Tafsir at-Tabari: Jami' al-Bayan - Dar al-Tarbiyah wa al-Turath Edition

Volume 1 · Page 59

Translation · EN

AI translation

is some of them, not all of them, since it is known that their tongues and dialects are more than seven, beyond count.

If someone says: What is your proof that the meaning of the statement of the Prophet—peace and blessings of God be upon him—"The Qur'an was revealed according to seven modes," and his statement, "I was commanded to recite the Qur'an according to seven modes," is what you claimed—that it was revealed in seven dialects, and he was commanded to recite it in seven tongues—rather than its meaning being what your opponents said, that it was revealed with command, prohibition, encouragement, warning, stories, parables, and similar statements? For you know who said that among the predecessors of the Ummah and the best of the Imams.

It is said to him: Those who said that did not claim that the interpretation of the reports we previously mentioned is what you alleged they said regarding the seven modes in which the Qur'an was revealed to the exclusion of all else, such that it would contradict our view. Rather, they merely reported that the Qur'an was revealed according to seven modes, meaning by that that it was revealed in seven aspects. And what they said in that regard is as they said.

We have narrated—similar to what they said in that regard—reports from the Prophet—peace and blessings of God be upon him—and from a group of his Companions, some of which we have previously mentioned, and we shall exhaustively mention the rest with its explanation when we reach it, God willing.

As for what we previously mentioned of that, it is the report of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, from the narration of Abū Kurayb, from Ibn Fuḍayl, from Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Khālid, in which he mentioned from the Prophet—peace and blessings of God be upon him—that he said: "I was commanded to recite the Qur'an according to seven modes, from seven gates of Paradise."

And the seven modes: it is what we said, that it refers to the seven tongues. And the seven gates of Paradise: they are the meanings contained therein, of command, prohibition, encouragement, warning, stories, and parables, which, if a person acts upon them and abides by their limits, merits Paradise through them. And, praise be to God, there is nothing in the statement of those who said that among the predecessors that contradicts anything we have said.

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Arabic (Source)

البعضُ منها دون الجميع، إذ كان معلومًا أن ألسنتها ولغاتِها أكثرُ من سبعة، بما يُعْجَزُ عن إحصائه.فإن قال: وما برهانك على أن معنى قول النبي ﷺ: "نزل القرآن على سبعة أحرف"، وقوله: "أمرت أن أقرأ القرآن على سبعة أحرف"، هو ما ادَّعيتَ - من أنه نزل بسبع لغات، وأمِرَ بقراءته على سبعة ألسُن- دون أن يكونَ معناهُ ما قاله مخالفوك، من أنه نزل بأمر وزجر وترغيب وترهيب وقَصَص وَمثَل ونحو ذلك من الأقوال؟ فقد علمتَ قائلَ ذلك من سلف الأمة وخيار الأئمة.قيل له: إنّ الذين قالوا ذلك لم يدَّعوا أن تأويلَ الأخبار التي تقدم ذكرُناها، هو ما زعمتَ أنهم قالوه في الأحرف السبعة التي نزل بها القرآن دون غيره، فيكونَ ذلك لقولنا مخالفًا، وإنما أخْبروا أن القرآن نزل على سبعة أحرف، يعنون بذلك أنه نزل على سبعة أوجهٍ. والذي قالوه من ذلك كما قالوا.وقد رَوَينا - بمثل الذي قالوا من ذلك - عن النبي ﷺ، وعن جماعة من أصحابه، أخبارًا قد تقدم ذكرُنا بعضها، ونستقصى ذكر باقيها ببيانه، إذا انتهينا إليه، إن شاء الله.فأما الذي تقدم ذكرُناه من ذلك، فخبر أبيّ بن كعب، من رواية أبي كُريب، عن ابن فضيل، عن إسماعيل بن أبي خالد، الذي ذكر فيه عن النبي ﷺ أنه قال: "أمرت أن أقرأ القرآن على سبعة أحرفٍ، من سبعة أبواب من الجنة".والسبعة الأحرف: هو ما قلنا من أنه الألسن السبعة. والأبواب السبعة من الجنة: هي المعاني التي فيها، من الأمر والنهي والترغيب والترهيب والقصص والمثَل، التي إذا عَمل بها العامل، وانتهى إلى حدودها المنتهى، استوجب به الجنة. وليس والحمد لله في قول من قال ذلك من المتقدمين، خلافٌ لشيء مما قلناه.