Tarikh (al-Tabari) 790
The matter of the Christian delegation who embraced Islam, and what occurred concerning Quraysh's mockery of them and the believers
أَمْرُ وَفْدِ النَّصَارَى الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا [ مُحَاوَلَةُ أَبِي جَهْلٍ رَدَّهَمُ عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَإِخْفَاقِهِ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: ثُمَّ قَدِمَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَهُوَ بِمَكَّةَ، عِشْرُونَ رَجُلًا أَوْ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مِنْ النَّصَارَى، حِينَ بَلَغَهُمْ خَبَرُهُ مِنْ الْحَبَشَةِ، فَوَجَدُوهُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فَجَلَسُوا إلَيْهِ وَكَلَّمُوهُ وَسَأَلُوهُ، وَرِجَالٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فِي أَنْدِيَتِهِمْ حَوْلَ الْكَعْبَةِ؛ فَلَمَّا فَرَغُوا مِنْ مَسْأَلَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَمَّا أَرَادُوا، دَعَاهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَتَلَا عَلَيْهِمْ الْقُرْآنَ. فَلَمَّا سَمِعُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَاضَتْ أَعَيْنُهُمْ مِنْ الدَّمْعِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَجَابُوا لِلَّهِ، وَآمَنُوا بِهِ وَصَدَّقُوهُ، وَعَرَفُوا مِنْهُ مَا كَانَ يُوصَفُ لَهُمْ فِي كِتَابِهِمْ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ. فَلَمَّا قَامُوا عَنْهُ اعْتَرَضَهُمْ أَبُو جَهْلِ بْنُ هِشَامٍ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ، فَقَالُوا لَهُمْ: خَيَّبَكُمْ اللَّهُ مِنْ رَكْبٍ بَعَثَكُمْ مَنْ وَرَاءَكُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ دِينِكُمْ تَرْتَادُونَ لَهُمْ لِتَأْتُوهُمْ بِخَبَرِ الرَّجُلِ، فَلَمْ تَطْمَئِنَّ مَجَالِسُكُمْ عِنْدَهُ، حَتَّى فَارَقْتُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَصَدَّقْتُمُوهُ بِمَا قَالَ، مَا نَعْلَمُ رَكْبًا أَحْمَقَ مِنْكُمْ. أَوْ كَمَا قَالُوا. فَقَالُوا لَهُمْ: سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ، لَا نُجَاهِلُكُمْ، لَنَا مَا نَحْنُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَكُمْ مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ، لَمْ نَأْلُ أَنْفُسَنَا خَيْرًا [ مَوَاطِنُهُمْ وَمَا نَزَلَ فِيهِمْ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ] وَيُقَالُ: إنَّ النَّفَرَ مِنْ النَّصَارَى مِنْ أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ، فَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ أَيَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ. فَيُقَالُ - وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ - فِيهِمْ نَزَلَتْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْآيَاتُ الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ هُمْ بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَإِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ إلَى قَوْلِهِ لَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَا نَبْتَغِي الْجَاهِلِينَ قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَقَدْ سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ شِهَابٍ الزُّهْرِيَّ عَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْآيَاتِ فِيمَنْ أُنْزِلْنَ فَقَالَ لِي: مَا أَسْمَعُ مِنْ عُلَمَائِنَا أَنَّهُنَّ أُنْزِلْنَ فِي النَّجَاشِيِّ وَأَصْحَابِهِ. وَالْآيَةُ مِنْ سُورَةِ الْمَائِدَةِ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ: ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ إلَى قَوْلِهِ: فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ [ تَهَكُّمُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ بِمَنْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَنُزُولُ آيَاتٍ فِي ذَلِكَ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إذَا جَلَسَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فَجَلَسَ إلَيْهِ الْمُسْتَضْعَفُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ خَبَّابٌ، وَعَمَّارٌ، وَأَبُو فَكِيهَةَ يَسَارٌ مَوْلَى صَفْوَانَ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ مُحَرِّثٍ، وَصُهَيْبٌ، وَأَشْبَاهُهُمْ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، هَزِئَتْ بِهِمْ قُرَيْشٌ، وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضِ: هَؤُلَاءِ أَصْحَابُهُ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ، أَهَؤُلَاءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ بَيْنِنَا بِالْهُدَى وَالْحَقِّ لَوْ كَانَ مَا جَاءَ بَهْ مُحَمَّدٌ خَيْرًا مَا سَبَقَنَا هَؤُلَاءِ إلَيْهِ، وَمَا خَصَّهُمْ اللَّهُ بِهِ دُونَنَا. فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِيهِمْ: وَلَا تَطْرُدِ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ مَا عَلَيْكَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَمَا مِنْ حِسَابِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَتَطْرُدَهُمْ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ وَكَذَلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لِيَقُولُوا أَهَؤُلَاءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ بَيْنِنَا أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِالشَّاكِرِينَ وَإِذَا جَاءَكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنْكُمْ سُوءًا بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَنَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ. [ ادِّعَاءُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ بِتَعْلِيمِ جَبْرٍ لَهُ، وَمَا أَنَزَلَ اللَّهُ فِي ذَلِكَ ] وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ - فِيمَا بَلَغَنِي - كَثِيرًا مَا يَجْلِسُ عِنْدَ الْمَرْوَةِ إلَى مَبْيَعَةِ غُلَامٍ نَصْرَانِيٍّ يُقَالُ لَهُ: جَبْرٌ، عَبْدٌ لِبَنِي الْحَضْرَمِيِّ، فَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ: وَاَللَّهِ مَا يُعَلِّمُ مُحَمَّدًا كَثِيرًا مِمَّا يَأْتِي بَهْ إلَّا جَبْرٌ النَّصْرَانِيُّ، غُلَامُ بَنِي الْحَضْرَمِيِّ. فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ: وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُ بَشَرٌ لِسَانُ الَّذِي يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِيٌّ وَهَذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِيٌّ مُبِينٌ قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: يُلْحِدُونَ إلَيْهِ: يَمِيلُونَ إلَيْهِ. وَالْإِلْحَادُ: الْمَيْلُ عَنْ الْحَقِّ. قَالَ رُؤْبَةُ بْنُ الْعَجَّاجِ: إذَا تَبِعَ الضَّحَّاكَ كُلُّ مُلْحِدٍ قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: يَعْنِي الضَّحَّاكَ الْخَارِجِيَّ، وَهَذَا الْبَيْتُ: أُرْجُوزَةٌ لَهُ.
Translation
✧ The matter of the Christian delegation who embraced Islam [Abū Jahl's attempt to turn them away from Islam and his failure] Ibn Isḥāq said: Then there came to the Messenger of God ﷺ, while he was in Makkah, twenty men or about that number from the Christians, when news of him reached them from Abyssinia. They found him in the mosque, so they sat with him, spoke to him, and questioned him, while men of Quraysh were in their assemblies around the Kaʿbah. When they had finished asking the Messenger of God ﷺ about what they wanted, the Messenger of God ﷺ called them to God, Mighty and Majestic, and recited the Qurʾān to them. When they heard the Qurʾān, their eyes overflowed with tears, then they responded to God, believed in Him, and affirmed him, and they recognized in him what had been described to them in their scripture concerning his affair. When they arose from him, Abū Jahl b. Hishām confronted them with a group of Quraysh and said to them: May God disappoint you as a riding party! Those behind you of the people of your religion sent you to scout for them, so that you might bring them news of the man, but your sitting with him was not settled before you abandoned your religion and affirmed what he said. We know of no riding party more foolish than you. Or words to that effect. They said to them: Peace be upon you. We will not engage in ignorance with you. Ours is what we are upon, and yours is what you are upon. We have not failed to seek good for ourselves. [Their locations and what was revealed concerning them from the Qurʾān] It is said: The group of Christians were from the people of Najrān. God knows best which of the two it was. It is said—and God knows best—concerning them these verses were revealed: "Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it—they believe in it. And when it is recited to them, they say: We believe in it; indeed it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed we were, before it, Muslims" up to His saying: "For us our deeds, and for you your deeds. Peace be upon you; we do not seek the ignorant." Ibn Isḥāq said: I asked Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī about these verses, concerning whom they were revealed, and he said to me: I do not hear from our scholars except that they were revealed concerning the Najāshī and his companions. The verse from Sūrat al-Māʾidah, from His saying: "That is because among them are priests and monks, and indeed they are not arrogant" up to His saying: "So write us down among the witnesses." [The ridicule of the polytheists toward those whom God had favored, and the revelation of verses about that] Ibn Isḥāq said: When the Messenger of God ﷺ sat in the mosque, and the weak ones among his companions sat with him—Khabbāb, ʿAmmār, Abū Fakīhah Yasār, the freedman of Ṣafwān b. Umayyah b. Muḥarrith, Ṣuhayb, and their like among the Muslims—Quraysh mocked them, and some of them said to one another: These are his companions, as you see. Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed favor from among us with guidance and truth? Had what Muḥammad brought been good, these would not have preceded us to it, and God would not have singled them out for it instead of us. So God, Exalted, revealed concerning them: "And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, desiring His face. Not upon you is anything of their account, and not upon them is anything of your account, such that you would drive them away and be of the wrongdoers. And thus We have tried some of them by others, that they might say: Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed favor from among us? Is not God most knowing of the grateful? And when those who believe in Our verses come to you, say: Peace be upon you. Your Lord has prescribed for Himself mercy: that whoever of you does evil in ignorance, then repents after it and makes amends—indeed He is Forgiving, Merciful." [The polytheists' claim against the Prophet that Jabr taught him, and what God revealed about that] And the Messenger of God ﷺ—as it has reached me—would often sit near al-Marwah at the selling place of a Christian slave called Jabr, a slave of Banū al-Ḥaḍramī. They would say: By God, none teaches Muḥammad much of what he brings except Jabr the Christian, the slave of Banū al-Ḥaḍramī. So God, Exalted, revealed concerning their saying: "And We certainly know that they say: It is only a human being who teaches him. The tongue of the one to whom they incline is foreign, and this is a clear Arabic tongue." Ibn Hishām said: "They incline to him" means they lean toward him. Al-ilḥād is deviation from the truth. Ruʾbah b. al-ʿAjjāj said: When every deviant follows al-Ḍaḥḥāk Ibn Hishām said: He means al-Ḍaḥḥāk the Khārijite, and this verse is from one of his rajaz poems.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.