Tarikh (al-Tabari) 352
the accounts of past peoples from the Israelites and others
كَانَ سَبَبُ نُزُولِ قِصَّةِ أَصْحَابِ الْكَهْفِ ، وَخَبَرِ ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ، مَا ذَكَرَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، فِي " السِّيرَةِ " وَغَيْرُهُ، أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا بَعَثُوا إِلَى الْيَهُودِ يَسْأَلُونَهُمْ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ يَمْتَحِنُونَ بِهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَيَسْأَلُونَهُ عَنْهَا ; لِيَخْتَبِرُوا مَا يُجِيبُ بِهِ فِيهَا، فَجَاءُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالُوا: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، أَخْبِرْنَا عَنْ فِتْيَةٍ ذَهَبُوا فِي الدَّهْرِ الْأَوَّلِ قَدْ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ قِصَّةٌ عَجَبٌ؛ وَعَنْ رَجُلٍ كَانَ طَوَّافًا قَدْ بَلَغَ مَشَارِقَ الْأَرْضِ وَمَغَارِبَهَا؛ وَأَخْبِرْنَا عَنْ الرُّوحِ مَا هِيَ ؟ قَالَ: فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِمَا سَأَلْتُمْ عَنْهُ غَدًا وَلَمْ يَسْتَثْنِ، فَانْصَرَفُوا عَنْهُ. فَمَكَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - ﷺ فِيمَا يَذْكُرُونَ - خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً لَا يُحْدِثُ اللَّهُ إلَيْهِ فِي ذَلِكَ وَحْيًا، وَلَا يَأْتِيهِ جِبْرِيلُ، حَتَّى أَرْجَفَ أَهْلُ مَكَّةَ، وَقَالُوا: وَعَدَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ غَدًا، وَالْيَوْمَ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً، قَدْ أَصْبَحْنَا مِنْهَا لَا يُخْبِرُنَا بِشَيْءِ مِمَّا سَأَلْنَاهُ عَنْهُ، وَحَتَّى أَحْزَنَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُكْثُ الْوَحْيِ عَنْهُ، وَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِ مَا يَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ أَهْلُ مَكَّةَ: ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ جِبْرِيلُ مِنْ اللَّهِ - عَزَّ وَجَلَّ - بِسُورَةِ أَصْحَابِ الْكَهْفِ، فِيهَا مُعَاتَبَتُهُ إيَّاهُ عَلَى حُزْنِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَخَبَرُ مَا سَأَلُوهُ عَنْهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ الْفِتْيَةَ، وَالرَّجُلِ الطَّوَّافِ، وَالرُّوحِ. وأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ [ الْإِسْرَاءِ: 58 ]. وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ وَقَالَ هَاهُنَا: أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَبًا أَيْ: لَيْسُوا بِعَجَبٍ عَظِيمٍ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى مَا أَطْلَعْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْأَخْبَارِ الْعَظِيمَةِ، وَالْآيَاتِ الْبَاهِرَةِ وَالْعَجَائِبِ الْغَرِيبَةِ.
Translation
✧ The reason for the revelation of the story of the Companions of the Cave and the account of Dhu al-Qarnayn, as mentioned by Muhammad b. Ishaq in the Sirah and elsewhere, was that Quraysh sent to the Jews asking them about things with which to test the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and to question him about them, in order to find out what answer he would give. So they came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “O Muhammad, tell us about some youths who went away in ancient times and had a wondrous story; and about a man who was a great traveler who reached the easts of the earth and its wests; and tell us about the spirit, what is it?” He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to them, “I will tell you about what you have asked tomorrow,” and he did not say “if Allah wills.” So they left him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ remained, as they relate, fifteen nights during which Allah did not send him any revelation concerning that, and Jibril did not come to him, until the people of Makkah began to stir and said, “Muhammad promised us tomorrow, and today is the fifteenth night, and he has not told us anything about what we asked him.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was grieved by the withholding of revelation and distressed by what the people of Makkah were saying. Then Jibril came to him from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, with Surat Ashab al-Kahf, containing His rebuke of him for his grief over them, and the account of what they had asked about concerning the youths, the traveling man, and the spirit. Allah, exalted is He, revealed: “And they ask you about the spirit” (al-Isra': 85). “And they ask you about Dhu al-Qarnayn” (al-Kahf: 83). And He said here: “Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were among Our signs a wonder?” That is, they are not a great wonder in relation to what We have shown you of mighty accounts, dazzling signs, and strange marvels.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.