Tarikh (al-Tabari) 501
Genealogy of Our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Some Accounts of His Forefathers and Ancestors
قِصَّةُ أَصْحَابِ الْأُخْدُودِ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ قُتِلَ أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ وَهُمْ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاللَّهِ عَلَى كُلِ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ [ الْبُرُوجِ: 10 ] قَدْ تَكَلَّمْنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ مُسْتَقْصًى فِي تَفْسِيرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ. وَقَدْ زَعَمَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا بَعْدَ مَبْعَثِ الْمَسِيحِ، وَخَالَفَهُ غَيْرُهُ فَزَعَمُوا أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَهُ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ أَنَّ هَذَا الصَّنِيعَ مُكَرَّرٌ فِي الْعَالَمِ مِرَارًا فِي حَقِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنَ الْجَبَّارِينَ الْكَافِرِينَ، وَلَكِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمَذْكُورُونَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ قَدْ وَرَدَ فِيهِمْ حَدِيثٌ مَرْفُوعٌ، وَأَثَرٌ أَوْرَدَهُ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، وَهُمَا مُتَعَارِضَانِ، وَهَا نَحْنُ نُورِدُهُمَا لِتَقِفَ عَلَيْهِمَا. قَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ: حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: كَانَ مَلِكٌ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ وَكَانَ لَهُ سَاحِرٌ فَلَمَّا كَبُرَ السَّاحِرُ، قَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ إِنِّي قَدْ كَبِرَتْ سِنِّي وَحَضَرَ أَجَلِي فَادْفَعْ إِلَيَّ غُلَامًا فَلْأُعَلِّمْهُ السِّحْرَ. فَدَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ غُلَامًا فَكَانَ يُعَلِّمُهُ السِّحْرَ وَكَانَ بَيْنَ الْمَلِكِ وَبَيْنَ السَّاحِرِ رَاهِبٌ فَأَتَى الْغُلَامُ عَلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَسَمِعَ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ فَأَعْجَبَهُ نَحْوُهُ وَكَلَامُهُ، وَكَانَ إِذَا أَتَى السَّاحِرَ ضَرَبَهُ وَقَالَ: مَا حَبَسَكَ، وَإِذَا أَتَى أَهْلَهُ ضَرَبُوهُ وَقَالُوا: مَا حَبَسَكَ، فَشَكَا ذَلِكَ إِلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَقَالَ: إِذَا أَرَادَ السَّاحِرُ أَنْ يَضْرِبَكَ فَقُلْ: حَبَسَنِي أَهْلِي، وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَهْلُكَ أَنْ يَضْرِبُوكَ فَقُلْ: حَبَسَنِي السَّاحِرُ. قَالَ: فَبَيْنَا هُوَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ، إِذْ أَتَى عَلَى دَابَّةٍ فَظِيعَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ قَدْ حَبَسَتِ النَّاسَ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ أَنْ يَجُوزُوا فَقَالَ: الْيَوْمَ أَعْلَمُ أَمْرَ السَّاحِرِ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَمْ أَمْرَ الرَّاهِبِ قَالَ: فَأَخَذَ حَجَرًا فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ أَمْرُ الرَّاهِبِ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ وَأَرْضَى مِنْ أَمْرِ السَّاحِرِ فَاقْتُلْ هَذِهِ الدَّابَّةَ حَتَّى يَجُوزَ النَّاسُ، وَرَمَاهَا فَقَتَلَهَا، وَمَضَى فَأَخْبَرَ الرَّاهِبَ بِذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: أَيْ بُنَيَّ أَنْتَ أَفْضَلُ مِنِّي، وَإِنَّكَ سَتُبْتَلَى فَإِنِ ابْتُلِيتَ فَلَا تَدُلَّ عَلَيَّ. فَكَانَ الْغُلَامُ يُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ، وَسَائِرَ الْأَدْوَاءِ وَيَشْفِيهِمْ. وَكَانَ جَلِيسٌ لِلْمَلِكِ فَعَمِيَ فَسَمِعَ بِهِ فَأَتَاهُ بِهَدَايَا كَثِيرَةٍ فَقَالَ: اشْفِنِي وَلَكَ مَا هَاهُنَا أَجْمَعُ. فَقَالَ: مَا أَنَا أَشْفِي أَحَدًا، إِنَّمَا يَشْفِي اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَإِنْ آمَنْتَ بِهِ، وَدَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ شَفَاكَ، فَآمَنَ فَدَعَا اللَّهَ فَشَفَاهُ، ثُمَّ أَتَى الْمَلِكَ فَجَلَسَ مِنْهُ نَحْوَ مَا كَانَ يَجْلِسُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ: يَا فُلَانُ مَنْ رَدَّ عَلَيْكَ بَصَرَكَ ؟ فَقَالَ: رَبِّي قَالَ: أَنَا قَالَ: لَا. رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللَّهُ. قَالَ: وَلَكَ رَبُّ غَيْرِي ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللَّهُ. فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يُعَذِّبْهُ، حَتَّى دَلَّ عَلَى الْغُلَامِ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَقَالَ: أَيْ بُنَيَّ بَلَغَ مِنْ سِحْرِكَ أَنْ تُبْرِئَ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَهَذِهِ الْأَدْوَاءَ، قَالَ: مَا أَشْفِي أَنَا أَحَدًا إِنَّمَا يَشْفِي اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، قَالَ: أَنَا ؟ قَالَ: لَا، قَالَ: أَوَلَكَ رَبٌّ غَيْرِي ؟ قَالَ: رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللَّهُ قَالَ: فَأَخَذَهُ أَيْضًا بِالْعَذَابِ، وَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِهِ حَتَّى دَلَّ عَلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَأُتِيَ بِالرَّاهِبِ فَقَالَ: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ فَأَبَى، فَوَضَعَ الْمِنْشَارَ فِي مَفْرِقِ رَأْسِهِ حَتَّى وَقَعَ شِقَّاهُ، وَقَالَ لِلْأَعْمَى: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ فَأَبَى، فَوَضَعَ الْمِنْشَارَ فِي مَفْرِقِ رَأْسِهِ حَتَّى وَقَعَ شِقَّاهُ. وَقَالَ لِلْغُلَامِ: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ فَأَبَى، فَبَعَثَ بِهِ مَعَ نَفَرٍ إِلَى جَبَلِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، وَقَالَ: إِذَا بَلَغْتُمْ ذُرْوَتَهُ فَإِنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَإِلَّا فَدَهْدِهُوهُ، فَذَهَبُوا بِهِ فَلَمَّا عَلَوُا الْجَبَلَ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ فَرَجَفَ بِهِمُ الْجَبَلُ فَدُهْدِهُوا أَجْمَعُونَ، وَجَاءَ الْغُلَامُ يَتَلَمَّسُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى الْمَلِكِ فَقَالَ: مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ فَقَالَ: كَفَانِيهِمُ اللَّهُ فَبَعَثَ بِهِ مَعَ نَفَرٍ فِي قُرْقُورٍ فَقَالَ: إِذَا لَجَجْتُمُ الْبَحْرَ فَإِنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَإِلَّا فَأَغْرِقُوهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ، فَلَجَّجُوا بِهِ الْبَحْرَ فَقَالَ الْغُلَامُ: اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ فَغَرِقُوا أَجْمَعُونَ، وَجَاءَ الْغُلَامُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى الْمَلِكِ فَقَالَ: مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ فَقَالَ: كَفَانِيهِمُ اللَّهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ: إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِقَاتِلِي حَتَّى تَفْعَلَ مَا آمُرَكَ بِهِ فَإِنْ أَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ مَا آمُرُكَ بِهِ قَتَلْتَنِي، وَإِلَّا فَإِنَّكَ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ قَتْلِي. قَالَ: وَمَا هُوَ ؟ قَالَ: تَجْمَعُ النَّاسَ فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ، ثُمَّ تَصْلُبُنِي عَلَى جِذْعٍ، وَتَأْخُذُ سَهْمًا مِنْ كِنَانَتِي، ثُمَّ قُلْ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْغُلَامِ فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ قَتَلْتَنِي. فَفَعَلَ وَوَضَعَ السَّهْمَ فِي كَبِدِ الْقَوْسِ، ثُمَّ رَمَاهُ وَقَالَ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْغُلَامِ فَوَقَعَ السَّهْمُ فِي صُدْغِهِ فَوَضَعَ الْغُلَامُ يَدَهُ عَلَى مَوْضِعِ السَّهْمِ وَمَاتَ فَقَالَ النَّاسُ: آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْغُلَامِ فَقِيلَ لِلْمَلِكِ: أَرَأَيْتَ مَا كُنْتَ تَحْذَرُ فَقَدْ وَاللَّهِ نَزَلَ بِكَ قَدْ آمَنَ النَّاسُ كُلُّهُمْ فَأَمَرَ بِأَفْوَاهِ السِّكَكِ فَحَفَرَ فِيهَا الْأَخَادِيدَ، وَأُضْرِمَتْ فِيهَا النِّيرَانُ، وَقَالَ: مَنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَدَعُوهُ، وَإِلَّا فَأَقْحِمُوهُ فِيهَا. وَقَالَ: فَكَانُوا يَتَعَادَوْنَ فِيهَا، وَيَتَدَافَعُونَ، فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ بِابْنٍ لَهَا تُرْضِعُهُ فَكَأَنَّهَا تَقَاعَسَتْ أَنْ تَقَعَ فِي النَّارِ فَقَالَ الصَّبِيُّ: اصْبِرِي يَا أُمَّاهُ فَإِنَّكِ عَلَى الْحَقِّ كَذَا رَوَاهُ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ وَرَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ حَمَّادِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ زَادَ النَّسَائِيُّ: وَحَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ كِلَاهُمَا عَنْ ثَابِتٍ بِهِ، وَرَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ مِنْ طَرِيقِ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ بِإِسْنَادِهِ، نَحْوَهُ، وَحَرَّرَ إِيرَادَهُ، كَمَا بَسَطْنَا ذَلِكَ فِي التَّفْسِيرِ وجه آخر للقصة وَقَدْ أَوْرَدَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ هَذِهِ الْقِصَّةَ عَلَى وَجْهٍ آخَرَ فَقَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، وَحَدَّثَنِي أَيْضًا بَعْضُ أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ عَنْ أَهْلِهَا أَنَّ أَهْلَ نَجْرَانَ كَانُوا أَهْلَ شِرْكٍ يَعْبُدُونَ الْأَوْثَانَ وَكَانَ فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ قُرَاهَا قَرِيبًا مِنْ نَجْرَانَ - وَنَجْرَانُ هِيَ الْقَرْيَةُ الْعُظْمَى الَّتِي إِلَيْهَا جِمَاعُ أَهْلِ تِلْكَ الْبِلَادِ - سَاحِرٌ يُعَلِّمُ غِلْمَانَ أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ السِّحْرَ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَهَا فَيْمَيُونُ - وَلَمْ يُسَمُّوهُ لِي بِالِاسْمِ الَّذِي سَمَّاهُ ابْنُ مُنَبِّهٍ قَالُوا: رَجُلُ نَزَلَهَا - فَابْتَنَى خَيْمَةً بَيْنَ نَجْرَانَ وَبَيْنَ تِلْكَ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي فِيهَا السَّاحِرُ، وَجَعَلَ أَهْلُ نَجْرَانَ يُرْسِلُونَ غِلْمَانَهُمْ إِلَى ذَلِكَ السَّاحِرِ يُعَلِّمُهُمُ السِّحْرَ فَبَعَثَ الثَّامِرُ ابْنَهُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الثَّامِرِ مَعَ غِلْمَانِ أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ فَكَانَ إِذَا مَرَّ بِصَاحِبِ الْخَيْمَةِ أَعْجَبَهُ مَا يَرَى مِنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَصَلَاتِهِ فَجَعَلَ يَجْلِسُ إِلَيْهِ، وَيَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ حَتَّى أَسْلَمَ فَوَحَّدَ اللَّهَ وَعَبَدَهُ، وَجَعَلَ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ شَرَائِعِ الْإِسْلَامِ حَتَّى إِذَا فَقُهَ فِيهِ، جَعَلَ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الِاسْمِ الْأَعْظَمِ وَكَانَ يَعْلَمُهُ فَكَتَمَهُ إِيَّاهُ. وَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا ابْنَ أَخِي إِنَّكَ لَنْ تَحْمِلَهُ أَخْشَى ضَعْفَكَ عَنْهُ. وَالثَّامِرُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ لَا يَظُنُّ إِلَّا أَنَّ ابْنَهُ يَخْتَلِفُ إِلَى السَّاحِرِ كَمَا يَخْتَلِفُ الْغِلْمَانُ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَنَّ صَاحِبَهُ قَدْ ضَنَّ بِهِ عَنْهُ، وَتَخَوَّفَ ضَعْفَهُ فِيهِ، عَمَدَ إِلَى قِدَاحٍ فَجَمَعَهَا، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَبْقَ لِلَّهِ اسْمًا يَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا كَتَبَهُ فِي قَدَحٍ، لِكُلِّ اسْمٍ قَدَحٌ حَتَّى إِذَا أَحْصَاهَا أَوْقَدَ نَارًا، ثُمَّ جَعَلَ يَقْذِفُهَا قَدَحًا قَدَحًا حَتَّى إِذَا مَرَّ بِالِاسْمِ الْأَعْظَمِ، قَذَفَ فِيهَا بِقَدَحِهِ فَوَثَبَ الْقَدَحُ حَتَّى خَرَجَ مِنْهَا لَمْ تَضُرَّهُ شَيْئًا فَأَخَذَهُ، ثُمَّ أَتَى بِهِ صَاحِبَهُ فَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ عَلِمَ الِاسْمَ الْأَعْظَمَ الَّذِي قَدْ كَتَمَهُ فَقَالَ: وَمَا هُوَ ؟ قَالَ: كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ: وَكَيْفَ عَلِمْتَهُ ؟ فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا صَنَعَ قَالَ: أَيِ ابْنَ أَخِي قَدْ أَصَبْتَهُ فَأَمْسِكْ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ وَمَا أَظُنُّ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ. فَجَعَلَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الثَّامِرِ إِذَا دَخَلَ نَجْرَانَ لَمْ يَلْقَ أَحَدًا بِهِ ضُرٌّ إِلَّا قَالَ: يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ أَتُوَحِّدَ اللَّهَ، وَتَدْخُلَ فِي دِينِي، وَأَدْعُو اللَّهَ لَكَ فَيُعَافِيَكَ عَمًّا أَنْتَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ ؟ فَيَقُولُ: نَعَمْ فَيُوَحِّدُ اللَّهَ وَيُسْلِمُ وَيَدْعُو لَهُ فَيُشْفَى. حَتَّى لَمْ يَبْقَ بِنَجْرَانَ أَحَدٌ بِهِ ضُرٌّ إِلَّا أَتَاهُ فَاتَّبَعَهُ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ، وَدَعَا لَهُ فَعُوفِيَ حَتَّى رُفِعَ شَأْنُهُ إِلَى مَلِكِ نَجْرَانَ فَدَعَاهُ فَقَالَ: أَفْسَدْتَ عَلَيَّ أَهْلَ قَرْيَتِي، وَخَالَفْتَ دِينِي وَدِينَ آبَائِي لَأُمَثِّلَنَّ بِكَ قَالَ: لَا تَقْدِرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَجَعَلَ يُرْسِلُ بِهِ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ الطَّوِيلِ فَيُطْرَحُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَيَقَعُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ مَا بِهِ بَأْسٌ، وَجَعَلَ يُبْعَثُ بِهِ إِلَى مِيَاهٍ بِنَجْرَانَ بُحُورٍ لَا يُلْقَى فِيهَا شَيْءٌ إِلَّا هَلَكَ، فَيُلْقَى بِهِ فِيهَا فَيَخْرُجُ لَيْسَ بِهِ بَأْسٌ، فَلَمَّا غَلَبَهُ قَالَ لَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الثَّامِرِ: إِنَّكَ وَاللَّهِ لَا تَقْدِرُ عَلَى قَتْلِي حَتَّى تُوَحِّدَ اللَّهَ فَتُؤْمِنَ بِمَا آمَنْتَ بِهِ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ فَعَلْتَ سُلِّطْتَ عَلَيَّ فَقَتَلْتَنِي، قَالَ: فَوَحَّدَ اللَّهَ ذَلِكَ الْمَلِكُ، وَشَهِدَ شَهَادَةَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الثَّامِرِ، ثُمَّ ضَرَبَهُ بِعَصًا فِي يَدِهِ فَشَجَّهُ شَجَّةً غَيْرَ كَبِيرَةٍ فَقَتَلَهُ، وَهَلَكَ الْمَلِكُ مَكَانَهُ، وَاسْتَجْمَعَ أَهْلُ نَجْرَانَ عَلَى دِينِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الثَّامِرِ وَكَانَ عَلَى مَا جَاءَ بِهِ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مِنَ الْإِنْجِيلِ وَحِكَمِهِ، ثُمَّ أَصَابَهُمْ مَا أَصَابَ أَهْلُ دِينِهِمْ مِنَ الْأَحْدَاثِ فَمِنْ هُنَالِكَ كَانَ أَصْلُ دِينِ النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ بِنَجْرَانَ. قَالَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ: فَهَذَا حَدِيثُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، وَبَعْضِ أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الثَّامِرِ فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ أَيُّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ. قَالَ: فَسَارَ إِلَيْهِمْ ذُو نُوَاسٍ بِجُنْدِهِ فَدَعَاهُمْ إِلَى الْيَهُودِيَّةِ، وَخَيَّرَهُمْ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ أَوِ الْقَتْلِ فَاخْتَارُوا الْقَتْلَ فَخَدُّوا الْأُخْدُودَ، وَحَرَّقَ بِالنَّارِ، وَقَتَّلَ بِالسَّيْفِ، وَمَثَّلَ بِهِمْ فَقَتَلَ مِنْهُمْ قَرِيبًا مِنْ عِشْرِينَ أَلْفًا فَفِي ذِي نُوَاسٍ، وَجُنْدِهِ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ قُتِلَ أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ الْآيَاتِ. وَهَذَا يَقْتَضِي أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْقِصَّةَ غَيْرُ مَا وَقَعَ فِي سِيَاقِ مُسْلِمٍ. وَقَدْ زَعَمَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَنَّ الْأُخْدُودَ وَقَعَ فِي الْعَالَمِ كَثِيرًا كَمَا قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ أَنْبَأَنَا صَفْوَانُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ قَالَ: كَانَتِ الْأُخْدُودُ فِي الْيَمَنِ زَمَانَ تُبَّعٍ، وَفِي الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ زَمَانَ قُسْطَنْطِينَ حِينَ صَرَفَ النَّصَارَى قِبْلَتَهُمْ عَنْ دِينِ الْمَسِيحِ وَالتَّوْحِيدِ، وَاتَّخَذَ أَتُّونًا، وَأَلْقَى فِيهِ النَّصَارَى الَّذِينَ كَانُوا عَلَى دِينِ الْمَسِيحِ وَالتَّوْحِيدِ، وَفِي الْعِرَاقِ فِي أَرْضِ بَابِلَ فِي زَمَانِ بُخْتُنَصَّرَ حِينَ صَنَعَ الصَّنَمَ، وَأَمَرَ النَّاسَ فَسَجَدُوا لَهُ فَامْتَنَعَ دَانْيَالُ، وَصَاحِبَاهُ عَزْرِيَا وَمَشَايِلُ فَأَوْقَدَ لَهُمْ أَتُّونًا وَأَلْقَى فِيهَا الْحَطَبَ وَالنَّارَ، ثُمَّ أَلْقَاهُمْ فِيهِ فَجَعَلَهَا اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا، وَأَنْقَذَهُمْ مِنْهَا، وَأَلْقَى فِيهَا الَّذِينَ بَغَوْا عَلَيْهِ، وَهُمْ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ فَأَكَلَتْهُمُ النَّارُ. وَقَالَ أَسْبَاطٌ عَنِ السُّدِّيِّ فِي قَوْلِهِ قُتِلَ أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ قَالَ: كَانَ الْأُخْدُودُ ثَلَاثَةً، خَدٌّ بِالشَّامِ، وَخَدٌّ بِالْعِرَاقِ، وَخَدٌّ بِالْيَمَنِ. رَوَاهُ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ.
Translation
✧ The Story of the People of the Trench Allah, may He be exalted, said: “By the heaven holding constellations, and by the promised day, and by a witness and one witnessed, killed were the people of the trench—the fire abounding in fuel—when they sat over it, and they were witnesses of what they did to the believers. And they took revenge on them only because they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is witness over all things. Indeed, those who afflicted the believing men and believing women and then did not repent, for them is the punishment of Hell, and for them is the punishment of the burning” [al-Burūj: 10]. We have spoken about this at length in the commentary on this sūrah, and to Allah belongs praise. Muḥammad b. Isḥāq claimed that they were after the sending of the Messiah, but others opposed him and claimed that they were before him. More than one has mentioned that this deed was repeated in the world many times against believers by tyrannical disbelievers, but concerning those mentioned in the Qurʾān there has come a marfūʿ hadith and a report that Ibn Isḥāq cited, and they are mutually contradictory. Here we cite both so that you may examine them. Imam Aḥmad said: ʿAffān narrated to us: Ḥammād b. Salamah narrated to us, from Thābit, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Laylā, from Ṣuhayb, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “There was a king among those before you, and he had a magician. When the magician grew old, he said to the king, ‘I have become old and my term has come, so hand over to me a boy that I may teach him magic.’ So he handed over to him a boy, and he began to teach him magic. Between the king and the magician there was a monk. The boy came upon the monk and heard his words, and his manner and speech pleased him. Whenever he came to the magician, he beat him and said, ‘What delayed you?’ and whenever he came to his family, they beat him and said, ‘What delayed you?’ He complained about that to the monk, who said, ‘When the magician wants to beat you, say: My family detained me. And when your family wants to beat you, say: The magician detained me.’ He said: While he was thus one day, he came upon a huge, monstrous beast that had blocked the people so they could not pass. He said, ‘Today I will know whether the matter of the magician is more beloved to Allah or the matter of the monk.’ He said: He took a stone and said, ‘O Allah, if the matter of the monk is more beloved to You and more pleasing than the matter of the magician, then kill this beast so that the people may pass.’ And he threw it and killed it, and went on and told the monk about that. The monk said, ‘O my son, you are better than I, and you will be tested. If you are tested, do not point to me.’ So the boy began to cure the blind and the leper and all diseases and heal them. There was a courtier of the king who became blind. He heard of him and came to him with many gifts and said, ‘Heal me, and all that is here is yours.’ He said, ‘I do not heal anyone; it is only Allah, Mighty and Majestic, who heals. If you believe in Him, and I call upon Allah, He will heal you.’ So he believed, and he called upon Allah and He healed him. Then he came to the king and sat with him as he used to sit. The king said to him, ‘O so-and-so, who restored your sight to you?’ He said, ‘My Lord.’ He said, ‘I?’ He said, ‘No. My Lord and your Lord is Allah.’ He said, ‘Do you have a lord other than me?’ He said, ‘Yes, my Lord and your Lord is Allah.’ He did not cease to torture him until he pointed to the boy. So the boy was brought, and he said, ‘O my son, has your magic reached the point that you cure the blind and the leper and these diseases?’ He said, ‘I do not heal anyone; it is only Allah, Mighty and Majestic, who heals.’ He said, ‘I?’ He said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Do you have a lord other than me?’ He said, ‘My Lord and your Lord is Allah.’ He said: Then he seized him also with torture and did not cease with him until he pointed to the monk. The monk was brought, and he said, ‘Renounce your religion,’ but he refused. So he placed a saw on the parting of his head until his two halves fell apart, and he said to the blind man, ‘Renounce your religion,’ but he refused, and he placed the saw on the parting of his head until his two halves fell apart. He said to the boy, ‘Renounce your religion,’ but he refused. So he sent him with a group to such-and-such a mountain and said, ‘When you reach its summit, if he renounces his religion, then otherwise push him down.’ So they went with him, and when they climbed the mountain, he said, ‘O Allah, suffice me against them as You will,’ and the mountain shook with them and they all fell down. The boy came groping until he entered upon the king, who said, ‘What did your companions do?’ He said, ‘Allah sufficed me against them.’ Then he sent him with a group in a ship and said, ‘When you put out to sea, if he renounces his religion, then otherwise drown him in the sea.’ They took him out to sea, and the boy said, ‘O Allah, suffice me against them as You will,’ and they all drowned. The boy came until he entered upon the king, who said, ‘What did your companions do?’ He said, ‘Allah sufficed me against them.’ Then he said to the king: ‘You will not be able to kill me until you do what I command you. If you do what I command you, you will kill me; otherwise you will not be able to kill me.’ He said, ‘What is it?’ He said, ‘Gather the people in one open ground, then crucify me on a trunk, and take an arrow from my quiver, then say: In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy. For if you do that, you will kill me.’ So he did, and placed the arrow in the belly of the bow, then shot it and said, ‘In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.’ The arrow struck his temple, and the boy placed his hand on the spot of the arrow and died. The people said, ‘We believe in the Lord of the boy.’ It was said to the king, ‘Do you see what you were wary of? By Allah, it has befallen you. All the people have believed.’ So he commanded that trenches be dug at the mouths of the streets, and fires were kindled in them, and he said, ‘Whoever renounces his religion, leave him; otherwise cast him into it.’ He said: They began to vie with one another in it and shove one another. A woman came with a child she was nursing, and it was as if she hesitated to fall into the fire. The infant said, ‘Be patient, O mother, for you are upon the truth.’” Thus Imam Aḥmad narrated it, and Muslim and al-Nasāʾī narrated it from the hadith of Ḥammād b. Salamah, with al-Nasāʾī adding: and Ḥammād b. Zayd, both from Thābit, with it. Al-Tirmidhī narrated it by way of ʿAbd al-Razzāq, from Maʿmar, from Thābit, with its chain, in similar form, and he edited its presentation, as we explained at length in the commentary. Another version of the story: Muḥammad b. Isḥāq cited this story in another manner. He said: Yazīd b. Ziyād narrated to me, from Muḥammad b. Kaʿb, and also some of the people of Najrān narrated to me, from its people, that the people of Najrān were people of polytheism who worshiped idols. In one of its villages near Najrān—and Najrān is the great town to which the people of that region come together—there was a magician who taught the boys of the people of Najrān magic. When Faymīyūn settled there—and they did not name him for me by the name that Ibn Munabbih gave him; they said: a man who settled there—he built a tent between Najrān and that village in which the magician was. The people of Najrān began to send their boys to that magician to teach them magic. Al-Thāmir sent his son ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Thāmir with the boys of the people of Najrān. Whenever he passed by the owner of the tent, what he saw of his worship and prayer pleased him, and he began to sit with him and listen to him until he submitted, declaring Allah’s oneness and worshiping Him. He began to ask him about the laws of Islam, until when he had become learned in it, he began to ask him about the Greatest Name, which he knew, but he concealed it from him. He said to him, ‘O son of my brother, you will not be able to bear it; I fear your weakness regarding it.’ Al-Thāmir, the father of ʿAbd Allāh, thought only that his son was going back and forth to the magician as the boys did. When ʿAbd Allāh saw that his companion was withholding it from him and feared his weakness in it, he set about taking arrows and gathering them. Then he did not leave any name of Allah that he knew except that he wrote it on an arrow, one arrow for each name, until when he had enumerated them, he lit a fire and began to cast them arrow by arrow, until when he came to the Greatest Name, he cast its arrow into the fire, and the arrow leapt out of it and was not harmed at all. He took it and brought it to his companion and told him that he had learned the Greatest Name that he had concealed. He said, ‘What is it?’ He said, ‘Such-and-such.’ He said, ‘How did you learn it?’ He told him what he had done. He said, ‘O son of my brother, you have attained it. Keep it to yourself, and I do not think you will do so.’ ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Thāmir began, whenever he entered Najrān, to meet no one afflicted with harm except he said, ‘O servant of Allah, will you declare Allah’s oneness and enter my religion, and I will call upon Allah for you and He will heal you from the affliction you are in?’ He would say, ‘Yes,’ and declare Allah’s oneness and submit, and he would call upon Allah for him and he would be healed. Until there remained no one in Najrān with an affliction except he came to him and followed him in his matter, and he called upon Allah for him and he was healed. Until his affair reached the king of Najrān, who summoned him and said, ‘You have corrupted the people of my town against me and opposed my religion and the religion of my forefathers. I will surely make an example of you.’ He said, ‘You cannot do that.’ He began to send him to the tall mountain to be thrown on his head, but he would fall to the ground with no harm. He began to send him to waters in Najrān—seas in which nothing was thrown except it perished—and he would be cast into them and come out with no harm. When he defeated him, ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Thāmir said to him, ‘By Allah, you will not be able to kill me until you declare Allah’s oneness and believe in what I believe. For if you do, you will be given power over me and kill me.’ He said: That king declared Allah’s oneness and bore witness with the testimony of ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Thāmir. Then he struck him with a staff in his hand and inflicted a wound on his head, not a large one, and killed him. The king perished on the spot, and the people of Najrān united upon the religion of ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Thāmir, which was upon what Jesus son of Mary brought of the Gospel and its wisdom. Then there befell them what befell the people of their religion of the events, and from there was the origin of the religion of Christianity in Najrān. Ibn Isḥāq said: This is the hadith of Muḥammad b. Kaʿb and some of the people of Najrān, from ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Thāmir. Allah knows best which of these it was. He said: Dhū Nuwās marched against them with his army and called them to Judaism, giving them the choice between that or death. They chose death, and they dug the trench and burned with fire and killed with the sword and mutilated them, killing nearly twenty thousand of them. Concerning Dhū Nuwās and his army Allah revealed to His Messenger: “Killed were the people of the trench—the fire abounding in fuel,” the verses. This requires that this story is other than what occurred in the account of Muslim. Some have claimed that the trench occurred in the world many times, as Ibn Abī Ḥātim said: My father narrated to us: Abū al-Yamān narrated to us: Ṣafwān informed us, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Jubayr, who said: The trench was in Yemen in the time of Tubbaʿ, and in Constantinople in the time of Constantine when he turned the Christians away from their qiblah and from the religion of the Messiah and monotheism, and he set up a furnace and cast into it the Christians who were upon the religion of the Messiah and monotheism. And in Iraq in the land of Babylon in the time of Nebuchadnezzar when he made the idol and commanded the people, and they prostrated to it. Daniel and his two companions Azariah and Mishael refused, so he kindled a furnace for them and cast firewood and fire into it, then cast them into it, and Allah made it coolness and peace for them and saved them from it. And he cast into it those who had wronged them—nine men—and the fire consumed them. Asbāṭ said, from al-Suddī, regarding His saying, “Killed were the people of the trench”: He said: The trench was three: a trench in Syria, a trench in Iraq, and a trench in Yemen. Ibn Abī Ḥātim narrated it.
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