التّماثُلُsimilarityبَيْنَbetweenالْخَالِقِthe Creatorوَandالْمَخْلُوقِthe created
The similarity between the Creator and the created.
رَابِعًاFourthنَقُولُwe say::إِنَّنَاthat weنُشَاهِدُobserveفِيinالْمَخْلُوقَاتِthe creaturesأَشْيَاءَthingsتَتَّفِقُagreeفِيinالْأَسْمَاءِthe namesوَتَخْتَلِفُand differفِيinالْمُسَمَّيَاتِthe designated
Fourth, we say: that we observe in the creatures things that agree in names and differ in designations.
يَخْتَلِفُdifferالنَّاسُpeopleفِيinصِفَاتِهِمْtheir attributes::هَذَاthisقَوِيٌّstrongالْبَصَرِof sightوَهَذَاand thisضَعِيفٌis weakوَهَذَاand thisقَوِيٌّstrongالسَّمْعِof hearingوَهَذَاand thisضَعِيفٌis weak,,هَذَاthisقَوِيٌّstrongالْبَدَنِof bodyوَهَذَاand thisضَعِيفٌis weakوَهَذَاand thisذَكَرٌmaleوَهَذِهِand thisأُنْثَىfemale......وَهَكَذَاand thusالتَّبَايُنُthe variationفِيinالْمَخْلُوقَاتِcreaturesالَّتِيwhichمِنofجِنسٍspeciesواحِدٍone
People differ in their attributes: this one is strong of sight, and this one is weak, this one is strong of hearing, and this one is weak, this one is strong of body, and this one is weak, this one is male, and this one is female... and thus the variation in creatures of the same species; so what about the creatures of different species?
فالتَّبَايُنُso the variationبَيْنَهَاbetween themأَظْهَرَis more apparentوَلِهَذَاand thusلاnoيُمْكِنُcanلِأَحَدٍfor anyoneأَنْtoيَقُولَsay::إِنَّthatلِيI haveيَدًاa handكَيْدٍlike the handالْجَمَلِof the camel,,أَوْorلِيI haveيَدًاa handكَيْدٍlike the handالذَّرَّةِof the atom,,أَوْorلِيI haveيَدًاa handكَيْدٍlike the handالْهِرِّof the cat؛;
So the variation among them is more apparent, and thus no one can say: "I have a hand like the hand of a camel, or I have a hand like the hand of an atom, or I have a hand like the hand of a cat;"
فَعِندَنَاWe haveالْآنَnowإِنْسَانٌa humanوَجَمَلٌand a camelوَذَرَّةٌand an atom,,وَهِرٌّand a catكُلٌّeachواحِدٌoneلَهُhasيَدٌa handمُخْتَلِفَةٌdifferentعَنِfromالثَّانِيthe other,,مَعَwithأَنَّهَاthat theyمُتَّفِقَةٌare the sameفِيinالإِسْمِthe name
So now we have a human, a camel, an atom, and a cat; each one has a hand that is different from the other, although they agree in the name.
فَنَقُولُWe say::إِذَاIfجَازَit is permissibleالتَّفَاوُتُthe disparityبَيْنَbetweenالْمُسَمَّيَاتِthe designationsفِيinالْمَخْلُوقَاتِcreaturesمَعَwithاتِّفَاقِagreementالْإِسْمِthe name؛;فَجَوَازُهُthen its permissibilityبَيْنَbetweenالْخَالِقِthe Creatorوَالْمَخْلُوقِand the createdمِنfromبَابٍthe categoryأَوْلَىmore appropriateبَلْratherنَحْنُweنَقُولُsay::إِنَّthatالتَّفَاوُتَthe differenceبَيْنَbetweenالْخَالِقِthe Creatorوَالْمَخْلُوقِand the createdلَيْسَis notجَائِزًاpermissibleفَقَطonly،,بَلْratherهُوَit is
So we say: If it is permissible for there to be disparity among the designations in creatures while the name is the same; then its permissibility between the Creator and the created is more appropriate; rather, we say: that the difference between the Creator and the created is not only permissible, but it is necessary.
فَعِندَنَاWe haveأَرْبَعَةٌfourوُجُوهٌaspectsعَقْلِيَّةٌintellectualكُلُّهَاall of themتَدُلُّindicateعَلَىthatأَنَّthatالْخَالِقَthe Creatorلَاdoes notيُمْكِنُcanأَنْtoيُمَاثِلَbe similar toالْمَخْلُوقِthe createdبِأَيِّby anyحَالٍconditionمِنْofالأَحْوَالِthe conditions
So we have four intellectual aspects, all of which indicate that the Creator cannot be similar to the created in any condition.
رُبَّمَاPerhapsنَقُولُwe sayأَيْضًاalsoهُنَاكَthere isدَلِيلٌa proof,,فِطْرِيٌّinstinctiveوَذَٰلِكَand that isلِأَنَّbecauseالْإِنْسَانَthe humanبِفِطْرَتِهِby his natureبِدُونِwithoutأَنْtoيُلَقَّنَbe taughtيَعْرِفُknowsالْفَرْقَthe differenceبَيْنَbetweenالْخَالِقِthe Creatorوَالْمَخْلُوقِand the created
Perhaps we also say that there is an instinctive proof, because the human by his nature knows the difference between the Creator and the created without being taught.
وَلَوْلَاAnd were it not forهَذِهِthisالْفِطْرَةُnature؛;مَاnotذَهَبَwentيَدْعُوcallingالْخَالِقَthe Creator..فَتَبَيَّنَThen it becomes clearالْآنَnowأَنَّthatالتَّمْثِيلَthe representationمُنْتَفٍis negatedسَمْعًاby hearingوَعَقْلًاand by reasonوَفِطْرَةًand by instinct
And were it not for this natural instinct; the human would not have gone calling for the Creator. So now it becomes clear that the representation is negated by hearing, reason, and instinct.
فَإِنْSo ifقَالَsomeone saysقَائِلٌsomeone who says::إِنَّthatالنَّبِيَّthe Prophetﷺpeace be upon himحَدَّثَنَاtold usبِأَحَادِيثَwith narrationsتَشْتَبِهُthat are ambiguousعَلَيْنَاto us؛;هَلْareهِيَthey areتَمْثِيلٌrepresentationsأَوْorغَيْرُnotتَمْثِيلٍrepresentation
So if someone says: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, told us with narrations that are ambiguous to us; are they representations or not?"