِلا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ) "and he said: this is nothing but transmitted sorcery." He said: he takes it over from another.

   And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ismāʿīl ibn Sumayʿ, on the authority of Abū Razīn: ( إِنْ هَذَا إِلا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ) he said: he takes it over from another.

   Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ismāʿīl, on the authority of Abū Razīn: ( إِنْ هَذَا إِلا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ) he said: he transmits it from another.

   Show original Arabic

   حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد في قوله: ذَرْنِي وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيدًا * وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُ مَالا مَمْدُودًا ... إلى قوله: ( إِنْ هَذَا إِلا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ) قال: هذا الوليد بن المغيرة قال: سأبتار لكم هذا الرجل الليلة، فأتى النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فوجده قائما يصلي ويقترئ، وأتاهم فقالوا: مه، قال: سمعت قولا حلوا أخضر مثمرا يأخذ بالقلوب، فقالوا: هو شعر، فقال: لا والله ما هو بالشعر، ليس أحد أعلم بالشعر مني، أليس قد عَرضت عليّ الشعراء شعرهم نابغة وفلان وفلان؟ قالوا: فهو كاهن، فقال: لا والله ما هو بكاهن، قد عرضت عليّ الكهانة، قالوا: فهذا سحر الأوّلين اكتتبه، قال: لا أدري إن كان شيئا فعسى هو إذا سحر يؤثر، فقرأ: ( فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ) قال: قتل كيف قدّر حين قال: ليس بشعر، ثم قتل كيف قدّر حين قال: ليس بكهانة. وقوله: ( ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: ثم ولى عن الإيمان والتصديق بما أنـزل الله من كتابه، واستكبر عن الإقرار بالحق ( فَقَالَ إِنْ هَذَا إِلا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ) قال: يأثره عن غيره. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا مهران، عن سفيان، عن إسماعيل بن سميع، عن أبي رزين ( إِنْ هَذَا إِلا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ) قال: يأخذه عن غيره. حدثنا أبو كُرَيب، قال: ثنا وكيع، عن سفيان، عن إسماعيل، عن أبي رزين ( إِنْ هَذَا إِلا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ) قال: يأثره عن غيره.