Tarikh (al-Tabari) 402
the accounts of past peoples from the Israelites and others
الْإِذْنِ فِي الرِّوَايَةِ عَنْ أَخْبَارِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ بسنده عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ؓ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: حَدِّثُوا عَنِّي وَلَا تَكْذِبُوا عَلَيَّ، وَمَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ، وَحَدِّثُوا عَنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَا حَرَجَ. وَقَالَ أَيْضًا: عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: لَا تَكْتُبُوا عَنِّي شَيْئًا غَيْرَ الْقُرْآنِ فَمَنْ كَتَبَ عَنِّي شَيْئًا غَيْرَ الْقُرْآنِ فَلْيَمْحُهُ وَقَالَ حَدِّثُوا عَنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَا حَرَجَ حَدِّثُوا عَنِّي وَلَا تَكْذِبُوا عَلَيَّ قَالَ، وَمَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ - قَالَ هَمَّامٌ: أَحْسَبُهُ قَالَ مُتَعَمِّدًا - فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَهَكَذَا رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ هَمَّامٍ، وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ الْإِسْفِرَايِينِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي دَاوُدَ السِّجِسْتَانِيِّ عَنْ هُدْبَةَ عَنْ هَمَّامٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ بِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ: أَخْطَأَ فِيهِ هَمَّامٌ وَهُوَ مِنْ قَوْلِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ كَذَا قَالَ وعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ: كَانَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُحَدِّثُنَا عَامَّةَ لَيْلِهِ عَنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ مَا يَقُومُ فِيهَا إِلَّا لِعُظْمِ صَلَاةٍ وعَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَابِطٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: حَدِّثُوا عَنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ كَانَ فِيهِمُ الْأَعَاجِيبُ ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ يُحَدِّثُ ﷺ قَالَ: خَرَجَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ حَتَّى أَتَوْا مَقْبَرَةً مِنْ مَقَابِرِهِمْ فَقَالُوا: لَوْ صَلَّيْنَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَدَعَوْنَا اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَيُخْرِجُ لَنَا رَجُلًا قَدْ مَاتَ نُسَائِلُهُ يُحَدِّثُنَا عَنِ الْمَوْتِ فَفَعَلُوا فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ أَطْلَعَ رَجُلٌ رَأَسَهُ مِنْ قَبْرٍ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْقُبُورِ، بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ أَثَرُ السُّجُودِ فَقَالَ: يَا هَؤُلَاءِ مَا أَرَدْتُمْ إِلَيَّ فَقَدْ مُتُّ مُنْذُ مِائَةِ عَامٍ فَمَا سَكَنَتْ عَنِّي حَرَارَةُ الْمَوْتِ حَتَّى الْآنَ، فَادْعُوَا اللَّهَ أَنْ يُعِيدَنِي كَمَا كُنْتَ. وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ. إِذَا تَقَرَّرَ جَوَازُ الرِّوَايَةِ عَنْهُمْ فَهُوَ مَحْمُولٌ عَلَى مَا يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَكُونَ صَحِيحًا فَأَمَّا مَا يُعْلَمُ أَوْ يُظَنُّ بُطْلَانُهُ، لِمُخَالَفَتِهِ الْحَقَّ الَّذِي بِأَيْدِينَا عَنِ الْمَعْصُومِ فَذَاكَ مَتْرُوكٌ مَرْدُودٌ لَا يُعَرَّجُ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ مَعَ هَذَا كُلِّهِ، لَا يَلْزَمُ مِنْ جَوَازِ رِوَايَتِهِ أَنْ تَعْتَقِدَ صِحَّتَهُ لِمَا رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ قَائِلًا بسنده عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: كَانَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ يَقْرَءُونَ التَّوْرَاةَ بِالْعَبْرَانِيَّةِ، وَيُفَسِّرُونَهَا بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ لِأَهْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: لَا تُصَدِّقُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ، وَقُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا [ الْبَقَرَةِ: 136 ] تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ الْبُخَارِيُّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ. وعَنْ أَبِي نَمْلَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ فَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ هَلْ تَتَكَلَّمُ هَذِهِ الْجِنَازَةُ ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ فَقَالَ الْيَهُودِيُّ: أَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهَا تَتَكَلَّمُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: إِذَا حَدَّثَكُمْ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ فُلَا تُصَدِّقُوهُمْ وَلَا تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ، وَقُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ، وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ حَقًّا لَمْ تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ، وَإِنْ كَانَ بَاطِلًا لَمْ تُصَدِّقُوهُمْ تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ أَحْمَدُ. بسنده عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ بِكِتَابٍ أَصَابَهُ مِنْ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ فَقَرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: فَغَضِبَ، وَقَالَ: أَمُتَهَوِّكُونَ فِيهَا يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِهَا بَيْضَاءَ نَقِيَّةً، لَا تَسْأَلُوهُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَيُخْبِرُوكُمْ بِحَقٍّ فَتُكَذِّبُوا بِهِ، أَوْ بِبَاطِلٍ فَتُصَدِّقُوا بِهِ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنَّ مُوسَى كَانَ حَيًّا مَا وَسِعَهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَتَّبِعَنِي تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ أَحْمَدُ، وَإِسْنَادُهُ عَلَى شَرْطِ مُسْلِمٍ. تحريف بني إسرائيل ما بأيديهم من الكتب السماوية فَهَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثُ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ بَدَّلُوا مَا بِأَيْدِيهِمْ مِنَ الْكُتُبِ السَّمَاوِيَّةِ، وَحَرَّفُوهَا وَأَوَّلُوهَا، وَوَضَعُوهَا عَلَى غَيْرِ مَوَاضِعِهَا وَلَا سِيَّمَا مَا يُبْدُونَهُ مِنَ الْمُعَرَّبَاتِ الَّتِي لَمْ يُحِيطُوا بِهَا عِلْمًا، وَهِيَ بِلُغَتِهِمْ فَكَيْفَ يُعَبِّرُونَ عَنْهَا بِغَيْرِهَا، وَلِأَجْلِ هَذَا وَقَعَ فِي تَعْرِيبِهِمْ خَطَأٌ كَبِيرٌ، وَوَهْمٌ كَثِيرٌ مَعَ مَا لَهُمْ مِنَ الْمَقَاصِدِ الْفَاسِدَةِ وَالْآرَاءِ الْبَارِدَةِ. وَهَذَا يَتَحَقَّقُهُ مَنْ نَظَرَ فِي كُتُبِهِمُ الَّتِي بِأَيْدِيهِمْ، وَتَأَمَّلَ مَا فِيهَا مِنْ سُوءِ التَّعْبِيرِ، وَقَبِيحِ التَّبْدِيلِ وَالتَّغْيِيرِ وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ وَهُوَ نِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ. وَهَذِهِ التَّوْرَاةُ الَّتِي يُبْدُونَهَا، وَيُخْفُونَ مِنْهَا كَثِيرًا فِيمَا ذَكَرُوهُ فِيهَا تَحْرِيفٌ وَتَبْدِيلٌ وَتَغْيِيرٌ وَسُوءُ تَعْبِيرٍ، يَعْلَمُهُ مَنْ نَظَرَ فِيهَا، وَتَأَمَّلَ مَا قَالُوهُ وَمَا أَبْدَوْهُ وَمَا أَخْفَوْهُ، وَكَيْفَ يَصُوغُونَ عِبَارَةً فَاسِدَةَ الْبِنَاءِ وَالتَّرْكِيبِ، بَاطِلَةً مِنْ حَيْثُ مَعْنَاهَا وَأَلْفَاظُهَا. وَهَذَا كَعْبُ الْأَحْبَارِ مِنْ أَجْوَدِ مَنْ يَنْقُلُ عَنْهُمْ، وَقَدْ أَسْلَمَ فِي زَمَنِ عُمَرَ وَكَانَ يَنْقُلُ شَيْئًا عَنْ كُتُبِ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ فَكَانَ عُمَرُ ؓ يَسْتَحْسِنُ بَعْضَ مَا يَنْقُلُهُ ; لِمَا يُصَدِّقُهُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ، وَتَأْلِيفًا لِقَلْبِهِ فَتَوَسَّعَ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ فِي أَخْذِ مَا عِنْدَهُ، وَبَالَغَ أَيْضًا هُوَ فِي نَقْلِ تِلْكَ الْأَشْيَاءِ الَّتِي كَثِيرٌ مِنْهَا مَا يُسَاوِي مِدَادَهُ، وَمِنْهَا مَا هُوَ بَاطِلٌ لَا مَحَالَةَ، وَمِنْهَا مَا هُوَ صَحِيحٌ لِمَا يَشْهَدُ لَهُ الْحَقُّ الَّذِي بِأَيْدِينَا. وَقَدْ قَالَ الْبُخَارِيُّ بسنده عن حُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُعَاوِيَةَ يُحَدِّثُ رَهْطًا مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بِالْمَدِينَةِ، وَذَكَرَ كَعْبَ الْأَحْبَارِ فَقَالَ: إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَصْدَقِ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُحَدِّثِينَ الَّذِينَ يُحَدِّثُونَ عَنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، وَإِنْ كُنَّا - مَعَ ذَلِكَ - لَنَبْلُو عَلَيْهِ الْكَذِبَ يَعْنِي مِنْ غَيْرِ قَصْدٍ مِنْهُ. وَرَوَى الْبُخَارِيُّ بسنده عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: كَيْفَ تَسْأَلُونَ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ عَنْ شَيْءٍ، وَكِتَابُكُمُ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ أَحْدَثُ الْكُتُبِ بِاللَّهِ تَقْرَءُونَهُ مَحْضًا لَمْ يَشِبْ ؟ وَقَدْ حَدَّثَكُمْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ بَدَّلُوا كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَغَيَّرُوهُ، وَكَتَبُوا بِأَيْدِيهِمُ الْكِتَابَ، وَقَالُوا: هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أَلَا يَنْهَاكُمْ مَا جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ عَنْ مَسْأَلَتِهِمْ، لَا وَاللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْنَا مِنْهُمْ رَجُلًا يَسْأَلُكُمْ عَنِ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَا تَسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَنْ يَهْدُوكُمْ وَقَدْ ضَلُّوا، إِمَّا أَنْ تُكَذِّبُوا بِحَقٍّ، أَوْ تُصَدِّقُوا بِبَاطِلٍ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَأَمَّا الْأَخْبَارُ الْإِسْرَائِيلِيَّةُ مِمَّا يَذْكُرُهُ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ وَالْمُؤَرَّخَيْنِ فَكَثِيرَةٌ جِدًّا، وَمِنْهَا مَا هُوَ صَحِيحٌ مُوَافِقٌ لِمَا وَقَعَ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهَا - بَلْ أَكْثَرُهَا - مِمَّا يَذْكُرُهُ الْقُصَّاصُ مَكْذُوبٌ مُفْتَرًى، وَضَعَهُ زَنَادِقَتُهُمْ وَضُلَّالُهُمْ، وَهِيَ ثَلَاثَةُ أَقْسَامٍ: مِنْهَا مَا هُوَ صَحِيحٌ لِمُوَافَقَتِهِ مَا قَصَّهُ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ أَوْ أَخْبَرَ بِهِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَمِنْهَا مَا هُوَ مَعْلُومُ الْبُطْلَانِ لِمُخَالَفَتِهِ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَسُنَّةَ رَسُولِهِ، وَمِنْهَا مَا يَحْتَمِلُ الصِّدْقَ وَالْكَذِبَ فَهَذَا الَّذِي أُمِرْنَا بِالتَّوَقُّفِ فِيهِ فَلَا نُصَدِّقُهُ وَلَا نُكَذِّبُهُ; لِمَا ثَبَتَ فِي الصَّحِيحِ إِذَا حَدَّثَكُمْ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ فَلَا تُصَدِّقُوهُمْ وَلَا تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ، وَقُولُوا: آمَنَّا بِالَّذِي أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَأُنْزِلَ الَيْكُمْ وَتَجُوزُ رِوَايَتُهُ مَعَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ الْمُتَقَدِّمِ وَحَدِّثُوا عَنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَا حَرَجَ..
Translation
✧ Permission to narrate from the reports of the Children of Israel Imām Aḥmad said, with his chain of transmission, on the authority of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī ؓ, from the Prophet ﷺ, that he said: “Narrate from me and do not lie about me. Whoever deliberately lies about me, let him take his seat in the Fire. And narrate from the Children of Israel; there is no harm.” He also said: On the authority of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “Do not write anything from me except the Qurʾān. Whoever writes anything from me other than the Qurʾān, let him erase it.” And he said: “Narrate from the Children of Israel; there is no harm. Narrate from me and do not lie about me.” He said: “And whoever lies about me”—Hammām said: “I think he said ‘deliberately’—“let him take his seat in the Fire.” Thus it was narrated by Muslim and al-Nasāʾī from the ḥadīth of Hammām, and narrated by Abū ʿAwānah al-Isfarāyinī from Abū Dāwūd al-Sijistānī from Hudbah from Hammām from Zayd b. Aslam with it. Then he said: Abū Dāwūd said: “Hammām erred in it; it is from the statement of Abū Saʿīd.” Thus he said. And on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr, he said: The Prophet of Allāh ﷺ used to narrate to us for most of his night about the Children of Israel until morning came, not rising except for a great prayer. And on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Sābiṭ, from Jābir, he said: The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Narrate from the Children of Israel, for there were wonders among them.” Then he began to narrate ﷺ and said: “A group of the Children of Israel went out until they came to one of their cemeteries. They said: ‘If only we prayed two rakʿahs and supplicated Allāh, Mighty and Majestic, and He brought out for us a man who has died, we could ask him to tell us about death.’ They did so. While they were thus, a man raised his head from one of those graves, with the mark of prostration between his eyes. He said: ‘O you people, what do you want from me? I died a hundred years ago, and the heat of death has not left me until now. So supplicate Allāh to return me as I was.’” This is a strange ḥadīth. When the permissibility of narrating from them is established, it is understood to apply to what could be true. As for what is known or presumed to be false, because it contradicts the truth that is with us from the infallible one, that is abandoned and rejected; no attention is paid to it. Then, despite all this, the permissibility of narrating it does not require believing in its authenticity, because of what al-Bukhārī narrated, saying with his chain of transmission from Abū Hurayrah, who said: The People of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and explain it in Arabic to the people of Islam. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Do not believe the People of the Book and do not disbelieve them. Say: ‘We believe in Allāh and what has been sent down to us’ [al-Baqarah: 136].” Al-Bukhārī alone narrated it from this route. And on the authority of Abū Namlah al-Anṣārī, from his father, that he was sitting with the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ when a man from the Jews came and said: “O Muḥammad, does this corpse speak?” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Allāh knows best.” The Jew said: “I bear witness that it speaks.” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “When the People of the Book narrate to you, do not believe them and do not disbelieve them. Say: ‘We believe in Allāh, His books, and His messengers.’ If it is true, you will not have disbelieved them, and if it is false, you will not have believed them.” Aḥmad alone narrated it. With his chain of transmission from Jābir b. ʿAbd Allāh, that ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb brought to the Prophet ﷺ a book he had obtained from some of the People of the Book, and read it to the Prophet ﷺ. He said: He became angry and said: “Are you confused about it, O Ibn al-Khaṭṭāb? By the One in whose hand is my soul, I have brought it to you pure and clear. Do not ask them about anything, lest they inform you of truth and you disbelieve it, or of falsehood and you believe it. By the One in whose hand is my soul, if Moses were alive, he would have no choice but to follow me.” Aḥmad alone narrated it, and its chain meets the conditions of Muslim. The distortion by the Children of Israel of the heavenly books in their hands: These ḥadīths are evidence that they have altered the heavenly books in their hands, distorted them, misinterpreted them, and misplaced their meanings, especially what they present of Arabic translations that they have not fully comprehended, even in their own language, so how can they express them in another? Because of this, great error and much misunderstanding occurred in their translations, along with their corrupt aims and feeble opinions. This becomes clear to anyone who examines their books in their hands and reflects on the poor expression, ugly alteration, and change they contain. Allāh is the one sought for help; He is the best protector and the best helper. This Torah that they display, while hiding much of it, contains distortion, alteration, change, and poor expression, as known to anyone who examines it and reflects on what they said, displayed, and hid, and how they craft expressions corrupt in structure and composition, false in meaning and wording. This is Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, one of the best transmitters from them. He embraced Islam in the time of ʿUmar and used to transmit things from the books of the People of the Book. ʿUmar ؓ used to approve of some of what he transmitted, because it confirmed the truth, and to win his heart. Many people then expanded in taking what he had, and he also went far in transmitting those things, much of which is worth no more than its ink, some of which is undoubtedly false, and some of which is true because it is attested by the truth that is with us. Al-Bukhārī said, with his chain of transmission from Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, that he heard Muʿāwiyah speaking to a group of Quraysh in Madinah. He mentioned Kaʿb al-Aḥbār and said: “He was among the most truthful of those narrators who narrate from the People of the Book, yet despite that, we used to test him and find falsehood—meaning unintentional from him.” Al-Bukhārī narrated, with his chain of transmission from Ibn ʿAbbās, that he said: “How can you ask the People of the Book about anything, when your Book, which Allāh sent down to His Messenger, is the most recent of the books from Allāh? You read it pure and unmixed. He has told you that the People of the Book altered the Book of Allāh and changed it, and wrote a book with their own hands, saying: ‘It is from Allāh,’ to purchase thereby a small price. Does not the knowledge that has come to you forbid you from asking them? No, by Allāh, we have not seen any man among them asking you about what was sent down to you.” Ibn Jarīr narrated from ʿAbd Allāh b. Masʿūd that he said: “Do not ask the People of the Book about anything, for they will never guide you, and they have gone astray. Either you will disbelieve a truth or believe a falsehood.” And Allāh knows best. As for the Israelite reports that many commentators and historians mention, they are very numerous. Some of them are true and correspond to what happened, but many of them—indeed most of them—that the storytellers mention are lies and fabrications, invented by their heretics and misguided ones. They are of three categories: some are true because they agree with what Allāh related in His Book or what the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ reported; some are known to be false because they contradict the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger; and some could be true or false. It is this last category that we are commanded to withhold judgment on, neither believing nor disbelieving it, because of what is established in the Ṣaḥīḥ: “When the People of the Book narrate to you, do not believe them and do not disbelieve them. Say: ‘We believe in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to you.’” Narrating it is permitted, along with the aforementioned ḥadīth: “And narrate from the Children of Israel; there is no harm.”
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No grade is recorded for this wording.