Tarikh (al-Tabari) 356
the accounts of past peoples from the Israelites and others
الْكَهْفُ هُوَ الْغَارُ فِي الْجَبَلِ. قَالَ شُعَيْبٌ الْجَبَائِيُّ: وَاسْمُ كَهْفِهِمْ حَيْزَمُ. وقد ذكَرَ تَعَالَى صِفَةَ الْغَارِ الَّذِي آوَوْا إِلَيْهِ، وَأَنَّ بَابَهُ مُوَجَّهٌ إِلَى نَحْوِ الشَّمَالِ، وَأَعْمَاقَهُ إِلَى جِهَةِ الْقِبْلَةِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنْفَعُ الْأَمَاكِنِ ; أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمَكَانُ قِبْلِيًّا، وَبَابُهُ نَحْوَ الشَّمَالِ، فَقَالَ: وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَتْ تَزَاوَرُ وَقُرِئَ: ( تَزْوَرُّ ) عَنْ كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَتْ تَقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ فَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّ الشَّمْسَ، يَعْنِي فِي زَمَنِ الصَّيْفِ وَأَشْبَاهِهِ، تُشْرِقُ أَوَّلَ طُلُوعِهَا فِي الْغَارِ فِي جَانِبِهِ الْغَرْبِيِّ، ثُمَّ تَشْرَعُ فِي الْخُرُوجِ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا، وَهُوَ ازْوِرَارُهَا ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ فَتَرْتَفِعُ فِي جَوِّ السَّمَاءِ وَتَتَقَلَّصُ عَنْ بَابِ الْغَارِ، ثُمَّ إِذَا تَضَيَّفَتْ لِلْغُرُوبِ تَشْرَعُ فِي الدُّخُولِ فِيهِ مِنْ جِهَتِهِ الشَّرْقِيَّةِ قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا إِلَى حِينِ الْغُرُوبِ، كَمَا هُوَ الْمُشَاهَدُ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا الْمَكَانِ، وَالْحِكْمَةُ فِي دُخُولِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَيْهِ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَحْيَانِ أَنْ لَا يَفْسُدَ هَوَاؤُهُ وَهُمْ فِي فَجْوَةٍ مِنْهُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ أَيْ: بَقَاؤُهُمْ عَلَى هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ دَهْرًا طَوِيلًا مِنَ السِّنِينَ، لَا يَأْكُلُونَ وَلَا يَشْرَبُونَ، وَلَا تَتَغَذَّى أَجْسَادُهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الْمُدَّةِ الطَّوِيلَةِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَبُرْهَانِ قُدْرَتِهِ الْعَظِيمَةِ مَنْ يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُرْشِدًا وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: لِأَنَّ أَعْيُنَهُمْ مَفْتُوحَةٌ ; لِئَلَّا تَفْسُدَ بِطُولِ الْغَمْضِ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ قِيلَ: فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ يَتَحَوَّلُونَ مَرَّةً مِنْ جَنْبٍ إِلَى جَنْبٍ، وَيَحْتَمِلُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ. فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَكَلْبُهُمْ بَاسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالْوَصِيدِ قَالَ شُعَيْبٌ الْجَبَائِيُّ: اسْمُ كَلْبِهِمْ حُمْرَانُ. وَقَالَ غَيْرُهُ: الْوَصِيدُ أُسْكُفَّةُ الْبَابِ. وَالْمُرَادُ أَنَّ كَلْبَهُمُ الَّذِي كَانَ مَعَهُمْ، وَصَحِبَهُمْ حَالَ انْفِرَادِهِمْ مِنْ قَوْمِهِمْ، لَزِمَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ مَعَهُمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ، بَلْ رَبَضَ عَلَى بَابِهِ وَوَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى الْوَصِيدِ، وَهَذَا مِنْ جُمْلَةِ أَدَبِهِ وَمِنْ جُمْلَةِ مَا أُكْرِمُوا بِهِ ; فَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ لَا تَدْخُلُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ كَلْبٌ، وَلَمَّا كَانَتِ التَّبَعِيَّةُ مُؤَثِّرَةً، حَتَّى فِي كَلْبِ هَؤُلَاءِ، صَارَ بَاقِيًا مَعَهُمْ بِبَقَائِهِمْ ; لِأَنَّ مَنْ أَحَبَّ قَوْمًا سَعِدَ بِهِمْ، فَإِذَا كَانَ هَذَا فِي حَقِّ كَلْبٍ فَمَا ظَنُّكَ بِمَنْ تَبِعَ أَهْلَ الْخَيْرِ وَهُوَ أَهْلٌ لِلْإِكْرَامِ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْقُصَّاصِ وَالْمُفَسِّرِينَ لِهَذَا الْكَلْبِ نَبَأً وَخَبَرًا طَوِيلًا، أَكْثَرُهُ مُتَلَقًّى مِنَ الْإِسْرَائِيلِيَّاتِ، وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهَا كَذِبٌ، وَمِمَّا لَا فَائِدَةَ فِيهِ، كَاخْتِلَافِهِمْ فِي اسْمِهِ وَلَوْنِهِ.
Translation
✧ The Cave is the cavern in the mountain. Shuʿayb al-Jubāʾī said: The name of their cave is Ḥayzam. The Exalted has mentioned the description of the cavern to which they repaired, and that its door faces toward the north, and its depths toward the direction of the qiblah, and that is the most beneficial of places; that the place should be qiblah-facing, and its door toward the north. Thus He said: “And you would see the sun, when it rose, inclining away”—and it was recited: (tazwarru)—“from their cave to the right, and when it set, passing them by on the left.” So He informed that the sun, meaning in the time of summer and the like, shines at the beginning of its rising into the cave on its western side, then begins to depart from it little by little, and that is its turning away to the right, then it rises in the sky's expanse and withdraws from the cave's door, then when it inclines to setting it begins to enter it from its eastern side little by little until the time of sunset, as is observed in such a place. The wisdom in the sun's entering it at some times is that its air should not become foul while they are in an open space within it. “That is among the signs of God”—that is, their remaining in this condition for a long span of years, neither eating nor drinking, their bodies not being nourished during this long period, is among the signs of God and the proof of His immense power. “Whomever God guides, he is rightly guided; and whomever He leads astray, you will never find for him a protector to guide.” “And you would think them awake, while they were asleep.” Some said: Because their eyes were open, lest they be corrupted by long closing. “And We turned them to the right and to the left.” It was said: Each year they turn once from one side to the other, and it may be more than that. God knows best. “And their dog was stretching its forelegs at the threshold.” Shuʿayb al-Jubāʾī said: The name of their dog was Ḥumrān. Others said: al-waṣīd is the doorsill. The meaning is that their dog that was with them, and accompanied them when they separated from their people, stayed with them and did not enter the cave with them, but crouched at its door and placed its forelegs on the threshold. This is part of its good manners and part of the honor they were shown; for the angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog. And since companionship has an effect, even in the case of the dog of these people, it remained with them by their remaining; for whoever loves a people is blessed through them. If this is so in the case of a dog, what do you suppose concerning one who follows the people of good and is worthy of honor? Many storytellers and exegetes have mentioned a lengthy account and report about this dog, most of which is taken from Israelite traditions, and much of it is false, and of no benefit, such as their disagreement about its name and color.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.