Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the statement of the Exalted: مَا كَانَ لأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُمْ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَلا يَرْغَبُوا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ وَلا نَصَبٌ وَلا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلا يَطَئُونَ مَوْطِئًا يَغِيظُ الْكُفَّارَ وَلا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ نَيْلا إِلا كُتِبَ لَهُمْ بِهِ عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ (120) (It was not fitting for the people of Medina and the bedouin around them to remain behind and stay away from the Messenger of Allah, nor to prefer their own lives over his. That is because no thirst, no fatigue, and no hunger afflicts them on the way of Allah, and they tread no place that enrages the disbelievers (kuffār), and they gain nothing from an enemy, but that a righteous deed is thereby recorded for them. Truly, Allah does not let the reward of those who do good go to waste.) (120)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is mentioned, says: It was not fitting for the people of Medina—the city of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and the bedouin around them, the people of the desert regions who remained behind and stayed away from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during the campaign of Tabūk, while they did belong to the believers in him, to remain behind with their families—while he had no abode—nor to prefer their own lives over his with respect to accompanying him on his journey, waging jihād at his side, and supporting him in the hardship that he endured during that campaign of his. He says: This was not fitting for them بِأَنَّهُمْ (because they), that is to say: on account of the fact that they, and for the reason that they لا يُصِيبُهُمْ (are not afflicted) on their journey, when they were with him, by ظَمَأٌ (thirst)—that is thirst— وَلا نَصَبٌ (nor fatigue), he says: nor exhaustion, وَلا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ (nor hunger on the way of Allah), that is to say: nor famine in establishing the religion of Allah and supporting it, and in pulling down the standards of disbelief, وَلا يَطَئُونَ مَوْطِئًا (and they tread no place), that is to say: a land; he says: and they tread no land يَغِيظُ الْكُفَّارَ (that enrages the disbelievers) by their treading upon it, وَلا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ نَيْلا (and they gain nothing from an enemy), he says: and they obtain nothing from the enemy of Allah and their enemy, neither in their possessions, nor in their lives, nor in their children, but that Allah records for them, for all of this, the reward of a righteous deed with which He is well pleased, إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ (truly, Allah does not let the reward of those who do good go to waste), he says: truly, Allah does not leave any doer of good among His creatures who has acted well in his deed and obeyed Him in what He commanded him and abstained from what He forbade him, without rewarding him for his good deed and recompensing him for his upright action. Therefore He recorded, for whoever among the people of Medina and the bedouin around them acted thus, that which is mentioned in this verse: the reward for everything he did; so He did not let the reward for that deed of his go to waste.

   * * *

   The exegetes differed concerning the ruling (the ḥukm) of this verse.

   * * *

   Some said: It is a binding (muḥkam) verse, and this applied exclusively to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It was not fitting for anyone to remain behind when he set out on a campaign, and to sit at home instead of going out with him, except one who had a valid excuse. As for the rest of the imāms and those in authority: it is permitted for whoever among the believers wishes to do so to remain behind instead of going out with him, so long as there is no compelling necessity for the Muslims requiring it.

   * Mention of who said that:

   17462 — Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his statement: مَا كَانَ لأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُمْ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَلا يَرْغَبُوا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ (It was not fitting for the people of Medina and the bedouin around them to remain behind and stay away from the Messenger of Allah, nor to prefer their own lives over his)—this applies when the Prophet of Allah himself sets out on a campaign, then it is not fitting for anyone to remain behind. It was related to us that the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Were it not that I would burden my community, I would not remain behind from any fighting force that sets out on the way of Allah, but I find no room to march out with them, and it grieves me—or: it is repugnant to me—to leave them behind after me."

   17463 — ʿAlī ibn Sahl related to us, he said: al-Walīd ibn Muslim related to us, he said: I heard al-Awzāʿī, ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak, al-Fazārī, al-Sabīʿī, Ibn Jābir, and Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz say concerning this verse: مَا كَانَ لأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُمْ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ (It was not fitting for the people of Medina and the bedouin around them to remain behind and stay away from the Messenger of Allah), to the end of the verse—that it applies to the first and the last of this community among the warriors on the way of Allah.

   * * *

   Others said concerning this verse: It was revealed when the people of Islam were but few; when they became numerous, Allah abrogated it and permitted remaining behind to whoever wished, and He said: وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنْفِرُوا كَافَّةً (And it is not for the believers to march out all together) [Sūrat al-Tawba: 122].

   * Mention of who said that:

   17464 — Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning his statement: مَا كَانَ لأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُمْ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ (It was not fitting for the people of Medina and the bedouin around them to remain behind and stay away from the Messenger of Allah), and he read on until he came to: لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (that Allah may reward them with the best of what they used to do). He said: This was when Islam had few adherents; when Islam afterward became numerous, He said: وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنْفِرُوا كَافَّةً فَلَوْلا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ (And it is not for the believers to march out all together; why then does not a party from every group among them march out), to the end of the verse.

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: In my opinion the correct judgment concerning this is that Allah thereby intended those whom He described with His statement: وَجَاءَ الْمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤْذَنَ لَهُمْ (And the excuse-makers among the bedouin came to ask permission for themselves) [Sūrat al-Tawba: 90]. Then He said, mighty is His praise: It was not fitting for the people of Medina who remained behind and stayed away from the Messenger of Allah, nor for the bedouin around them who stayed at home from the jihād with him, to remain behind instead of going out with him and to prefer their own lives over his. That is because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during that campaign of his summoned everyone who was able to go out with him to set off, except one to whom he gave permission or whom he commanded to remain behind after him. So it was not fitting for anyone who was able to go out to remain behind. Therefore He, mighty is His praise, enumerated those among them who remained behind: He made manifest the hypocrisy (nifāq) of whoever remained behind out of hypocrisy, excused whoever remained behind with a valid reason, and turned in forgiveness toward whoever remained behind out of negligence—without any doubt or hesitation in the affair of Allah—when he repented of the error of the deed he had committed. As for his remaining behind in a state in which he [the imām] did not need them: that was not forbidden, so long as it did not occur out of aversion on his part, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. And likewise is the ruling concerning the Muslims today before their imām: it is not obligatory upon all of them to go out with him, except in the state in which he needs them, on account of that which Islam and its people cannot do without regarding their presence, their gathering, and his summons to them; then their obedience to him at that moment is obligatory.

   When this is the meaning of the verse, then neither of the two verses we have mentioned is an abrogation (nāsikh) of the other, since neither of them lifts the ruling of the other in all its aspects, and no report has come directing the argument toward the fact that either of them abrogates the other.

   * * *

   We have already explained the meaning of "al-makhmaṣa," namely that it means "famine," with the proofs for it, and we have mentioned the report of who said that in a place other than this one, so that this exempts us from repeating it here.

   * * *

   As for "al-nayl": it is a verbal noun (maṣdar) from the statement: "nālanī yanāluni" (it reached me, it reaches me), and "niltu al-shayʾa fa-huwa manīl" (I attained the thing, and it is attained). That is when you reach it with your hand, and it does not derive from "al-tanāwul" (reaching out/proffering). For "al-tanāwul" derives from "al-nawāl" (a gift); of that one says: "nultu lahu, anūlu lahu" (I gave to him, I give to him), namely from giving.

   Some of the scholars of Arabic said: "al-nayl" is a verbal noun from the statement: "nālanī bi-khayrin yanūlunī nawālan" (he favored me with good, he favors me, as a favor), and "anālanī khayran inālatan" (he granted me good, as a granting). He said: It is as though "al-nayl" [derives] from the wāw, which was converted into a yāʾ on account of its lightness and the heaviness of the wāw. But that is not known in the language of the Arabs; rather it is the custom of the Arabs to retain the wāw in words containing a wāw, when it is quiescent (sākin) and the preceding letter bears a fatḥa, as they say: "al-qawl," "al-ʿawl," and "al-ḥawl"; and were what he said permissible, then "al-qayl" would be permissible.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : مَا كَانَ لأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُمْ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَلا يَرْغَبُوا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ وَلا نَصَبٌ وَلا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلا يَطَئُونَ مَوْطِئًا يَغِيظُ الْكُفَّارَ وَلا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ نَيْلا إِلا كُتِبَ لَهُمْ بِهِ عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ (120) قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره: لم يكن لأهل المدينة, مدينة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم =(ومن حولهم من الأعراب)، سُكّان البوادي, الذين تخلفوا عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في غزوة تبوك, وهم من أهل الإيمان به، أن يتخلفوا في أهاليهم ولا دارٍ لهم, (59) ولا أن يرغبوا بأنفسهم عن نفسه في صحبته في سفره والجهاد معه، ومعاونته على ما يعانيه في غزوه ذلك. (60) يقول: إنه لم يكن لهم هذا =(بأنهم)، من أجل أنهم، وبسبب أنهم =(لا يصيبهم)، في سفرهم إذا كانوا معه =(ظمأ)، وهو العطش =(ولا نصب), يقول: ولا تعب =(ولا مخمصة في سبيل الله) ، يعني: ولا مجاعة في إقامة دين الله ونصرته, وهدْم مَنَار الكفر (61) =(ولا يطئون موطئًا) ، يعني: أرضًا, يقول: ولا يطأون أرضًا = (يغيظ الكفار)، وطؤهم إياها (62) =(ولا ينالون من عدوّ نيلا) ، يقول: ولا يصيبون من عدوّ الله وعَدُوّهم شيئًا في أموالهم وأنفسهم وأولادهم = إلا كتب الله لهم بذلك كله، ثوابَ عمل صالح قد ارتضاه (63) =(إن الله لا يضيع أجر المحسنين) ، يقول: إن الله لا يدع محسنًا من خلقه أحسن في عمله فأطاعه فيما أمره، وانتهى عما نهاه عنه, أن يجازيه على إحسانه، ويثيبه على صالح عمله. (64) فلذلك كتبَ لمن فعل ذلك من أهل المدينة ومن حولهم من الأعراب ما ذكر في هذه الآية، الثوابَ على كلّ ما فعل، فلم يضيِّع له أجرَ فعله ذلك. * * * وقد اختلف أهل التأويل في حكم هذه الآية. * * * فقال بعضهم: هي محكمة, وإنما كان ذلك لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خاصة, لم يكن لأحدٍ أن يتخلف إذا غزا خِلافَه فيقعد عنه، إلا من كان ذا عُذْرٍ. فأما غيره من الأئمة والولاة، فإن لمن شاء من المؤمنين أن يتخلَّف خلافه، إذا لم يكن بالمسلمين إليه ضرورة. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 17462- حدثنا بشر قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد, عن قتادة قوله: (ما كان لأهل المدينة ومن حولهم من الأعراب أن يتخلفوا عن رسول الله ولا يرغبوا بأنفسهم عن نفسه) ، هذا إذا غزا نبيُّ الله بنفسه, فليس لأحد أن يتخلف. ذكر لنا أن نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لولا أن أشقَّ على أمتي ما تخلَّفت خلف سريّة تغزو في سبيل الله, لكني لا أجد سَعةً، فأنطلق بهم معي, ويشقّ علي = أو: أكره = أن أدعهم بعدي. 17463- حدثنا علي بن سهل قال، حدثنا الوليد بن مسلم قال، سمعت الأوزاعي, وعبد الله بن المبارك, والفزاري, والسبيعي, وابن جابر, وسعيد بن عبد العزيز يقولون في هذه الآية: (ما كان لأهل المدينة ومن حولهم من الأعراب أن يتخلفوا عن رسول الله) ، إلى آخر الآية، إنها لأوّل هذه الأمة وآخرها من المجاهدين في سبيل الله. * * * وقال آخرون هذه الآية: نـزلت وفي أهل الإسلام قلة, فلما كثروا نسخها الله، وأباح التخلف لمن شاء, فقال: وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنْفِرُوا كَافَّةً [سورة التوبة: 122] * ذكر من قال ذلك: 17464- حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: (ما كان لأهل المدينة ومن حولهم من الأعراب أن يتخلفوا عن رسول الله) ، فقرأ حتى بلغ: لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ، قال: هذا حين كان الإسلام قليلا فلما كثر الإسلام بعدُ قال: وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنْفِرُوا كَافَّةً فَلَوْلا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ ، إلى آخر الآية. * * * قال أبو جعفر: والصواب من القول في ذلك عندي, أن الله عنى بها الذين وصفهم بقوله: وَجَاءَ الْمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤْذَنَ لَهُمْ ، [سورة التوبة: 90] . ثم قال جل ثناؤه: (ما كان لأهل المدينة)، الذين تخلفوا عن رسول الله، ولا لمن حولهم من الأعراب الذين قعدوا عن الجهاد معه، أن يتخلفوا خِلافَه ولا يرغبوا بأنفسهم عن نفسه. وذلك أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان ندب في غزوته تلك كلَّ من أطاق النهوض معه إلى الشخوص، إلا من أذن له، أو أمره بالمقام بعده. فلم يكن لمن قدر على الشخوص التخلُّف. فعدّد جل ثناؤه من تخلف منهم, فأظهر نفاقَ من كان تخلُّفه منهم نفاقًا، وعذر من كان تخلفه لعُذْرٍ, وتاب على من كان تخلُّفه تفريطًا من غير شك ولا ارتياب في أمر الله، إذ تاب من خطأ ما كان منه من الفعل. فأما التخلف عنه في حال استغنائه، فلم يكن محظورًا، إذا لم يكن عن كراهةٍ منه صلى الله عليه وسلم ذلك. وكذلك حكم المسلمين اليوم إزاء إمامهم. فليس بفرضٍ على جميعهم النهوضُ معه، إلا في حال حاجته إليهم، لما لا بُدَّ للإسلام وأهله من حضورهم واجتماعهم واستنهاضه إياهم، فيلزمهم حينئذ طاعته. وإذا كان ذلك معنى الآية، لم تكن إحدى الآيتين اللتين ذكرنا ناسخةً للأخرى, إذ لم تكن إحداهما نافيةً حكم الأخرى من كل وجوهه, ولا جاء خبر يوجِّه الحجة بأن إحداهما ناسخة للأخرى. * * * وقد بينا معنى " المخمصة "، وأنها المجاعة بشواهده, وذكرنا الرواية عمن قال ذلك في موضعٍ غير هذا, فأغنى ذلك عن إعادته ههنا. (65) * * * وأما " النيل "، فهو مصدر من قول القائل: " نالني ينالني", و " نلت الشيء فهو مَنيل ". وذلك إذا كنت تناله بيدك، وليس من " التناول ". وذلك أن " التناول " من " النوال ", يقال منه: " نُلْتُ له، أنول له "، من العطيّة. وكان بعض أهل العلم بكلام العرب يقول: " النيل " مصدر من قول القائل: " نالني بخير ينولني نوالا "، و " أنالني خيرًا إنالةً". وقال: كأن " النيل " من الواو أبدلت ياء لخفتها وثقل الواو. وليس ذلك بمعروف في كلام العرب, بل من شأن العرب أن تصحِّح الواو من ذوات الواو، إذا سكنت وانفتح ما قبلها, كقولهم: " القَوْل ", و " العَوْل ", و " الحول ", ولو جاز ما قال، لجاز " القَيْل ". (66) ---------------------- الهوامش : (59) في المطبوعة : " ولا دارهم " ، وأثبت ما في المخطوطة . (60) انظر تفسير " رغب " فيما سلف 3 : 89 . (61) انظر تفسير " المخمصة " فيما سيأتي ص : 564 ، تعليق : 1 . = وتفسير " سبيل الله " فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة ( سبل ) . (62) انظر تفسير " الغيظ " فيما سلف 7 : 215 / 114 : 16 . (63) انظر تفسير " كتب " فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة (كتب) . (64) انظر تفسير " المحسن " فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة ( حسن ) . (65) انظر تفسير " المخمصة " فيما سلف 9 : 532 - 534 . (66) انظر تفسير " النيل " فيما سلف 3 : 20 / 6 : 587 / 12 : 408 ، 469 / 13 : 133 ولم يفسر " النيل " فيما سلف بمثل هذا البيان في هذا الموضع . وهذه ملاحظة نافعة في استخراج المنهج الذي ألف به أبو جعفر تفسيره هذا .