Tarikh (al-Tabari) 184
Chapter mentioning the offspring of Abraham (peace and blessings be upon him)
اخْتَلَفُوا هَلْ كَانَ نَبِيًّا أَمْ لَا عَلَى قَوْلَيْنِ: أَحَدُهُمَا: أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ نَبِيًّا إِنَّمَا كَانَ عَبْدًا صَالِحًا. قَالَهُ أَبُو مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيُّ، وَمُجَاهِدٌ فِي آخَرِينَ. والظَّاهِرُ مِنْ ذِكْرِهِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ الْعَظِيمِ بِالثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْهِ مَقْرُونًا مَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ السَّادَةِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَنَّهُ نَبِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ. وَهَذَا هُوَ الْمَشْهُورُ، وَقَدْ زَعَمَ آخَرُونَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ نَبِيًّا، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ رَجُلًا صَالِحًا وَحَكَمًا مُقْسِطًا عَادِلًا. وَتَوَقَّفَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ فِي ذَلِكَ فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. ثُمَّ اخْتَلَفَ هَؤُلَاءِ فِي عِلَّةِ تَسْمِيَتِهِ بِذِي الْكِفْلِ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَقْوَالٍ: أَحَدُهَا: أَنَّ رَجُلًا كَانَ يُصَلِّي كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ صَلَاةٍ فَتُوُفِّيَ فَكَفَلَ هَذَا بِصَلَاتِهِ، فَسُمِّيَ ذَا الْكِفْلِ. قَالَهُ أَبُو مُوسَى. وَالثَّانِي: أَنَّهُ تَكَفَّلَ لِلنَّبِيِّ بِقَوْمِهِ أَنْ يَكْفِيَهُ أَمْرَهُمْ وَتَعَهَّدَ أَنْ يَقْضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْعَدْلِ فَفَعَلَ، فَسُمِّيَ ذَا الْكِفْلِ. قَالَهُ مُجَاهِدٌ. وَالثَّالِثُ: أَنَّ مَلِكًا قَتَلَ فِي يَوْمٍ ثَلَاثَمِائَةِ نَبِيٍّ وَفَرَّ مِنْهُ مِائَةُ نَبِيٍّ، فَكَفَلَهُمْ ذُو الْكِفْلِ يُطْعِمُهُمْ وَيَسْقِيهِمْ حَتَّى أَفْلَتُوا. فَسُمِّيَ ذَا الْكِفْلِ، قَالَهُ ابْنُ السَّائِبِ. وَالْقَوْلُ الثَّانِي: أَنَّهُ كَانَ نَبِيًّا. قَالَهُ الْحَسَنُ وَعَطَاءٌ وَأَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ. قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: وَإِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ بِذِي الْكِفْلِ؛ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى نَبِيٍّ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ: إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَقْبِضَ رُوحَكَ، فَاعْرِضْ مُلْكَكَ عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَمَنْ تَكَفَّلَ لَكَ بِأَنَّهُ يُصَلِّي اللَّيْلَ لَا يَفْتُرُ، وَيَصُومُ النَّهَارَ لَا يُفْطِرُ، وَيَقْضِي بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَغْضَبُ فَارْفَعْ مُلْكَكَ إِلَيْهِ فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، فَقَامَ شَابٌّ، فَقَالَ: أَنَا أَتَكَفَّلُ لَكَ بِهَذَا، فَكَفَلَ بِهِ فَوَفَّى. وَحَكَى بَعْضُ عُلَمَاءِ السِّيَرِ: أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِي زَمَنِ ذِي الْكِفْلِ جَبَّارٌ مِنَ الْعَمَالِيقِ فَدَعَاهُ ذُو الْكِفْلِ إِلَى الْإِيمَانِ وَضَمِنَ لَهُ الْجَنَّةَ، فَقَالَ: مَنْ كَفَلَ لِي بِذَلِكَ، قَالَ: أَنَا، وَكَتَبَ لَهُ كِتَابًا تَكَفَّلَ لَهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ إِنَّ هُوَ آمَنَ. فَتَرَكَ الْمَلِكُ مُلْكَهُ وَلَحِقَ بِالنُّسَّاكِ. فَلَمَّا مَاتَ دُفِنَ الْكِتَابُ مَعَهُ، فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ الْكِتَابَ إِلَى ذِي الْكِفْلِ وَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ وَفَّى الْمَلِكَ بِمَا ضَمِنَ لَهُ، فَآمَنَ بِهِ مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ وَأَرْبَعَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ أَلْفًا، وَتَكَفَّلَ لَهُمْ بِمِثْلِ مَا تَكَفَّلَ لِمَلِكِهِمْ، فَسَمَّاهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ذَا الْكِفْلِ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ، وَابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ مِنْ طَرِيقِ دَاوُدَ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَمَّا كَبُرَ الْيَسَعُ قَالَ: لَوْ أَنِّي اسْتَخْلَفْتُ رَجُلًا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَعْمَلُ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي حَيَاتِي حَتَّى أَنْظُرَ كَيْفَ يَعْمَلُ. فَجَمَعَ النَّاسَ. فَقَالَ: مَنْ يَتَقَبَّلُ لِي بِثَلَاثٍ أَسْتَخْلِفُهُ؛ يَصُومُ النَّهَارَ، وَيَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ، وَلَا يَغْضَبُ ؟ قَالَ: فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ تَزْدَرِيهِ الْعَيْنُ. فَقَالَ: أَنَا. فَقَالَ: أَنْتَ تَصُومُ النَّهَارَ، وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ، وَلَا تَغْضَبُ ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: فَرَدَّهُمْ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ. وَقَالَ مِثْلَهَا الْيَوْمَ الْآخَرَ فَسَكَتَ النَّاسُ، وَقَامَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ، فَقَالَ: أَنَا. فَاسْتَخْلَفَهُ، قَالَ: فَجَعَلَ إِبْلِيسُ يَقُولُ لِلشَّيَاطِينِ: عَلَيْكُمْ بِفُلَانٍ. فَأَعْيَاهُمْ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: دَعُونِي وَإِيَّاهُ، فَأَتَاهُ فِي صُورَةِ شَيْخٍ كَبِيرٍ فَقِيرٍ، وَأَتَاهُ حِينَ أَخَذَ مَضْجَعَهُ لِلْقَائِلَةِ، وَكَانَ لَا يَنَامُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ إِلَّا تِلْكَ النَّوْمَةَ فَدَقَّ الْبَابَ، فَقَالَ: مَنْ هَذَا ؟ قَالَ: شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ مَظْلُومٌ. قَالَ: فَقَامَ فَفَتَحَ الْبَابَ فَجَعَلَ يَقُصُّ عَلَيْهِ. فَقَالَ: إِنَّ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِي خُصُومَةً، وَإِنَّهُمْ ظَلَمُونِي وَفَعَلُوا بِي وَفَعَلُوا، وَجَعَلَ يُطَوِّلُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى حَضَرَ الرَّوَاحُ، وَذَهَبَتِ الْقَائِلَةُ. وَقَالَ: إِذَا رُحْتُ فَأْتِنِي آخُذْ لَكَ بِحَقِّكَ فَانْطَلَقَ، وَرَاحَ فَكَانَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ فَجَعَلَ يَنْظُرُ هَلْ يَرَى الشَّيْخَ فَلَمْ يَرَهُ، فَقَامَ يَتْبَعُهُ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْغَدُ جَعَلَ يَقْضِي بَيْنَ النَّاسِ، وَيَنْتَظِرُهُ فَلَا يَرَاهُ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ إِلَى الْقَائِلَةِ فَأَخَذَ مَضْجَعَهُ أَتَاهُ فَدَقَّ الْبَابَ. فَقَالَ: مَنْ هَذَا ؟ فَقَالَ: الشَّيْخُ الْكَبِيرُ الْمَظْلُومُ فَفَتَحَ لَهُ. فَقَالَ: أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكَ إِذَا قَعَدْتُ فَأْتِنِي ؟ فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُمْ أَخْبَثُ قَوْمٍ، إِذَا عَرَفُوا أَنَّكَ قَاعِدٌ قَالُوا: نَحْنُ نُعْطِيكَ حَقَّكَ. وَإِذَا قُمْتَ جَحَدُونِي، قَالَ: فَانْطَلِقْ فَإِذَا رُحْتُ فَأْتِنِي. قَالَ: فَفَاتَتْهُ الْقَائِلَةُ فَرَاحَ فَجَعَلَ يَنْتَظِرُ فَلَا يَرَاهُ، وَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِ النُّعَاسُ. فَقَالَ: لِبَعْضِ أَهْلِهِ لَا تَدَعَنَّ أَحَدًا يَقْرُبُ هَذَا الْبَابَ حَتَّى أَنَامَ فَإِنِّي قَدْ شَقَّ عَلَيَّ النَّوْمُ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ تِلْكَ السَّاعَةَ جَاءَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ: وَرَاءَكَ، وَرَاءَكَ. فَقَالَ: إِنِّي قَدْ أَتَيْتُهُ أَمْسِ فَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ أَمْرِي. فَقَالَ: لَا، وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَمَرَنَا أَنْ لَا نَدَعَ أَحَدًا يَقْرُبُهُ، فَلَمَّا أَعْيَاهُ نَظَرَ فَرَأَى كُوَّةً فِي الْبَيْتِ فَتَسَوَّرَ مِنْهَا فَإِذَا هُوَ فِي الْبَيْتِ، وَإِذَا هُوَ يَدُقُّ الْبَابَ مِنْ دَاخِلٍ قَالَ: فَاسْتَيْقَظَ الرَّجُلُ. فَقَالَ: يَا فُلَانُ أَلَمْ آمُرْكَ ؟ قَالَ: أَمَّا مِنْ قِبَلِي، وَاللَّهِ لَمْ تُؤْتَ فَانْظُرْ مِنْ أَيْنَ أُتِيتَ ؟ قَالَ: فَقَامَ إِلَى الْبَابِ فَإِذَا هُوَ مُغْلَقٌ، كَمَا أَغْلَقَهُ، وَإِذَا الرَّجُلُ مَعَهُ فِي الْبَيْتِ فَعَرَفَهُ. فَقَالَ: أَعَدُوَّ اللَّهِ ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. أَعْيَيْتَنِي فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، فَفَعَلْتُ مَا تَرَى لِأُغْضِبَكَ فَسَمَّاهُ اللَّهُ ذَا الْكِفْلِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَكَفَّلَ بِأَمْرٍ فَوَفَّى بِهِ. وأَمَّا الْحَدِيثُ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ بسنده عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَدِيثًا لَوْ لَمْ أَسْمَعْهُ إِلَّا مَرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ حَتَّى عَدَّ سَبْعَ مِرَارٍ، وَلَكِنْ قَدْ سَمِعْتُهُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ: كَانَ الْكِفْلُ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا يَتَوَرَّعُ مِنْ ذَنْبٍ عَمِلَهُ، فَأَتَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ فَأَعْطَاهَا سِتِّينَ دِينَارًا عَلَى أَنْ يَطَأَهَا، فَلَمَّا قَعَدَ مِنْهَا مَقْعَدَ الرَّجُلِ مِنِ امْرَأَتِهِ ارْتَعَدَتْ، وَبَكَتْ فَقَالَ لَهَا مَا يُبْكِيكِ أَكْرَهْتُكِ. قَالَتْ: لَا، وَلَكِنْ هَذَا عَمَلٌ لَمْ أَعْمَلْهُ قَطُّ، وَإِنَّمَا حَمَلَتْنِي عَلَيْهِ الْحَاجَةُ. قَالَ: فَتَفْعَلِينَ هَذَا، وَلَمْ تَفْعَلِيهِ قَطُّ ؟ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ. فَقَالَ: اذْهَبِي بِالدَّنَانِيرِ لَكِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لَا يَعْصِي اللَّهَ الْكِفْلُ أَبَدًا. فَمَاتَ مِنْ لَيْلَتِهِ فَأَصْبَحَ مَكْتُوبًا عَلَى بَابِهِ قَدْ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لِلْكِفْلِ. وَرَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ الْأَعْمَشِ بِهِ. وَقَالَ حَسَنٌ. وَذَكَرَ أَنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ رَوَاهُ فَوَقَفَهُ عَلَى ابْنِ عُمَرَ فَهُوَ حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ جِدًّا، وَفِي إِسْنَادِهِ نَظَرٌ فَإِنَّ سَعْدًا هَذَا قَالَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ: لَا أَعْرِفُهُ إِلَّا بِحَدِيثٍ وَاحِدٍ. وَوَثَّقَهُ ابْنُ حِبَّانَ. وَلَمْ يَرْوِ عَنْهُ سِوَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الرَّازِيِّ هَذَا. فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَإِنْ كَانَ مَحْفُوظًا فَلَيْسَ هُوَ ذَا الْكِفْلِ. وَإِنَّمَا لَفْظُ الْحَدِيثِ " الْكِفْلُ " مِنْ غَيْرِ إِضَافَةٍ فَهُوَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ غَيْرُ الْمَذْكُورِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ الْكَرِيمِ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ.
Translation
✧ They differed over whether he was a prophet or not, according to two opinions: The first is that he was not a prophet, but only a righteous servant. This was said by Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī and Mujāhid, among others. The apparent meaning of his mention in the Glorious Qurʾān, with praise for him, joined with these noble prophets, is that he was a prophet, upon him from his Lord be blessings and peace. This is the well-known view. Yet others claimed that he was not a prophet, but only a righteous man and a just, equitable judge. Ibn Jarīr suspended judgment on that, and Allah knows best. Then these scholars differed over the reason for naming him Dhū al-Kifl, according to three opinions: The first is that a man used to pray one hundred prayers every day, and when he died, this one undertook (kafala) his prayers, so he was named Dhū al-Kifl. This was said by Abū Mūsā. The second is that he undertook responsibility for a prophet’s people, to suffice him in their affair, and he pledged to judge among them with justice, and he did so, so he was named Dhū al-Kifl. This was said by Mujāhid. The third is that a king killed three hundred prophets in one day, and one hundred prophets fled from him, and Dhū al-Kifl took responsibility for them, feeding them and giving them drink until they escaped. So he was named Dhū al-Kifl. This was said by Ibn al-Sāʾib. The second opinion is that he was a prophet. This was said by al-Ḥasan, ʿAṭāʾ, and the People of the Book. ʿAṭāʾ said: He was only named Dhū al-Kifl because Allah, exalted is He, revealed to a prophet among the prophets: “I wish to take your soul, so present your kingship to the Children of Israel. Whoever undertakes for you that he will pray at night without slackening, fast by day without breaking fast, and judge between people without becoming angry, then hand your kingship to him.” So he did that. A young man stood and said: “I undertake this for you.” So he undertook it and fulfilled it. Some scholars of biography related that in the time of Dhū al-Kifl there was a tyrant from the Amalekites. Dhū al-Kifl called him to faith and guaranteed him Paradise. The tyrant said: “Who will guarantee that for me?” He said: “I.” And he wrote for him a document guaranteeing him Paradise if he believed. So the king abandoned his kingdom and joined the devotees. When he died, the document was buried with him. Then Allah sent the document to Dhū al-Kifl and informed him that He had fulfilled for the king what he had guaranteed, and one hundred and twenty-four thousand believed in him, and he guaranteed for them the like of what he had guaranteed for their king. So Allah, exalted is He, named him Dhū al-Kifl. Ibn Jarīr and Ibn Abī Ḥātim narrated, by way of Dāwūd b. Abī Hind, from Mujāhid, that he said: When al-Yasaʿ grew old, he said: “If only I could appoint a successor over the people who would act over them during my lifetime, so that I could see how he acts.” He gathered the people and said: “Who will accept from me three things, and I will appoint him as successor: he fasts by day, stands in prayer at night, and does not become angry?” He said: A man whom the eye would disdain stood up and said: “I.” He said: “You fast by day, stand at night, and do not become angry?” He said: “Yes.” He said: So he sent them back that day. The next day he said the same, and the people were silent, and that man stood and said: “I.” So he appointed him as successor. He said: Iblīs began saying to the devils: “Set upon so-and-so.” But that exhausted them, so he said: “Leave him to me.” He came to him in the form of an old, poor sheikh, and came to him when he had taken his bed for the midday nap, and he used not to sleep night or day except for that nap. He knocked at the door. He said: “Who is this?” He said: “An old, wronged sheikh.” He said: He arose and opened the door, and began telling him his story. He said: “Between me and my people there is a dispute, and they wronged me and did such-and-such to me and such-and-such,” and he kept prolonging it until the time of departure arrived and the nap was gone. He said: “When I depart, come to me, and I will obtain your right for you.” So he left, and he departed and was in his assembly, and he began looking to see if he saw the sheikh, but he did not see him. He arose to follow him. The next day he began judging between people, waiting for him but not seeing him. When he returned for the nap and took his bed, he came to him and knocked at the door. He said: “Who is this?” He said: “The old, wronged sheikh.” So he opened for him. He said: “Did I not tell you, when I sit, then come to me?” He said: “They are the most malicious people. When they know you are sitting, they say: We will give you your right; and when you rise, they repudiate me.” He said: “Then go, and when I depart, come to me.” He said: The nap escaped him, so he departed and began waiting but did not see him, and drowsiness oppressed him. He said to one of his household: “Do not let anyone approach this door until I sleep, for sleep has oppressed me.” When that hour came, he came, and the man said to him: “Back, back.” He said: “I came to him yesterday and mentioned my affair to him.” He said: “No, by Allah, he ordered us not to let anyone approach him.” When he had exhausted him, he looked and saw a small window in the house, and he climbed through it, and there he was inside the house, and there he was knocking at the door from inside. He said: The man woke up and said: “O so-and-so, did I not command you?” He said: “As for from my side, by Allah, you were not approached. Look from where it was approached.” He said: He arose to the door, and it was locked as he had locked it, and the man was with him in the house, so he recognized him. He said: “Enemy of Allah?” He said: “Yes. You have exhausted me in everything, so I did what you see to anger you.” Thus Allah named him Dhū al-Kifl because he undertook a matter and fulfilled it. As for the ḥadīth narrated by Imām Aḥmad with his chain from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a ḥadīth which, if I had heard it only once or twice—until he counted seven times—but I heard it more than that. He said: “Al-Kifl was from the Children of Israel, and he did not refrain from any sin he committed. A woman came to him, and he gave her sixty dinars on condition that he have intercourse with her. When he sat from her in the seat of a man with his wife, she trembled and wept. He said to her: ‘What makes you weep? Did I force you?’ She said: ‘No, but this is an act I have never done, and only need drove me to it.’ He said: ‘You do this, and you have never done it?’ Then he descended and said: ‘Go with the dinars, they are yours.’ Then he said: ‘By Allah, al-Kifl will never disobey Allah again.’ He died that very night, and in the morning it was written on his door: Allah has forgiven al-Kifl.” Al-Tirmidhī narrated it from the ḥadīth of al-Aʿmash and said: Ḥasan. He mentioned that some narrated it and made it mawqūf on Ibn ʿUmar, so it is a very strange ḥadīth, and in its chain there is scrutiny, for Abū Ḥātim said about this Saʿd: “I do not know him except by one ḥadīth.” Ibn Ḥibbān deemed him trustworthy. No one narrated from him except this ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Rāzī. So Allah knows best. Even if it is preserved, it is not Dhū al-Kifl, but the wording of the ḥadīth is “al-Kifl” without addition, so it is another man other than the one mentioned in the Noble Qurʾān. And Allah knows best what is correct.
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No grade is recorded for this wording.