Tarikh (al-Tabari) 739
Mention of some of the harm the Messenger of Allah ﷺ suffered from his people
[ مَا كَانَ يُؤْذِي بِهِ النَّضْرُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَمَا نَزَلَ فِيهِ ] وَالنَّضْرُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ كَلَدَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنَافِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الدَّارِ بْنِ، قُصَيٍّ، كَانَ إذَا جَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَجْلِسًا، فَدَعَا فِيهِ إلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَتَلَا فِيهَا الْقُرْآنَ، وَحَذَّرَ ( فِيهِ ) قُرَيْشًا مَا أَصَابَ الْأُمَمَ الْخَالِيَةَ، خَلَفَهُ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ إذَا قَامَ، فَحَدَّثَهُمْ عَنْ رُسْتُمَ السِّنْدِيدِ، وَعَنْ أَسْفِنْدِيَارَ، وَمُلُوكِ فَارِسَ، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ وَاَللَّهِ مَا مُحَمَّدٌ بِأَحْسَنَ حَدِيثًا مِنِّي، وَمَا حَدِيثُهُ إلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ، اكْتَتَبَهَا كَمَا اكْتَتَبْتهَا. فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ: وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِيَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا قُلْ أَنْزَلَهُ الَّذِي يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا وَنَزَلَ فِيهِ إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَنَزَلَ فِيهِ: وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍ يَسْمَعُ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ يُصِرُّ مُسْتَكْبِرًا كَأَنْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْهَا فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: الْأَفَّاكُ: الْكَذَّابُ. وَفِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ مِنْ إِفْكِهِمْ لَيَقُولُونَ وَلَدَ اللَّهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ وَقَالَ رُؤْبَةُ ( بْنُ الْعَجَّاجِ ) : مَا لِامْرِئٍ أَفَّكَ قَوْلًا إفْكًا وَهَذَا الْبَيْتُ فِي أُرْجُوزَةٍ لَهُ. قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا - فِيمَا بَلَغَنِي - مَعَ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فَجَاءَ النَّضْرُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ حَتَّى جَلَسَ مَعَهُمْ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ، وَفِي الْمَجْلِسِ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِ قُرَيْشٍ، فَتَكَلَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَعَرَضَ لَهُ النَّضْرُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، فَكَلَّمَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ حَتَّى أَفْحَمَهُ، ثُمَّ تَلَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ: إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنْتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ لَوْ كَانَ هَؤُلَاءِ آلِهَةً مَا وَرَدُوهَا وَكُلٌّ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ لَهُمْ فِيهَا زَفِيرٌ وَهُمْ فِيهَا لَا يَسْمَعُونَ قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ: كُلُّ مَا أُوقِدَتْ بِهِ. قَالَ أَبُو ذُؤَيْبٍ الْهُذَلِيُّ، وَاسْمُهُ خُوَيْلِدِ بْنُ خَالِدٍ: : فَأَطْفِئْ وَلَا تُوقِدْ وَلَا تَكُ مِحْضَأً لِنَارِ الْعُدَاةِ أَنْ تَطِيرَ شَكَاتُهَا وَهَذَا الْبَيْتُ فِي أَبْيَاتٍ لَهُ. وَيُرْوَى وَلَا تَكُ مِحْضَأً. قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ: : حَضَأْتُ لَهُ نَارِي فَأَبْصَرَ ضَوْءَهَا وَمَا كَانَ لَوْلَا حَضْأَةِ النَّارِ يَهْتَدِي [ مَقَالَةُ ابْنِ الزِّبَعْرَى، وَمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: ثُمَّ قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَأَقْبَلَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الزِّبَعْرَى السَّهْمِيُّ حَتَّى جَلَسَ، فَقَالَ الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزِّبَعْرَى: وَاَللَّهِ مَا قَامَ النَّضْرُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ لَابْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ آنِفًا وَمَا قَعَدَ، وَقَدْ زَعَمَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَنَّا وَمَا نَعْبُدُ مِنْ آلِهَتِنَا هَذِهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ؛ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الزِّبَعْرَى: أَمَا وَاَللَّهِ لَوْ وَجَدْتُهُ لَخَصَمْتُهُ، فَسَلُوا مُحَمَّدًا: أَكُلُّ مَا يُعْبَدُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَعَ مَنْ عَبَدَهُ ؟ فَنَحْنُ نَعْبُدُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ، وَالْيَهُودُ تَعْبُدُ عُزَيْرًا، وَالنَّصَارَى تَعْبُدُ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ ( عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ )، فَعَجِبَ الْوَلِيدُ، وَمَنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ مِنْ قَوْلِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزِّبَعْرَى، وَرَأَوْا أَنَّهُ قَدْ احْتَجَّ وَخَاصَمَ فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ قَوْلِ ابْنِ الزِّبَعْرَى، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ( إنَّ ) كُلَّ مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُعْبَدَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ مَعَ مَنْ عَبَدَهُ، إنَّهُمْ إنَّمَا يَعْبُدُونَ الشَّيَاطِينَ، وَمَنْ أَمَرَتْهُمْ بِعِبَادَتِهِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ فِي ذَلِكَ: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِنَّا الْحُسْنَى أُولَئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ حَسِيسَهَا وَهُمْ فِي مَا اشْتَهَتْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ خَالِدُونَ أَيْ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ، وَعُزَيْرًا، وَمَنْ عُبِدُوا مِنْ الْأَحْبَارِ وَالرُّهْبَانِ الَّذِينَ مَضَوْا عَلَى طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ، فَاِتَّخَذَهُمْ مَنْ يَعْبُدُهُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الضَّلَالَةِ أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ. وَنَزَلَ فِيمَا يَذْكُرُونَ، أَنَّهُمْ يَعْبُدُونَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ، وَأَنَّهَا بَنَاتُ اللَّهِ: وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَنُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُكْرَمُونَ لَا يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ إلَى قَوْلِهِ: وَمَنْ يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّي إِلَهٌ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَذَلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّالِمِينَ وَنَزَلَ فِيمَا ذُكِرَ مِنْ أَمْرِ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ أَنَّهُ يُعْبَدُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ، وَعَجَبِ الْوَلِيدِ وَمَنْ حَضَرَهُ مِنْ حُجَّتِهِ وَخُصُومَتِهِ: وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ أَيْ يَصُدُّونَ عَنْ أَمْرِكَ بِذَلِكَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ فَقَالَ: إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلًا لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ مَلَائِكَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ فَلَا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ أَيْ مَا وَضَعْتُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ مِنْ الْآيَاتِ مِنْ إحْيَاءِ الْمَوْتَى، وَإِبْرَاءِ الْأَسْقَامِ، فَكَفَى بِهِ دَلِيلًا عَلَى عِلْمِ السَّاعَةِ، يَقُولُ: فَلَا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ فائدة قال ابن كثير رحمه الله تعالى: وَهَذَا الْجَدَلُ الَّذِي سَلَكُوهُ بَاطِلٌ، وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ذَلِكَ ; لِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ عَرَبٌ وَمِنْ لُغَتِهِمْ أَنَّ " مَا " لِمَا لَا يَعْقِلُ، فَقَوْلُهُ إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنْتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ. إِنَّمَا أُرِيدَ بِذَلِكَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَهُ مِنَ الْأَحْجَارِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ صُوَرَ أَصْنَامٍ، وَلَا يَتَنَاوَلُ ذَلِكَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ الَّذِينَ زَعَمُوا أَنَّهُمْ يَعْبُدُونَهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الصُّوَرِ، وَلَا الْمَسِيحَ، وَلَا عُزَيْرًا وَلَا أَحَدًا مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ; لِأَنَّ اللَّفْظَ لَا يَتَنَاوَلُهُمْ، لَا لَفْظًا وَلَا مَعْنًى، فَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ بِعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ مِنَ الْمَثَلِ جَدَلٌ بَاطِلٌ، كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنْ هُوَ أَيْ عِيسَى إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ أَيْ بِنُبُوَّتِنَا وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلًا لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ [ الزُّخْرُفِ: 59 ] أَيْ دَلِيلًا عَلَى تَمَامِ قُدْرَتِنَا عَلَى مَا نَشَاءُ حَيْثُ خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ أُنْثَى بِلَا ذَكَرٍ، وَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا حَوَّاءَ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ بِلَا أُنْثَى، وَخَلَقْنَا آدَمَ لَا مِنْ هَذَا وَلَا مِنْ هَذَا، وَخَلَقْنَا سَائِرَ بَنِي آدَمَ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى، كَمَا قَالَ فِي الْآيَةِ الْأُخْرَى وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ آيَةً لِلنَّاسِ أَيْ أَمَارَةً وَدَلِيلًا عَلَى قُدْرَتِنَا الْبَاهِرَةِ وَرَحْمَةٍ مِنَّا [ مَرْيَمَ: 21 ] نَرْحَمُ بِهَا مَنْ نَشَاءُ. وفي الكامل قال: النَّضْرُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ كَلَدَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنَافِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الدَّارِ، يُكَنَّى أَبَا قَائِدٍ، وَكَانَ أَشَدَّ قُرَيْشٍ فِي تَكْذِيبِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَالْأَذَى لَهُ وَلِأَصْحَابِهِ. وَكَانَ يَنْظُرُ فِي كُتُبِ الْفُرْسِ وَيُخَالِطُ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى، وَسَمِعَ بِذِكْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقُرْبِ مَبْعَثِهِ، فَقَالَ: إِنْ جَاءَنَا نَذِيرٌ لَنَكُونَنَّ أَهْدَى مِنْ إِحْدَى الْأُمَمِ، فَنَزَلَتْ: ( وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ )، الْآيَةَ.
Translation
✧ [What harm al-Naḍr used to do to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and what was revealed concerning him] Al-Naḍr b. al-Ḥārith b. ʿAlqamah b. Kaladah b. ʿAbd Manāf b. ʿAbd al-Dār b. Quṣayy: whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat in a gathering and called therein to Allah Almighty, recited the Qurʾān therein, and warned Quraysh therein of what had befallen the ancient nations, he would take his place in the gathering when he rose, and would tell them about Rustum the mighty, about Isfandiyār, and about the kings of Persia. Then he would say, "By Allah, Muḥammad is no better a speaker than I, and his speech is nothing but legends of the ancients, which he has written down just as I have written them down." So Allah revealed concerning him: "And they say, 'Legends of the ancients, which he has written down; they are dictated to him morning and evening.' Say, 'He has sent it down who knows the secret in the heavens and the earth. Indeed, He is ever Forgiving, Merciful.'" And there was revealed concerning him: "When Our verses are recited to him, he says, 'Legends of the ancients.'" And there was revealed concerning him: "Woe to every sinful liar who hears the verses of Allah recited to him, then persists arrogantly as if he had not heard them. So give him tidings of a painful punishment." Ibn Hishām said: al-affāk means al-kadhdhāb (the liar). And in the Book of Allah Almighty: "Unquestionably, it is from their falsehood that they say, 'Allah has begotten,' and indeed they are liars." Ruʾbah b. al-ʿAjjāj said: Mā li-mriʾin affāka qawlan ifkā "What is the matter with a man who lies in speech with falsehood?" This verse is in a rajaz poem of his. Ibn Isḥāq said: One day, as I was told, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat with al-Walīd b. al-Mughīrah in the mosque. Al-Naḍr b. al-Ḥārith came and sat with them in the gathering, and in the gathering there was more than one of the men of Quraysh. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ spoke, and al-Naḍr b. al-Ḥārith confronted him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ spoke to him until he silenced him. Then he recited to him and to them: "Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah are fuel for Hell; you will come to it. Had these been gods, they would not have come to it; and all will abide therein eternally. For them therein is moaning, and they therein will not hear." Ibn Hishām said: ḥaṣab Jahannam (fuel of Hell) means everything with which it is kindled. Abū Dhuʾayb al-Hudhalī, whose name is Khuwaylid b. Khālid, said: Fa-aṭfiʾ wa-lā tūqid wa-lā taku miḥḍaʾan li-nāri l-ʿudāti an taṭīra shakātuhā "So extinguish, and do not kindle, and do not be a poker for the fire of the enemies, lest its sparks fly." This verse is in some lines of his. It is also transmitted as "wa-lā taku miḥḍaʾan" (and do not be a poker). The poet said: Ḥaḍaʾtu lahu nārī fa-abṣara ḍawʾahā wa-mā kāna lawlā ḥaḍʾati n-nāri yahtadī "I kindled my fire for him and he saw its light, and he would not have been guided but for the kindling of the fire." [The argument of Ibn al-Zibaʿrā, and what Allah revealed concerning him] Ibn Isḥāq said: Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ rose, and ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Zibaʿrā al-Sahmī came and sat down. Al-Walīd b. al-Mughīrah said to ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Zibaʿrā, "By Allah, al-Naḍr b. al-Ḥārith neither stood nor sat just now for the son of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib before you, yet Muḥammad claimed that we and what we worship of these gods of ours are fuel for Hell." ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Zibaʿrā said, "By Allah, if I found him, I would argue with him. Ask Muḥammad: is everything that is worshipped besides Allah in Hell with those who worshipped it? We worship the angels, the Jews worship ʿUzayr, and the Christians worship Jesus the son of Mary (peace be upon them)." Al-Walīd and those with him in the gathering marveled at the words of ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Zibaʿrā and thought that he had argued and contended. That was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from the words of Ibn al-Zibaʿrā, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Indeed, everyone who loves to be worshipped besides Allah is with the one who worshipped him. They only worship the devils and those whom the devils commanded them to worship." Then Allah Almighty revealed to him concerning that: "Indeed, those for whom the best has preceded from Us, they will be kept far away from it; they will not hear its hissing, and they will abide eternally in what their souls desire" — meaning Jesus the son of Mary, ʿUzayr, and those among the rabbis and monks who were worshipped and who had passed away upon obedience to Allah, whom those who worshipped them among the people of error took as lords besides Allah. And there was revealed concerning what they mentioned, that they worshipped the angels and that they were the daughters of Allah: "And they say, 'The Most Merciful has taken a son.' Exalted is He! Rather, they are honored servants. They do not precede Him in speech, and they act by His command," up to His saying: "And whoever of them says, 'Indeed, I am a god besides Him,' then that one We will recompense with Hell. Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers." And there was revealed concerning what was mentioned of the matter of Jesus the son of Mary, that he is worshipped besides Allah, and the amazement of al-Walīd and those present at his argument and contention: "And when the son of Mary is cited as an example, behold, your people turn away from it" — meaning they turn away from your command because of that saying of theirs. Then He mentioned Jesus the son of Mary and said: "He is no more than a servant upon whom We bestowed favor and made him an example for the Children of Israel. And if We willed, We could have made among you angels succeeding one another on the earth. And indeed, he is knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path" — meaning what I placed upon his hands of signs, such as giving life to the dead and healing illnesses, which is sufficient as a proof of knowledge of the Hour. He says: so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path. Fāʾidah: Ibn Kathīr, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, said: This dispute which they followed is false, and they know that, because they are an Arab people, and in their language "mā" is for what does not possess intellect. His saying, "Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah are fuel for Hell; you will come to it" is intended only for what they worshipped of stones that were images of idols, and it does not include the angels whom they claimed to worship in these images, nor the Messiah, nor ʿUzayr, nor anyone of the righteous, because the wording does not include them, neither literally nor semantically. They know that the example they cited with Jesus the son of Mary is false argumentation, as Allah Almighty said: "They did not cite it to you except for argument. Rather, they are a contentious people." Then He said: "He is no more than a servant upon whom We bestowed favor" — meaning Jesus — "by Our prophethood, and made him an example for the Children of Israel" [al-Zukhruf: 59], meaning a proof of the perfection of Our power over what We will, since We created him from a female without a male, while We created Eve from a male without a female, and We created Adam from neither this nor that, and We created the rest of the children of Adam from a male and a female, as He said in the other verse: "And to make him a sign for the people" [Maryam: 21], meaning a mark and proof of Our dazzling power, "and a mercy from Us" by which We show mercy to whom We will. In al-Kāmil it is said: Al-Naḍr b. al-Ḥārith b. ʿAlqamah b. Kaladah b. ʿAbd Manāf b. ʿAbd al-Dār, whose kunyah was Abū Qāʾid, was the severest of Quraysh in denying the Prophet ﷺ and in harming him and his companions. He used to look into the books of the Persians and mix with the Jews and the Christians. He heard mention of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the nearness of his sending, and he said, "If a warner comes to us, we will surely be better guided than any of the nations." Then there was revealed: "And they swore by Allah their strongest oaths…"
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