Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: نَحْنُ خَلَقْنَاهُمْ ("We created them") — these polytheists (mushrikīn) against Allah, who oppose His command and His prohibition — وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ("and We made their bodily frame firm"): and We made their creation firm, according to their manner of speaking: "this man is well-formed and his bodily frame (asr) has been made beautiful," with the meaning: he is created and his creation has been made beautiful.

   And in the spirit of what we have said about this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) also spoke.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: نَحْنُ خَلَقْنَاهُمْ وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ("We created them and We made their bodily frame firm"), he says: We made their creation firm.

   Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ("and We made their bodily frame firm"), he said: their creation.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ("and We made their bodily frame firm"): their creation.

   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.

   And others said: the "asr": the joints.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said: I heard him — that is, Khallād — saying: I heard Abū Saʿīd, who had recited the Qurʾān to Abū Hurayra, saying: I have not recited the Qurʾān to anyone other than Abū Hurayra; he made me recite. And he said concerning this verse: وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ("and We made their bodily frame firm"), he said: these are the joints.

   And others said: no, it is the strength.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ("and We made their bodily frame firm"), he said: the asr: the strength.

   And the correct of the statements about it is the statement that we have chosen, for the "asr" is that which I have mentioned among the Arabs. From this derives the saying of al-Akhṭal:

   "Of every [horse] with drawn-up flanks, firm of build (asr), compliant in leading, you would think it proud." (1)

   And from this derives the saying of the common people: "take it in its entirety (bi-asrihi)," that is: it is wholly yours.

   And His word: وَإِذَا شِئْنَا بَدَّلْنَا أَمْثَالَهُمْ تَبْدِيلا ("And when We will, We replace them with their likes, a complete replacement"), He says: and when We will, We destroy these and bring others than them, of their kind, their likes among the creatures, who differ from them in their conduct.

   And in the spirit of what we have said about this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) also spoke.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: بَدَّلْنَا أَمْثَالَهُمْ تَبْدِيلا ("We replace them with their likes, a complete replacement"), he said: the children of Adam who opposed obedience to Allah; he said: and their likes among the children of Adam.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره: نَحْنُ خَلَقْنَا هؤلاء المشركين بالله المخالفين أمره ونهيه ( وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ) : وشددنا خلقهم، من قولهم: قد أُسِر هذا الرجل فأُحسِن أسره، بمعنى: قد خلِقَ فأُحسِن خَلْقه. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أبى، قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أبي، عن &; 24-118 &; أبيه، عن ابن عباس، قوله: ( نَحْنُ خَلَقْنَاهُمْ وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ) يقول: شددنا خلقهم. حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى، وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء، جميعا عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد قوله: ( وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ) قال: خَلْقهم. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ): خَلْقهم. حدثنا بن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة، مثله. وقال آخرون: الأسْر: المفاصل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، سمعته - يعني: خلادا - يقول: سمعت أبا سعيد، وكان قرأ القرآن على أبي هريرة قال: ما قرأت القرآن إلا على أبي هريرة، هو أقرأني، وقال في هذه الآية ( وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ) قال: هي المفاصل. وقال آخرون: بل هو القوّة. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله: ( وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ) قال: الأسر: القوّة. وأولى الأقوال في ذلك بالصواب القول الذي اخترناه، وذلك أن الأسر، هو ما ذكرت عند العرب؛ ومنه قول الأخطل: مِــنْ كــلّ مُجْـتَنَبٍ شَـدِيدٍ أسْـرُه سَــلِسِ الْقِيــادِ تَخالُــهُ مُخْتــالا (1) ومنه قول العامة: خذه بأسره: أي هو لك كله. وقوله: ( وَإِذَا شِئْنَا بَدَّلْنَا أَمْثَالَهُمْ تَبْدِيلا ) يقول: وإذا نحن شئنا أهلكنا هؤلاء &; 24-119 &; وجئنا بآخرين سواهم من جنسهم أمثالهم من الخلق، مخالفين لهم في العمل. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله: ( بَدَّلْنَا أَمْثَالَهُمْ تَبْدِيلا ) قال: بني آدم الذين خالفوا طاعة الله، قال: وأمثالهم من بني آدم.