Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The Exalted, whose mention is high, says: and around these righteous ones (al-abrār) circulate youths, that is the servants, eternally preserved (mukhalladūn).

   The exegetes differed concerning the meaning of: ( مُخَلَّدُونَ ) "eternally preserved." Some said: the meaning of it is that they do not die.

   * 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: ( وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُخَلَّدُونَ ) "and around them circulate eternally preserved youths," that is to say: they do not die.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, something similar.

   Others said: by ( وِلْدَانٌ مُخَلَّدُونَ ) "eternally preserved youths" is meant: that they are adorned with bracelets.

   And yet others said: no, by it is meant that they are adorned with earrings. And it was said: by it is meant that their youthfulness is perpetual and they do not change from that age.

   And it is transmitted that the Arabs, concerning a man, when he grows old but the blackness of his hair endures, say: he is truly mukhallad (preserved). Likewise they say, when he grows old but his molars and teeth endure: he is truly mukhallad, by which is meant that his condition is steadfast. And this confirms what Qatāda said, namely that the meaning is: they do not die, for when they remain steadfast in one condition and do not change through old age, greyness, or death, then they are mukhalladūn (eternally preserved). And it was said: the meaning of His word ( مُخَلَّدُونَ ) is "adorned with bracelets" in the language of Ḥimyar; and to one of their poets is attributed:

   And women adorned with silver, as if their behinds were the sand-hills of the drifting sand.

   And His word: ( إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤًا مَنْثُورًا ) "when you see them, you would take them for scattered pearls." The Exalted, whose mention is high, says: when you, O Muhammad, see these youths, gathered together or dispersed, then you would take them, on account of their beauty, the pure whiteness of their faces, and their great number, for scattered pearls, or for pearls that are joined together and poured out.

   And in accordance with what we have said concerning that, the exegetes have spoken.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: ( لُؤْلُؤًا مَنْثُورًا ) "scattered pearls," he said: on account of their great number and their beauty.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: ( إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ ) "when you see them, you would take them for": on account of their beauty and their great number ( لُؤْلُؤًا مَنْثُورًا ) "scattered pearls." And Qatāda said: on the authority of Abū Ayyūb, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿAmr, he said: there is not a single dweller of Paradise but a thousand young servants serve him, each servant for a task with which his companion is not charged.

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, he said: ( حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤًا مَنْثُورًا ) "you would take them for scattered pearls," he said: in the great quantity of the pearls and the whiteness of the pearls.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: ويطوف على هؤلاء الأبرار ولدان، وهم الوصفاء، مخلَّدون. اختلف أهل التأويل في معنى: ( مُخَلَّدُونَ ) فقال بعضهم: معنى ذلك: أنهم لا يموتون. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله: ( وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُخَلَّدُونَ ) أي: لا يموتون. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة، مثله. وقال آخرون: عني بذلك ( وِلْدَانٌ مُخَلَّدُونَ ) مُسَوّرون. وقال آخرون: بل عني به أنهم مقرّطون. وقيل: عني به أنهم دائم شبابهم، لا يتغيرون عن تلك السنّ. وذُكر عن العرب أنها تقول للرجل إذا كبر وثبت سواد شعره: إنه لمخلَّد؛ كذلك إذا كبر وثبت أضراسه وأسنانه قيل: إنه لمخلد، يراد به أنه ثابت الحال، وهذا تصحيح لما قال قتادة من أن معناه: لا يموتون، لأنهم إذا ثبتوا على حال واحدة فلم يتغيروا بهرم ولا شيب ولا موت، فهم مخلَّدون. وقيل: إن معنى قوله: ( مُخَلَّدُوَن ) مُسَوّرون بلغة حِمْير؛ وينشد لبعض شعرائهم: وَمُخَـــلَّدَاتٌ بـــاللُّجَيْنِ كأنَّمَــا أعْجـــازُهُنَّ أقـــاوِزُ الْكُثْبــانِ (9) &; 24-111 &; وقوله: ( إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤًا مَنْثُورًا ) يقول تعالى ذكره: إذا رأيت يا محمد هؤلاء الولدان مجتمعين أو مفترقين، تحسبهم في حُسنهم، ونقاء بياض وجوههم، وكثرتهم، لؤلؤًا مبدّدا، أو مجتَمِعا مصبوبا. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة ( لُؤْلُؤًا مَنْثُورًا ) قال: من كثرتهم وحُسْنِهِم. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله: ( إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ ) من حسنهم وكثرتهم ( لُؤْلُؤًا مَنْثُورًا ) وقال قتادة: عن أبي أيوب، عن عبد الله بن عمرو، قال: ما من أهل الجنة من أحد إلا ويسعى عليه ألف غلام، كلّ غلام على عملٍ ما عليه صاحبه. حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا مهران، عن سفيان، قال: ( حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤًا مَنْثُورًا ) قال: في كثرة اللؤلؤ وبياض اللؤلؤ.