Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The statement concerning the explanation of His word, exalted is He: أَفَلا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ ("Do they not then look at the camels, how they are created?") (17)

   Allah, exalted is His mention, says to those who deny His power over what He has described in this surah—of the punishment and the dreadful chastisement that He has prepared for the people who are hostile to Him, and of the bliss and honor that He has prepared for the people who are under His protection: do these deniers of Allah's power over these matters not then look at the camels, how He has created them, made them subservient to them and made them compliant, and made them carry their load while they kneel down, then to rise up with it? And He who created that, for Him it is not difficult to create what He has described of these matters in Paradise and the Fire. He, exalted is His praise, says: do they not then look at the camels, so that they may draw a lesson from it and know that the power by which He was able to create them will never prevent Him from creating the like thereof?

   And along the lines of what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.

   * Mention of who said that:

   Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, he said: when Allah described what is in Paradise, the people of error marveled at that. Then Allah revealed: أَفَلا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الإبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ ("Do they not then look at the camels, how they are created?"). The camels were among the means of livelihood of the Arabs and among their property.

   Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, he said: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq, from someone who heard Shurayḥ say: go out with us, let us look at the camels, how they are created.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : أَفَلا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ (17) يقول تعالى ذكره لمُنكري قدرته على ما وصف في هذه السورة من العقاب والنكال الذي أعدّه لأهل عداوته، والنعيم والكرامة التي أعدّها لأهل ولايته: أفلا ينظر هؤلاء المنكرون قُدرة الله على هذه الأمور، إلى الإبل كيف خلقها وسخرها لهم وذَلَّلها وجعلها تحمل حملها باركة، ثم تنهض به، والذي خلق ذلك غير عزيز عليه أن يخلق ما وصف من هذه الأمور في الجنة والنار، يقول جلّ ثناؤه: أفلا ينظرون إلى الإبل فيعتبرون بها، ويعلمون أن القُدرة التي قدر بها على خلقها، لن يُعجزه خلق ما شابهها. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قال: لما نعت الله ما في الجنة، عجب من ذلك أهل الضلالة، فأنـزل الله: ( أَفَلا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الإبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ ) فكانت الإبل من عيش العرب ومن خوَلهم. حدثنا ابن المثنى، قال: ثنا محمد بن جعفر، قال: ثنا شعبة، عن أبي إسحاق عمن سمع شريحا يقول: اخرجوا بنا ننظر إلى الإبل كيف خُلقت.