يُحِيطُونَsurroundيَعُودُreturnsعَلَىonالْخَلْقِcreationالَّذِيthatدَلَّindicateعَلَيْهِمْto themقَوْلُهُhis sayingلَهُto Himمَاwhatفِيinالسَّمَاوَاتِthe heavensوَandمَاwhatفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earth
They surround the creation that his saying indicates: "To Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth;" meaning those in the heavens and the earth do not encompass anything of the knowledge of Allah except what He wills.
أَنَّنَاthat weلَاdo notنَعْلَمُknow
That we do not know.
قَوْلُهُhis sayingمِنْofعِلْمِهِHis knowledge
His saying: "of His knowledge".
يَحْتَمِلُmay meanمِنْofعِلْمٍknowledgeذَاتِهِHis essenceوَصَفَاتِهِand attributesيَعْنِيmeansشَيْئًاsomethingعَنْaboutاللَّهَAllahوَذَاتِهِand His essenceوَصَفَاتِهِand attributesإِلَّاexceptبِمَاby whatشَاءَHe willed
It may mean of His essence and attributes; this means: they encompass nothing about Allah, His essence, and His attributes except by what He wills.
وَيَحْتَمِلُAnd it may meanأَنْthatعِلْمٌknowledgeهُنَاhereبِمَعْنَىin the sense ofمَعْلُومknownيَعْنِيmeansلَاdo notيُحِيطُونَencompassبِشَيْءٍanythingمِنْofمَعْلُومَهHis knownأَيwhichمِمَّاof whatيَعْلَمُهُHe knowsإِلَّاexceptبِمَاby whatشَاءَهHe willsوَكِلَاAnd bothالْمَعْنَيَيْنِmeaningsصَحِيحٌare correct
It may also be that "knowledge" here means known; that is: they do not encompass anything of His known, which He knows except by what He wills, and both meanings are correct.
وَقَدْAndنَقُولُwe sayإنَّthatالثَّانِيthe secondأَعْمُّis more generalلَأَنَّbecauseمَعْلُومَهHis knownيَدْخُلُincludesفِيهِin itعِلْمُهُHis knowledgeبِذَاتِهِof His essenceوَبِصَفَاتِهِand attributesوَبِمَاand with whatسِوَىother thanذَلِكَthatإِيَّاهُit
And we may say that the second is more general; because His known includes His knowledge of His essence, His attributes, and what is other than that.
وَقَوْلُهُAnd His sayingإِلَّاexceptبِمَاby whatشَاءَHe willedمِمَّاof whatعَلَّمَهُمHe taught themإِيَّاهُit
And His saying: "except by what He willed of what He taught them."
وَقَدْAndعَلَّمَنَاHe taught usاللَّهُAllahتَعَالَىExaltedأَشْيَاءَthingsكَثِيرَةًmanyعَنْaboutأَسْمَائِهِHis namesوَصَفَاتِهِand attributesوَعَنْand concerningأَحْكَامِهِHis rulingsالْكُونِيَّةِuniversalوَأَحْكَامِهِand His rulingsالشَّرْعِيَّةِlegalوَلَكِنَّbutهَذَاthisالْكَثِيرُthe manyهُوَisبِالنِّسْبَةِin relation toلَمَعْلُومَةٍHis knownقَلِيلٌfewكَمَاasقَالَsaidاللَّهُAllahتَعَالَىExaltedوَيَسْتَفْتُونَكَThey ask youعَنِaboutالرُّوحِthe soulقُلْSayالرُّوحُthe soulمِنْofأَمْرِcommandرَبِّيMy Lordوَمَاand whatأُوتِيتُمْyou have been givenمِّنَofالْعِلْمِknowledgeإِلَّاexceptقَلِيلًاlittle
And Allah taught us many things about His names and attributes and about His universal and legal rulings, but this many is little regarding His known; as Allah Exalted said: "And they ask you about the soul, say: the soul is of the command of my Lord, and what you have been given of knowledge is little."
وَقَوْلُهُAnd His sayingوَسِعَAnd it encompassesكُرْسِيُّهُHis chairالسَّمَاوَاتِthe heavensوَالْأَرْضَand the earth
And His saying: "His chair encompasses the heavens and the earth:"
وَسِعَAnd encompassedبِمَعْنَىin the sense ofشَمَلَcomprehendedيَعْنِيmeansأَنْthatكُرْسِيَّهُHis chairمُحِيطٌsurroundingبِالسَّمَاوَاتِby the heavensوَالْأَرْضِand the earthوَأَكْبَرُand greaterمِنْهَاthan itلَأَنَّهُbecauseلَوْلَاif notأَنَّهُit isأَكْبَرُgreaterمَاthan whatوَسِعَهَاencompassed it
And it encompasses, meaning: it comprehended; this means: His chair is surrounding the heavens and the earth, and is greater than them; because if it were not greater, it would not encompass them.
وَالْكُرْسِيُّAnd the chairقَالَsaidإِبْنُIbnعَبَّاسٍAbbasرَضِيَmay Allah be pleasedاللَّهُAllahعَنْهُمَاof both of them
And the chair; Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said about it.