Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Allah, exalted is His mention, says to these deniers of Allah's reward and punishment: هَذَا يَوْمُ لا يَنْطِقُونَ ("This is a day on which they will not speak") — those who denied the reward and punishment of Allah — وَلا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ ("nor will they be permitted, so that they may excuse themselves") for the sins they committed in the worldly life.

   Should someone say: how can it be said هَذَا يَوْمُ لا يَنْطِقُونَ ("This is a day on which they will not speak"), while you know from Allah's report about them that they say: "Our Lord, take us out of this," and that they say: "Our Lord, You have caused us to die twice and given us life twice," and what is comparable to that of what Allah and His Messenger have reported about them that they will say? Then it is answered: that is in some states and not in others.

   His statement هَذَا يَوْمُ لا يَنْطِقُونَ ("This is a day on which they will not speak") reports about them that in some states of that Day they will not speak, not that they will not speak that entire Day.

   Should he say: is there a proof by which the truth of that is known? Then it is answered: yes, and that is the annexation (iḍāfa) of the word "day" to His statement لا يَنْطِقُونَ ("they do not speak"). The Arabs do not annex "day" (yawm) to a verb in the imperfect form (yafʿalu) unless they intend the hour of the day or the moment thereof. That is like their saying: "I will come to you on the day so-and-so arrives," and "I came to you on the day your brother visited you." It is known that the meaning of that is: "I came to you in the hour he visited you," or "I will come to you in the hour he arrives," and that his coming to him did not occupy the whole day. For had it occupied the whole day, "day" would not have been annexed to a verb in the imperfect form. Rather, this occurred because "day" here has the meaning of idh and idhā (when/whenever), both of which require verbs and not nouns.

   Show original Arabic

   يقول تعالى ذكره لهؤلاء المكذّبين بثواب الله وعقابه: ( هَذَا يَوْمُ لا يَنْطِقُونَ ) أهل التكذيب بثواب الله وعقابه ( وَلا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ ) مما اجترموا في الدنيا من الذنوب. فإن قال قائل: وكيف قيل: ( هَذَا يَوْمُ لا يَنْطِقُونَ ) وقد علمت بخبر الله عنهم أنهم يقولون: رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا وأنهم يقولون: رَبَّنَا أَمَتَّنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ وَأَحْيَيْتَنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ في نظائر ذلك مما أخبر الله ورسوله عنهم أنهم يقولونه. قيل: إن ذلك في بعض الأحوال دون بعض. وقوله: ( هَذَا يَوْمُ لا يَنْطِقُونَ ) يخبر عنهم أنهم لا ينطقون في بعض أحوال ذلك اليوم، لا أنهم لا ينطقون ذلك اليوم كله. فإن قال: فهل من بُرهان يعلم به حقيقة ذلك؟ قيل: نعم، وذلك إضافة يوم إلى قوله: ( لا يَنْطِقُونَ ) والعرب لا تُضيف اليوم إلى فعل يفعل، إلا إذا أرادت الساعة من اليوم والوقت منه، وذلك كقولهم: آتيك يومَ يقدمُ فلان، وأتيتك يوم زارك أخوك، فمعلوم أن معنى ذلك: أتيتك ساعة زارك، أو آتيك ساعة يقدُم، وأنه لم يكن إتيانه إياه اليوم كله، لأن ذلك لو كان أخذ اليوم كله لم يضف اليوم إلى فعل ويفعل، ولكن فعل ذلك إذ كان اليوم بمعنى إذ وإذا اللتين يطلبان الأفعال دون الأسماء.