Qisas al-Anbiya by Ibn Kathir (قصص الأنبياء لابن كثير) — Page 7

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

يَرِدُ ذِكْرُهُمْ فِي الْقُرْآنِ صَرَاحَةً،

They are mentioned explicitly in the Quran.

وَلَمْ يَتَعَرَّضْ فِي كِتَابِهِ لِقِصَّةِ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ،

He did not cover the life of our Prophet Muhammad in his book.

إِذْ بَدَأَ بِآدَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَانْتَهَى فِي كِتَابِهِ بِعِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ.

He began with Adam, peace be upon him, and concluded with Jesus, peace be upon him.

وَقَدْ سَارَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ بِمَنْهَجٍ يُوحِي بِالثِّقَةِ وَيُشْعِرُ بِالطُّمَأْنِينَةِ،

He, may Allah be pleased with him, followed a methodology that inspires confidence and provides peace of mind.

إِذْ اعْتَمَدَ فِيمَا ذَكَرَ فِيهِ عَلَى مَا وَرَدَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ الْكَرِيمِ،

His accounts rely primarily on what is found in the Noble Quran.

كَمَا خَلَا مَا يَسْتَشْهِدُ بِهِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ عَنِ «الْمَوْضُوعِ» وَلَمْ يَعْتَمِدْ إِلَّا فِيمَا نَدَرَ عَلَى الضَّعِيفِ مِنَ الْحَدِيثِ،

The prophetic traditions he cites are free of fabrications, and he only rarely relies on weak hadith.

وَقَدِ اخْتَلَفَ الْعُلَمَاءُ فِي حُكْمِ الْعَمَلِ بِهِ،

Scholars have disagreed on the ruling regarding acting upon such reports.

كَمَا اتَّفَقَ الْجُمْهُورُ عَلَى الْأَخْذِ بِهِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ بِشُرُوطٍ لَيْسَ هَذَا مَحَلَّهَا.

The majority, however, agree on their use regarding the merits of deeds, provided certain conditions are met that need not be detailed here.

يُضَافُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْكِتَابَ سَلِمَ مِنَ الْإِسْرَائِيلِيَّاتِ نِهَائِيًّا،

The book is also entirely free of Isra'iliyyat.

وَكَيْفَ لَا وَهُوَ الْإِمَامُ الْحَافِظُ الْمُحَدِّثُ؟

How could it be otherwise, given he is an Imam, a Hafiz, and a scholar of hadith?

فَالْكِتَابُ فَرِيدٌ فِي بَابِهِ، هَامٌّ فِي مَوْضُوعِهِ، جَيِّدٌ فِي عَرْضِهِ لِقِصَصِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ،

This book is unique in its field, significant in its subject matter, and excellent in its presentation of the stories of the prophets.

يُشِي بِسَعَةِ عِلْمِ مُؤَلِّفِهِ، وَطُولِ بَاعِهِ فِي تَنَاوُلِ التَّارِيخِ وَالسِّيَرِ.

It reflects the author's vast knowledge and his deep expertise in history and biography.

وَفِي تَصَوُّرِي: أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُسْتَغْنَى عَنِ الْإِفَادَةِ مِنْهُ،

In my view, it is an indispensable resource.

كَمَا لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَفُوتَ طَالِبَ الْعِلْمِ اقْتِنَاؤُهُ وَالِاغْتِرَافُ مِنْ مَعَارِفِهِ،

Every student of knowledge should acquire it and draw from its wisdom.

وَيُعْتَبَرُ نَشْرُهُ وَتَيْسِيرُهُ وَخِدْمَتُهُ مِنَ الْقُرُبَاتِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى.

Publishing, facilitating access to, and serving this work are considered acts of devotion to Allah the Almighty.

وَلِذَا: فَمِنْ حَسَنَاتِ «دَارِ الطِّبَاعَةِ وَالنَّشْرِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ» أَنْ عَمِلَتْ عَلَى طَبْعِهِ وَنَشْرِهِ فِي هَذِهِ الصُّورَةِ الْقَشِيبَةِ

It is to the credit of the Islamic Printing and Publishing House that they have produced it in this elegant format.

الَّتِي اسْتَغْرَقَ إِعْدَادُهُ وَإِخْرَاجُهُ فِيهَا وَقْتًا طَوِيلًا وَجُهْدًا كَبِيرًا.

Its preparation and production required a great deal of time and effort.

ثَالِثًا: مَنْهَجُ التَّحْقِيقِ.

Third: The methodology of verification.

نَظَرًا لِأَنَّ الْكِتَابَ قَدْ حَظِيَ بِطَبْعِهِ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ مَرَّةٍ،

Since the book has been printed multiple times,

وَبَعْضُ هَذِهِ الطَّبَعَاتِ بُذِلَ فِي ضَبْطِ نُصُوصِهَا الْجُهْدُ الْمُعْتَمَدُ عَلَى الرُّجُوعِ لِلْمَخْطُوطَاتِ،

and some of these editions were carefully edited by referring to manuscripts,

فَقَدِ اكْتَفَيْنَا فِي حَوَاشِي الْكِتَابِ،

we have limited our footnotes,

انْظُرِ النُّسْخَةَ الَّتِي قَامَ بِتَحْقِيقِهَا الْأُسْتَاذُ.

referring the reader to the edition verified by the professor.

Vocabulary · المفردات (29 verbs · 63 nouns)

• وَرَدَ — to be mentioned
• تَعَرَّضَ — to address
• بَدَأَ — to begin
• انْتَهَى — to end
• سَارَ — to proceed
• رَضِيَ — to be pleased
• أَوْحَى — to inspire
• شَعَرَ — to feel
• اعْتَمَدَ — to rely
• ذَكَرَ — to mention
• خَلَا — to be free from
• اسْتَشْهَدَ — to cite
• نَدَرَ — to be rare
• اخْتَلَفَ — to differ
• اتَّفَقَ — to agree
• أَضَافَ — to add
• سَلِمَ — to be safe
• أَشَارَ — to indicate
• تَنَاوَلَ — to handle
• اسْتَغْنَى — to dispense with
• فَاتَ — to miss
• اعْتَبَرَ — to consider
• عَمِلَ — to work
• اسْتَغْرَقَ — to take time
• حَظِيَ — to obtain
• بَذَلَ — to exert
• اكْتَفَى — to suffice
• نَظَرَ — to look
• قَامَ — to undertake
• ذِكْرٌ — mention
• قُرْآنٌ — Quran
• صَرَاحَةٌ — explicitness
• كِتَابٌ — book
• قِصَّةٌ — story
• نَبِيٌّ — prophet
• مَنْهَجٌ — methodology
• ثِقَةٌ — trust
• طُمَأْنِينَةٌ — tranquility
• حَدِيثٌ — hadith
• رَسُولٌ — messenger
• مَوْضُوعٌ — fabricated (hadith)
• ضَعِيفٌ — the weak
• عَالِمٌ — scholar
• حُكْمٌ — ruling
• عَمَلٌ — work
• جُمْهُورٌ — majority
• أَخْذٌ — taking
• فَضِيلَةٌ — virtue
• شَرْطٌ — condition
• مَحَلٌّ — place
• إِسْرَائِيلِيَّةٌ — Isra'iliyyat
• إِمَامٌ — imam
• حَافِظٌ — memorizer
• مُحَدِّثٌ — hadith scholar
• بَابٌ — chapter
• عَرْضٌ — presentation
• سَعَةٌ — breadth
• عِلْمٌ — knowledge
• مُؤَلِّفٌ — author
• طُولٌ — length
• بَاعٌ — reach
• تَارِيخٌ — history
• سِيرَةٌ — biography
• تَصَوُّرٌ — perception
• إِفَادَةٌ — benefit
• طَالِبٌ — student
• اقْتِنَاءٌ — acquisition
• اغْتِرَافٌ — scooping
• مَعْرِفَةٌ — knowledge
• نَشْرٌ — publishing
• تَيْسِيرٌ — facilitation
• خِدْمَةٌ — service
• قُرْبَةٌ — act of devotion
• حَسَنَةٌ — good
• دَارٌ — house
• طِبَاعَةٌ — printing
• صُورَةٌ — form
• قَشِيبٌ — elegant
• إِعْدَادٌ — preparation
• إِخْرَاجٌ — production
• وَقْتٌ — time
• جُهْدٌ — effort
• تَحْقِيقٌ — verification
• مَرَّةٌ — time
• طَبْعَةٌ — edition
• ضَبْطٌ — precision
• نَصٌّ — text
• رُجُوعٌ — reference
• مَخْطُوطَةٌ — manuscript
• حَاشِيَةٌ — footnote
• نُسْخَةٌ — copy
• أُسْتَاذٌ — professor