HISTORY OF TABARI VOLUME 1 PART 12

HISTORY OF TABARI

VOLUME 1

From the Creation to the Flood

Translator's Foreword

Explaining the Annihilation of Time and Night and Day and That Nothing Remains Except God

  Proof of the soundness of this statement is the words of God: "Everyone on it is annihilated , but the face of your Lord, Majestic and Venerable , remains , " [201. Qur. 55:26 f] and : " There is no God but He. Everything perishes but His face. "[ 202. Qur. 28:88 .]

  If everything perishes but His face , as God says , and night and day are darkness and light created by Him for the well - being of His creation, there can be no doubt that they will perish and be annihilated . Thus, God informs ( us) and says : " When the sun shall be rolled up," [. 203. Qur. 81:1] meaning that it shall be obscured, so that its light will be gone . That will take place at the Coming of the Hour. No further elaboration is needed , since it is acknowledged by all those who confess God's oneness , the Muslims , the people of the Torah and the Gospel, and the Magians . It is denied only by others who do not confess the oneness of God . We do not intend to explain the erroneousness of their statements in this book. All those whom we have mentioned as acknowledging the annihilation of the entire world until there remains only the One Eternal and Unique,  acknowledge that God revives and resurrects them after they have perished, except idol worshipers, for they acknowledge annihilation but do not acknowledge resurrection.

The Proof for God Being Eternal and First before Everything and for His Originating Everything by His Power

  The proof for this statement (is as follows): There is nothing in this world that is observable except a body or something subsisting in a body [204. On jism "body, material substance," see EI2,11, 553-55, S. v. d ism.]. There is no body that is not either separate or connected. There is no separate body that cannot be imagined as becoming joined to some other like forms, and there is no connected body that cannot be imagined as becoming separated. When one of the two is deprived of existence, so, too, is the other. If two parts of it become connected after having been separate, one concludes that the connection of the two originated in them after it did not exist, and if separation originates in them after connection, one concludes that the separation in them originated after it did not exist.

  Now, this is so with everything in the world. What is not observable is to be judged as being of the same kind [205. Read mim-mv, as in two manuscripts . fins "kind, genus," is hardly the proper term here. Tabari means that there is no other way to observe the supernatural (which cannot really be done) except by analogy with the physical world which we can observe by means of the senses.] as what we do observe in the sense of body or subsisting in a body. What cannot be free from having origination is no doubt originated through composition by someone composing it if it is connected, or through separation by someone separating it if it is separated; the conclusion is that the one who connects it if it is connected, and separates it if it is separated, is someone not similar to it and for whom being connected or being separated is not permissible. This is the One Unique and Powerful, the One Who establishes connections between different things, the One to Whom nothing is similar. He "has power over everything." [206. Qur. 2:20, etc]

  Thus, our description has made it clear that the Creator and  Originator of all things was before everything, that night and day and time and hours are originated, and that their Originator Who administers and manages them exists before them, since it is impossible for something to originate something unless its originator exists before it. (It is also clear that) God's word: "Don't (the unbelievers) look at the camels (and reflect) how they were created, and at the heaven how it was raised, and at the mountains how they were set up, and at the earth how it was spread out flat? [207. Qur. 88:17-20.] contains the most eloquent evidence and the most effective proofs for those who use reason to reflect and the mind to be instructed, that the Creator of all those things is eternal and that everything of their kind is originated and has a Creator that is not similar to them. That is because everything mentioned by our Lord in this verse, the mountains, the earth, the camels, is dealt with and administered by man, who may move it around and manage it, who may dig, cut, and tear down, none of which he is prevented from doing. Yet, beyond that, man is not able to bring anything of that into existence without a basis (to work from). The conclusion is that the one who is incapable of originating those things could not have originated himself and that the one who is not prevented from managing and organizing whatever he wishes could not have been brought into existence by someone like himself and he did not bring himself into existence. Further, the One Who brought (man) up and gave him substantial ('ayn) existence is the One Who is not incapable of (doing) anything He wishes, and He is not prevented from originating anything He wants. He is "God Unique and Forceful. " [208. Qur. 12:39, etc]

  Someone might ask: Why should it be disapprovable to assume that the things you have mentioned result from the action of two eternal (beings)? [209. Dualism was probably very much on Tabari's mind, but what is meant here is not dualism as such but polytheism.] The reply would be: We disapprove of that because we find that the administration is continuous and the creation perfect. We say: If the administrators were two, they would necessarily either agree or disagree. If they agree, the two would conceptually be one, and the one would be made two merely by positing two. If they differ , it would be impossible to find the existence of the creation perfect and ( its) administration continuous. For each one of two who differ does what is different from what his fellow does . If one gives life , the other causes death . If one of them  produces existence, the other produces annihilation . It would thus be impossible for anything in creation to exist in the perfection and continuity it does. God's words: "If there were other gods except God in (heaven and earth), both would be ruined. Praised be God, Lord of the Throne, (who is above) what they describe"; [210. Qur. 21:22.] and: "God has not taken to Himself a child , and there has been no god together with Him. Otherwise, each god would have gone off with what he created and risen over the others. Praised be God (who is above) what they describe. He knows what is unseen and what is observable , and He is exalted above their associating (other gods with Him) [211. Qur. 23:91 f.] -these words of God are the most eloquent evidence and the most concise explanation as well as the most effective proof for the falsehood of those falsehood-mongers who associate (other gods) with God. That is because, if there were another god except God in the heavens and the earth, the condition of the two as to agreement and disagreement would necessarily be the one I have described . Saying that there may be agreement implies that saying they are two is wrong . It confirms the oneness of God and is an absurd statement in as much as the one who makes it calls the one two . Saying that there may be disagreement indicates ruin for the heavens and the earth , as our Lord says : " If there were other gods except God in them, both would be ruined. [212. Qur. 21:22.] For if one originates and creates something , it would be the other's business to put it out of existence and invalidate it. That is because the actions of two who differ are different , just as fire that warms and snow that cools what fire has warmed.

  Another argument (would be this): If it were (true) as those who  associate other gods with God say, each one of the two whom they consider as eternal would necessarily be either strong or incapable . If both were incapable , each one , being incapable, would be defeatable and not be a god . If both were strong , each one of them, by virtue of being incapable of subduing the other, would be incapable and being incapable would not be a god . If each one of them were strong enough to subdue the other, he, by virtue of the strength of the other to subdue him in turn, would be incapable. God is above the association of other gods with Him!

  It has thus become clear that the Eternal One, the Creator and Maker of all things is the One Who existed before everything and Who will be after everything, the First before everything and the Last after everything. He existed when there was no momentary and extended time, no night and no day, no darkness and no light except the light of His noble face, no heaven and no earth, no sun and no moon and no stars. Everything but He is originated, administered and made. He alone by Himself created everything without an associate, helper, and assistant . Praised be He as powerful and forceful!

  According to 'Ali b. Sahi al-Ramli-Zayd b. Abi al-Zarqa' [213. He resided for some time in al-Ramlah and died there in 140 /757181. See Tahdhib. III, 413 f] -Ja'far [214. ja'far b. Burgin died before or in 154 /771. See Tahdhfb , II, 84-86; Bukhari, Ta'rikh, 1, 2,186] -Yazid b. al-Asamm  [215. Yazid b. al-Asamm died seventy - three years old between 101 and 104/719.-23. His maternal aunt was Maymunah , a wife of the Prophet . See Tahdhib, XI, 313 f] -Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet said : After my death, you all will be asked about everything, to the extent that someone might even say: God there created everything, but who created Him? [216. The tradition appears with the same chain of transmitters ( 1a'far b . Burqin to Abu Hurayrah ) in Muslim , Sahib, 1, 97. See Concordance, II, 71a34 f.-b2]

  According to 'Ali-Zayd-Ja'far-Yazid b. al-Asamm-Najabah b. Sabigh [217. See Bukhari, Tarikh, IV, 2,133, no. 2462] : I was with Abu Hurayrah when he was asked about that. He exclaimed: God is great!, and said: My friend did not tell me anything unless I saw him and was looking at him [218. That is, Abu Hurayrah claims that his contact with the Prophet was always strictly personal and direct , implying that he never heard the Prophet make such an awful statement , which is usually considered to go back to the machinations of Satan . A close version in lbn Hanbal , 11, 539,seems to confirm the reading wa-and of the Leiden text against aw and of the Cairo edition . A connection is made with the jahmiyyah in Abe Dawud, Sunan , IV, 319.] ja'far said: I have also heard that Abu Hurayrah) said: If people ask you about that, say: God "is the Creator of everything. [219. Qur. 6:102, etc]  God is the One Who was before everything, and God will be after everything.

  Thus, the conclusion is that the Creator of all things existed while there was nothing but He . He originated all things and then administered them . He had created various kinds of beings before the creation of extended and momentary times and before the creation of the sun and the moon which He causes to run in their spheres . It is through them that moments and hours are known, eras are established, and night is separated from day. Let us now discuss what that prior creation was and what was created first.

The Beginning of Creation: What Was Created First?

  Sound indeed is the following report on the authority of the Messenger of God which I have received from Yunus b. 'Abd al-A'la [220. Born in 170/787, Yunus died in 264/877. See Tahdhib, XI, 440 f.; Horst, 305, n. I] -('Abdallah) b. Wahb (and also from Ubayd b. Adam b. Abi Iyas al-'Asqalani [221.'Ubayd died in 258 /872. See Tahdhib , VII, 58 . His father Adam died in 220 or 221 / 835-36 at the age of eighty -eight or ninety. See TB, VII, 27- 30; Tahdhib, I, 196]-his father-al-Layth b. Sad [222. Al- Layth was born in 93 or 94 / 711-13 . He died in 175/December, 791. See TB, XIII, 3-14; Tahdhib, VIII, 459-65, E12, V, 711, s.v.; Sezgin , GAS, I, 520.] )-Mu'awiyah b. Salih-Ayyub b. Ziyad [223. See Bukhari, Ta'rikh , I, 1, 414 f .; Ibn Hajar, Lisdn, 1, 481] -'Ubadah b. al-Walid b. 'Ubadah b. alSamit [224. For Ubidah, see Tahdhib, V, 114. For his father, al-Walid, who died during the caliphate of 'Abd al - Malik, see Tahdhib, XI, 137 . And for his famous grandfather, Ubadah b. al-Simit, who was present at Badr and died, seventy-two years old, in 34 /654-5 in al - Ramlah, or perhaps later during the caliphate of Mu-'awiyah (?), and was buried in Jerusalem , see Tahdhib, V, iii f] -his father: My father 'Ubadah b. al-Samit said: My dear son! I heard the Messenger of God say: The first (thing) created by God is the Pen. God said to it: Write!, and it proceeded at that very hour to ( write) whatever is going to be. [225. In Tafsir, XXIX, II f., the tradition quoted here does not seem to have been accorded the prominence it has here . Much of the information quoted above also appears in Tafsir, XXIX, 10-12]

  According to Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Habib [226. See above, n. 127. The quotation of the tradition in Tafsir, XXIX, I1, replaces him with a certain Muhammad b. 'Abdallih al -Tusi who also appears unidentifiable] -'Ali b. al-Hasan b . Shaqiq [227. Born in 137/754(51, In Shaqiq died in the first half of the 2105/826-30. See TB, XI, 370-72; Tahdhib, VII, 298 f. His son Muhammad (below, n. 758) was a direct informant of Tabari] -'Abdallah b. al-Mubarak [228. Ibn al-Mubarak lived from n8 or 119/736-37 to 181/797. See TB, X, 152-69; Tahdhib, V, 382-87; E12,111, 879, s. v. In al-Mubarak; Sezgin, GAS, I, 95.] -Rabah b. Zayd [ 229. Rabah b. Zayd, as read correctly in the Cairo edition, died in 187/803 at the age of eighty-one. See Tahdhib, III, 233 f] -'Umar b. Habib [230. See Tahdhib, VII, 431] -al-Qasim b. Abi Bazzah [231. In Abi Bazzah died around 120/737(8). See Tahdhib, VIII, 310] -Sa'id b. Jubayr-Ibn `Abbas who used to tell that the Messenger of God said : The first thing created by God is the Pen. God commanded it to write everything.

  I was told the same by Musa b. Sahl al-Ramli [232. Died in 260 or 261/874-75. See Tahdhib, X, 347, Sezgin, GAS, 1, 347] -Nuaym b. Hammad [233• Nu'aym b. Hammed died in 228/843, or, perhaps. in 227 or 229. See TB, XIII, 306-14; Tahdhib, X, 458-63; Sezgin, GAS, 1, 104 f. A Tubingen dissertation of 1979 by Jorge Aguade deals with one of his works ! not seen)] -Ibn al-Mubarak-Rabah b. Zayd-`Umar b. Habibal-Qasim b. Abi Bazzah-Sa'id b. Jubayr-Ibn 'Abbas-the Messenger of God.

  According to Muhammad b. Mu'awiyah al-Anmati [234. See Tahdhib, IX, 463 f. Tafsir, XXIX, ii, has Muhammad b. Silih, presumably by mistake] -'Abbad b. al-'Awwam [235.'Abbid lived from 118/736 to ca. 185/8oi. See TB, XI, 104-6; Tahdhib, V, 99 f] -'Abd al-Wahid b. Sulaym [236. See Tahdhib, VI, 435 f] -'Ata' [237. Presumably, 'Ate' b. al-Sa'ib (above, n. 181). The two versions in In Hanbal, V, 317, make it abundantly clear that the thrust of the tradition is directed toward the inclusiveness of divine predestination with respect to both good and evil . See L . Gardet, in E12 , IV, 365b, s. v. al-Kada' wa 'l-kadar.] : I asked al-Walid b. 'Ubadah b. al-Samit : What was your father's last exhortation to you when he was at the point of death? Al-Walid replied: He called me and said: My dear son! Fear God, knowing that you shall not truly fear God and attain ( religious ) knowledge until you believe in God Unique and in predestination both good and bad. I heard the Messenger of God say: The first (thing) created by God was the Pen. God said to it: Write! The Pen asked: What shall I write? God replied: Write what is predestined (al-qadar) ! He continued: And the Pen proceeded at that very hour to (write) whatever was and whatever is going to be for all times.

  The early (scholars) before us differed in this matter. We shall mention their statements and have that then followed by the (correct) explanation of it, if God wills.

  Some of them said about the same as what has been transmitted on the authority of the Messenger of God.

Those who said this

  According to Wasil b. 'Abd al-AU al-Asadi [238. Died in 244/ 858191. See Tahdhib, XI, 104] –Muhammad b. Fudayl [239. Muhammad b. Fudayl b. Ghazwan died in 194-95/809-ii. See Tahdhib, IX, 405 f] -al-A'mash-Abu Zabyan [240. Abu Zabyan Husayn b. Jundub died in 89 or 90/707-9. See Tahdhib, II, 379 f]-Ibn 'Abbas: The first thing created by God is the Pen. God said to it: Write!, whereupon the Pen asked: What shall I write, my Lord? God replied: Write what is predestined! He continued. And the Pen proceeded to (write) whatever is predestined and going to be to the Coming of the Hour. Then, (God) lifted up the water vapor and split the heavens off from it [241. Text below, I, 48, has an expanded text, which appears also in Tafsir, XXIX, 10] . We were told about the same by Wasil b. 'Abd al-A'la-Waki` [242. Waki' b. al-Jarrah b. Malih, who was born in 128-29/745-47, died in 197/812[3] or the following year on the return from the pilgrimage . See TB, XIII, 496-512, Tahdhib, X1, 123-31; Sezgin , GAS, I, 96 f] -al-A'mash-Abu Zabyan-Ibn 'Abbas.

  According to Muhammad b. al-Muthanna-Ibn Abi 'Adi [243. Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. Abi 'Adi al -Qasmali died between 192 and 194/807- 10. See Tahdhib, IX, 12 f.; Bukhari , Ta'rikh, I, 1, 23.] -Shubah-Sulayman [244. Al-A' mash?] Abu Zabyan-Ibn'Abbas: The first thing created by God is the Pen. It proceeded to (write) whatever is going to be.

  We were told about the same by Tamim b. al-Muntasir-Ishaq [245. Ishaq b. Yusuf al-Azraq died in 194 or 195/8o9-it during the caliphate of alAmin. See Ibn Sa d, Tabagat, VII, 2,621 Bukhari, Ta'rikh, I, 1, 406; In Abi Hatim, I, 1, 238. He is named among the authorities of Tamim and among the transmitters from Sharik (Tahdhib), IV, 3341, but one of his authorities is also said to be alA'mash, and not Sharik, who was an authority of Ishaq b. 'Isi b. al-Tabba' (d. 214-15/829-30)] -Sharik-al-A'mash-Abu Zabyan or Mujahid-Ibn 'Abbas According to Muhammad b. 'Abd al-A`la-Ibn Thawr [246. Muhammad b. Thawr al-San'ani died around 190/805161. See Tahdhib, IX, 87; Horst, 296, n. to. See also Tafsir, XXIX, 10.] –Ma'mar [247. The important early historian Ma'mar b. Rashid lived from ca . 96/714[5] to between 152 and 154/769-71. See Tahdhib, X, 243-46; Sezgin, GAS, 1, 29o f.; Horst, 296, n. 19] -al-A'mash-Ibn 'Abbas: The first thing created is the Pen.

According to Ibn Humayd-Jarir [248. Born in 107/725(61, Jarir b. 'Abd al-Hamid (b. Jarir) b. Qurt al-Razi died in 188/804 . See TB, VII, 253-61; Tahdhib, II, 75-77] -'Ata'-Abu al-Duha Muslim b. Subayh [249. Abu al-Duha died ca. 100/718191 during the caliphate of 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz. See Tahdhib, X, 132 f.] -Ibn 'Abbas: The first thing created by my Lord is the Pen.

  God said to it: Write!, and it wrote whatever is goingto be to the Coming of the Hour? [250. See Tafsir, XXIX, 10]

  Others said: Rather, the first of the created things created byGod is light and darkness.

Those who said this

  According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah b. al-Fads-Ibn Ishaq: The first (thing) created by God was light and darkness. He then distinguished between the two and made the darkness a night that is black and dark (so that one cannot see ) and the light a day that illuminates and enables one to see? [251. See Tafsir, 1, 151 (ad Qur. 2:29)]

  Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari) says: In my opinion, of the two statements the one most likely to be correct is that of Ibn 'Abbas. That is because of the report, mentioned by me earlier, from the Messenger of God who said: The first thing created by God is the Pen.

  Someone might say: You say that of the two statements-the one that the first of the created things created by God is the Pen, and the other that it is light and darkness-the statement most likely to be correct is: The first of the created things created by God is the Pen. What, then, is the patent meaning of the tradition transmitted from Ibn 'Abbas which you were told by Ibn Bashshar-'Abd al-Rahman [252.'Abd al- Rahman b. Mahdi lived from 135/75213 ) to 198 /814. See TB, X, 240-48; Tahdhib, VI, 279-81; Horst , 296, n. 13.] -Sufyan-Abu Hashim [253. The Cairo edition identifies him with Abu Hishim Isma'l b. Kathir. See Tahdhib, 1, 326.] -Mujahid: I said to Ibn 'Abbas: There are people who consider predestination untrue? He said : ( Then ), they consider the Book of God untrue ! I shall seize one of them by the hair and shake him up. God was on His Throne before He created anything . The first (thing ) created by God was the Pen. It proceeded to (write) whatever is going to be to the Day of Resurrection . People will proceed merely in accordance with what is a foregone conclusion ( decided by predestination and written down by the Pen). And (what then is the meaning of the tradition reported ) on the authority of Ibn Ishaq and transmitted to all of you by Ibn Humayd -SalamahIbn Ishaq ? He continued ( quoting ) God's word : " It is He Who created the heavens and the earth in six days , while His Throne was upon the water . [254• Qur. 11:7. Taf sir, XII, 3-5, deals with much of the traditional material on creation] It was as He describes Himself . There was nothing except the water upon which was the Throne , and upon the Throne was God, Majestic and Venerable. And the first ( thing) created by God was light and darkness.

  The answer would be : The statement of Ibn 'Abbas that God was on His Throne upon the water before He created anything, and the first ( thing ) created by God was the Pen-if it is a sound (report ) on his authority that he actually said that -would provide information that God created the Pen after He created His Throne. Shu'bah transmitted this report on the authority of Abu Hashim but did not say what Sufyan said , namely, that God was on His Throne, and the first ( thing ) created by Him was the Pen. Rather, he transmitted this ( report ) as did all the other transmitters on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas mentioned by us , namely, that Ibn 'Abbas said : The first ( thing ) created by God is the Pen.

Those who said this

   According to al-Muthanna-'Abd al-Samad -Shubah-Abu Hashim-Mujahid [255. See Mujahid , Tafsir, I, 687, which , however, is rather different]--'Abdallah ( whether Ibn 'Umar or Ibn 'Abbas is not known ): The first ( thing ) created by God is the Pen. God said to it: Proceed ( to write )!, and the Pen proceeded to (write) whatever is going to be. People today merely carry out what is a foregone conclusion.

  The same applies to the statement of Ibn Ishaq mentioned by us which implies that God created light and darkness after He created His Throne and the water upon which the Throne was.

  The statement of the Messenger of God on the subject which we have transmitted from him is the one most likely to be correct, because he was most knowledgeable of the truth and soundness of any statement he would make on the subject. We have transmitted on the Prophet's authority that he said: The first thing created by God is the Pen-making no exception for anything whose creation might have preceded God's creation of the Pen. Rather, the Prophet's statement : The first thing created by God is the Pen, includes generally everything and indicates that the Pen was created before everything without making any exception for the Throne or water or anything else.

  The tradition we have transmitted on the authority of Abu Zabyan and Abu al-Duna-Ibn 'Abbas, is more likely to be sound on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas than the report of Mujahid on (the latter's) authority which Abu Hashim transmitted, since Shubah and Sufyan differed with respect to this transmission on (Ibn 'Abbas') authority, as I have already mentioned.

  Ibn Ishaq's statement indicates no authority from whom he transmitted it. Here we have one of the things that cannot be known except through information from God or from the Messenger of God. I have already mentioned the tradition(s) with respect to this subject on the authority of the Messenger of God.

Those Who Put the Creation of the Pen in Second Place

  After the Pen, and after God had commanded it to write whatever is going to be to the Coming of the Hour, God created fine clouds (sahab). It is the ghamam which God mentions in the unambiguous parts of His Book, saying: "Do they have (anything) to look for but that God will come to them under a cover of clouds (al-ghamam) ? [256. Qur. z:21o. "Unambiguous" (muhkam), in contrast to mutashabih, refers to Qur' anic passages assumed to be not susceptible to divergent interpretations] That was before He created His Throne. This appears in reports from the Messenger of God: According to Ibn Waki' and Muhammad b. Harun al-Qattan [257. He is further called al-Razigi (?) in Tafsir, XII, 4, t. 14, but apparently cannot be identified with any certainty. He is hardly identical with Abu Nashit Muhammad b. Harun al-Bazzaz who died ca. 258/872. See TB, III, 352 f.; Tahdhib, IX, 493 f-] -Yazid b. Harun-Hammad b. Salamah-Yala b. 'Ata' [258. According to Tahdhfb, XI, 403 f., Yali b. Ati' died in 120/737[8 ) in Wisit.] -Waki' b. Hudus [259. See Tahdhib, XI, 131 . His father's name is also given as Udu/as] -his paternal uncle Abu Razin [260. See Tahdhfb, VIII, 456 f. ) Ibn 'Abd al-Barr , Isti db, N, 1657. Abu Razin's name supposedly was Laqit. For the vocalization ' Agili, instead of  Uqayli, see Tahdhib, XI, 131 ( editor's footnote)] : I asked the Messenger of God: Where was our Lord before He created His creation? The Prophet replied: He was in a cloud ('ama') with no air underneath or above it. Then He created His Throne upon the water. [261. See Concordance, IV,  388a11 -13, and Tafsir, XII, 4 (ad Qur. 11:7) ]

  According to al-Muthanna b. Ibrahim -al-Hajjaj -HammadYa'la b . 'Ata'-Waki ' b. Hudus-his paternal uncle Abu Razin al-'Agili: I asked the Messenger of God: Where was our Lord before He created the heavens and the earth? The Prophet replied: In a cloud with air above and underneath it [262. This statement is hardly correct . In Tafsu, XII, 4 , the negations are found as in the preceding tradition. In this case, the only difference between this and the preceding tradition is the two links of the chain of transmitters between Tabari and Hammid b. Salamah.] Then He created His Throne upon the water.

  According to Khallad b. Aslam-al-Nadr b. Shumayl-alMas'udi-Jami' b. Shaddad [263. Died, apparently, in the 120x/738-747. See Tahdhib, II, 56 f] -Safwan b. Muhriz [264. Safwin died in 74/693[4]. See Tahdhib, IV, 430 f] –IbnHusayn [265. 'mrin b. Husayn died in 52 or 53 /672-73 in al-Basrah . See Tahdhib, VIII, 125 f],  one of the companions of the Messenger of God: Some people came to the Messenger of God. They entered into his presence, and he began to give them glad tidings [266. According to Tafsir, XII, 4, the glad tidings are that Muslims would not stay in Hell eternally . A mixture of the two traditions mentioned here is to be found in Bukhiri 's Sahih, see Ibn Hajar, Path, VII, 96 ff., and XVII, 179 ff] while they kept saying: Give us (gifts)! This continued until it annoyed the Messenger of God. Then they left. Some other people came in and said : We have come to greet the Messenger of God and become knowledgeable about the religion and ask about the beginning of this matter ( the world ). He said: So, accept the glad tidings, since those who have (just) left did not accept them. They said: We have done so . Whereupon the Messenger of God said : God existed while there was nothing else. His Throne was upon the water , and (all that was going to be) was written on the memorial (Tablet) before anything (else was created) [267. The construction is simplified in Bukhiri ' s Sahih where the preposition " before " is omitted.] Then God created seven heavens. Just then, someone came to me (Ibn Husayn) and said: That camel of yours is gone . I went out (and found that) she was out of sight. I surely wish that I would have let her go (so that I would not have missed the rest of the Prophet's remarks). [268. See Tafsir, XII, 4]

  According to Abu Kurayb-Abu Mu'awiyah-al-Amash-jami' b. Shaddad-Safwan b. Muhriz-`Imran b. al-Husayn: The Messenger of God said : Accept the glad tidings, Banu Tamim! They replied: You gave the glad tidings to us. So now give us (gifts)!

  The Prophet said : Accept the glad tidings, Yemenites! They said: We did so. Now inform us how that matter was ! Whereupon the Messenger of God said: God was upon the Throne. He was before everything, and He wrote everything that was going to be on the Tablet. ('Imran ) continued: Someone came to me and said: ' Imran, that camel of yours has become untethered. I got up and found that she was out of sight. Therefore, I do not know what took place afterwards. Then, there were differences about what God created after the cloud. Some said: Thereafter He created His Throne. [269.On the preexistent divine throne , see, for instance, Speyer, Biblische Erzahlungen, 21 ff]

Those who said this

  According to Muhammad b. Sinan-Abu Salamah [270. He may be identical with Abu Salamah Musa b . Ismail  al - Minqari alTabudhaki who died in 223/838. He appears elsewhere as an authority of Muhammad b. Sinan . See Tahdhib, X, 333-35.] –Hayyan b. 'Ubaydallah [271. Not Hayyin-'Ubaydallih, as in the Leiden edition. The correct text is found in the Cairo edition . See Ibn Hajar, Lisnn, II, 370; Ibn Abi Hatim , 1, 2, 246]-al-Dahhak b. Muzahim [272. Al-Dahhak died between 102 and to6/720-25. See Tahdhib, IV, 453 f.; Sezgin, GAS, I, 29 f., Horst, 304, n. 10] -Ibn 'Abbas: God created the Throne as the first thing He created. Then He sat straight on it.

  Others said: God created the water before the Throne. Then He created His Throne and placed it upon the water.

Those who said this

  According to Musa b. Harun al-Hamdani [273. He appears to be unidentifiable; see Horst, 302, n. 3] -`Amr b. Hammad [274. Died in 222/837. See Tahdhib, VIII, 22 f.; Horst, 302, n. 6.] Asbat b. Nasr [275. For Asbit, see Tahdhib, I, 211 f .; Horst, 302, n. 7.] -al-Suddi [276.Isms'l b. 'Abd al- Rahmin al-Suddi died in 127/744151. See Tahdhib, I, 313 f.; Horst, 302, n. 8] -Abu Malik [277. For Abu Malik Ghazwin al-Ghifiri, see Tahdhib, VIII, 254 f.; Horst, 302, n. 10] and Abu Salih [278. For Abu Salih Badhim/n, known as mawla of Umm Hini ', see Tahdhib, I, 416; Horst, 302, n. 9] -Ibn 'Abbas. Also (al-Suddi)-Murrah al-Hamdani [279. Murrah b. Sharahil died in 76/695(61 or after the battle of Dayr al-Jamijim (82/701). See Tahdhib, k, 88 f.; Ibn Abi Hitim, IV, 1, 366; Horst, 302, n. II.] -'Abdallah b. Mas'ud [280. The famous Qur'an reader Ibn Mas ud died in 32/652131. See Tahdhib, VI, 27 f.; E12 , III, 873-75, s. v. In Mas 'ud; Horst, 202, n. 13] and some (other) companions of the Messenger of God: God's Throne was upon the water. He had created nothing except that which He created before the water.[ 281. For the full text of the tradition, see text below, I, 49, and Tafsir, 1, 152 (ad Qur. 2:29]

  According to Muhammad b. Sahl b. 'Askar-Isma 'il b. 'Abd alKarim-'Abd al-Samad b. Ma'gil-Wahb b. Munabbih: Before He created the heavens and the earth, the Throne was upon the water.

  When He wanted to create the heavens and the earth, He grabbed a fistful of small rocks [282. The plural seems indicated here, but see also text below, I, So.] in the water. He then opened the fist (with the rocks), and they rose in (the form of) smoke. Then he fashioned (the heavens into) seven heavens [283. Cf. Qur. 41:12]. and extended  [284. Cf. Qur. 79:30.] the earth in two days. He finished the creation on the seventh day.

  According to another statement, it was the Footstool (kursi) that our Lord created after the Pen. After the Footstool, He created the Throne. Thereafter He created the air and darkness. He then created the water and placed His Throne upon it.

  Abu Ja'far (al -Tabari) says: In my opinion, of the two statements the one most likely to be correct is that God created the water before the Throne, because of the soundness of the report mentioned by me earlier from Abu Razin al -'Agili: When the Messenger of God was asked: Where was our Lord before He created His creation? he said: He was in a cloud with no air underneath or above it. Then He created His Throne upon the water. Thus, the Messenger of God reported that God created His Throne upon the water.

  It is impossible to assume that, seeing that He created it upon the water, He would have done so upon something nonexistent either before or simultaneously with it. If this is so, the Throne must  necessarily have been created either after God created the water or simultaneously with it. That its creation should have been before the creation of the water cannot possibly be sound according to the tradition transmitted on the authority of Abu Razin-the Prophet.

  It has been said that the water was upon the back of the wind when God created His Throne upon it. If this is so , the water and the wind were created before the Throne.

  Those who say that the water was upon the back of the wind

 According to Ibn Waki'-his father-Sufyan-al-A'mash-alMinhal b. 'Amr [285. See Tahdhib, X, 319-21] -Sa'id b. Jubayr: When Ibn 'Abbas was asked in connection with God's word: "His Throne was upon the water": [286. Qur. 11:7]

  Upon what was the water? he replied: Upon the back of the wind. [287. For this and the two following traditions , see Tafsir, XII, 4]

  According to Muhammad b. 'Abd al-A'la-Muhammad b. Thawr-Ma'mar-al-A'mash-Sa'id b. Jubayr: When Ibn 'Abbas was asked in connection with God's word: "His Throne was upon the water": Upon what was the water? he replied: Upon the back of the wind.

  We were told the same by al-Qasim b. al-Hasan-al-Husayn b. Dawud-Hajjaj-Ibn Jurayj-Sa'id b. Jubayr-Ibn 'Abbas.

  He said [288. The subject is hardly Tabari, but it seems not clear who might be meant.] : The heavens and the earth and everything in them are encompassed by the oceans, and all of that is encompassed by the haykal, [289. The meaning of haykal assumed here cannot easily be explained from the ordinary meanings of the word (anything stout, body, temple ). It could be " gigantic body."] and the haykal reportedly is encompassed by the Footstool.

Those who said this

  According to Muhammad b. Sahl b. 'Askar-Ismail b. 'Abd al Karim-'Abd al-Samad-Wahb, mentioning some of His majesty (as being describable as follows): The heavens and the earth and the oceans are in the haykal, and the haykal is in the Footstool.

  God's feet are upon the Footstool. He carries the Footstool. It became like a sandal on His feet. When Wahb was asked: What is the haykal? he replied: Something on the heavens' extremities that surrounds the earth and the oceans like the ropes that are used to fasten a tent. And when Wahb was asked how the earths are (constituted), he replied: They are seven earths that are flat and islands. Between each two earths, there is an ocean. All that is surrounded by the (surrounding) ocean, [290. "Surrounding" (muhi) is the name of the ocean that surrounds the earth in the world view of medieval Muslim geographers]  and the haykal is behind the ocean.

  It has been said that there are a thousand years between God's creation of the Pen and His creation of all the rest.

Those who said this

  According to al-Qasim b. al-Hasan-al-Husayn b. DawudMubashshir al-Halabi [291. Mubashshir b. Ismi'l al- Halabi died in zoo/815161 . See Tahdhib, X, 31 f] -Artah b. al-Mundhir [291. Mubashshir b. Ismi'l al- Halabi died in 200/815[6] . See Tahdhib, X, 31 f] –Damrah [293. Damrah b. Habib al- Himsi died in 130/747181. See Tahdhib, IV, 459 f] :

  God created the Pen and then wrote down with it whatever He was creating and all His creation that was going to be. This writing then praised and glorified God for a thousand years before He created anything else in His creation. Then, when God wanted to create the heavens and the earth, He reportedly created six days and called everyone of them by a different name . The name of one of those days reportedly is a-b-j-d, that of another h-w-z, that of the third h-t-y, that of the fourth k-1-m-n, that of the fifth s-'-f-s, and that of the sixth q-r-sh-t. [294. That is, the letters of the alphabet as they are arranged in the old Jewish/Christian order. The last two sentences do not appear in the quotation of this tradition in Tafsir, XII, 4]

Those who said this

  According to al-Hadrami [295. Unidentified] -Musarrif b. 'Amr al-Yami [296. Musarrif al-Yimi died in 240/854151. See Tahdhib, X,158] - Hafs b. Ghiyath [297. Born in 117/735, Hafs b. Ghiyith died between 194 and 196/809-t 2. See TB, VIII, 188-200; Tahdhib, II, 415-18] -al-'Ala' b. al-Musayyab [298. See Tahdhib, VIII, 192 f] -a man from the Kindah-al-Dahhak b. Muzahim: God created the heavens and the earth in six day's' There is no day that does not have a name: a-b-j-z, h-w-z, h-t-y, k-1-m-n, s-'-f-s, and q-r-sh-t.

  According to ( al-Hadrami ), omitting Musarif-hafs-. al- `ala Musayyab-a shaykh of the Kindah-al-Dahhak b. Muzahim Zayd b. Arqam  [299. Zayd b. Argam died in the second half of the sixties /684-88. See Tahdhib, III,394f]: God created the heavens and the earth in six days. Each day has a name : a-b-j-d, h-w-z, h-t y, k-1-m-n, s-'-f-s, and q-r-sh-t.

  Others say: Rather, God created one (day) and called it "Sunday," a second and called it "Monday," a third and called it "Tuesday," a fourth and called it "Wednesday," and a fifth and called it "Thursday.”  [300. The inventor of this idea played on the fact that the days of the week from Sunday to Thursday are expressed in Arabic, as well as in Aramaic, by special numerals for one to five. This places Friday and Saturday in a category apart, since they are not expressed numerically.]

Those who said this

  According to Tamim b. al-Muntasir-Ishaq (b. Yusuf)-Sharik (b. 'Abdallah al-Nakha'i)-Ghalib b. Ghallab [301. Apparently not identifiable] -'Ata' b. Abi Rabah [302. Born in the second year of the caliphate of Uthmin or in 27/647181, 'Ata' b. Abi Rabah died ca. 115 /733. See Tahdhib, VII, 199-203; EI2, 1, 730, s. v.; Horst, 295, n. 8] -Ibn 'Abbas: God created one day and called it "Sunday." Then He created a second and called it "Monday." Then He created a third and called it "Tuesday." Then He created a fourth and called it "Wednesday." Then He created a fifth and called it "Thursday”. [303. See Ta/sir, XXIV, 61]

  These two statements are not contradictory, since it is possible that the names of those days were in the language of the Arabs as stated by 'Ata', and in the language of others as stated by alDahhak b. Muzahim.

  It has been said that the days were seven, not six.

  According to Muhammad b. Sahl b. 'Askar-Ismail b. 'Abd alKarim-`Abd al-Samad b. Maqil-Wahb b. Munabbih: The days are seven.

  Both statements-the one, transmitted by us from al-Dahhak and 'Ata', that God created six days, and the other from Wahb b. Munabbih that the days are seven-are sound and can be combined and are not contradictory. That is because the statement here by 'Ata' and al -Dahhak means that the days on which God created the creation from the time (hin) He began the creation of heaven and earth and everything in them until He finished are six days, as God says: "It is He Who created the heavens and the earth in six days”. [304. Qur. 11:7] The statement of Wahb b. Munabbih, on the other hand, means that the number of days constituting a week is seven, not six.

  The early (scholars) differed with respect to the day on which God created the heavens and the earth. Some of them said: He began with it on Sunday.

Those who said this

  According to Ishaq b. Shahin [305. See Tahdhib, 1, 236 f] -Khalid b. 'Abdallah [306. Khalid b. 'Abdallah al-Tahhin lived from about 110/728[9]or 115/733[4]to about 179-82/795-98. See TB, VIII, 294 f.; Tahdhib, III, 100 f.] –alShaybani [307. Abu Ishaq Sulayman b . Abi Sulayman al-Shaybani died ca. 140/757[8]. See Tahdhib, IV, 197 f.] -'Awn b. 'Abdallah b. `Utbah [308. See Tahdhib, VIII, 171-73] -his brother 'Ubaydallah b. 'Abdallah b. 'Utbah [309. Died in the nineties /7o8-18. See Tahdhib, VII, 23 f. Tahdhib quotes Tabari's highly favorable opinion of him] -'Abdallah b. Salam: God began the creation by creating the earth on Sunday and Monday.

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