Tarikh (al-Tabari) 320
The story of ʿĪsā b. Maryam (peace be upon him)
ذِكْرُ خَبَرِ الْمَائِدَةِ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: إِذْ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ هَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ رَبُّكَ أَنْ يُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ قَالَ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ قَالُوا نُرِيدُ أَنْ نَأْكُلَ مِنْهَا وَتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُنَا وَنَعْلَمَ أَنْ قَدْ صَدَقْتَنَا وَنَكُونَ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيدًا لِأَوَّلِنَا وَآخِرِنَا وَآيَةً مِنْكَ وَارْزُقْنَا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ قَالَ اللَّهُ إِنِّي مُنَزِّلُهَا عَلَيْكُمْ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بَعْدُ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنِّي أُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا لَا أُعَذِّبُهُ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ [ الْمَائِدَةِ: 112 - 115 ]. قَدْ ذَكَرْنَا فِي التَّفْسِيرِ الْآثَارَ الْوَارِدَةَ فِي نُزُولِ الْمَائِدَةِ، أَنَّ عِيسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، أَمَرَ الْحَوَارِيِّينَ بِصِيَامِ ثَلَاثِينَ يَوْمًا، فَلَمَّا أَتَمُّوهَا سَأَلُوا مِنْ عِيسَى إِنْزَالَ مَائِدَةٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَأْكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَتَطْمَئِنَّ بِذَلِكَ قُلُوبُهُمْ، أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ تَقَبَّلَ صِيَامَهُمْ وَأَجَابَهُمْ إِلَى طَلِبَتِهِمْ، وَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ عِيدًا يُفْطِرُونَ عَلَيْهَا يَوْمَ فِطْرِهِمْ، وَتَكُونَ كَافِيَةً لِأَوَّلِهِمْ وَآخِرِهِمْ، لِغَنِيِّهِمْ وَفَقِيرِهِمْ، فَوَعَظَهُمْ عِيسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فِي ذَلِكَ وَخَافَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ لَا يَقُومُوا بِشُكْرِهَا، وَلَا يُؤَدُّوا حَقَّ شُرُوطِهَا، فَأَبَوْا عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَسْأَلَ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ مِنْ رَبِّهِ، عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَلَمَّا لَمْ يُقْلِعُوا عَنْ ذَلِكَ، قَامَ إِلَى مُصَلَّاهُ وَلَبِسَ مِسْحًا مِنْ شَعْرٍ، وَصَفَّ بَيْنَ قَدَمَيْهِ وَأَطْرَقَ رَأْسَهُ، وَأَسْبَلَ عَيْنَيْهِ بِالْبُكَاءِ، وَتَضَرَّعَ إِلَى اللَّهِ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالسُّؤَالِ، أَنْ يُجَابُوا إِلَى مَا طَلَبُوا، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْمَائِدَةَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، وَالنَّاسُ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْهَا تَنْحَدِرُ بَيْنَ غَمَامَتَيْنِ، وَجَعَلَتْ تَدْنُو قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا، وَكُلَّمَا دَنَتْ سَأَلَ عِيسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، رَبَّهُ، عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، أَنْ يَجْعَلَهَا رَحْمَةً لَا نِقْمَةً وَأَنْ يَجْعَلَهَا بَرَكَةً وَسَلَامَةً، فَلَمْ تَزَلْ تَدْنُو حَتَّى اسْتَقَرَّتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عِيسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَهِيَ مُغَطَّاةٌ بِمَنْدِيلٍ، فَقَامَ عِيسَى يَكْشِفُ عَنْهَا، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ. فَإِذَا عَلَيْهَا سَبْعَةٌ مِنَ الْحِيتَانِ، وَسَبْعَةُ أَرْغِفَةٍ، وَيُقَالُ: وَخَلٌّ. وَيُقَالُ: وَرُمَّانٌ وَثِمَارٌ. وَلَهَا رَائِحَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ جِدًّا. قَالَ اللَّهُ لَهَا: كُونِي. فَكَانَتْ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُمْ بِالْأَكْلِ مِنْهَا، فَقَالُوا: لَا نَأْكُلُ حَتَّى تَأْكُلَ. فَقَالَ: إِنَّكُمُ الَّذِينَ ابْتَدَأْتُمُ السُّؤَالَ لَهَا. فَأَبَوْا أَنْ يَأْكُلُوا مِنْهَا ابْتِدَاءً، فَأَمَرَ الْفُقَرَاءَ وَالْمَحَاوِيجَ وَالْمَرْضَى وَالزَّمْنَى، وَكَانُوا قَرِبَيًا مِنْ أَلْفٍ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ، فَأَكَلُوا مِنْهَا فَبَرَأَ كُلُّ مَنْ بِهِ عَاهَةٌ، أَوْ آفَةٌ، أَوْ مَرَضٌ مُزْمِنٌ، فَنَدِمَ النَّاسُ عَلَى تَرْكِ الْأَكْلِ مِنْهَا ; لِمَا رَأَوْا مِنْ إِصْلَاحِ حَالِ أُولَئِكَ، ثُمَّ قِيلَ: إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ تَنْزِلُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مَرَّةً، فَيَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ مِنْهَا، يَأْكُلُ آخِرُهُمْ كَمَا يَأْكُلُ أَوَّلُهُمْ، حَتَّى قِيلَ: إِنَّهَا كَانَ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا نَحْوُ سَبْعَةِ آلَافٍ. ثُمَّ كَانَتْ تَنْزِلُ يَوْمًا بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ، كَمَا كَانَتْ نَاقَةُ صَالِحٍ يَشْرَبُونَ لَبَنَهَا يَوْمًا بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ. ثُمَّ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ عِيسَى أَنْ يَقْصُرَهَا عَلَى الْفُقَرَاءِ أَوِ الْمَحَاوِيجِ، دُونَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ، فَشَقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ، وَتَكَلَّمَ مُنَافِقُوهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَرُفِعَتْ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ، وَمُسِخَ الَّذِينَ تَكَلَّمُوا فِي ذَلِكَ خَنَازِيرَ. وَعَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: نَزَلَتِ الْمَائِدَةُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ خُبْزٌ وَلَحْمٌ، وَأُمِرُوا أَنْ لَا يَخُونُوا، وَلَا يَدَّخِرُوا، وَلَا يَرْفَعُوا لِغَدٍ، فَخَانُوا وَادَّخَرُوا وَرَفَعُوا، فَمُسِخُوا قِرَدَةً وَخَنَازِيرَ وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي الْمَائِدَةِ، هَلْ نَزَلَتْ أَمْ لَا ؟ فَالْجُمْهُورُ أَنَّهَا نَزَلَتْ، كَمَا دَلَّتْ عَلَيْهِ هَذِهِ الْآثَارُ، وَكَمَا هُوَ الْمَفْهُومُ مِنْ ظَاهِرِ سِيَاقِ الْقُرْآنِ، وَلَا سِيَّمَا قَوْلُهُ: إِنِّي مُنَزِّلُهَا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا قَرَّرَهُ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَقَدْ رَوَى ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ بِإِسْنَادٍ صَحِيحٍ إِلَى مُجَاهِدٍ، وَإِلَى الْحَسَنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ، أَنَّهُمَا قَالَا: لَمْ تَنْزِلْ. وَإِنَّهُمْ أَبَوْا نُزُولَهَا، حِينَ قَالَ: فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بَعْدُ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنِّي أُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا لَا أُعَذِّبُهُ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ وَلِهَذَا قِيلَ: إِنَّ النَّصَارَى لَا يَعْرِفُونَ خَبَرَ الْمَائِدَةِ، وَلَيْسَ مَذْكُورًا فِي كِتَابِهِمْ مَعَ أَنَّ خَبَرَهَا مِمَّا تَتَوَفَّرُ الدَّوَاعِي عَلَى نَقْلِهِ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَقِيلَ: أَنَّ سَبَبُ ذَلِكَ: أَنَّ الْحَوَارِيِّينَ قَالُوا لَهُ: يَا عِيسَى هَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ رَبُّكَ أَنْ يُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَدَعَا عِيسَى فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيدًا لِأَوَّلِنَا وَآخِرِنَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ الَمَّائِدَةَ عَلَيْهَا خُبْزٌ وَلَحْمٌ يَأْكُلُونَ مِنْهَا وَلَا تَنْفَدُ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: إِنَّهَا مُقِيمَةٌ مَا لَمْ تَدَّخِرُوا مِنْهَا. فَمَا مَضَى يَوْمُهُمْ حَتَّى ادَّخَرُوا. وَقِيلَ: أَقْبَلَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تَحْمِلُ الْمَائِدَةَ عَلَيْهَا سَبْعَةُ أَرْغِفَةٍ وَسَبْعَةُ أَحْوَاتٍ حَتَّى وَضَعُوهَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ، فَأَكَلَ مِنْهَا آخِرُ النَّاسِ كَمَا أَكَلَ أَوَّلُهُمْ، وَقِيلَ: كَانَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ ثِمَارِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَقِيلَ: كَانَتْ تُمَدُّ بِكُلِّ طَعَامٍ إِلَّا اللَّحْمَ، وَقِيلَ: كَانَتْ سَمَكَةً فِيهَا طَعْمُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، فَلَمَّا أَكَلُوا مِنْهَا، وَهُمْ خَمْسَةُ آلَافٍ، وَزَادَتْ حَتَّى بَلَغَ الطَّعَامُ رُكَبَهُمْ، قَالُوا: نَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، ثُمَّ تَفَرَّقُوا فَتَحَدَّثُوا بِذَلِكَ. فَكَذَّبَ بِهِ مَنْ لَمْ يَشْهَدْهُ، وَقَالُوا: سَحَرَ أَعْيُنَكُمْ، فَافْتَتَنَ بَعْضُهُمْ وَكَفَرَ، فَمُسِخُوا خَنَازِيرَ لَيْسَ فِيهِمُ امْرَأَةٌ وَلَا صَبِيٌّ، فَبَقُوا ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ، ثُمَّ هَلَكُوا وَلَمْ يَتَوَالَدُوا. وَقِيلَ: كَانَتِ الَمَّائِدَةُ سُفْرَةً حَمْرَاءَ تَحْتَهَا غَمَامَةٌ وَفَوْقَهَا غَمَامَةٌ وَهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْهَا تَنْزِلُ حَتَّى سَقَطَتْ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ، فَبَكَى عِيسَى وَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ ! اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهَا رَحْمَةً وَلَا تَجْعَلْهَا مُثْلَةً وَلَا عُقُوبَةً ! وَالْيَهُودُ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى شَيْءٍ لَمْ يَرَوْا مِثْلَهُ وَلَمْ يَجِدُوا رِيحًا أَطْيَبَ مِنْ رِيحِهَا. فَقَالَ شَمْعُونُ: يَا رُوحَ اللَّهِ، أَمِنْ طَعَامِ الدُّنْيَا أَمْ مِنْ طَعَامِ الْجَنَّةِ ؟ فَقَالَ الْمَسِيحُ: لَا مِنْ طَعَامِ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا مِنْ طَعَامِ الْآخِرَةِ، إِنَّمَا هُوَ شَيْءٌ خَلَقَهُ اللَّهُ بِقُدْرَتِهِ. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: كُلُوا مِمَّا سَأَلْتُمْ. فَقَالُوا لَهُ: كُلْ أَنْتَ يَا رُوحُ. فَقَالَ: مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ أَنْ آكُلَ مِنْهَا ! فَلَمْ يَأْكُلْ وَلَمْ يَأْكُلُوا مِنْهَا، فَدَعَا الْمَرْضَى، وَالزَّمْنَى، وَالْفُقَرَاءَ، فَأَكَلُوا مِنْهَا، وَهُمْ أَلْفٌ وَثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ، فَشَبِعُوا، وَهِيَ بِحَالِهَا لَمْ تَنْقُصْ، فَصَحَّ الْمَرْضَى، وَالزَّمْنَى، وَاسْتَغْنَى الْفُقَرَاءُ، ثُمَّ صَعِدَتْ وَهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْهَا حَتَّى تَوَارَتْ، وَنَدِمَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَأْكُلُوا مِنْهَا. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهَا نَزَلَتْ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا، كَانَتْ تَنْزِلُ يَوْمًا وَتَنْقَطِعُ يَوْمًا، وَأَمَرَ اللَّهُ عِيسَى أَنْ يَدْعُوَ إِلَيْهَا الْفُقَرَاءَ دُونَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ، فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، فَاشْتَدَّ عَلَى الْأَغْنِيَاءِ وَجَحَدُوا نُزُولَهَا وَشَكُّوا فِي ذَلِكَ وَشَكَّكُوا غَيْرَهُمْ فِيهَا، فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَى عِيسَى: إِنِّي شَرَطْتُ أَنْ أُعَذِّبَ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ عَذَابًا لَا أُعَذِّبُ بِهِ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ، فَمَسَخَ مِنْهُمْ ثَلَاثَمِائَةٍ وَثَلَاثَةً وَثَلَاثِينَ رَجُلًا فَأَصْبَحُوا خَنَازِيرَ. فَلَمَّا رَأَى النَّاسُ ذَلِكَ فَزِعُوا إِلَى عِيسَى وَبَكَوْا، وَبَكَى عِيسَى عَلَى الْمَمْسُوخِينَ. فَلَمَّا أَبْصَرَتِ الْخَنَازِيرُ عِيسَى بَكَوْا وَطَافُوا وَهُوَ يَدْعُوهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ وَيُشِيرُونَ بِرُءُوسِهِمْ وَلَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى الْكَلَامِ، فَعَاشُوا ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ هَلَكُوا.
Translation
✧ The Account of the Table Spread God, exalted be He, said: When the disciples said, "O ʿĪsā son of Maryam, is your Lord able to send down upon us a table spread from heaven?" He said, "Fear God, if you are believers." They said, "We desire to eat from it and let our hearts be reassured and know that you have spoken truly to us and be among its witnesses." ʿĪsā son of Maryam said, "O God, our Lord, send down upon us a table spread from heaven to be a festival for us, for the first of us and the last of us, and a sign from You; and provide for us, for You are the best of providers." God said, "I am sending it down upon you. But whoever disbelieves afterwards among you, I will punish him with a punishment with which I will not punish anyone among the worlds." [al-Māʾidah: 112–115]. We have already mentioned in the commentary the reports that have come down about the sending down of the table spread: that ʿĪsā ﷺ ordered the disciples to fast for thirty days, and when they completed it, they asked ʿĪsā to send down upon them a table spread from heaven so that they might eat from it and their hearts be reassured thereby that God had accepted their fasting and answered their request, and that it might be a festival for them on which they would break their fast on the day of their breaking the fast, and that it might suffice for their first and their last, for their rich and their poor. ʿĪsā ﷺ admonished them regarding that and feared for them that they would not fulfill its gratitude or carry out the obligations of its conditions, but they refused him anything except that he ask for them that from his Lord, mighty and glorious. When they would not desist from that, he went to his place of prayer, put on a garment of hair, stood with his feet together, bowed his head, let his eyes flow with tears, and humbly implored God in supplication and request that they be answered in what they asked. Then God, exalted be He, sent down the table spread from heaven while the people were looking at it descending between two clouds. It kept drawing near little by little, and each time it drew near, ʿĪsā ﷺ asked his Lord, mighty and glorious, to make it a mercy and not a punishment, and to make it a blessing and a source of wellbeing. It continued to draw near until it settled before ʿĪsā ﷺ, covered with a cloth. Then ʿĪsā rose to uncover it, saying: "In the name of God, the best of providers." And behold, upon it were seven fish and seven loaves of bread; it is said also vinegar; it is said also pomegranates and fruits. It had a very great fragrance. God said to it: "Be," and it was. Then he ordered them to eat from it, but they said, "We will not eat until you eat." He said, "You are the ones who began the request for it." But they refused to eat from it first. So he ordered the poor, the needy, the sick, and the chronically ill—they were close to one thousand three hundred—and they ate from it, and everyone who had a defect, an ailment, or a chronic illness was healed. The people regretted having refrained from eating from it because of what they saw of the improvement in the condition of those people. Then it is said that it used to descend once every day, and the people would eat from it, the last of them eating just as the first of them ate, until it is said that about seven thousand ate from it. Then it used to descend every other day, just as the she-camel of Ṣāliḥ—they used to drink its milk every other day. Then God commanded ʿĪsā to restrict it to the poor or the needy, excluding the rich. That distressed many of the people, and their hypocrites spoke about that, so it was lifted entirely, and those who spoke about that were transformed into pigs. And on the authority of ʿAmmār b. Yāsir, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: "The table spread came down from heaven as bread and meat, and they were commanded not to betray, not to store up, and not to set aside for the morrow. But they betrayed, stored up, and set aside, so they were transformed into apes and pigs." It is said that the scholars differed about the table spread: did it descend or not? The majority hold that it descended, as indicated by these reports and as understood from the apparent context of the Qurʾān, especially His saying: "I am sending it down upon you," as Ibn Jarīr affirmed. And God knows best. Ibn Jarīr narrated with a sound chain of transmission to Mujāhid and to al-Ḥasan b. Abī al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī that they both said: "It did not descend. They refused its descent when He said: 'But whoever disbelieves afterwards among you, I will punish him with a punishment with which I will not punish anyone among the worlds.'" For this reason it is said that the Christians do not know the account of the table spread, and it is not mentioned in their book, although its account is something whose transmission the motives would be strong for. And God knows best. It is said that the reason for that is that the disciples said to him: "O ʿĪsā, is your Lord able to send down upon us a table spread from heaven?" So ʿĪsā supplicated, saying: "O God, our Lord, send down upon us a table spread from heaven to be a festival for us, for the first of us and the last of us." So God sent down the table spread, upon it bread and meat from which they ate and which did not run out. He said to them: "It will remain as long as you do not store up from it." But the day had not passed before they stored up. It is said: The angels came carrying the table spread, upon it seven loaves of bread and seven fish, until they placed it before them, and the last of the people ate from it just as the first of them ate. It is said: Upon it were fruits of Paradise. It is said: It was supplied with every food except meat. It is said: It was a fish containing the taste of everything. When they ate from it—and they were five thousand—it increased until the food reached their knees. They said: "We bear witness that you are the Messenger of God." Then they dispersed and spoke about that. Those who had not witnessed it denied it and said: "He has bewitched your eyes." So some of them were put to trial and disbelieved, and they were transformed into pigs; among them were no woman and no child. They remained three days, then perished and did not reproduce. It is said: The table spread was a red eating cloth, beneath it a cloud and above it a cloud, while they were looking at it descending until it fell before them. ʿĪsā wept and said: "O God, make me among the thankful! O God, make it a mercy and do not make it a punishment or a retribution!" while the Jews were looking at something the like of which they had never seen, and they found no scent more pleasant than its scent. Shamʿūn said: "O Spirit of God, is it from the food of this world or from the food of Paradise?" The Messiah said: "Neither from the food of this world nor from the food of the Hereafter; it is only something God created by His power." Then he said to them: "Eat from what you asked for." They said to him: "Eat yourself, O Spirit." He said: "I seek refuge in God from eating from it!" So he did not eat, and they did not eat from it. Then he called the sick, the chronically ill, and the poor, and they ate from it—they were one thousand three hundred—and they were satisfied while it remained as it was, not diminished. The sick and chronically ill became healthy, the poor became self-sufficient, then it ascended while they were looking at it until it disappeared, and the disciples regretted not having eaten from it. It is said: It descended for forty days, descending one day and stopping one day. God commanded ʿĪsā to invite the poor to it, excluding the rich. He did that, and it became hard on the rich, and they denied its descent, doubted it, and caused others to doubt it. So God revealed to ʿĪsā: "I stipulated that I would punish the deniers with a punishment with which I would not punish anyone among the worlds." Then he transformed among them three hundred and thirty-three men, and they became pigs in the morning. When the people saw that, they went in fear to ʿĪsā and wept, and ʿĪsā wept over the transformed ones. When the pigs saw ʿĪsā, they wept and went around him, while he called them by their names, and they gestured with their heads but could not speak. They lived three days, then perished.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.