Tarikh (al-Tabari) 5
Creation of the heavens and the earth
الْكَلَامِ عَلَى الْمَجَرَّةِ وَقَوْسِ قُزَحٍ قَالَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الطَّبَرَانِيُّ بسنده عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّ هِرَقْلَ كَتَبَ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ. وَقَالَ: إِنْ كَانَ بَقِيَ فِيهِمْ شَيْءٌ مِنَ النُّبُوَّةِ فَسَيُخْبِرُنِي عَمَّا أَسْأَلُهُمْ عَنْهُ. قَالَ: فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْمَجَرَّةِ، وَعَنِ الْقَوْسِ، وَعَنِ الْبُقْعَةِ الَّتِي لَمَّ تُصِبْهَا الشَّمْسُ إِلَّا سَاعَةً وَاحِدَةً. قَالَ: فَلَمَّا أَتَى مُعَاوِيَةَ الْكِتَابُ وَالرَّسُولُ، قَالَ: إِنَّ هَذَا الشَّيْءَ مَا كُنْتُ آبَهُ لَهُ أَنْ أَسْأَلَ عَنْهُ إِلَى يَوْمِي هَذَا، مَنْ لِهَذَا ؟. قِيلَ: ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ. فَطَوَى مُعَاوِيَةُ كِتَابَ هِرَقْلَ، فَبُعِثَ بِهِ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: إِنَّ الْقَوْسَ أَمَانٌ لِأَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْغَرَقِ، وَالْمَجَرَّةَ بَابُ السَّمَاءِ الَّذِي تَنْشَقُّ مِنْهُ، وَأَمَّا الْبُقْعَةُ الَّتِي لَمْ تُصِبْهَا الشَّمْسُ إِلَّا سَاعَةً مِنَ النَّهَارِ فَالْبَحْرُ الَّذِي أُفْرِجَ عَنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ. وَهَذَا إِسْنَادٌ صَحِيحٌ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ. فَأَمَّا الْحَدِيثُ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ الطَّبَرَانِيُّ بسنده عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: يَا مُعَاذُ إِنِّي مُرْسِلُكَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ أَهْلِ كِتَابٍ فَإِذَا سُئِلْتَ عَنِ الْمَجَرَّةِ الَّتِي فِي السَّمَاءِ فَقُلْ هِيَ لُعَابُ حَيَّةٍ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ. فَإِنَّهُ حَدِيثٌ مُنْكَرٌ جِدًّا، بَلِ الْأَشْبَهُ أَنَّهُ مَوْضُوعٌ. وَرِوَايَةُ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ الْمُخْتَارِ هَذَا أَبُو سَهْلٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ، ثُمَّ انْتَقَلَ إِلَى مِصْرَ. قَالَ فِيهِ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ الرَّازِيُّ: هُوَ مَجْهُولٌ يُحَدِّثُ بِالْأَبَاطِيلِ. وَقَالَ الْحَافِظُ أَبُو الْفَتْحِ الْأَزْدِيُّ. مُنْكَرُ الْحَدِيثِ جِدًّا. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَدِيٍّ: لَا يُتَابَعُ عَلَى أَحَادِيثِهِ لَا مَتْنًا، وَلَا إِسْنَادًا. وَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: هُوَ الَّذِي يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنْشِئُ السَّحَابَ الثِّقَالَ وَيُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي اللَّهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ [ الرَّعْدِ: 12 - 13 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ [ الْبَقَرَةِ: 164 ]. وَرَوَى الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ، بسنده عَنْ شَيْخٍ مِنْ بَنِي غِفَارٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: إِنِ اللَّهَ يُنْشِئُ السَّحَابَ، فَيَنْطِقُ أَحْسَنَ النُّطْقِ، وَيَضْحَكُ أَحْسَنَ الضَّحِكِ. وَرَوَى مُوسَى بْنُ عُبَيْدَةَ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: إِنَّ نُطْقَهُ الرَّعْدُ. وَضَحِكَهُ الْبَرْقُ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ بسنده عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ الْبَرْقَ مَلَكٌ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةُ وُجُوهٍ ; وَجْهُ إِنْسَانٍ، وَوَجْهُ ثَوْرٍ، وَوَجْهُ نَسْرٍ، وَوَجْهُ أَسَدٍ، فَإِذَا مَصَعَ بِذَنْبِهِ فَذَلِكَ الْبَرْقُ. وَقَدْ رَوَى الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ، وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ، وَالنَّسَائِيُّ، وَالْبُخَارِيُّ فِي كِتَابِ الْأَدَبِ، وَالْحَاكِمُ فِي مُسْتَدْرَكِهِ، مِنْ حَدِيثِ الْحَجَّاجِ بْنِ أَرْطَأَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو مَطَرٍ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا سَمِعَ الرَّعْدَ وَالصَّوَاعِقَ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَقْتُلْنَا بِغَضَبِكَ، وَلَا تُهْلِكْنَا بِعَذَابِكَ، وَعَافِنَا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ مِنْ حَدِيثِ لَيْثٍ، عَنْ رَجُلٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَفَعَهُ: كَانَ إِذَا سَمِعَ الرَّعْدَ قَالَ: سُبْحَانَ مَنْ يُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ. وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ: سُبْحَانَ مَنْ سَبَّحَتْ لَهُ. وَكَذَا، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَالْأَسْوَدِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، وَطَاوُسٍ، وَغَيْرِهِمْ. وَرَوَى مَالِكٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ: أَنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا سَمِعَ الرَّعْدَ تَرَكَ الْحَدِيثَ وَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ يُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ، وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ مَنْ خِيفَتِهِ، وَيَقُولُ: إِنَّ هَذَا وَعِيدٌ شَدِيدٌ لِأَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ. وَرَوَى الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: قَالَ: رَبُّكُمْ لَوْ أَنَّ عَبِيدِي أَطَاعُونِي لَأَسْقَيْتُهُمُ الْمَطَرَ بِاللَّيْلِ، وَأَطْلَعْتُ عَلَيْهِمُ الشَّمْسَ بِالنَّهَارِ، وَلَمَا أَسْمَعْتُهُمْ صَوْتَ الرَّعْدِ. وَرَوَى الطَّبَرَانِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ مَرْفُوعًا إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ صَوْتَ الرَّعْدِ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُصِيبُ ذَاكِرًا.
Translation
✧ Regarding the Milky Way and the rainbow Abū al-Qāsim al-Ṭabarānī said with his chain of transmission from Ibn ʿAbbās: Heraclius wrote to Muʿāwiyah, saying: If any trace of prophethood remains among them, he will inform me about what I ask them. He wrote to him asking about the Milky Way, the rainbow, and the spot that the sun did not strike except for a single hour. When the letter and the messenger came to Muʿāwiyah, he said: This is something I would not have cared to ask about until this day of mine. Who can answer this? It was said: Ibn ʿAbbās. So Muʿāwiyah folded up Heraclius's letter and sent it to Ibn ʿAbbās, and he wrote to him: The rainbow is a safeguard for the people of the earth from drowning, and the Milky Way is the gate of heaven from which it will split open. As for the spot that the sun did not strike except for a single hour of the day, it is the sea that was parted for the Children of Israel. This is an authentic chain of transmission back to Ibn ʿAbbās ؓ. As for the hadith that al-Ṭabarānī narrated with his chain of transmission from Jābir b. ʿAbd Allāh, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: O Muʿādh, I am sending you to a people who are People of the Book. If you are asked about the Milky Way that is in the sky, say: It is the saliva of a serpent beneath the Throne. This is a very rejected hadith; rather, it is more likely to be fabricated. The narrator al-Faḍl b. al-Mukhtār, this is Abū Sahl al-Baṣrī, then he moved to Egypt. Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī said about him: He is unknown and narrates falsehoods. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū al-Fatḥ al-Azdī said: His hadith is very rejected. Ibn ʿAdī said: He is not corroborated in his hadiths, neither in text nor in chain. And Allah Almighty said: "It is He who shows you the lightning, causing fear and hope, and produces the heavy clouds. And the thunder extols His praise, and the angels too, in awe of Him, and He sends the thunderbolts and strikes with them whom He wills, while they dispute about Allah, and He is severe in assault" [al-Raʿd: 12-13]. And He Almighty said: "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, and the ships that run upon the sea with what benefits people, and the water that Allah sends down from the sky, giving life thereby to the earth after its death, and dispersing in it every kind of creature, and the shifting of the winds and the clouds subjected between the heaven and the earth, are signs for a people who understand" [al-Baqarah: 164]. Imam Aḥmad narrated with his chain of transmission from a shaykh of the Banū Ghifār who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Allah produces the clouds, and they speak the best speech and laugh the best laughter. Mūsā b. ʿUbaydah b. Saʿd b. Ibrāhīm narrated that he said: Its speech is the thunder and its laughter is the lightning. Ibn Abī Ḥātim said with his chain of transmission from Muḥammad b. Muslim who said: It has reached us that lightning is an angel with four faces: a human face, a bull's face, a vulture's face, and a lion's face. When he strikes with his tail, that is the lightning. Imam Aḥmad, al-Tirmidhī, al-Nasāʾī, al-Bukhārī in his book al-Adab, and al-Ḥākim in his Mustadrak narrated from the hadith of al-Ḥajjāj b. Arṭaʾah, who said: Abū Maṭar narrated to me, from Sālim, from his father, who said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard thunder and thunderbolts, he would say: O Allah, do not kill us with Your anger, and do not destroy us with Your punishment, and grant us well-being before that. Ibn Jarīr narrated from the hadith of Layth, from a man, from Abū Hurayrah, who raised it: When he heard thunder, he would say: Glory to Him whom the thunder extols with His praise. From ʿAlī that he used to say: Glory to Him for whom it glorified. Likewise from Ibn ʿAbbās, al-Aswad b. Yazīd, Ṭāwūs, and others. Mālik narrated from ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Zubayr that when he heard thunder, he would stop talking and say: Glory to Him whom the thunder extols with His praise, and the angels in awe of Him. And he would say: This is a severe warning for the people of the earth. Imam Aḥmad narrated from Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Your Lord said: If My servants obeyed Me, I would give them rain by night and bring out the sun for them by day, and I would not make them hear the sound of thunder. Al-Ṭabarānī narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās, raised: When you hear the sound of thunder, remember Allah, for it does not strike one who remembers." }
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.