Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2049
The caliphate of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib
فَصْلٌ [فِي كَلَامِهِ ؓ فِي تَفْسِيرِ الْقُرْآنِ وَأَمَّا كَلَامُهُ فِي تَفْسِيرِ الْقُرْآنِ.. فَكَثِيرٌ، وَهُوَ مُسْتَوْفًى فِي كِتَابِنَا: «التَّفْسِيرُ الْمُسْنَدُ» بِأَسَانِيدِهِ. وَقَدْ أَخْرَجَ ابْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ: (وَاللَّهِ؛ مَا نَزَلَتْ آيَةٌ... إِلَّا وَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ فِيمَ نَزَلَتْ، وَأَيْنَ نَزَلَتْ، وَعَلَى مَنْ نَزَلَتْ، إِنَّ رَبِّي وَهَبَ لِي قَلْبًا عَقُولًا، وَلِسَانًا نَاطِقًا). وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ سَعْدٍ وَغَيْرُهُ عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ قَالَ: قَالَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ: (سَلُونِي عَنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ؛ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ آيَةٍ... إِلَّا وَقَدْ عَرَفْتُ بِلَيْلٍ نَزَلَتْ أَمْ بِنَهَارٍ، أَمْ فِي سَهْلٍ أَمْ فِي جَبَلٍ). وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ أَبِي دَاوُدَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ قَالَ: (لَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ.. أَبْطَأَ عَلِيٌّ عَنْ بَيْعَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، فَلَقِيَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ: أَكَرِهْتَ إِمَارَتِي؟ فَقَالَ: لَا، وَلَكِنْ آلَيْتُ لَا أَرْتَدِيَ بِرِدَائِي إِلَّا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ حَتَّى أَجْمَعَ الْقُرْآنَ، فَزَعَمُوا أَنَّهُ كَتَبَهُ عَلَى تَنْزِيلِهِ، قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: لَوْ أُصِيبَ ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ... كَانَ فِيهِ الْعِلْمُ).
Translation
✧ Section [On his (ʿAlī’s) speech regarding the exegesis of the Qurʾān] As for his speech regarding the exegesis of the Qurʾān, it is abundant, and it is fully covered in our book: “Al-Tafsīr al-Musnad” with its chains of transmission. Ibn Saʿd narrated from ʿAlī that he said: “By Allāh, no verse was sent down except that I knew regarding what it was sent down, where it was sent down, and upon whom it was sent down. Indeed, my Lord granted me an understanding heart and an articulate tongue.” Ibn Saʿd and others narrated from Abū al-Ṭufayl that ʿAlī ؓ said: “Ask me about the Book of Allāh, for there is no verse except that I know whether it was sent down at night or by day, whether in a plain or in a mountain.” Ibn Abī Dāwūd narrated from Muḥammad b. Sīrīn that he said: “When the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ died, ʿAlī delayed giving allegiance to Abū Bakr. Abū Bakr met him and said: ‘Do you dislike my leadership?’ He replied: ‘No, but I swore an oath not to put on my cloak except for prayer until I have compiled the Qurʾān.’ They claimed that he wrote it according to its revelation. Muḥammad said: ‘If that book had been preserved, it would have contained knowledge.’”
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.