الْفَصْلُThe chapterالرَّابِعُfourth
The fourth chapter
فِيInتَرْتِيبِthe arrangement ofمَبَاحِثِtopics ofالْقُرْآنِthe Quranالْكَرِيمِthe Noble
In the arrangement of the topics of the Noble Quran
حِكْمَةُThe wisdom ofالدَّعْوَةِthe callوَالْعَرْضِand the presentation:
The wisdom of the call and the presentation:
لَوْIfأَثَارَraisedأَحَدٌsomeoneالسُّؤَالَthe question:
If someone raised the question:
لِمَ لَمْWhy was notيُرَاعَobservedالتَّرْتِيبُthe arrangementفِيinبَيَانِexplainingمَبَاحِثِthe topics ofالْقُرْآنِthe Quranالْعَظِيمِ؟the Great?
Why was the arrangement not observed in explaining the topics of the Great Quran?
وَلِمَAnd whyنُثِرَتْwere they scatteredهَكَذَاthusنَثْراً؟as scattering?
And why were they scattered thus as a scattering?
فَلِمَ لَمْWhy then did he notيَبْدَأْstart- مَثَلًا -- for example -بِبَيَانِby explainingآلَاءِthe bounties ofاللَّهِGod- تَعَالَى -- Most High -
Why then did he not start - for example - by explaining the bounties of God - Most High -
حَتَّى إِذَاuntil whenاسْتَوْفَاهَاHe fulfilled themحَقَّهَا،their due right,شَرَعَHe proceededفِيinبَيَانِexplainingأَيَّامِthe days ofاللَّهِGod- تَعَالَى -؟- Most High -?
until when He fulfilled them their due right, He proceeded in explaining the days of God - Most High -?
فَإِذَاThen ifأَتَمَّهَاHe completed themوَأَكْمَلَهَاand perfected themبَدَأَHe startedبِالْجَدَلِwith the argumentمَعَwithالْكُفَّارِthe disbelieversوَغَيْرِهِمْ؟and others besides them?
Then if He completed them and perfected them, He started with the argument with the disbelievers and others besides them?
فَنَقُولُ:So we say:
So we say:
إِنَّIndeedقُدْرَةَthe power ofاللَّهِGod- تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى -- Blessed and Most High -وَإِنْeven thoughكَانَتْit wasمُحِيطَةًencompassingبِجَمِيعِallالْمُمْكِنَاتِ،possible things,
Indeed, the power of God - Blessed and Most High - even though it was encompassing all possible things,
وَلَكِنَّbutالْقَوْلَthe wordالْفَصْلَdecisiveفِيinهَذَاthisالْبَابِchapterإِنَّمَاis onlyهُوَforلِلْحِكْمَةِwisdom
but the decisive word in this chapter is only for wisdom
(إِذْ أَنَّهُ(since itكِتَابٌis a bookحَكِيمٌwiseمِنْfromلَدُنْthe presence ofحَكِيمٍOne Wiseخَبِيرٍ)Acquainted)
(since it is a wise book from the presence of One Wise and Acquainted)
وَالْحِكْمَةُAnd wisdomهِيَisمُوَافَقَةُmatchingالْمَبْعُوثِthose sent toإِلَيْهِمْthemفِيinاللِّسَانِlanguageوَأُسْلُوبِand style ofالْبَيَانِ،expression,
And wisdom is matching those sent to them in language and style of expression,
وَإِلَىand toهَذَاthisالْمَعْنَىmeaningجَاءَتِcameالْإِشَارَةُthe indicationفِيinقَوْلِthe saying of- تَعَالَى -:- Most High -:
and to this meaning came the indication in the saying of - Most High -:
{لَقَالُوا{They would have saidلَوْلَاWhy were notفُصِّلَتْdetailedآيَاتُهُits versesأَأَعْجَمِيٌّis it non-Arabicوَعَرَبِيٌّ}and Arabic}إِلَخِetc.الْآيَةُ.the verse.
{They would have said, 'Why were its verses not detailed? Is it a non-Arabic [recitation] and an Arab [messenger]?'} etc. the verse.
وَلَمْAnd was notيَكُنْthereلَدَىwithالْعَرَبِthe Arabsإِلَىuntilحِينِthe time ofنُزُولِrevelation ofالْقُرْآنِthe Quranالْحَكِيمِ،the Wise,
And there was not with the Arabs until the time of the revelation of the Wise Quran,
كِتَابٌ،a book,لَاneitherكِتَابٌa bookإِلَهِيٌّdivineوَلَاnorكِتَابٌa bookبَشَرِيٌّ.human.
a book, neither a divine book nor a human book.
أُسْلُوبُThe style ofالْأَوَّلِينَthe ancientsلَاnotاخْتِرَاعُthe invention ofالْمُصَنِّفِينَthe compilersالْمُتَأَخِّرِينَ:the later ones:
The style of the ancients, not the invention of the later compilers:
وَإِنَّAnd indeedالتَّرْتِيبَthe arrangementالَّذِيwhichاخْتَرَعَهُinvented itالْمُؤَلِّفُونَthe authorsوَالْمُصَنِّفُونَand compilersالْمُتَأَخِّرُونَthe later ones
And indeed the arrangement which the later authors and compilers invented
لَمْdid notيَكُنْknow itيَعْرِفْهُknowالْعَرَبُthe Arabsالْأَوَّلُونَ،the early ones,
was not known by the early Arabs,
وَإِذَاand ifكُنْتَyou areفِيinشَكٍّdoubtمِنْofهَذَا،this,
and if you are in doubt of this,