Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   And His word: ( Then We shall ease him toward hardship ) — the Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: We shall, in this worldly life, prepare him for the difficult state. This comes from their expression: "the flock of so-and-so made it easy (yassarat)," when it gives birth and prepares to give birth. And as the poet said:

   Both of them claim to be our lord, while nothing makes them rulers over us except that their flock multiplied (4)

   And it has been said: ( Then We shall ease him toward hardship ) — there is no "easing" in hardship (in itself), but it connects to what was mentioned earlier at the beginning of the statement in His word: ( Then We shall ease him toward ease ). When two statements are joined together, one of which mentions the good and the other the evil, then it is permissible to use the verb "to ease" in both. And the hardship of which Allah, exalted be His praise, informs that He eases him toward it, is: the doing of that which He detests and with which He is not pleased.

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, the report of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has been transmitted.

   * Mention of the report concerning that:

   Wāṣil ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā and Abū Kurayb related to me, both of them saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Saʿd ibn ʿUbayda, on the authority of Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī, on the authority of ʿAlī, who said: We were sitting with the Prophet ﷺ, and he poked at the ground, then he raised his head and said: "There is no one among you, but that his place in the Garden (al-janna) and his place in the Fire (al-nār) has already been written down." We said: O Messenger of Allah, shall we not then rely (upon that predestination, and abandon work)? He said: "No, work, for to each one it is made easy." Then he recited: ( As for him who gives and is god-fearing * and holds the best to be true * him We shall ease toward ease * but as for him who is miserly and deems himself self-sufficient * and denies the best * him We shall ease toward hardship ).

   Ibn Bashshār related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, he said: Zāʾida ibn Qudāma related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Saʿd ibn ʿUbayda, on the authority of Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī, on the authority of ʿAlī, who said: We were at a funeral in al-Baqīʿ, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to us and sat down, and we sat with him; he had a staff with which he poked at the ground, then he raised his head toward the sky and said: "There is no born soul among you, but that its abode has already been written down." The people said: O Messenger of Allah, shall we not then rely upon our (predestined) writing, so that whoever is among the people of felicity works for felicity, and whoever is among the people of wretchedness works for wretchedness? He said: "No, work, for to each one it is made easy; as for him who is among the people of felicity, for him the work of felicity is made easy, and as for him who is among the people of wretchedness, for him wretchedness is made easy." Then he recited: ( As for him who gives and is god-fearing * and holds the best to be true * him We shall ease toward ease * but as for him who is miserly and deems himself self-sufficient * and denies the best * him We shall ease toward hardship ).

   Abū al-Sāʾib related to us, he said: Abū Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Saʿd ibn ʿUbayda, on the authority of Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ, something similar.

   Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, he said: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr and al-Aʿmash: that they both heard Saʿd ibn ʿUbayda, on the authority of Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ, that he was at a funeral, and he took a staff and began to poke at the ground with it, and said: "There is no one, but that his place in the Fire or in the Garden has already been written down." They said: O Messenger of Allah, shall we not then rely (upon that)? He said: "Work, for to each one it is made easy ( As for him who gives and is god-fearing * and holds the best to be true * him We shall ease toward ease * but as for him who is miserly and deems himself self-sufficient * and denies the best * him We shall ease toward hardship )."

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Manṣūr and al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Saʿd ibn ʿUbayda, on the authority of Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī, on the authority of ʿAlī — may Allah be pleased with him — who said: We were sitting with the Prophet ﷺ, and he took something from the ground with his hand, and said: "There is no one among you, but that he has already known his place in the Garden and the Fire." They said: O Prophet of Allah, shall we not then rely (upon that)? He said: "No, work, for to each one is made easy that for which he was created." Then he recited: ( As for him who gives and is god-fearing )... the two verses.

   He said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Abū Sinān, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Samura ibn Abī Zāʾida, on the authority of al-Nazzāl ibn Sabra, who said: The Prophet ﷺ said: "There is no born soul among you, but that Allah has already written down concerning it what it will meet." And there was a bedouin with the Prophet ﷺ who was seeking (certainty), and the bedouin said: What then has brought me here from such-and-such a valley (to fight), if the matter is already decided? Then the Prophet ﷺ poked at the ground, until the people thought that he wished he had not said anything about it. Then the Prophet ﷺ said: "To each one is made easy that for which he was created; for whom Allah wishes the good, He makes easy the way of the good, and for whom He wishes the evil, He makes easy the way of the evil." Then I met ʿAmr ibn Murra and presented this report to him, and he said: The Prophet ﷺ said it, and he added to it: ( As for him who gives and is god-fearing * and holds the best to be true * him We shall ease toward ease * but as for him who is miserly and deems himself self-sufficient * and denies the best * him We shall ease toward hardship ).

   Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, he said: Hushaym related to us, he said: Ḥuṣayn related to us, on the authority of Saʿd ibn ʿUbayda, on the authority of Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī, who said: When this verse was revealed: Indeed, We have created all things according to a measure, a man said: O Messenger of Allah, of what use then is the work? Is it something that we begin anew, or something already finished with? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Work, for to each one it is made easy: We shall ease him toward ease, and We shall ease him toward hardship."

   ʿAmr ibn ʿAbd al-Malik al-Ṭāʾī related to me, he said: Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayda related to us, he said: al-Jarrāḥ related to us, on the authority of Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd, on the authority of al-Ḥajjāj ibn Arṭāh, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq al-Hamdānī, on the authority of Sulaymān al-Aʿmash, who traced the report back to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib — may Allah be pleased with him — that he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting one day, and in his hand he had a staff with which he poked at the ground; he raised his head and said: "There is no one among you, but that his place in the Garden or the Fire is already known." We said: O Messenger of Allah, shall we not then rely (upon that)? He said to them: "Work, for to each one is made easy that for which he was created." Then he said: "Have you not heard that Allah says in His Book: ( As for him who gives and is god-fearing * and holds the best to be true * him We shall ease toward ease * but as for him who is miserly and deems himself self-sufficient * and denies the best * him We shall ease toward hardship )?"

   Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Mahdī related to us, he said: Khālid ibn ʿAbd Allāh related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd ibn Abī Hind, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: ( Him We shall ease toward hardship ): toward the evil, because of Allah.

   Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith informed me, on the authority of Abū al-Zubayr, on the authority of Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, that he said: O Messenger of Allah, do we work for a matter already finished with, or for a matter that we begin anew? He ﷺ said: "For every worker his work is made easy."

   Yūnus related to me, he said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Dīnār, on the authority of Ṭalq ibn Ḥabīb, on the authority of Bashīr ibn Kaʿb, who said: Two young lads asked the Prophet ﷺ, and said: O Messenger of Allah, do we work for that over which the pens have already dried and over which the decrees have already been carried out, or for something begun anew? He said: "Rather, for that over which the pens have already dried and over which the decrees have already been carried out." They said: Of what use then is the work? He said: "Work, for to every worker his work is made easy, that for which he was created." They said: Then we shall strive and work.

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   Footnotes:

   (4) The author has already cited this verse earlier as evidence in volume (29 : 56), and we have explained it there; so consult that.

   Show original Arabic

   وقوله: ( فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى ) يقول تعالى ذكره: فسنهيئه في الدنيا للخلة العُسرى، وهو من قولهم: قد يسرت غنم فلان: إذا ولدت وتهيأت للولادة، وكما قال الشاعر: هُمَــا سَــيِّدَنا يَزْعُمــانِ وإنَّمَــا يَسُــودَانِنا أنْ يَسَّــرَتْ غَنَماهُمَــا (4) وقيل: ( فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى ) ولا تيسر في العُسرى للذي تقدّم في أول الكلام من قوله: ( فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى ) واذا جمع بين كلامين أحدهما ذكر الخير والآخر ذكر الشرّ، جاز ذلك بالتيسير فيهما جميعا؛ والعُسرى التي أخبر الله جلّ ثناؤه أنه ييسره لها: العمل بما يكرهه ولا يرضاه. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك جاء الأثر عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. * ذكر الخبر بذلك: حدثني واصل بن عبد الأعلى وأبو كُرَيب، قالا ثنا وكيع، عن الأعمش، عن سعد بن عُبيدة، عن أبي عبد الرحمن السُّلَميّ، عن عليّ، قال: كُنَّا جلوسا عند النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فنكَت الأرض، ثم رفع رأسه فقال: " ما مِنكُمْ مِن أحَدٍ إلا وَقَدْ كُتِبَ مَقْعَدُهُ مِنَ الجَنِّةِ وَمَقَعَدُهُ مِنَ النَّارِ". قلنا: يا رسول الله أفلا نتكل ؟ قال: " لا اعْمَلُوا فَكُلّ مُيَسَّر "، ثم قرأ: (فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى * وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى * وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى) . حدثنا ابن بشار، قال: ثنا عبد الرحمن، قال: ثنا زائدة بن قُدامة، عن منصور، عن سعد بن عُبيدة عن أبي عبد الرحمن السُّلَميّ، عن عليّ، قال: كنا في جنازة في البقيع، فأتانا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فجلس وجلسنا معه، ومعه عود ينكت في الأرض، فرفع رأسه إلى السماء فقال: " ما مِنْكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ مَنْفُوسَةٍ إلا قَدْ كُتبَ مَدْخَلُها "، فقال القوم: يا رسول الله ألا نتكل على كتابنا، فمن كان من أهل السعادة فإنَّهُ يعمل للسعادة، ومن كان من أهل الشقاء فإنه يعمل للشقاء، فقال: " بَلِ اعْمَلُوا فَكُلٌ مُيَسَّر؛ فأمَّا مَنْ كانَ مِنْ أهْلِ السَّعادَةِ فإنَّهُ يُيَسَّرُ لِعَمَلَ السَعادَةِ وأمَّا مَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أهْلِ الشَّقاءِ فإنَّهُ يُيَسَّرُ للشَّقاءِ"، ثم قرأ (فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى * وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى ) . حدثنا أبو السائب، قال: ثنا أبو معاوية، عن الأعمش، عن سعد بن عبيدة، عن أبي عبد الرحمن السلميّ، عن عليّ، عن النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بنحوه. حدثنا ابن المثنى، قال: ثنا محمد بن جعفر، قال: ثنا شعبة، عن منصور والأعمش: أنهما سمعا سعد بن عُبيدة، عن أبي عبد الرحمن السلميّ، عن عليّ، عن النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه كان في جنازة، فأخذ عودا، فجعل ينكت في الأرض، فقال: " ما منْ أحَدٍ إلا وَقَدْ كُتبَ مَقْعَدُهُ مِنَ النَّارِ أوْ مِنَ الجَنَّةِ"، فقالوا: يا رسول الله أفلا نتكل ؟ قال: " اعْمَلُوا فَكُلّ مُيَسَّرٌ(فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى * وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى * وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى) ". حدثنا ابن حُميد، قال: ثنا مهران، عن سفيان، عن منصور والأعمش، عن سعد بن عُبيدة، عن أبي عبد الرحمن السلميّ، عن عليّ رضى الله عنه قال: كنا جلوسا مع النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فتناول شيئا من الأرض بيده، فقال : " ما مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أحَدٍ إلا وَقَدْ عَلِمَ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الجَنَّةِ والنَّارِ " قالوا: يا نبيّ الله، أفلا نتكل ؟ قال: " لا اعْمَلُوا فَكُلّ مُيَسَّرٌ لِمَا خُلِقَ لَهُ"، ثم قرأ: ( فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى )... الآيتين. قال: ثنا مهران، عن أبي سنان، عن عبد الملك بن سَمُرة بن أبي زائدة، عن النـزال بن سَبَرةَ، قال: قال النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: " ما مِنْكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ مَنْفُوسَةٍ إلا قَدْ كُتبَ اللهُ عَلَيْها ما هِيَ لاقِيَتُهُ" وأعرابي عند النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مرتاد، فقال الأعرابيّ: فما جاء بي أضرب من وادي كذا وكذا، إن كان قد فرغ من الأمر. فنكت النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم في الأرض، حتى ظنّ القوم أنه ود أنه لم يكن تكلم بشيء منه، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: " كُلّ مُيَسرٌ لِمَا خُلِقَ لَهُ، فَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللهُ بِهِ خَيرًا يَسَّرَهُ لِسَبِيلِ الخَيرِ، وَمَنْ يُرِدْ بِهِ شَرًّا يَسَّرَهُ لِسَبِيلِ الشَّرِّ"، فلقيت عمَرو بن مرّة، فعرضت عليه هذا الحديث، فقال: قال النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، وزاد فيه: (فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى * وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى * وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى) . حدثني يعقوب بن إبراهيم، قال: ثنا هشيم، قال: ثنا حصين، عن سعد بن عبيدة، عن أبي عبد الرحمن السلميّ، قال: لما نـزلت هذه الآية: إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ قال رجل: يا رسول الله، ففيم العمل ؟ أفي شيء نستأنفه، أو في شيء قد فُرغ منه ؟ فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: " اعْمَلُوا فَكُلٌّ مُيَسَّرٌ: سَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى، وَسَنُيَسِّّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى ". حدثني عمرو بن عبد الملك الطائي، قال: ثنا محمد بن عبيدة، قال: ثنا الجراح، عن إبراهيم بن عبد الحميد، عن الحجاج بن أرطاة، عن أبي إسحاق الهمداني، عن سليمان الأعمش، رفع الحديث إلى عليّ بن أبي طالب رضى الله عنه أنه قال: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ذات يوم جالسا وبيده عود ينكت به في الأرض، فرفع رأسه فقال: " ما مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أحَدٍ إلا وَقَدْ عُلِمَ مِقْعَدُهُ مِنَ الجَنَّةِ أو النَّار " قلنا: يا رسول الله أفلا نتوكل ؟ قال لهم: " اعْمَلُوا فَكُلّ مُيَسَّرٌ لِمَا خُلِقَ لَهُ" ثم قال: " أمَا سَمِعْتم اللهَ فِي كِتابِهِ يَقُولُ: (فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى * وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى * وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى) ". حدثنا ابن المثنى، قال: ثنا عبد الرحمن بن مهديّ، قال: ثنا خالد بن عبد الله، عن داود بن أبي هند، عن عكرِمة، عن ابن عباس ( فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى ) : للشرّ من الله. حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: أخبرني عمرو بن الحارث، عن أبي الزبير، عن جابر بن عبد الله أنه قال: يا رسول الله، أنعمل لأمر قد فُرغ منه، أو لأمر نأتنفه ؟ فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم: " كُلّ عَامِلٍ مُيَسَّرٌ لِعَملِهِ". حدثني يونس، قال: ثنا سفيان، عن عمرو بن دينار، عن طلق بن حبيب، عن بشير بن كعب، قال: سأل غلامان شابان النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقالا يا رسول الله، أنعمل فيما جفَّت به الأقلام، وجرَت به المقادير، أو في شيء يستأنف ؟ فقال: " بَلْ فِيما جَفَّتْ بِهِ الأقْلامُ وَجَرَتْ به المقادِيُر " قالا ففيم العمل إذن ؟ قال: " اعمَلُوا، فَكُلُّ عامِلٍ مُيَسَّرٌ لَعَمَلِهِ الَّذِي خلِقَ لَهُ"، قالا فالآن نجدّ ونعمل. --------------------- الهوامش : (4) ‌تقدم استشهاد المؤلف بهذا البيت في الجزء ( 29 : 56 ) وقد شرحناه ، فارجع إليه .