Tarikh (al-Tabari) 76
The story of Idris (peace be upon him)
رَوَى عِكْرِمَةُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: وَلا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الأُولَى ، قَالَ: كَانَ فِيمَا بَيْنَ نُوحٍ وَإِدْرِيسَ، وَكَانَتْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ، وَإِنَّ بَطْنَيْنِ مِنْ وَلَدِ آدَمَ، كَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا يَسْكُنُ السَّهْلَ، وَالْآخَرُ يَسْكُنُ الْجِبَالَ، وَكَانَ رِجَالُ الْجِبَالِ صِبَاحًا وَفِي النِّسَاءِ دَمَامَةٌ، وَكَانَ نِسَاءُ السَّهْلِ صِبَاحًا وَفِي الرِّجَالِ دَمَامَةٌ، وَأَتَى إِبْلِيسُ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَهْلِ السَّهْلِ فِي صُورَةِ غُلَامٍ، فَآجَرَ نَفْسَهُ مِنْهُ، وَكَانَ إِبْلِيسُ يَخْدِمُهُ، فَأَخَذَ إِبْلِيسُ مِثْلَ هَذَا الَّذِي يُزَمِّرُ فِيهِ الرِّعَاءُ، فَجَاءَ فِيهِ بِصَوْتٍ لَمْ يَسْمَعِ النَّاسُ مِثْلَهُ، [فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ مَنْ حَوْلَهُمْ]، فَانْتَابُوهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ إِلَيْهِ، [وَاتَّخَذُوا عِيدًا يَجْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْهِ فِي السَّنَةِ]، فَتَتَبَرَّجَ النِّسَاءُ لِلرِّجَالِ. [قَالَ: وَيَنْزِلُ الرِّجَالُ لَهُنَّ. وَإِنَّ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَبَلِ هَجَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَهُمْ فِي عِيدِهِمْ ذَلِكَ، فَرَأَى النِّسَاءَ وَصَبَاحَتِهِنَّ، فَأَتَى أَصْحَابَهُ فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ بِذَلِكَ]، ثُمَّ تَحَوَّلُوا [إِلَيْهِنَّ]، فَنَزَلُوا مَعَهُنَّ، فَظَهَرَتِ الْفَاحِشَةُ [فِيهِنَّ]، فَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: وَلا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الأُولَى. وَقَدْ كَانَتْ أَحْدَاثٌ كَثِيرَةٌ وَقُرُونٌ بَيْنَ آدَمَ وَنُوحٌ لَا يُعْلَمُ أَكْثَرُهَا. وَرَوَى أَبُو أُمَامَةَ أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: كَمْ كَانَ بَيْنَ آدَمَ وَنُوحٍ ؟ قَالَ: "عَشَرَةُ قُرُونٍ". الاختلاف في ترتيب القرون بين آدم ونوح قَالَ الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ أَبُو الْفَرَجِ: وَقَدِ اخْتُلِفَ فِي تَرْتِيبِ هَذِهِ الْقُرُونِ وَالْأَحْدَاثِ الْكَائِنَةِ فِيهَا. فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ: أَنَّ قَوْمًا قَالُوا: مَلَكَ طَهْمُرْثُ، وَيُقَالُ: طَهْمُورَبُ، بِالْبَاءِ، كَذَلِكَ ضَبَطَ أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ ابْنُ الْمُنَادِي. وَيُقَالُ: طَهُومَرْتُ، وَهُوَ مِنْ وَلَدِ أُوشَنْجَ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا عِدَّةُ آبَاءٍ، فَسَلَكَ طَرِيقَ جَدِّهِ، وَمَلَكَ الْأَقَالِيمَ كُلَّهَا، وَبَنَى الْمَوْضِعَ الَّذِي جَدَّدَهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ شَابُورُ مَلِكُ فَارِسَ، وَنَزَّلَهُ، وَنَفَى الْأَشْرَارَ، وَهُوَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ كَتَبَ بِالْفَارِسِيَّةِ ، وَاتَّخَذَ الْخَيْلَ وَالْبِغَالَ وَالْحَمِيرَ، وَالْكِلَابَ لِحِفْظِ الْمَوَاشِي، وَاسْتَمَرَّتْ أَحْوَالُهُ عَلَى الصَّلَاحِ. ثُمَّ مَلَكَ أَخُوهُ جَمِ الشِّيذُ، وَتَفْسِيرُهُ سَدَّ الشُّعَاعَ، سُمِّيَ بِذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ جَمِيلًا وَضِيئًا، فَمَلَكَ الْأَقَالِيمَ، وَسَلَكَ السِّيرَةَ الْجَمِيلَةَ وَزَادَ فِي الْمُلْكِ بِأَنِ ابْتَدَعَ عَمَلَ السُّيُوفِ وَالسِّلَاحِ وَدَلَّ عَلَى صَنْعَةِ الْإِبْرَيْسَمِ وَالْقَزِّ وَغَيْرِهِ وَمِمَّا يُغْزَلُ. وَأَمَرَ بِنَسْجِ الثِّيَابِ وَصَبْغِهَا، و [نَحْتِ] السُّرُوجِ وَالْأَكُفِّ، [وَتَذْلِيلِ الدَّوَابِّ بِهَا]. وَصَنَّفَ النَّاسَ أَرْبَعَ طَبَقَاتٍ: طَبَقَةٌ مُقَاتِلَةٌ، وَطَبَقَةٌ كُتَّابًا، وَطَبَقَةٌ صُنَّاعًا وَحَرَّاثِينَ، وَطَبَقَةٌ خَدَمًا. وَعَمِلَ أَرْبَعَةَ خَوَاتِمَ: خَاتَمًا لِلْحَرْثِ وَالشُّرَطِ، وَكَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ الْأَنَاةَ، وَخَاتَمًا لِلْخَرَاجِ وَجِبَايَةِ الْأَمْوَالِ، وَكَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ الْعِمَارَةَ. وَخَاتَمًا لِلْبَرِيدِ، وَكَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ الرَّخَاءَ. وَخَاتَمًا لِلْمَظَالِمِ، وَكَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ الْعَدْلَ، فَبَقِيَتْ هَذِهِ الرُّسُومُ فِي مُلُوكِ الْفَرَسِ إِلَى أَنْ جَاءَ الْإِسْلَامُ. وَأَلْزَمَ مَنْ غَلَبَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْفَسَادِ بِالْأَعْمَالِ الصَّعْبَةِ مِنْ قَطْعِ الصُّخُورِ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ، وَعَمِلِ الرُّخَامِ وَالْجِصِّ وَالْبِنَاءِ وَالْكِلْسِ وَالْحَمَّامَاتِ. وَأَخْرَجَ مِنَ الْبِحَارِ وَالْجِبَالِ وَالْمَعَادِنِ وَالْفَلَوَاتِ كُلَّ مَا يَنْتَفِعُ بِهِ النَّاسُ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَمَا يُذَابُ مِنَ الْجَوَاهِرِ وَأَنْوَاعِ الطِّيبِ وَالْأَدْوِيَةِ، وَأَحْدَثَ النَّوْرُوزَ فَجَعَلَهُ عِيدًا. ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ بَطِرَ وَجَمَعَ الْخَلْقَ فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ أَنَّهُ مَالِكُهُمْ وَالدَّافِعُ عَنْهُمْ بِقُوَّتِهِ الْهَرَمَ وَالسَّقَمَ وَالْمَوْتَ، وَجَحَدَ إِحْسَانَ اللَّهِ إِلَيْهِ، وَادَّعَى الرُّبُوبِيَّةَ. فَأَحَسَّ بِذَلِكَ الْمَلِكُ بَيُورَاسِبَ الَّذِي يُسَمَّى الضَّحَّاكَ، وَهُوَ مِنْ وَلَدِ جِيُومَرْثَ، وَيَزْعُمُ قَوْمٌ أَنَّ جَمَ الشِّيذِ زَوَّجَ أُخْتَهُ بَعْضَ أَشْرَافِ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ، فَوَلَدَتْ لَهُ الْحَكَمَ فَانْتَدَبَ إِلَى جَمٍ بِنَفْسِهِ، فَهَرَبَ مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ ظَفِرَ بِهِ الضَّحَّاكُ فَامْتَلَخَ أَمْعَاءَهُ وَنَشَرَهُ بِمِنْشَارٍ. وَقَدْ رُوِّينَا عَنْ وَهْبِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ قِصَّةً تُشْبِهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ قِصَّةَ جَمٍ لَوْلَا أَنَّ فِيهَا ذِكْرُ نَصْرَ، وَبَيْنَ جَمٍ وَنَصْرَ بَوْنٌ بَعِيدٌ، إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ الضَّحَّاكُ سُمِّيَ بِذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ بُخْتَ نَصَّرَ. وعن عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ بْنُ مَعْقِلٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ وَهْبًا يَقُولُ: إِنَّ رَجُلَا مَلِكٍ وَهُوَ شَابٌّ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي لِأَجِدَ لِلْمُلْكِ لَذَّةً، وَلَا أَدْرِي أَكَذَلِكَ يَجِدُ النَّاسُ الْمُلْكَ أَمْ أَنَا أَجِدُهُ مِنْ بَيْنِهِمْ؟ فَقِيلَ: بَلِ الْمُلْكُ كَذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: مَا الَّذِي يُقِيمُهُ لِي؟ فَقِيلَ لَهُ: يُقِيمُهُ أَنْ تُطِيعَ اللَّهَ وَلَا تَعْصِيهِ، فَدَعَا نَاسًا مِنْ خِيَارٍ مَنْ [كَانَ] فِي مُلْكِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: كُونُوا بِحَضْرَتِي وَفِي مَجْلِسِي، فَمَا رَأَيْتُمْ أَنَّهُ طَاعَةُ اللَّهِ فَمُرُونِي أَنْ أَعْمَلَ بِهِ، وَمَا رَأَيْتُمْ أَنَّهُ مَعْصِيَةَ اللَّهِ فَازْجُرُونِي عَنْهُ أَنْزَجِرْ، فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ هُوَ وَهُمْ، فَاسْتَقَامَ مُلْكُهُ أَرْبَعَمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مُطِيعًا لِلَّهِ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ إِبْلِيسَ انْتَبَهَ لِذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: تَرَكْتُ رَجُلًا يَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ مَلِكًا أَرْبَعَمِائَةِ [سَنَةٍ]، فَجَاءَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ وَتَمَثَّلَ لَهُ بِرَجُلٍ، فَفَزِعَ مِنْهُ الْمَلِكُ فَقَالَ: مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَقَالَ إِبْلِيسُ: لَا تُرَعْ، وَلَكِنْ أَخْبَرَنِي مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ: أَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ إِبْلِيسُ: لَوْ كُنْتُ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ لَقَدْ مُتَّ كَمَا يَمُوتُ بَنُو آدَمَ، أَلَمْ تَرَ كُمْ قَدْ مَاتَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَذَهَبَ [مِنَ] الْقُرُونِ، وَلَكِنَّكَ إِلَهٌ، فَادْعُ النَّاسَ إِلَى عِبَادَتِكَ. فَدَخَلَ ذَلِكَ فِي قَلْبِهِ، ثُمَّ صَعِدَ الْمِنْبَرَ، فَخَطَبَ النَّاسَ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي [قَدْ كُنْتُ] أَخْفَيْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَمْرًا بَانَ لِي إِظْهَارُهُ لَكُمْ، أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنِّي مَلَكْتُكُمْ أَرْبَعَمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ، فَلَوْ كُنْتُ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ لَقَدْ مُتُّ كَمَا مَاتُوا، وَلَكِنِّي إِلَهٌ فَاعْبُدُونَي فَأَرْعَشَ مَكَانَهُ، فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلَى بَعْضِ مَنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ، فَقَالَ: أَخْبِرْهُ أَنِّي [قَدِ] اسْتَقَمْتُ [لَهُ] مَا اسْتَقَامَ لِي، فَارْعَوَى مِنْ طَاعَتِي إِلَى مَعْصِيَتِي فَلَمْ يَسْتَقِمْ لِي، فَبِعِزَّتِي حَلَفْتُ لَأُسَلِّطَنَّ عَلَيْهِ نَصَّرَ فَلَيَضْرِبَنَّ عُنُقَهُ، وَلَيَأْخُذَنَّ مَا فِي خِزَانَتِهِ، وَكَانَ فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ لَا يَسْخَطُ اللَّهُ عَلَى أَحَدٍ إِلَّا سَلَطَ عَلَيْهِ نَصَّرَ فَضَرَبَ عُنُقَهُ وَأَوْقَرَ مِنْ خِزَانَتِهِ سَبْعِينَ سَفِينَةً [ذَهَبًا].
Translation
✧ ʿIkrimah narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās regarding His saying, exalted be He: “And do not display yourselves as [in] the former ignorance” (Q 33:33). He said: It was in the period between Nūḥ and Idrīs, and that was a thousand years. There were two branches of the children of Ādam: one dwelt in the plain, and the other dwelt in the mountains. The men of the mountains were handsome while the women were ugly, and the women of the plain were beautiful while the men were ugly. Iblīs came to a man of the people of the plain in the form of a boy, and he hired himself out to him. Iblīs served him. Then Iblīs took something like the instrument on which shepherds pipe, and he produced with it a sound the like of which the people had never heard. [News of that reached those around them], and they began to frequent them to listen to it. [They adopted a festival at which they gathered once a year], and the women displayed themselves to the men. [He said: The men came down to them. A man of the mountain people came upon them unexpectedly while they were at that festival of theirs. He saw the women and their beauty, so he went to his companions and told them about that.] Then they moved [toward them] and settled with them, and lewdness appeared [among them]. That is His saying, exalted be He: “And do not display yourselves as [in] the former ignorance.” There had been many events and generations between Ādam and Nūḥ, most of which are unknown. Abū Umāmah narrated that a man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: How long was there between Ādam and Nūḥ? He said: “Ten generations.” Disagreement concerning the order of the generations between Ādam and Nūḥ The shaykh, the imam Abu al-Faraj said: There has been disagreement concerning the order of these generations and the events that occurred in them. Among that is: Some people said: Tahmūrath, also said Ṭahmūrab with bāʾ — thus vocalized by Abu al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Munādī — and also said Ṭahūmart, who was of the offspring of Ūshanaj, ruled, with several fathers between them. He followed the path of his grandfather, ruled all the provinces, built the place that Shābūr, king of Persia, later renovated and occupied, banished the wicked, and was the first to write in Persian. He acquired horses, mules, donkeys, and dogs for guarding livestock, and his affairs continued in rectitude. Then his brother Jam al-Shīdh ruled. Its interpretation is “he blocked the rays”; he was so named because he was handsome and radiant. He ruled the provinces, followed excellent conduct, and increased the kingdom by inventing the making of swords and weapons, and he taught the craft of silk, raw silk, and other things that are spun. He commanded the weaving of garments and their dyeing, and the [carving] of saddles and saddle pads, [and the taming of mounts with them]. He divided people into four classes: a fighting class, a class of scribes, a class of artisans and cultivators, and a class of servants. He made four seals: a seal for cultivation and the guards, on which he wrote “deliberateness”; a seal for the land tax and collection of funds, on which he wrote “cultivation”; a seal for the postal service, on which he wrote “prosperity”; and a seal for grievances, on which he wrote “justice.” These practices remained among the kings of Persia until Islam came. He obliged those of the corrupt whom he subdued to perform hard labor: cutting rocks from the mountains, working marble, plaster, building, quicklime, and baths. He brought forth from the seas, mountains, mines, and deserts all that people benefit from: gold, silver, meltable gemstones, kinds of perfume, and medicines. He instituted Nawrūz and made it a festival. Then he became insolent and gathered the creation and informed them that he was their master and that by his power he warded off decrepitude, sickness, and death. He denied God’s favor to him and claimed divinity. King Biyūrāsib, called al-Ḍaḥḥāk, who was of the offspring of Jiyūmarth, sensed that. Some people claim that Jam al-Shīdh married his sister to one of the nobles of a household, and she bore him al-Ḥakam, who rose against Jam himself. Jam fled from him. Then al-Ḍaḥḥāk captured him, tore out his entrails, and cut him with a saw. A story resembling the story of Jam has been narrated to us from Wahb ibn Munabbih were it not that it mentions Naṣr; but between Jam and Naṣr there is a vast gap, unless al-Ḍaḥḥāk was called Bukht Naṣṣar in that time. From ʿAbd al-Ṣamad ibn Maʿqil, who said: I heard Wahb say: A certain man became king as a young man, and he said: I find kingship pleasurable, and I do not know whether people find kingship thus, or whether I alone among them find it so. It was said: Rather kingship is thus. He said: What will maintain it for me? It was said to him: It will be maintained by your obeying God and not disobeying Him. So he summoned some of the best people who were in his kingdom and said to them: Be in my presence and at my assembly. Whatever you see to be obedience to God, command me to do it; and whatever you see to be disobedience to God, forbid me from it, and I will desist. He and they did that, and his kingship remained upright for four hundred years, in obedience to God. Then Iblīs became aware of that and said: I have left a man, a king, worshipping God for four hundred [years]. So he came and entered upon him and appeared to him as a man. The king was alarmed by him and said: Who are you? Iblīs said: Do not be afraid. But tell me who you are. The king said: I am a man of the children of Ādam. Iblīs said to him: If you were of the children of Ādam, you would have died as the children of Ādam die. Do you not see how many people have died and how many generations have passed? Rather you are a god, so call the people to worship you. That entered his heart. Then he ascended the pulpit and addressed the people, saying: O people, I [had] concealed from you a matter which it has become clear to me to reveal to you. Do you know that I have ruled over you for four hundred years? If I were of the children of Ādam, I would have died as they died. Rather I am a god, so worship me. He trembled in his place. Then God, exalted be He, revealed to one of those who were with him, saying: Tell him: I remained steadfast for him as long as he remained steadfast for Me. But he turned from obedience to Me to disobedience to Me and did not remain steadfast for Me. By My might, I swear that I shall send Naṣr against him: he shall strike his neck and take what is in his treasury. In that time, God was not angry with anyone but He sent Naṣr against him, and Naṣr struck his neck and loaded from his treasury seventy ships [of gold].
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No grade is recorded for this wording.