Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   He, exalted be His praise, means by His word: innā hadaynāhu al-sabīl ("Verily, We have shown him the way"): verily, We have made clear to him the way to the Garden (janna) and made him know his path, whether he be grateful or ungrateful. And when the statement is directed to this meaning, then "immā" and "immā" ("either ... or") have the meaning of a conditional expression (jazāʾ). It is also possible that "immā" and "immā" have one and the same meaning, as He said: immā yuʿadhdhibuhum wa-immā yatūbu ʿalayhim ("either He punishes them, or He turns [in forgiveness] toward them"). Then His word immā shākiran wa-immā kafūran ("either grateful or ungrateful") would be a circumstantial qualifier (ḥāl) referring to the pronoun "hu" in "hadaynāhu" ("We have guided him"). The meaning of the statement, if directed to this interpretation, would then be: verily, We have shown him the way, whether as a wretched one or as a felicitous one. One of the grammarians of Baṣra used to say that, as He said: immā al-ʿadhāba wa-immā al-sāʿata ("either the punishment or the Hour") — as if you had not mentioned "immā." He said: and if you wish, you may begin with what comes after it and put it in the nominative (rafʿ).

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

   * Mention of who said that:

   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, his word: innā hadaynāhu al-sabīl , he said: wretchedness and felicity.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, his word: innā hadaynāhu al-sabīl immā shākiran ("verily, We have shown him the way, either grateful") for the blessings, wa-immā kafūran ("or ungrateful") for them.

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: min nuṭfatin amshājin nabtalīhi ... ("from a mingled drop, with which We test him ...") up to innā hadaynāhu al-sabīl , he said: We see what he does, which of the two ways he travels, and which of the two matters he takes; he said: and this is the trial (al-ikhtibār).

   Show original Arabic

   يعني جلّ ثناؤه بقوله: ( إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ ) إنا بينا له طريق الجنة، وعرّفناه سبيله، إن شكر، أو كفر. وإذا وُجِّه الكلام إلى هذا المعنى، كانت إما وإما في معنى الجزاء، وقد يجوز أن تكون إما وإما بمعنى واحد، كما قال: إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ فيكون قوله: ( إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا ) حالا من الهاء التي في هديناه، فيكون معنى الكلام إذا وُجه ذلك إلى هذا التأويل: إنا هديناه السبيل، إما شقيا وإما سعيدا، وكان بعض نحويِّي البصرة يقول ذلك كما قال: إِمَّا الْعَذَابَ وَإِمَّا السَّاعَةَ كأنك لم تذكر إما، قال: وإن شئت ابتدأت ما بعدها فرفعته. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 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: ( إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ ) قال: الشقوة والسَّعادة. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله: ( إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا ) للنعم ( وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا ) لها. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله: ( مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَبْتَلِيهِ ... ) إلى ( إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ ) قال: ننظر أيّ شيء يصنع، أيّ الطريقين يسلك، وأيّ الأمرين يأخذ، قال: وهذا الاختبار.