وَAndخَالَفُواthey opposedالظَّاهِرَ،the apparent,وَلَوْeven ifكَانُواthey wereيَرَوْنَthey seeخِلَافَthe opposite ofظَاهِرِهِ؛its apparent meaning;لَنْقُلَit was not transmittedإِلَيْنَا؛to us;فَمَاso whatمِنْهُمْnone of themأَحَدٌhas everقَالَ:said:إِنَّthat(اسْتَوَى)(Istawa)بِمَعْنَىmeans(اسْتَوَى)(Istawla)أَبَدًا.never.
And they opposed the apparent meaning, even if they saw the opposite of its apparent meaning; it was not transmitted to us; so what none of them has ever said is that (Istawa) means (Istawla) ever.
ثَانِيًا:Secondly:أَنَّهُit isمُخَالِفٌcontraryلِلظَّاهِرِto the apparentاللَّفْظِ؛expression;لِأَنَّbecauseمَادَّةَthe rootالِاسْتَوَاءِof Istawaإِذَاifتَعَدَّتْis used withبِـwith(عَلَى)؛(on);فَهِيَthen it meansبِمَعْنَىmeansالْعُلُوِّexaltationوَالِاسْتِقْرَارِand stability;هَذَاthis isظَاهِرَthe apparent;اللَّفْظُ،expression,وَهَذِهِand theseمَوَارِدُهَاinstances of itفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Quranوَفِيand inكَلَامِthe speechالْعَرَبِ.of the Arabs.
Secondly: it is contrary to the apparent expression; because the root of Istawa, if used with (on); then it means exaltation and stability; this is the apparent expression, and these are its instances in the Quran and in the speech of the Arabs.
ثَالِثًا:Thirdly:أَنَّهُit isيَلْزَمُnecessitatesعَلَيْهِfor itلَوَازِمُconsequencesبَاطِلَةٌ:false:۱ -1 -يَلْزَمُit necessitatesأَنْ كُونَthat He beاللَّهُAllahعَزَّ وَجَلَّthe AlmightyحِينَwhenخَلَقَHe createdالسَّمَاوَاتِthe heavensوَالأَرْضَand the earthلَيْسَnotمُسْتَوِيًاin controlعَلَىoverعَرْشِهِ ؛His throne;لِأَنَّbecauseاللَّهَAllahيَقُولُ:says:﴿﴿خَلَقَHe createdالسَّمَاوَاتِthe heavensوَالْأَرْضَand the earthفِيinسِتَّةِsixأَيَّامٍdays;ثُمَّthenاسْتَوَىHe ascendedعَلَىonالْعَرْشِ ﴾the throne﴾[الأعراف: ٥٤]،[Al-Araf: 54],وَتَمَّand it indicatesتُفِيدُindicatesالتَّرْتِيبُ،the order,فَيَلْزَمُthus, it necessitatesأَنْ كُونَthat it beالْعَرْشَthe throneقَبْلَbeforeتَمَامِthe completion ofخَلْقِthe creation ofالسَّمَاوَاتِthe heavensوَالْأَرْضِand the earthلِغَيْرِfor non-اللَّهِ .Allah.
Thirdly: it necessitates false consequences: 1 - it necessitates that Allah Almighty, when He created the heavens and the earth, was not in control of His throne; because Allah says: (He created the heavens and the earth in six days; then He ascended over the throne) [Al-Araf: 54], and it indicates the order, thus it necessitates that the throne was before the completion of the creation of the heavens and the earth for non-Allah.
2 -2 -أَنْthatالْغَالِبَthe majorityمِنْofكَلِمَةِthe word(اسْتَوَى)(Istawla)أَنَّهَاit isلَاnotتَكُونَusedإِلَّاexceptبَعْدَafterمُغَالَبَةٍoverpowering;وَلَاand no oneأَحَدٌoneيُغَالِبُcan overpowerاللَّهَ .Allah.
2 - that the majority of the word (Istawla) is not used except after overpowering and no one can overpower Allah.
أَيْنَWhereالمَفَرُّthe escapeوَالإِلَٰهُand the deityالطَّالِبُthe seeker
Where is the escape and the deity the seeker
وَالْأَشْرَمُand the ashramالمَغْلُوبُthe defeatedلَيْسَis notالْغَالِبُthe overpowering
and the ashram the defeated is not the overpowering.
مِنَfromاللَّوَازِمِthe consequencesالْبَاطِلَةِfalseأَنَّهُthatيَصِحُّit is validأَنْthatنَقُولَ:we say:إِنَّthatاللَّهُAllahاسْتَوَىascendedعَلَىonالأَرْضِthe earthوَالشَّجَرِand trees;وَالْجِبَالِ؛and mountains;لِأَنَّهُbecause it isمُسْتَوٍin controlعَلَيْهَا.over them.
From the false consequences is that it is valid for us to say: that Allah ascended over the earth and trees and mountains; because He is in control over them.
وَهَذِهِand theseلَوَازِمٌconsequencesبَاطِلَةٌare falseوَبُطْلَانُAnd the invalidationاللَّازِمِof the necessaryيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىonبُطْلَانِthe invalidityالْمَلْزُومِ.of the required.
And these consequences are false. And the invalidation of the necessary indicates the invalidity of the required.
(1)(1)يُنْسَبُis attributedهَذَاthisالْبَيْتُpoemإِلَىtoنَفِيلٍNafeelبْنِibnحَبِيبٍHabibقَالَهُhe said itعِنْدَمَاwhenأَنزَلَHe sent downاللَّهُAllahعَلَىuponأَصْحَابِthe companionsالْفِيلِof the elephantالنَّقْمَةَ،punishment,«تَفْسِيرِ"Tafsir"ابْنِIbnكَثِيرٍ»Kathir"
(1) This poem is attributed to Nafeel ibn Habib who said it when Allah sent down punishment upon the companions of the elephant, "Tafsir Ibn Kathir."