أَسْوَدُblackبَارِدًاcoldفِيinزَمَنٍthe timeالشِّتَاءِof winterفَإِنَّfor indeedذَٰلِكَthatدَلِيلٌa proofوَعَلاَمَةٌand a signعَلَىthatأَنَّهُit isيُمْطِرُrain.
It is black and cold in the time of winter; indeed, that is a proof and a sign that it is raining.
قَالُواThey said(۱)وَهَكَذَاAnd soحُكْمٌthe rulingالطَّاعَاتِof the deeds of obedienceمَعَwithالثَّوَابِreward,وَالكُفْرِand disbeliefوَالْمَعَاصِيand sinsمَعَwithالْعِقَابِ،punishment,هِيَthey are,أَمَارَاتٌsignsمُحَضَّةٌpureلِوُقُوعِfor happeningالثَّوَابِrewardوَالْعِقَابِ،and punishment,لَاnotأَنَّهَاthat they areأَسْبَابٌcausesلَهُfor it.
They said (1): And so, the ruling of the acts of obedience with the reward, and the disbelief and sins with the punishment, are purely signs for the occurrence of reward and punishment, not that they are causes for it.
وَهَكَذَاAnd soعِندَهُمْto themالْكَسْرَthe breakمَعَwithالِانْكِسَارِthe breakingوَالْحَرِيقِ(٢)and the fire (2)مَعَwithالإِحْرَاقِ،the burning,وَالإِزْهَاقِand taking away lifeمَعَwithالْقَتْلِkillingلَيْسَis notشَيْءٌanythingمِنْofذَٰلِكَthatسَبَبًاa reasonأَلْبَتَّةَ،at all,وَلَاnorارْتِبَاطٌconnectionبَيْنَهُbetween itوَبَيْنَand betweenمَاwhatيَتَرَتَّبُis imposedعَلَيْهِon itإِلَّاexceptمُجَرَّدَmerelyالِاقْتِرَانِthe associationالْعَادِيِّ،the ordinary,لَاnotالتَّأْثِيرِthe effectالسَّبَبِيِّ.causal.
And so, to them, the break with breaking and fire (2) with burning, and taking away life with killing is not anything of that as a cause at all, nor is there any connection between it and what is imposed on it except merely the ordinary association, not the causal effect.
وَخَالَفُواAnd they opposedبِذَٰلِكَwith thatالْحَسَّsenseوَالعَقْلَand reasonوَالشَّرْعَand lawوَالْفِطْرَةَ؛and the innate nature;وَسَائِرَand allطَوَائِفِgroupsالْعُقَلَاءِ،of the rational,بَلratherأَضْحَكُواthey made fun ofعَلَيْهِمthemالْعُقَلَاءَthe rational (4)!
And they opposed with that sense, reason, law, and the innate nature; and all groups of the rational, rather they made fun of them (4)!
وَالصَّوَابُAnd the correctأَنَّis thatهَهُنَاhereقَسَمًاa sectionثَالِثًاthirdغَيْرَnotمَاwhatذَكَرَهُhe mentionedالسَّائِلُ،the questioner,وَهُوَand it isأَنَّthatهَذَاthisالْمَقْدُورُdecreed(ه)قَدْرٌis determinedبِأَسْبَابٍby causesوَمِنْand ofأَسْبَابِهِits causesالدُّعَاءِ.supplication.
And the correct is that there is a third section here that what the questioner mentioned, which is that this decreed (is determined) by causes and among its causes is supplication.
فَلَمْSo it is notيُقَدَّرَdecreedمُجَرَّدًاmerelyعَنْaboutسَبَبِهِ،its cause,وَلَكِنbutقَدْرَdecreedبِسَبَبِهِ .by its cause.
So it is not decreed merely about its cause, but it is decreed by its cause.
فَمَتَىSo wheneverأَتَىthe servant comesالْعَبْدُthe servantبِالسَّبَبِwith the causeوَقَعَit occursالْمَقْدُورُthe decreed (thing),ومَتَىand wheneverلَمْnotيَأْتِhe comesبِالسَّبَبِwith the causeاِنْتَفَىit is negatedالْمَقْدُورُ.the decreed.
So whenever the servant comes with the cause, the decreed (thing) occurs, and whenever he does not come with the cause, the decreed is negated.
وَهَذَاAnd thisكَمَاis asقُدِّرَdecreedالشَّبَعُsatisfactionوَالرِّيُّand thirst satisfactionبِالأَكْلِby eatingوَالشُّرْبِand drinkingوَقَدْرَتُand it was decreedالْوَلَدُthe childبِالْوَطْءِ،by sexual intercourse,وَقَدْرَand it was decreedحُصُولَthe occurrenceالزَّرْعِof cropsبِالْبَذْرِ،by planting,وَقَدْرَand it was decreedخُرُوجَthe exitنَفْسِsoulالْحَيَوَانِof the animalبِذَبْحِهِby slaughtering it (7).(۷)
And this is as satisfaction and thirst satisfaction were decreed by eating and drinking; and the child was decreed by sexual intercourse, and the occurrence of crops was decreed by planting, and the exit of the soul of the animal was decreed by slaughtering it (7).
وَكَذَلِكَAnd likewise[٦/ب]قُدِّرَdecreedدُخُولُthe entranceالْجَنَّةِto Paradiseبِالْأَعْمَالِ،by deeds,(۱)
And likewise [6/B] the entrance to Paradise was decreed by deeds.