Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   And His word: ( وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَوْ وَزَنُوهُمْ ) (And when they measure out for them or weigh out for them). He says: and when they measure out for the people or weigh out for them. It belongs to the language of the inhabitants of the Ḥijāz that they say: "wazantuka ḥaqqaka" (I have weighed out for you your due) and "kiltuka ṭaʿāmaka" (I have measured out for you your food), in the meaning of: I have weighed out for you and I have measured out for you. Whoever directs the words toward this meaning places the pause upon "hum" and places "hum" in the position of the accusative (naṣb).

   ʿĪsā ibn ʿUmar made of it, according to what is related concerning him, two separate words: he paused at "kālū" and at "wazanū," and then began anew with "hum yukhsirūn." Whoever directs the words toward this meaning places "hum" in the position of the nominative (rafʿ) and makes "kālū" and "wazanū" standing on their own and complete.

   The correct view in this matter, in my opinion, is the pause upon "hum," for if "kālū" and "wazanū" were complete in themselves, and "hum" were a newly commencing clause, then "kālū" and "wazanū" would have been written with an alif as a separation between each of the two and "hum," since that is how the spelling proceeds in similar cases when nothing of the pronouns of the direct object is attached to it. That they have written it in this place without an alif is the clearest proof that His word ( هُمْ ) (hum) is nothing other than the pronoun of the names of those for whom the measuring and weighing is done (the direct object). Such, then, is the interpretation of the words, since the matter is as we have described and as we have explained.

   And His word: ( يُخْسِرُونَ ) (they cause to fall short). He says: they give them less than what is due.

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله: ( وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَوْ وَزَنُوهُمْ ) يقول: وإذا هم كالوا للناس أو وزنوا لهم. ومن لغة أهل الحجاز أن يقولوا: وزنتك حقك، وكلتك طعامك، بمعنى: وزنت لك وكلت لك. ومن وجَّه الكلام إلى هذا المعنى جعل الوقف على " هم " ، وجعل " هم " في موضع نصب. وكان عيسى بن عمر فيما ذُكر عنه يجعلهما حرفين، ويقف على كالوا، وعلى وزنوا، ثم يبتدئ هم يخسرون. فمن وجَّه الكلام إلى هذا المعنى جعل " هم " في موضع رفع، وجعل كالوا ووزنوا مكتفيين بأنفسهما. والصواب في ذلك عندي الوقف على " هم " ، لأن كالوا ووزنوا لو كانا مكتفيين، وكانت هم كلاما مستأنفا، كانت كتابة كالوا ووزنوا بألف فاصلة بينها وبين هم مع كل واحد منهما، إذ كان بذلك جرى الكتاب في نظائر ذلك إذا لم يكن متصلا به شيء من كنايات المفعول، فكتابهم ذلك في هذا الموضع بغير ألف أوضح الدليل على أن قوله: ( هُمْ ) إنما هو كناية أسماء المفعول بهم. فتأويل الكلام إذ كان الأمر على ما وصفنا على ما بيَّنا. وقوله: ( يُخْسِرُونَ ) يقول: ينقصونهم.