Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   Explanation of the meaning of His word: وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لا يَعْلَمُونَ (6) (And if anyone of the polytheists (mushrikīn) seeks your protection, then grant him protection until he has heard the word of Allah; thereafter bring him to the place where he is safe. That is because they are a people who do not know.) (6)

   Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is mentioned, says to His Prophet: And if anyone of the polytheists (mushrikīn) — those whom I have commanded you to fight and to kill after the passing of the sacred months — seeks safe-conduct from you, O Muḥammad, in order to hear the word of Allah from you — and that is the Qurʾān which Allah has sent down to him — (then grant him protection), He says: then grant him safety until he hears the word of Allah and you recite it to him — (thereafter bring him to the place where he is safe), He says: then send him back, after he has heard the word of Allah, if he refuses to submit to Islam and is not admonished by what you have recited to him of the word of Allah so that he would believe — "to the place where he is safe," He says: to the spot where he is safe from you and from whoever is under your obedience, until he has reached his dwelling place and his people among the polytheists — (that is because they are a people who do not know), He says: you do that with them — namely, the granting of safe-conduct to them so that they may hear the Qurʾān, and the sending of them back when they refuse Islam to the place where they are safe — because they are an ignorant people who do not understand the proof of Allah, and do not know what benefit they would have from belief in Allah were they to believe, and what burden and sin rests upon them through the neglect of belief in Allah.

   * * *

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   16481 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: (And if anyone of the polytheists seeks your protection), that is to say: of those whom I have commanded you to fight, (then grant him protection).

   16482 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: (then grant him protection until he has heard the word of Allah), as for "the word of Allah," that is the Qurʾān.

   16483 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: (And if anyone of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection), he said: a person comes to you and hears what you say and hears what has been sent down to you; he is then safe until he comes to you and hears the word of Allah, and until he reaches the place of safety from which he had come.

   16484 — al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, something similar.

   16485 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaʿqūb related to us, on the authority of Jaʿfar, on the authority of Saʿīd, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went forth to battle, and he met the enemy. The Muslims brought forward a man of the polytheists and pointed the spearheads at him. The man said: Take your weapons away from me and let me hear the word of Allah! They said: Testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muḥammad is His servant and His Messenger, and reject the equals [which you ascribe to Allah], and renounce al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā! He said: Well then, I call you to witness that I have done that.

   16486 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: (thereafter bring him to the place where he is safe), he said: if what you recite to him and tell him does not please him, then bring him [to safety]. He said: and this is not abrogated (mansūkh).

   * * *

   And there was disagreement concerning the ruling of this verse, and whether it is abrogated (mansūkh) or not abrogated.

   Some said: it is not abrogated. And we have mentioned the statement of those who said that.

   * * *

   Others said: it is abrogated.

   * Mention of those who said that:

   16487 — Aḥmad ibn Isḥāq related to us, saying: Abū Aḥmad related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Juwaybir, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ (So kill the polytheists wherever you find them) is abrogated by: فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَاءً (Then either generosity afterward, or ransom). [Sūrat Muḥammad: 4]

   16488 — ...... he said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, the same.

   * * *

   Others said: rather, His word فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ (So kill the polytheists) abrogated His word فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ (Then either generosity afterward).

   * Mention of those who said that:

   16489 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAbda ibn Sulaymān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿArūba, on the authority of Qatāda: حَتَّى إِذَا أَثْخَنْتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا الْوَثَاقَ (until, when you have overcome them, bind the bonds firmly) [Sūrat Muḥammad: 4] is abrogated by His word: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ (So kill the polytheists wherever you find them).

   * * *

   Abū Jaʿfar said: And the correct view concerning this is, in my opinion, the view of those who said: "That is not abrogated." And we have demonstrated that the meaning of "abrogation" (naskh) is: the lifting of a ruling that had already been established by another, differing ruling. And no valid proof has come for the obligation of Allah's ruling concerning the polytheists that they must be killed in any case, and that this was subsequently abrogated by the omission of their killing in exchange for the acceptance of ransom or by clemency toward them. Since that is so, and since ransom, clemency, and killing continually belonged to the ruling of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ concerning them from the first war that he waged against them — and that is from the day of Badr — it was known that the meaning of the verse is: kill the polytheists wherever you find them, and take them [captive] for killing, clemency, or ransom, and besiege them. And since that is its meaning, what we have said about this is correct and nothing else.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله : وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لا يَعْلَمُونَ (6) قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه: وإن استأمنك، يا محمد، من المشركين، الذين أمرتك بقتالهم وقتلهم بعد انسلاخ الأشهر الحرم، أحدٌ ليسمع كلام الله منك = وهو القرآن الذي أنـزله الله عليه =(فأجره)، يقول: فأمّنه حتى يسمع كلام الله وتتلوه عليه =(ثم أبلغه مأمنه)، يقول: ثم رُدَّه بعد سماعه كلام الله إن هو أبَي أن يسلم، ولم يتعظ لما تلوته عليه من كلام الله فيؤمن = " إلى مأمنه ", يقول: إلى حيث يأمن منك وممن في طاعتك، حتى يلحق بداره وقومه من المشركين (75) =(ذلك بأنهم قوم لا يعلمون)، يقول: تفعل ذلك بهم، من إعطائك إياهم الأمان ليسمعوا القرآن, وردِّك إياهم إذا أبوا الإسلام إلى مأمنهم, من أجل أنهم قوم جهلة لا يفقهون عن الله حجة، ولا يعلمون ما لهم بالإيمان بالله لو آمنوا، وما عليهم من الوِزْر والإثم بتركهم الإيمان بالله. * * * وبنحو ما قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 16481- حدثنا ابن حميد قال، حدثنا سلمة, عن ابن إسحاق: (وإن أحد من المشركين استجارك)، أي: من هؤلاء الذين أمرتك بقتالهم,(فأجره). (76) 16482- حدثني محمد بن الحسين قال، حدثنا أحمد بن مفضل قال، حدثنا أسباط, عن السدي: (فأجره حتى يسمع كلام الله)، أما " كلام الله "، فالقرآن. 16483- حدثني محمد بن عمرو قال، حدثنا أبو عاصم قال، حدثنا عيسى, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد: (وإن أحد من المشركين استجارك فأجره)، قال: إنسان يأتيك فيسمع ما تقول، ويسمع ما أنـزل عليك، فهو آمنٌ حتى يأتيك فيسمع كلام الله, وحتى يبلغ مأمنه، حيث جاءه. (77) 16484- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج, عن ابن جريج, عن مجاهد, بنحوه. 16485- حدثنا ابن حميد قال، حدثنا يعقوب, عن جعفر, عن سعيد قال: خرج رسوله الله صلى الله عليه وسلم غازيًا, فلقي العدوَّ, وأخرج المسلمون رجلا من المشركين وأشرعوا فيه الأسنّة, فقال الرجل: ارفعوا عني سلاحكم, وأسمعوني كلام الله ! فقالوا: تشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، وأن محمدًا عبده ورسوله، وتخلع الأنداد، وتتبرأ من اللات والعزى! فقال: فإنّي أشهدكم أني قد فعلت. 16486- حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: (ثم أبلغه مأمنه)، قال: إن لم يوافقه ما تتلو عليه وتحدثه, (78) فأبلغه. قال: وليس هذا بمنسوخ. * * * واختلفت في حكم هذه الآية, وهل هو منسوخ أو هو غير منسوخ؟ فقال بعضهم: هو غير منسوخ. وقد ذكرنا قول من قال ذلك. * * * وقال آخرون: هو منسوخ. * ذكر من قال ذلك: 16487- حدثنا أحمد بن إسحاق قال، حدثنا أبو أحمد قال، حدثنا سفيان, عن جويبر, عن الضحاك: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ ، نسختها: فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَاءً ،. [سورة محمد: 4] 16488-...... قال، حدثنا سفيان, عن السدي, مثله. * * * وقال آخرون: بل نسخ قوله: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ ، قوله: فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ . * ذكر من قال ذلك: 16489- حدثنا ابن وكيع قال، حدثنا عبدة بن سليمان, عن ابن أبي عروبة, عن قتادة: حَتَّى إِذَا أَثْخَنْتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا الْوَثَاقَ ، [سورة محمد : 4 ] نسخها قوله: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ ، * * * قال أبو جعفر: والصواب من القول في ذلك عندي، قولُ من قال: " ليس ذلك بمنسوخ ". وقد دللنا على أن معنى " النسخ "، هو نفي حكم قد كان ثبت بحكم آخر غيره. (79) ولم تصحّ حجةٌ بوجوب حكم الله في المشركين بالقتل بكل حال، ثم نسخه بترك قتلهم على أخذ الفداء، ولا على وجه المنّ عليهم. فإذ كان ذلك كذلك، وكان الفداء والمنّ والقتل لم يزل من حكم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فيهم من أول حرب حاربهم, (80) وذلك من يوم بدر = كان معلومًا أن معنى الآية: فاقتلوا المشركين حيث وجدتموهم, وخذوهم للقتل أو المنِّ أو الفداء، واحصروهم. وإذا كان ذلك معناه، صحّ ما قلنا في ذلك دون غيره. ----------------------- الهوامش : (75) انظر تفسير " الأمن " فيما سلف 13 : 420 ، تعليق 1 ، والمراجع هناك . (76) الأثر : 16481 - سيرة ابن هشام 4 : 189 ، وهو تابع الأثر السالف رقم : 16480 . (77) في المطبوعة : " حيث جاء " ، والصواب من المخطوطة . (78) في المخطوطة والمطبوعة : " ما تقول عليه وتحدثه " ، وفي المخطوطة فوق " تقول " حرف ( ط ) دلالة على الخطأ ، والصواب ما أثبت . (79) انظر ما قاله أبو جعفر في " النسخ " مرارا في فهارس الكتاب . (80) في المطبوعة: "فكان الفداء"، وهو خطأ، لم يحسن قراءة المخطوطة.