Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   As for His statement: ( مَخْتُومٍ * خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) ("sealed * whose seal is musk"): the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) differed regarding its interpretation. Some of them said: its meaning is "mixed, blended"; its mixture and admixture is musk.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ashʿath ibn Abī al-Shaʿthāʾ, on the authority of Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya, and ʿAlqama, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn Masʿūd: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) ("whose seal is musk"), he said: it is not a seal, but a mixture.

   Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, both of them saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ashʿath ibn Sulaym, on the authority of Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya, on the authority of ʿAlqama, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn Masʿūd: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), he said: indeed, it is not the seal with which one seals; have you not heard the woman among your women say: "such-and-such a perfume, its admixture is musk"?

   Mohammed ibn ʿUbayd al-Muḥāribī related to me, saying: Ayyūb related to us, on the authority of Ashʿath ibn Abī al-Shaʿthāʾ, on the authority of someone whom he mentioned, on the authority of ʿAlqama, concerning His statement: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), he said: its admixture is musk.

   Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn Murra, on the authority of Masrūq, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh: ( مختوم ) ("sealed"), he said: mixed; ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), he said: its taste and its scent.

   He said: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ashʿath ibn Abī al-Shaʿthāʾ, on the authority of Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya, on the authority of ʿAlqama: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), he said: its taste and its scent is musk.

   And others said: rather, its meaning is that the last of their drink is sealed with musk that is placed in it.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: ( رَحِيقٍ مَخْتُومٍ * خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) ("a sealed noble wine * whose seal is musk"), he says: the wine is sealed with musk.

   Mohammed 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: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), he said: Allah made the wine fragrant for them, and the last thing that was placed in it was the sealing with musk.

   Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), he said: its end is musk; for a people it is mixed for them with camphor, and sealed with musk.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), he said: its end is musk.

   It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, saying: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His statement: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), he said: Allah made the wine fragrant for them, and they found in it, in its last part, the scent of musk.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ḥātim ibn Wardān related to us, saying: Abū Ḥamza related to us, on the authority of Ibrāhīm and al-Ḥasan, concerning this verse: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), he said: its end is musk.

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, saying: Abū Ḥamza related to us, on the authority of Jābir, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Sābiṭ, on the authority of Abū al-Dardāʾ: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) — the drink is white as silver, with which they seal their drink; and if a man of the people of this world were to dip his finger into it and then draw it out again, no living creature would remain but that it would perceive its pleasant scent.

   And others said: by His statement ( مَخْتُومٍ ) ("sealed") is meant "sealed with clay"; ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) — its clay is musk.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   Mohammed 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 — all on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement: ( مَخْتُومٍ * خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), he said: its clay is musk.

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement: ( مَخْتُومٍ ) — the wine — ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ): its seal with Allah is musk, while its seal today in this world is clay.

   And the most correct of the statements regarding this, in our view, is the statement of him who said: its meaning is "its last and its end is musk," that is to say: it is fragrant in scent; its scent is sealed for it at the end of their drinking with the scent of musk.

   And we have only said that this is the correct of the statements regarding this because there is in the language of the Arabs no meaning for "sealing" (al-khatm) except "closing off" (al-ṭabʿ) and "completing" (al-farāgh), as in their statement: "so-and-so has sealed (khatama) the Qurʾān," when he reaches the end of it. And since there is no meaning for the closing off of the drink of the people of paradise — which would be understood when their drink is fluid, flowing as the flowing of water in the rivers, and not aged in vats such that one would place clay upon it and seal it — it becomes clear that the correct of that interpretation is the other meaning, namely the end and that which is drunk last, and that is what the drink is sealed with. As for "sealing" in the meaning of "mixing," we do not know it as transmitted from the language of the Arabs.

   And the reciters (al-qurrāʾ) differed regarding its reading. The general body of reciters of the cities read it: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ), except for al-Kisāʾī, for he read it: ( خاتَمَهُ مِسْكٌ ).

   And the correct of the statement regarding this, in our view, is that which the reciters of the cities are upon, namely ( خِتَامُهُ ), because of the consensus of the proof of the reciters upon it. And "khitām" and "khātam," though they differ in wording, are close to one another in meaning, except that "khātam" is a noun (ism) and "khitām" is a verbal noun (maṣdar). Of this is the statement of al-Farazdaq:

   They passed the night, cast down at both my sides, and I passed the night, breaking the locks of the seal (8)

   And the like of it is their statement: "he is noble of nature and character (al-ṭabāʾiʿ wa-al-ṭibāʿ)."

   ----------------

   The footnotes:

   (8) The verse is by al-Farazdaq (Dīwān, ed. al-Ṣāwī, 836), from a poem in which he praises Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Malik. Al-Farrāʾ, in Maʿānī al-Qurʾān, at His statement, exalted is He: ختامه مسك , with an isnād from him going back to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, transmitted that he read خاتمه مسك . And with another isnād from him on the authority of ʿAlqama and Qays: خاتمه مسك . And he said: have you not seen that the woman says to the perfumer: "make for me its end (khātimatahu) musk," by which she means its last part. And "al-khātam" and "al-khitām" are close to one another in meaning, except that "al-khātam" is the noun and "al-khitām" is the verbal noun. And al-Farazdaq said: "They passed the night…," the verse. And similar to "al-khātam" is your statement about a man: "he is noble of nature and character (al-ṭābiʿ wa-al-ṭibāʿ)." And the explanation of it is that when one of them drinks, he finds at the end of his cup the scent of musk. End. And Abū ʿUbayda said in Majāz al-Qurʾān (185): "sealed (makhtūm)": it has a seal (khitām). End.

   Show original Arabic

   وأما قوله: ( مَخْتُومٍ * خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) فإن أهل التأويل اختلفوا في تأويله، فقال بعضهم: معنى ذلك: ممزوج مخلوط، مِزاجه وخِلطه مِسك. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا مهران، عن سفيان، عن أشعث بن أبي الشعثاء، عن يزيد بن معاوية، وعلقمة عن عبد الله بن مسعود ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: ليس بخاتم، ولكن خلط. حدثنا ابن بشار، قال: ثنا يحيى بن سعيد وعبد الرحمن، قالا ثنا سفيان، عن أشعث بن سليم، عن يزيد بن معاوية، عن علقمة، عن عبد الله بن مسعود ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: أما إنه ليس بالخاتم الذي يختم، أما سمعتم المرأة من نسائكم تقول: طيب كذا وكذا خلطه مسك. حدثني محمد بن عبيد المحاربيّ، قال: ثنا أيوب، عن أشعث بن أبي الشعثاء عمن ذكره عن علقمة، في قوله: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: خلطه مسك. حدثنا أبو كريب، قال: ثنا وكيع، عن الأعمش، عن عبد الله بن مرّة، عن مسروق، عن عبد الله ( مختوم ) قال: ممزوج ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: طعمه وريحه. قال: ثنا وكيع، عن أبيه، عن أشعث بن أبي الشعثاء، عن يزيد بن معاوية، عن علقمة ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: طعمه وريحه مسك. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: أن آخر شرابهم يُخْتم بمسك يجعل فيه. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني عليّ، قال: ثنا أبو صالح، قال: ثني معاوية، عن عليّ، عن ابن عباس، قوله: ( رَحِيقٍ مَخْتُومٍ * خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) يقول: الخمر خُتِمَ بالمسك. حدثني محمد بن سعد، قال: ثني أبي، قال: ثني عمي، قال: ثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: طيَّب الله لهم الخمر، فكان آخر شيء جعل فيها حتى تختم المسك. حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: عاقبته مسك قوم تُمزَج لهم بالكافور، وتختم بالمسك. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: عاقبته مِسك. حُدثت عن الحسين، قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: ثنا عبيد، قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: طيَّب الله لهم الخمر، فوجدوا فيها في آخر شيء منها ريح المسك. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا حاتم بن وردان، قال: ثنا أبو حمزة، عن إبراهيم والحسن في هذه الآية: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: عاقبته مسك. حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا يحيى بن واضح، قال: ثنا أبو حمزة، عن جابر عن عبد الرحمن بن سابط، عن أبي الدرداء ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) فالشراب أبيض مثل الفضة يختمون به شرابهم، ولو أن رجلا من أهل الدنيا أدخل أصبعه فيه ثم أخرجها، لم يبق ذو روح إلا وجد طيبها. وقال آخرون: عُنِي بقوله: ( مَخْتُومٍ ) مُطَيَّن ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) طينه مسك. * 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: ( مَخْتُومٍ * خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) قال: طينه مسك. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله: ( مَخْتُومٍ ) الخمر ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) : ختامه عند الله مسك، وختامها اليوم في الدنيا طين. وأولى الأقوال في ذلك عندنا بالصواب قول من قال: معنى ذلك: آخره وعاقبته مسك: أي هي طيبة الريح، إن ريحها في آخر شربهم يختم لها بريح المسك. وإنما قلنا: ذلك أولى الأقوال في ذلك بالصحة؛ لأنه لا وجه للختم في كلام العرب إلا الطبع والفراغ، كقولهم: ختم فلان القرآن: إذا أتى على آخره، فإذا كان لا وجه للطبع على شراب أهل الجنة، يفهم إذا كان شرابهم جاريًا، جري الماء في الأنهار، ولم يكن معتقًا في الدنان فيطين عليها وتختم، تعين أن الصحيح من ذلك الوجه الآخر وهو العاقبة والمشروب آخرًا، وهو الذي ختم به الشراب. وأما الختم بمعنى: المزج، فلا نعلمه مسموعًا من كلام العرب. وقد اختلفت القرّاء في قراءة ذلك، فقرأته عامة قرّاء الأمصار: ( خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ) سوى الكسائيّ، فإنه كان يقرأه ( خاتَمَهُ مِسْكٌ ) . والصواب من القول عندنا في ذلك ما عليه قرأة الأمصار، وهو ( خِتَامُهُ ) لإجماع الحجة من القرّاء عليه، والختام والخاتم وإن اختلفا في اللفظ، فإنهما متقاربان في المعنى غير أن الخاتم اسم، والختام مصدر؛ ومنه قول الفرزدق. فَبِتْـــنَ بِجَـــانبيَّ مُصَرَّعــاتٍ وَبِــتُّ أفُــضُّ أغْــلاقَ الخِتــامِ (8) ونظير ذلك قولهم: هو كريم الطبائع والطباع. ---------------- الهوامش : (8) البيت للفرزدق ( ديوان طبعة الصاوي 836 ) من قصيدة يمدح بها هشام بن عبد الملك . روى الفراء في معاني القرآن عند قوله تعالى : { ختامه مسك } بإسناد له إلى علي بن أبي طالب أنه قرأ { خاتمه مسك } . وبإسناد آخر له عن علقمة وقيس : { خاتمه مسك } . وقال أما رأيت المرأة تقول للعطار : اجعل لي خاتمة مسكا ، تريد آخره . والخاتم والختام : متقاربان في المعنى ، إلا أن الخاتم الاسم ، والختام : المصدر . وقال الفرزدق : " فبتن ... " البيت . ومثل الخاتم قولك للرجل : هو كريم الطابع والطباع . وتفسير ذلك أن أحدهم إذا شرب ، وجد آخر كأسه ريح المسك . ا هـ . وقال أبو عبيدة في مجاز القرآن ( 185 ) مختوم : له ختام . ا هـ .