HISTORY OF TABARI VOLUME 1 PART 11

HISTORY OF TABARI

VOLUME 1

From the Creation to the Flood

Translator's Foreword

  According to In Waki' [66. Sufyan b. Waki ' b. al-Jarrah appears to have been very old when he died in 247/861. See Tahdhib, IV, 123-25; Horst, 296, n. 7] -Ibn 'Uyaynah [67. Sufyan b. 'Uyaynah lived from 107/725 to 196/812. See TB, IX, 174-84; Tahdhib, IV, 117- 22; Sezgin , GAS, I, 96. See above, n. 35]-Ali b. Zayd [68. 'Ali b. Zayd b. 'Abdallih b. Abi Mulaykah Zuhayr b. Jud'an died between 129 and 131/746-49. See Tahdhib, VII, 322-24] -Abu Nadrah [69. Abu Nadrah al-Mundhir b. Malik al-'Abdi al-'Awqi died before al-Hasan alBasri, presumably in 108 or 109 /726-28. See Tahdhib, X, 302 f] -Abu Sa'id [70.1 am not sure which of the many companions of the Prophet called Abu Said may be meant here. The Tahdhib reference to him in connection with Abu Nadrah ( n. 69) also has no further qualification] : The Prophet said at sunset: What remains of this world as compared to what has passed of it is just like the rest of this day as compared to what has passed of it.

  According to Hannad b. al-Sari [71. Hannad b. al-Sari b. Mus'ab b. Abi Bakr lived from 152/769 to 243/857. See Tahdhib, XI, 70 f] and Abu Hisham al-Rifa'iAbu Bakr b. 'Ayyash [72. For Ibn'Ayyash (b. 95-96/713-15, d.193-94/808-I off, see Tahdhib, XII, 34-37; Ibn al-Jazari , Ghayah, I, 325-27.] -Abu Hasin [73. Abu Hasin Uthman b. 'Asim died between 127 and 132/744-50. See Tahdhib, VII, 126-28.] -Abu Salih [74. He is to be identified with Dhakwan (above, n. 37). See Ibn Hajar, Fath, XIV, 137, reporting the tradition from Tabari and others with the same isnad to Ibn 'Ayyash] –Abu Hurayrah [75. Abu Hurayrah's death is placed in 58-59/677-79. See Tahdhib, XII, 262-67; , 1, 129, s. v.; H. Hemgesberg, Abu Huraira ( Diss. Frankfurt am Main , 1965)]: The Messenger of God said: When I was sent (to transmit the divine message), I and the Hour were like these two, pointing at his index and middle fingers [76. See Concordance, III, 29b47-53. See also Ibn Hajar, Fath, XIV,134-38, which is largely a commentary on Tabari with much additional information and various interpretations . It would seem obvious that the original meaning is the closeness of the index and middle fingers for pointing ( in contrast to any other combination of two fingers) . However, there is another interpretation , see below, n. 88].

  We were told about the same by Abu Kurayb [77. Abu Kurayb Muhammad b. al-'Ali', one of Tabari 's most frequently quoted immediate authorities here as well as in the Tafsir, died in 248/862 or the year before, at the age of eighty - seven . See Tahdhib, IX, 385 f] -Yahya b. Adam [78. A Qur' an reader who studied with In 'Ayyish for three years , he died in 203/818 . See Tahdhib, XI, 175 f.; Ibn al-Jazari, Ghayah, II, 363 f.] -Abu Bakr-Abu Hasin-Abu Salih-Abu Hurayrahthe Prophet.

  According to Hannad-Abu al-Ahwas [79. Not identified] and Abu Mu'awiyah [8o. Abu Mu 'awiyah Muhammad b. Khizim al - Darir was born in 113 or 114/731-32. He died in 195 / 81011 1. See Tahdhib, IX, 137-39] -al-A'mash-Abu Khalid al-Walibi [81. Died 100 / 71819 1. See Tahdhib, XII, 83 f.; Bukhari, Ta'rikh, IV, 2, 251; Ibn Abi Hatim, IV, 2, 120 f. See below, n. 577.] -Jabir b. Samurah [82. Died in the middle forties /692-95. See Tahdhib, II, 39 f] : The Messenger of God said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like these two.

  According to Abu Kurayb-'Aththam b. 'Ali [83. 'Aththam died in 195 / 81011 1 or the year before . See Tahdhib, VII, 105 f.] -al-A'mash -Abii Khalid al-Walibi-Jabir b. Samurah: (I feel) as if I were looking at the two fingers of the Messenger of God-pointing to the forefinger and the one next to it-while he was saying: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like this one is in relation to that one.

  According to In Humayd-Yahya b. Wadih-Fitr [84. Fitr b. Khalifah died between 153 and 155 /770-72. See Tahdhib, VIII, 300-2.] –Abu Khalid al-Walibi-Jabir b. Samurah: The Messenger of God said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like these two-holding his index and middle fingers together.

  According to Ibn al-Muthanna-Muhammad b. Ja'far [85. Apparently, Muhammad b. Ja'far Ghundar who died between 192-94/ 807-10 at the age of ninety - three . See Tahdhib, IX, 96-98.] – Shubah [86. The famous scholarly authority Shubah b. al-Hajjaj lived from 82 or 83/701-2 to 160 /77617). See TB, IX, 255-66, Tahdhib, IV, 338-46.] -Qatadah-Anas b. Malik: The Messenger of God said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like these two. Shubah said: I heard Qatadah say in his stories (qisasihi?) [87. This might be the title of a work , or part of a work , by Qatadah (?)]: like the excess length of the one over the other [88. Here we have one of the traditions that understand the reference to the two fingers not as indicating closeness (mujdwarah in Ibn Hajar, Fath, see above, n. 76) but as indicating length (tul). The length of the time remaining was indicated by the difference in length between the two fingers . See below, r8r f.]. (Shu'bah) added: I do not know whether (Qatadah) mentioned it on the authority of Anas or reported it on his own.

 According to Khallad b. Aslam [89. Khallad died ca . 249/863 in Simard . See TB, VIII, 342 f.; Tahdhib, III, 171 f] -al-Nadr b. Shumayl [90. Died 203 or 204/818-20 . See Tahdhib, X, 437 f.; Yaqut, lrshdd, ed. Margoliouth , VII, 123 ff ., ed. Rifai, XIX, 238 -43; Brockelmann, GAL, I , 1o2, Suppl., I,161; Sezgin, GAS, I, 262] –Shubah-Qatadah-Anas b. Malik: The Messenger of God said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like these two.

  We were told the same by Mujahid b. Musa [91. Mulihid b. Musa lived from 158/775 to 244/858. See TB, XIII, 265 f.; Tahdhib, X, 44 f] –Yazid [92. Yazid b. Hirun b. Zidi b. Thibit was born in 118/736 or the year before. He died in 206/821 . See TB, XIV, 337-47; Tahdhib, XI, 366-69] -Shubah-Qatadah-Anas b. Malik-the Prophet, with the addition in his hadith: and he pointed with the middle and index fingers.

   According to Muhammad b. 'Abdallah b. 'Abd al-Hakam [93. A member of the well-known Egyptian family of traditionists and historians, the source also of many traditions in Tabari 's Tafsir, he lived from 182/799 to 268 or 269/882-83. See Tahdhib, IX, 26o-62; E12,111, 674 f ., s, v. Ibn 'Abd al- Hakam; Sezgin, GAS, I, 474•; above, General introduction, 28 f.] -Ayyub b. Suwayd [94. The dates of death indicated in Tahdhib, 1, 405 f., are hard to reconcile with this chain of transmitters . If Ayyub b. Suwayd drowned in 193/8o8[9], Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam would then have been only ten or eleven years old . 201 or 202/816-18 also seems unlikely. However, as a transmitter from al - Awzai, he probably could not have died much later] -al-Awza'i [95. The jurist and founder of a short -lived legal school , al-Awza i died in 157/773[4] at the age of seventy, according to Tabari , Dhayl al-Mudhayyal, ed. Leiden, III, 2514 , ed. Cairo , XI, 656. Slightly different dates appear in Tahdhib, VI, 238-42 . See also E12, I , 772 f., s. V] -Ismail b. 'Ubaydallah [96. Born in 61 /68o[1], Ismail b. Ubaydallah died in 131 or 132/748-50. See Tahdhib, I, 317 f] : When Anas b. Malik came to al -Walid b. 'Abd al-Malik  [97. The two Umayyad caliphs reigned, respectively, in 685-705 and 705-15], al-Walid asked him: What have you heard the Messenger of God mention about the Hour? Anas replied: I heard the Messenger of God say: You (pl. ) and the Hour are like these two-pointing with his two fingers.

  According to al-Abbas b. al-Walid [98. Al-'Abbas b. al-Walid b . Mazyad lived from around 169/78 5[6] to 270/ 883]41. Tabari studied with him in Bayrut . According to al-'Abbas , his father died in 203/818 [9] at the age of seventy- seven . See Tahdhib, V, 131-133, XI, 150 f.; Ibn 'Asakir, Tahdhib, VII, 272; Safadi, Wafi, XVI, 658.] -his father-al-Awza`iIsmail b. 'Ubaydallah: When Anas b. Malik came to al-Walid b. `Abd al-Malik, al-Walid asked him: What have you heard the Messenger of God mention about the Hour? Anas replied: I heard the Messenger of God say: All of you and the Hour are like these two.

  According to In 'Abd al-Rahim al- Barqi [99. The two brothers Ahmad and Muhammad, the sons of 'Abdallah b. 'Abd alRahim, are often referred to as (Ibn) al-Barqi and can then not be distinguished. Ahmad is listed in Ibn Abi Hitim, 1,1, 61, Muhammad in III , 2, 301. The latter supposedly died in 249/ 863. See Tahdhib, IX, 263] -'Amr b. Abi Salamah [100.'Amr b . Abi Salamah, Abu, Hafs al- Tinnisi, died between 212 and 214/827-29. See Tahdhib, VIII, 43 f] -al-Awza'i-Ismail b. 'Ubaydallah: When Anas b. Malik came to al-Walid b. 'Abd al-Malik, and so on.

  According to Muhammad b. 'Abd al-A'la [101. Muhammad b. 'Abd al -AU al-San ' ani died in 245 / 859(60) in al-Basrah. See Tahdhib, IX, 289; Horst, 296, n. i. Ai-Mu 'tamir b. Sulayman is named as his authority in Bukhari, Ta'rikh, 11,1,174s Rosenthal, Muslim Historiography2, 395]-al-Mu'tamir b. Sulayman [102. Born in or before 100/718 ( 9). al-Mu 'tamir died in 187 /802[3]. See Tahdhib, X, 227 f. For his father Abu al-Mu'tamir Sulayman b . Tarkhan ( ca. 46-143/666-760), see Tahdhib, IV, 201 - 3; Sezgin , GAS, I, 285 f] -his father-Mabad [103. For Mabad b. Hilal , see Tahdhib, X, 225] -Anas: The Messenger of God said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like these two. He added: With his two fingers, thus!

  According to Ibn al-Muthanna-Wahb b. Jarir [104. Wahb b . Jarir died in 206 or 207/821-23. See Tahdhib, XI, 161 f] -ShubahAbu al-Tayyah [105. Abil al-Tayyah Yazid b. Humayd died between 128 and 130 / 745-48. See Tahdhib, XI, 320 f.; Ibn Hajar, Fath, XIV,134] -Anal: The Messenger of God said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like these two-the index and middle fingers . Said Abu Musa (Ibn al-Muthanna): Wahb pointed with the index and middle fingers.

  According to 'Abdallah b. Abi Ziyad [106.'Abdallah b. AN Ziyid al -Hakam al-Qatawani died in 255 / 869. See Tahdhib, V, 190] -Wahb b. JarirShubah-Abu al-Tayyah and Qatadah-Anas: The Messenger of God said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like these twojoining his two fingers.

  According to Muhammad b. 'Abdallah b. Bazi ' [107. Ibn Bazi' died in 247/861[2] . See Tahdhib, IX, 248 f] -al-Fudayl b. Sulayman [ 108. Died around the middle of the 1809 / 799-802 . See Tahdhib, VIII, 291 f] -Abu Hazim [109. Abu Hazim Salamah b . Dinar died between 130 and 140/ 747-57. See Tahdhib, IV, 143 f] -Sahl b. Sa'd [110. Sahl b . Sad al - Sa'idi was supposedly born in 617 and may have lived until 88/707 or even longer. See Tahdhib, 1V, 252 f.; In 'Abd al - Barr, Istf'db, II, 664 f.] : I saw the Messenger of God, holding his two fingers, the middle finger and the one next to the thumb, thus! He said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like these two.

  According to Muhammad b. Yazid al-Adami [111. Died 245/860. See TB, III, 3741 Tahdhib, IX, 530] -Abu Damrah [112. Abu Damrah Anas b. lyid was born around 104/722[3] and died in 200/815. See Tahdhib, 1, 375] -Abu Hazim-Sahl b. Sa'd al-Sa'idi: The Messenger of God said: I was sent with the Hour like these two-pressing the middle finger and the one next to the thumb together. He said: I and the Hour are just like two race horses ( in a closely contested race) [113. Cf. Rosenthal, Gambling, 117].  Then he said: I and the Hour are just like a man sent by people in advance as a scout. When he is afraid that he will be overtaken, he signals with his cloth: They have reached you! They have reached you! It is me ! It is me!

  According to Abu Kurayb-Khalid [114. Khalid b. Makhlad died in the early 2108 / 825-30 . See Tahdhib, 111, 116-18] -Muhammad b. Ja'farAbu Hazim-Sahl b. Sad: The Messenger of God said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like these two-holding his two fingers together.

  According to Abu Kurayb-Khalid-Sulayman b. Bilal [115. Died in the 1706 / ca. 788-93 in Medina. See Tahdhib, IV, 175 f.] –Abu Hazim [116. Abu Salim in the Leiden edition seems a simple mistake] -Sahl b. Sad: The Messenger of God said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were thus-joining his two fingers, the middle finger and the one next to the thumb.

  According to Ibn 'Abd al-Rahim al-Bargi-Ibn Abi Maryam [117. Said b. al-Hakam b. Abi Maryam lived from 144/761[2] to 224/838[9]. See Tahdhib, IV1 17 f]' -Muhammad b. Ja'far-Abu Hazim-Sahl b. Sad: The Messenger of God said: When I was sent, I and the Hour were like these twoholding his two fingers together.

  According to Abu Kurayb-Abu Nu'aym-Bashir b. al-Muhajir [118. See Tahdhib, I, 468 f.] -'Abdallah b. Buraydah [119. Supposedly born in 637 , 'Abdallah b. Buraydah b. al-Husayb al-Aslami died as judge of Marw, possibly as late as 115/733[?]. His father died between 6o and 64/679-84. See Tahdhib, V, 157 f., and I, 432 f] -his father: I heard the Messenger of God say: I and the Hour were sent together. It almost preceded me.

  According to Muhammad b. 'Umar b. Hayyaj [120. Died 255/869 . See Tahdhib , IX, 362 f]-Yahya b. 'Abd al-Rahman [121. See Tahdhib, XI, 250.]' -'Ubaydah b. al-Aswad [122. See Tahdhib, VII, 86] –Mujalid [123. Mujalid b. Said b . U mayr died in 144/ 762. See Tahdhib, X, 39-41] -Qays b. Abi Hazim [124. Qays b . Abi Hazim seems to have died in the late 905/712-17 . See Tahdhib, VIII, 386-89] -al-Mustawrid b. Shaddad al-Fihri [125. Al -Mustawrid died in 45/665161 in Alexandria . See Tahdhib, X, 106 f] : The Prophet said : I was sent immediately before the coming of the Hour. I preceded it like this one preceding that one -preferring ) to his two fingers , the index finger and the middle finger . Abu 'Abdallah [126. According to Tahdhib, only Qays b. Abi Iiazim, among those mentioned in the chain of transmitters , had the patronymic Abu 'Abdallih. Ibn Hayyij's patronymic supposedly was Abu ' Ubaydallah] described ( it) to us by holding the two fingers together.

  According to Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Habib[127. Unidentified . His nisbah was al - Tusi. See below, n. 226.] -Abu Nasr [128. Unidentified . See below, n. 551] -al-Mas 'udi' [129.'Abd al - Rahman b . 'Abdallah al- Mas'udi died in 165/781[2] . See Tahdhib, VI, 210-12 . His descendant Yahya b. Ibrahim b . Muhammad b. Abi Ubaydah b. Man (see Tahdhib, XI, 174 f.) provided Tabari with information through a family isnad. See, for instance, Tafsir, V, 81, VII, 57, XIV, 20, XXIII , 91, XXVI , 17, XXVII,117.] -Isma 'il b. Abi Khalid [130. Died 146/763(4). See Tahdhib, I, 291 f.] -al-Shabi [131. The famous 'Amr b. Sharahil al-Shabi was born in 640 and died sometime during the third decade of the eighth century . See TB, XU, 227-34; Tahdhib, V, 65-69, Sezgin , GAS, 1, 277.]–Abu Jabirah  [ 132. See Tahdhib, XII, 52 f. According to Ibn 'Abd al - Barr, Istf b, TV, 1619, three companions of the Prophet bore the patronymic Abu Jabirah.]: The Messenger of God said : I was sent together with the Hour like these two-pointing with his two fingers , the middle finger and the index finger-like the excess length of this one over that one.

  According to Tamim b . al-Muntasir [133. Born in 169 / 785(61 or later, Tamim died in 244/858(9 ), according to his grandson Balrshal , the author of the History of Wasit , 233 f. See also Tahdhib, 1, 514 f] -Yazid (b. Harun)-Isma 'il (b. Abi Khalid)-Shubayl b. 'Awfl [134. See Tahdhib, IV, 311 ; Bukhari, Ta'rikh, II, 2, 259.] -Abu Jabirah-some elders of the Ansar : We heard the Messenger of God say: When I came, I and the Hour were thus ! Al-Tabari says : Tamim demonstrated it to us . He pressed the index finger and the middle finger together and said to us: Yazid pointed with his two fingers, the index finger and the middle finger , pressing them together. He continued . I preceded the Hour like this one precedes that one, immediately before the coming of the Hour , using the expression nafas min al-sa'ah or nafas al-saah.

  Thus, (the evidence permitting) a conclusion is as follows: The beginning of the day is the rise of dawn , and its end is the setting of the sun. Further, the reported tradition on the authority of the Prophet is sound . As we have mentioned earlier, he said after having prayed the afternoon prayer: What remains of this world as compared to what has passed of it is just like what remains of this day as compared to what has passed of it. He also said: When I was sent , I and the Hour were like these two-holding index finger and middle finger together ; I preceded it to the same extent as this one-meaning the middle finger-preceded that onemeaning the index finger . Further, the extent ( of time ) between the mean time of the afternoon prayer -that is, when the shadow of every thing is twice its size, according to the best assumption ('ald al-taharri) -{to sunset ) is the extent of time of one-half of one-seventh of the day, give or take a little. Likewise, the excess of the length of the middle finger over that of the index finger is something about that or close to it [135. Rough measuring of my middle and index fingers shows the proportion to be about 9 cm to 8.3 cm . Seven - tenths is slightly more than one-fourteenth of nine. The time of the afternoon prayer is mostly defined as beginning when an object's shadow is one-third of its size ( in addition to what it was at noon ), and extending to the time of the sunset prayer . One-fourteenth of a day apparently refers to onefourteenth of a twenty - four hour period] . There is also a sound tradition on the authority of the Messenger of God, as I was told by Ahmad b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Wahb13' -his paternal uncle 'Abdallah b. Wahb [136. Died 264 / 877. See Tahdhib, 1, 54-56] -Mu'awiyah b. Salih [137. Born in 125 /742131, he died in 197/813. See Tahdhib, VI, 71-74; Sezgin, GAS, 1, 466; Horst, 305, n. 2] -'Abd al-Rahman b. Jubayr b. Nufayr [138. Mu'awiyah b. Silih died in the 170s/around 790, or in the 150s/around 770 (?). See Tahdhib, X, 209-12; Horst , 293, n. 4.] -his father Jubayr b. Nufayr [139. He died in 118/736, and his father, who was born in pre-Islamic times, died ca. 80/699. See Tahdhib, VI, 154, and IT, 64 f.; Ibn 'Abd al- Barr, Isti` ab, I, 234] the companion of the Prophet, Abu Tha'labah al-Khushani [140. Abu Tha'labah died in or before 75/694. See Tahdhib, XII, 49-51; Ibn 'Abdal-Barr, Isti ab, IV,1618.] : The Messenger of God said: Indeed, God will not make this nation incapable of (lasting) half a day-referring to the day of a thousand years.

  All these facts taken together make it clear that of the two statements I have mentioned concerning the total extent of time, the one from Ibn 'Abbas, and the other from Kab [141. See text above, I, 8.], the one more likely to be correct in accordance with the information coming from the Messenger of God is that of Ibn 'Abbas transmitted here by us on his authority: The world is one of the weeks of the other world-seven thousand years [142. According to the Prophet, five hundred years remain , and they are onefourteenth of the total duration of the world].

  Consequently, because this is so and the report on the authority of the Messenger of God is sound-namely, that he reported that what remained of the time of this world during his life was half a day, or five hundred years, since five hundred years are half a day of the days, of which one is a thousand years-the conclusion is that the time of this world that had elapsed to the moment of the Prophet's statement corresponds to what we have transmitted on the authority of Abu Tha'labah al-Khushani from the Prophet,  and is 6,500 years or approximately 6,500 years. God knows best!

  Our statement about the duration of the periods (azman) of this world from its very beginning to its very end is the most firmly established of all the statements we have, on account of the testimony to its soundness as explained by us. Information has (also) been transmitted on the authority of the Messenger of God to prove the soundness of the statement that all of this world is six thousand years. If its chain of transmitters were sound, we would have to go no further. It is Muhammad b. Sinan al-Qazzaz [143. Muhammad b. Sinan died in 271/ 884(51 at an advanced age, since some of his authorities died in the early years of the second century . See Tahdhib, IX, 206 f] -'Abd al-Samad b. 'Abd al-Warith [144. Died 206 or 207/821-22. See Tahdhib, VI, 327 f. His son 'Abd al- Wirith (d. 252/866) transmitted information to Tabari , see, for instance , Tafsir, II, 28.] –Zabban [145. If Zabban is correct , he would be Zabbin b. Fa'id ( text below, 1, 318), who died in 155 /771[21. See Tahdhib, III, 308 . But note that Tahdhib, VI, 327, lists Aban (below, n. 8231 as one of the authorities of 'Abd al- Samad.] -'Asim' [146.'Asim b. Bahdalah, the great Kafan Qur'an reader, is said to have died in 127 or 128 /744-46, although earlier dates in the 1208 were also suggested . See Tahdhib, V, 38-4o) Ibn al -jazari, Ghdyah, 346-49, E12 A I, 706 f., s. v., Sezgin , GAS, 1, 7. The dentification of 'Asim with 'Asim ( b. Bahdalahl b. Abi al-Najjud is indicated in Tafsir (see the following note).]- Abu Salih-Abu Hurayrah: The Messenger of God said : AI-huqb is eighty years. The day of them is one-sixth of this world [147. Huqb, p1. ahqab , occurs in Qur. 18:60 and 78:23. The meaning appears to be something like "long time ." In his Tafsir, Tabari is very detailed in connection with Qur. 78 : 23 (Tafsir , XXX, 8 f.). The tradition there, with the isndd from Abu Hurayrah to'Asim, defines huqb as being eighty years of 360 days, of which each day is a thousand years . Most of the other traditions cited are similar, but none of them speaks of the duration of the world , as is the case here . In "(The day of) them," the antecedent of "them " could only be "years ." Unless the text was corrupt already in Tabari ' s original, his reasoning might be: Each day of those eighty

years is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is one -sixth of the duration of this world . However, in the context , this seems to explain nothing.].  According to this tradition , it is clear that all of this world is six thousand years. That is because, if one day of the other world equals one thousand years and a single such day is one-sixth of this world, the conclusion would be that the total is six of the days of the other world, and that is six thousand years.

  The Jews assume that they can consider the total (age of the world) from God's creation of Adam to the time of the hijrah as firmly established at 4,642 years according to what is clearly stated in their Torah-the one they possess today [148. Ibn al - Athir, Kamil, ed. Tornberg, I, i t, has 4,343. This is closer to the figure of 4,381 -82 which is given by Hamzah al-Isfahini, Annales, 85 (cf. Biruni , Chronology, text, 14 f., trans ., 17 f.) and which corresponds to traditional Jewish usage. The figure 4,042 in Hamzah , it, appears to be a simple mistake , with the three (six ?) hundred missing (?).

  The Christian figure of 5,992 is close to that of 5,990 in Hamzah and that of 5,969 of the Antiochian era, to which Ginzel , III, 288, refers . Birani has 6,122-3. The Persian figure of 3,139 years seems to have no counterpart elsewhere. It is always much higher, such as 4,182 or 4,409 in Hamzah , n and 29, and 4,287-8 inz Biruni. It is somewhat closer to the 3,725 or 3,735 years from the Flood to Yazdjard mentioned in the zijes . However, if the number of years from Adam to the Floozd is added to that figure, the difference between the resulting figure and 3,139 is even greater. See Pingreze, Thousands, 39 f., 130, Hishimi, 'Ilal, 246.

  The source for Tabazri' s precise figures remains to be found . See also text , below, I, 1068 ff., and , for instance , Stern, "Abu'Isa. ]. They have made a detailed count by indicating the birth and death of each man and prophet from the time of Adam to the hijrah of our prophet Muhammad s.a.w. I hope to mention those details and other detailed counts made by scholars from among the people of the Scriptures and other scholars expert in biography and history when I get to it, if God wills.

  The Greek Christians assume that the Jewish claim in this respect is false . According to their view of the sequence in the Torah that they possess, the duration of the days of this world from the creation of Adam to the time of the hijrah of our Prophet Muhammad s.a.w is properly stated at 5,992 years and some months. They have made a detailed count to support their claim by indicating the birth and death of each prophet and ruler from the age of Adam a.s to the hijrah of the Messenger of God. They assume that the smaller number of years in the Jewish chronology as against that of the Christians results from the fact that the Jews rejected the prophethood of  isa a.s, the son of Maryam , since (for them) his description and the time of his being sent (as a prophet) are firmly established in the Torah [149. According to Biruni, Chronology, text, 15, trans., 18, the shorter chronology of the Jews resulted from their desire to have the appearance of Jesus occur in the fourth millennium , in the middle of the seven thousand years corresponding to their expectation for the world ' s duration.]. They say: The time that is fixed for us in the Torah for the person whose description is that of Jesus has not yet come. They believe that they are waiting for his appearance and his time.

  I think that the person whom they are waiting for, claiming that his description is firmly established in the Torah, is the Antichrist (al-Dajjal), whom the Messenger of God has described to his nation. He mentioned to them that most of the Antichrist's followers will be Jews. If the Antichrist is 'Abdallah b. Sayyad [150. For the legendary In Sayyad, who is supposed to have contact with the Prophet and to have died in 63/682-83, see Wensinck, Handbook, to3b; Ibn Khaldun, Muqaddimah, 1, 205; D . J. Halperin, "The In Sayyad traditions."],  he is a person of Jewish origin.

  The Magians [151. See Ei2 , V, 1110-i8, s. v. Madjus. The Zoroastrian mythology covered by Tabari in this volume extends from Gayomart to Jamshed. It has been treated in considerable detail by A. Christensen in the two volumes of Les types du Premier Homme et du Premier Roi. Christensen includes translations of the relevant material from Tabari and the later Muslim literature . The translation of the above passage appears in Christensen , 1, 66 f.] assume that the duration of time from King Jayumart to the time of the hijrah of our Prophet is 3,139 years. They do not combine that with a known genealogy beyond Jayfimart, assuming that Jayumart is Adam, the father of mankind-May God pray for and give peace to him and all the prophets and messengers of God [152. See, further , text below, I, 147 f]!  Historians continue to hold different opinions about him. Some say the same as the Magians.

  Others say that he took the name of Adam after he became ruler of the seven climes, and that he was none other than Gomer b. japheth b. Noah [153. Gomer (see Genesis 10:2), whose name evoked that of Gayomart, appears as Jamir in Arabic. See also text below, 1, 216, etc.]. He was pious, kind, and affectionate to Noah and attached to his service. Because of his piety and service to him, Noah prayed for him and his progeny to God to give him a long life, to have him firmly settled in the land, to grant him victory over those who opposed him and them, and to provide for him and his progeny royal authority that would last uninterruptedly. His prayer was heard. jayumart and his children were granted all of that. He is the father of the Persians. He and his children continued to rule until their royal authority came to an end when the Muslims entered Mada'in Kisra [154. "The cities of Khusraw (Chosroes)" refers to ancient Ctesiphon. See EI2, V, 945 f., s. v. al-Mada'in] and took it away from them. Others say others things. We hope to mention the statements that have reached us, when we mention the chronology of the (Persian) rulers, how long they lived, their genealogy and the circumstances  of [155. This may be meant rather than "the reasons for."] their royal authority.

The Proofs for the Origination of Momentary

and Extended Time and Night and Day

  We have said earlier that time is but a noun designating the hours of night and day [156. See text above, I, 8]. The hours of night and day are but measurements indicated by the running of the sun and the moon in the sphere, as God says: "And a sign for them is the night. We strip the day from it. So they are in darkness. And the sun: It runs to a place where it is to reside (at night). This is decreed by the One Mighty and Knowing. And the moon: We have decreed for it stations, until it becomes again (slender) and curved ( like an ancient raceme of a palm tree (which has been left on the tree stripped of the dates). The sun must not reach the moon, nor does night precede day. All swim in a sphere [157. Qur. 36:37-40].

  Since time has to do with the hours of night and day as we have mentioned, and the hours of night and day are but the traversal by the sun and the moon of the degrees of the sphere, the conclusion is certain that time as well as night and day are originated and that the One Who originated that is God Who alone by Himself originated His entire creation . " He is the One Who created night and day, the sun and the moon . All swim in a sphere  [158. Qur. 21:33].  Even one not knowing that that originates from God' s creation can indeed not be ignorant of the difference in the conditions of night and day, namely that one of them-the night-brings down blackness and darkness upon creation , and the other-the day-brings down light and luminosity upon them and the removal of the night's blackness and darkness.

  Now if this so, and it is impossible that the two with their different conditions come together at any one moment anywhere, the certain conclusion is that one of them must be before the other, and whichever is before its companion has the other no doubt come after it. This is explanation and proof for their origination and for their being creatures of their Creator.

  A further proof for the origination of days and nights is that each day comes after a day that was before it, and before a day that will come after it. Now, it is known that what was not and came into being was originated and created and has a creator and originator. Still another proof is that days and nights are countable . Anything that can be counted must have either an even or an odd number. If it is an even number , it begins with two. This shows the soundness of the statement that it has a beginning and a start . If it is an odd number , then it starts with one . This proves that it has a beginning and a start . Now, whatever has a beginning must have one who begins ( it), and that is its creator.

Whether God, before He Created Time and Night

and Day, Created Any Other of the Created Things

  We have stated before that time is but the hours of night and day and that the hours are but the traversal by the sun and the moon of the degrees of the sphere.

  Now then, this being so, there is ( also a sound tradition from the Messenger of God told us by Hannad b. al-Sari, who also said that he read all of the hadith (to Abu Bakr) [159. The clarifying "to Abu Bakr " appears only in Tafsir, XXIV, 61, as stated in the Cairo edition, but not in Tabari's text here or below, I, 42 and 54-] -Abu Bakr b. 'Ayyash-Abu Sad al-Baqqal [16o. Died in the 1408 /757--66. See Tahdhib, IV, 79 f] -'Ikrimah [161.1krimah, a mawld of Ibn 'Abbas and one of the most distinguished transmitters, is supposed to have died around 104-7/722-25 at the age of eighty. See Tahdhib, VII, 263-73, E12 , III, 1o81 f ., s. v. 'Ikrimah Horst, 295, n. 6] Ibn 'Abbas: The Jews came to the Prophet and asked him about the creation of the heavens and the earth. He said: God created the earth on Sunday and Monday. He created the mountains and the uses they possess on Tuesday. On Wednesday, He created trees , water, cities and the cultivated and barren land. These are four (days). He continued (citing the Qur'an): "Say: Do you really not believe in the One Who created the earth in two days, and set up others like Him?  That is the Lord of the worlds. He made in it firmly anchored (mountains ) above it and blessed it and decreed that it contain the amount of food it provides, ( all) in four days, equally for those asking [162. Qur. 41:9 f.] -for those who ask [163. For this paraphrase , see Tafsir, XXIV, 61, 1. 12, text below, I, 5 ]. He continued: On Thursday, He created heaven . On Friday, He created the stars , the sun, the moon, and the angels, until three hours remained . In the first of these three hours, He created the terms (of human life), who would live and who would die. In the second , He cast harm upon everything that is useful for mankind. And in the third, (He created) Adam and had him dwell in Paradise . He commanded Iblis to prostrate himself before Adam  [164. See E12, III, 668 f ., s. v. For a more detailed study of the controversial Iblis figure in Islam, see Awn , Satan 's Tragedy and Redemption],  and He drove Adam out of Paradise at the end of the hour. When the Jews asked: What then, Muhammad s.a.w? he said: "Then He sat straight upon the Throne [165. Qur. 7:54, etc]. The Jews said: You would be right, if you had finished, they said, with: Then He rested. Whereupon the Prophet got very angry, and it was revealed: "We have created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days , and fatigue did not touch Us. Thus be patient with what you say! [166. Qur. 50:38 f. For the entire tradition , see Tafsir, XXVI, 61]

  According to al-Qasim b. Bishr b. Ma'ruf [167. Al- Qasim b . Bishr b. Ahmad (or Ahmad b . Bishr ) b. Ma'ruf appears to be the individual meant here . See TB, XII, 427; Tahdhib , VIII, 308 . For the common isnad starting with al - Qasim-al-Husayn, see below, nn. 185 and 186. This is , in fact, the form in which the isnad appears in connection with the tradition in Tafsir, XII, 3 (ad Qur. 11:7)] and al-Husayn b. 'Ali al-Suda' i [168. Al-Suda'i died in 246 or 248/860-62. See Tahdhib, II, 359; Sam 'ani, Ansab, VIII, 283.] -Hajjaj  [169. Hajjaj (or al-Hajjaj ) b. Muhammad, the transmitter of Ibn Jurayj's Qur'an commentary, died in 206/821(21. See TB, VIII, 236--39; Tahdhib, II, 205 f.; Horst, 295, n . 3. The same chain of transmitters is found in connection with the hadith in Muslim , Sahih, 11, 640; Ibn Hanbal , II, 327; Concordance, I, 268a23 , VI, 5b42] -Ibn Jurayj [170. Ibn Jurayj, 'Abd al-Malik b. 'Abd al-'Aziz, died seventy years old between 149 and 151/766-68. See Tahdhib, VI, 402-6; Sezgin , GAS, I, 91; Horst, 295, n. 4.] -Isma 'il b. Umayyah [171. Ismsit b. Umayyah died between 139 and 144/756-61. See Tahdhib, I, 283 f] -Ayyub b. KhAlid [172. See Tahdhib, 1, 401, no. 739; Bukhari, Ta'rikh, I, 1, 413 f., where reference is made to the hadith above]-'Abdallah b. Rafi', the mawla of Umm Salamah [173. For this mawla of the Prophet's wife Umm Salamah, see Tahdhib, V, 206] -Abu Hurayrah: The Messenger of God took me by the hand. Then he said: God created the soil on Saturday. Upon it, He created the mountains on Sunday. He created the trees on Monday. He created evil [174. A1- makrnh is explained as "evil," because it is considered as contrasting with the following " light," which is good. See Ibn al-Athir, Nihayah, IV, 18. Wi rterbuch , letter K, 158a , refers further to a late work translated by Rescher, Orientalische Miszellen, 1, 173, which characterizes the days of the week and states that Tuesday is the most unlucky day of all. See also below , n. 369. However, the "evil" contrasted with " light " could conceivably be darkness . " Darkness" does appear, if rarely , as a separate creation , see text below, 1, 36] on Tuesday. He created light on Wednesday. He scattered the animals on the earth on Thursday, and He created Adam as the last of His creatures after (the time of) the afternoon prayer in the last hour of Friday, in the time between the afternoon prayer and night( fall). [175. See Tafsir, XII, 3 (ad Qur.11:71.]

  According to Muhammad b. 'Abdallah b. Bazi '-al-Fudayl b. Sulayman-Muhammad b. Zayd [176. Muhammad b. Zayd b . al-Muhijir b. Qunfudh is stated to have lived a hundred years . See Tahdhib, IX, 173 f] -Abu Salamah b. 'Abd al-  Rahman b. 'Aw1 [177. For this son of the powerful member of the electoral council at the death of the caliph 'Umar  ra, see Tahdhib, XII, 115-18] -Ibn Salam [178. 'Abdallah b. Salam supposedly died in 43/66314) in Medina. See Tahdhib, V, 249; Ell, 52, s. v.; Sezgin, GAS, I, 304.] and Abu Hurayrah who mentioned the hour (of Adam's creation) on Friday on the authority of the Prophet as he stated it. 'Abdallah b. Salim said: I know which hour it is . God began the creation of the heavens and the earth on Sunday, and He finished in the last hour of Friday. Thus, it is the last hour of Friday (in which Adam was created).

  According to al-Muthanna [179. For Tabari 's compatriot and early teacher al-Muthanni b. Ibrahim al-Amuli, one of his most often quoted authorities in the Tafsir, see Horst, 293, n . 2; above, General Introduction, n. 48. For al - Hajjaj, see below, n. 319] -al-Hajjaj –Hammid [180. Since ' Ati' had both Hammids as his students, the one here could be either Hammid b. Abi Sulayman ( above, n. 291 or Hammad b . Salamah b. Dinar . The latter died in 167/784. See Tahdhib, III, i i-16. See also TB, 111, 284, I. 16.] -'Ata' b. al-Si'ib [181.'Ati ' died in the 1308 / 750-55. See Tahdhib, VII, 203-7] -'Ikrimah: The Jews asked the Prophet: What about Sunday? The Messenger of God replied: On it, God created the earth and spread it out. They asked about Monday, and he replied: On it, He created Adam. They asked about Tuesday, and he replied: On it, He created the mountains, water, and so on. They asked about Wednesday, and he replied: Food. They asked about Thursday, and he replied: He created the heavens. They asked about Friday, and he replied: God created night and day. Then, when they asked about Saturday and mentioned God's resting on it), he exclaimed : God be praised! God then revealed: "We have created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, and fatigue did not touch Us. [182. Qur. 50:38.]

  The two reports transmitted by us from the Messenger of God have made it clear that the sun and the moon were created after God had created many things of His creation. That is because the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas on the authority of the Messenger of God indicates that God created the sun and the moon on Friday. If this is so, earth and heaven and what is in them , except the angels and Adam, had been created before God created the sun and the moon . All this (thus ) existed while there was no light and no day, since night and day are but nouns designating hours known through the traversal by the sun and the moon of the course of  the sphere. Now, if it is correct that the earth and the heaven and what is between them, except what we have mentioned, were in existence when there was no sun and no moon, the conclusion is that all that existed when there was no night and no day. The same ( conclusion results from) the following hadith of Abu Hurayrah reported on the authority of the Messenger of God: God created light on Wednesday-meaning by "light" the sun, if  God wills.

  Someone might ask: You have assumed that "day" is just a noun designating a period of time (might) between the rising of dawn and the setting of the sun, and now, you assume that God created the sun and the moon days after He began creating the things He did. Thus, you have established periods of time and called them "days" while there was no sun and no moon. If you have no proof for the soundness of this, it is a contradictory statement.

  The answer is: God called what I have mentioned "days." Thus, I have used for them the same designation He did. The use of "days" when there was no sun and no moon may be compared to (the use of "morning" and "evening" in) God's word: "They have their sustenance in (Paradise) in the morning and in the evening [183. Qur. 19:62 ] -(using " morning" and "evening " in spite of the fact that) there is no morning or evening there, because there is no night in the other world and no sun and no moon, as God says:

  "Those who do not believe are in doubt about it, until the Hour comes upon them suddenly, or the punishment of a barren day comes upon them [184. Qur. 22:55. " Barren " is "childless ," because the Day of Resurrection produces no night to follow upon it.]. God called the Day of Resurrection a "barren day", because it is a day with no night after its coming. Speaking of the "days" before the creation of the sun and the moon was intended to refer to a period of a thousand of the years of this world, each of which has twelve of the months of the people of this world. Their hours and days are counted by the traversal by the sun and the moon of the course of the spheres. Likewise, "morning" and "evening" in connection with the sustenance provided for the inhabitants of Paradise were used for a period of duration with which they were familiar in this connection as "time" in this world. That is, "time" as indicated by the sun and its running in the sphere, although, for the inhabitants of Paradise, there is no [23] sun and no night.

Similar statements have been made by early scholars, such as, for instance

  According to al-Qasim [185. AI-Qasim always appears in Tabari as the transmitter from al - Husayn b. Dawud. Horst, 295, n. i, identifies him with al-Qasim b . al-Hawn b . Yazid alHamadhanl, who died in 272/885. See TB, XII, 432. TB mentions as one of his authorities Musa b . Isma aI al-Tabudhaki who, like al-Husayn b. Dawud , died in the 2208 ( see below, n. 270)] -al-Husayn [186. Al-Husayn b. Dawud, who died in 226/840( 1) was known as Sunayd. He studied Ibn Jurayj's collection of traditions , entitled al-Jami', with Hajjaj . See TB, 42-44; Tahdhib, IV, 244 f.; Horst, 295, n. 2.]-Hajjaj-Ibn Juray Mujahid: God entrusts the management of everything to the angels for a thousand years, and then again until another thousand years have elapsed, repeating the process forever . He said: "( In) a day whose measure is a thousand years" [187. Qur. 32:5.]. "Day " is His saying to what He entrusts to the angels for a thousand years : " Be! And it is [188. Qur. 2:117, etc.] .  But He called it "day ", calling it just as He pleased. All this is on the authority of Mujahid. He continued. God's word: "A day with your Lord is like a thousand years of your counting [189. Qur. 22:47.], is entirely the same thing. [190. See Tafsir, XXI, 59]

  Reports similar to the one that has come down on the Prophet's authority, namely, that God created the sun and the moon after His creation of the heavens and the earth and other things, have come down from a number of early ( scholars ), as follows:

  According to Abu Hisham al-Rifa'i-Ibn Yaman [191. Yahya b. Yaman transmitted from Sufyan al-Thawri and died in 188-89 /803- 5. See Tahdhib, XI, 306 f.] -SufyanIbn Jurayj-Sulayman b. Musa [192. Died between tog and 115/727-33. See Tahdhib, IV, 226 f].-Mujahid-Ibn 'Abbas, commenting on: "And He said to (the heaven ) and the earth: Come willingly or unwillingly! They said: We come willingly," [193. Qur. 41:11] as follows: God said to the heavens: Cause My sun and My moon to rise and cause My stars to rise, and to the earth He said: Split your rivers [194. That is, splitting the surface of the earth so as to create river beds . For the association of "river" with " splitting," cf. Ethiopic falag (" river")] and bring forth your fruit . Both replied: " We come willingly." [195. For the comment of Ibn 'Abbas , see also Ta/sir, XXIV, 64]

  According to Bishr b . Mu'adh [196. Bishr died in or before 245/859. See Tahdhib, 1, 458; Horst, 301, n. 16] –Yazid [197. Abu Mu'iwiyah Yazid b . Zuray ' lived from 101 / 719)20) to ca. 798. See Tahdhib, XI, 325-28; Horst, 301, n. 17] -Sa'id [198. Said b . Abi 'Arubah was "confused" for a number of years before his death in the 150s /ca. 772 . See Tahdhib, TV, 63-66 ; Horst, 301, n. 18.] -Qatadah, commenting on: "And He revealed in every heaven its commandi [199. Qur. 41:12 . The meaning of "its command " is debatable. It seems to be "what was going to happen there " ( R. Paret) or "what God commanded to happen there.] : He created in it its sun, its moon , and its stars, and what is good for it [200. The suffix in wa-salahahd could hardly be intended to mean "them (their well-being)." For the tradition, see Tafsir, XXIV, 64] .

  These reports , mentioned by us on the authority of the Messenger of God and those who mentioned them on his authority, have made it clear that God created the heavens and the earth before He created time, day and night, and the sun and the moon. God knows best!

CONTINUED