وَالْآخِرَةُ،and the hereafter,وَذَكَرَand mentionedأَنَّthatاللَّهَAllahسُبْحَانَهُthe ExaltedإِنَّمَاindeedحَكَىrelatedهَذَاthisالْمَرَضَdiseaseفِيinكِتَابِهِHis Bookعَنْaboutطَائِفَتَيْنِtwo groupsمِنَofالنَّاسِpeopleوَهُمَاand they areقَوْمُthe peopleلُوطٍ،of Lot,وَالنِّسَاءِ،and women,ثُمَّthenقَالَhe said:وَهَذَاthisدَاءٌdiseaseأَعْيَاhas confoundedالأَطِبَّاءَthe doctorsدَوَاؤُهُ،its cure,وَعَزَّand it has become rareعَلَيْهِمْfor themشِفَاؤُهُits healing.وَهُوَAnd it isلِعَمْرِ اللَّهِ ـby God's age —الدَّاءُthe diseaseالْعُضَالُ،the incurable,وَالسُّمُّand the poisonالْقَتَّالُ.the deadly.
And the hereafter, and He mentioned that Allah, the Exalted, indeed related this disease in His Book about two groups of people: the people of Lot and women. Then he said: 'This is a disease that has confounded the doctors concerning its cure, and it has become rare for them to heal it. And it is, by God's age — the incurable disease, and the deadly poison...'
وَتَبَيَّنَAnd it becomes clearمِنْfromهَذَاthisأَنَّthatالِاسْتِفْتَاءِthe inquiryالَّذِيthatوَرَدَcameعَلَىtoالْمُؤَلِّفِthe authorكَانَwasعَنْaboutدَاءٍthe diseaseالْعِشْقِ :of passion: howكَيْفَhowيُمْكِنُcanمَدَاوَاتُهُit be treatedوَإنْقَاذِهand savingصَاحِبِهِits ownerمِمَّاfrom whatابْتُلِيَhe has been afflictedبِهِby itمِنْfromتَبَارِيحِهِ؟its pains?
And it becomes clear from this that the inquiry that came to the author was about the disease of passion: how can it be treated and how to save its owner from the pains he has been afflicted with?
وَلَفْظُAnd the wordingالِاسْتِفْتَاءِof the inquiryيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىthatأَنَّtheالسُّؤَالَquestionعَنْaboutمَرَضٍa diseaseحَاصِلٍthat has occurredلَاnotعَنْaboutمُتَوَقَّعٍ،the anticipated,فَكَانَso it wasلِلْمُؤَلِّفِfor the authorأَنْtoيَقْتَصِرَlimit himselfعَلَىtoبَيَانِclarifyingالطُّرُقِthe waysالْمُفْضِيَةِleadingإِلَىtoالْخَلَاصِsalvationمِنْهُ،from it,كَمَاasفَعَلَhe didفِيinالْفَصْلِthe chapterالْمُحْكَمِthe preciseالَّذِيthatكَتَبَهُhe wroteفِيinزَادِthe supplementالْمِعَادِof the journeyبِعُنْوَانِtitled«فَصْلٍ'A chapterفِيonهَدِيَةٍguidanceفِيinعِلاَجِthe treatmentالْعِشْقِ».of passion.'
And the wording of the inquiry indicates that the question is about an existing disease and not about an anticipated one, so it was for the author to limit himself to clarifying the ways leading to salvation from it, as he did in the precise chapter that he wrote in the supplement of the journey titled 'A chapter on guidance in the treatment of passion.'
اِسْتَهَلَّهُHe began itبِقَوْلِهِ :with the saying:هَذَاThisمَرَضٌdiseaseمِنْofأَمْرَاضِthe diseasesالْقَلْبِ،of the heart,مُخَالِفٌis differentلِسَائِرِfrom otherالأَمْرَاضِdiseasesفِيinذَاتِهِitselfوَأَسْبَابِهِand its causesوَعِلَاجِهِand its treatmentوَإِذَاAnd ifتَمَكَّنَit becomes entrenchedوَاسْتَحْكَمَand severeعَزَّit becomes rareعَلَىforالأَطِبَّاءِthe doctorsدَوَاؤُهُ،to cure it,وَأَعْيَاand has confoundedالْعَلِيلَthe sufferingدَاؤُهُits diseaseوَإِنَّمَاAnd indeedحَكَاهُit was narratedاللَّهُAllahسُبْحَانَهُthe ExaltedفِيinكِتَابِهِHis Bookعَنْaboutطَائِفَتَيْنِtwo groupsمِنَofالنَّاسِ :people:عَنْaboutالنِّسَاءِwomenوَعُشَّاقِand the loversالصُّبْيَانِ،of boys,المِرْدَانِyoung men.فَحَكَاهُHe narrated itعَنْaboutامْرَأَةٍa womanالْعَزِيزِof the noble,فِيinشَأْنِthe matterيُوسُفَ،of Yusuf,وَحَكَاهُand he narratedعَنْaboutقَوْمِthe peopleلُوطٍ (۱) .of Lot (1).
He began it with the saying: 'This is a disease of the heart, different from other diseases in itself, its causes and treatment. And if it becomes entrenched and severe, it becomes rare for doctors to cure it, and the suffering individual is confounded by its disease. And indeed, it was narrated by Allah, the Exalted, in His Book about two groups of people: about women and the lovers of boys, young men. He narrated it about the woman of the noble in the matter of Yusuf, and he narrated it about the people of Lot (1).
ثُمَّThenذَكَرَhe mentionedثَمَانِيَeightحَالَاتٍcasesوَوَصَفَand describedلِكُلِّfor eachحَالَةٍcaseعِلَاجَهَا.its treatment.
Then he mentioned eight cases and described for each case its treatment.
وَكَأَنَّAnd as ifهَذَاthisالْفَصْلُchapterمِنْofكِتَابِthe bookالزَّادِ -the supplement -مِنْfromحَيْثُthe perspective ofدِقَّتِهِits accuracyوَتَحْرِيرِهِ -and its editing -هُوَit isالْجَوَابُthe answerالْمَطْلُوبُrequiredعَنْtoالِاسْتِفْتَاءِthe inquiryالْوَارِدِthat cameعَلَيْهِ.to him.
And as if this chapter of the supplement— in terms of its accuracy and its editing — is the required answer to the inquiry that came to him.
أَمَّاAs forالْكِتَابُthe bookالْحَافِلُfilledالَّذِيthatبَيْنَis betweenأَيْدِينَا،our hands,فَقَدْit hasسَلَكَtakenفِيَin itالْمُؤَلِّفُthe authorرَحِمَهُ اللَّهُmay Allah have mercy on himمَسْلَكًاa pathآخَرَotherارْتَضَاهُthat he has chosenوَدَافَعَand defendedعَنْهُ،about it,وَحَكَىand narratedعَنْfromشَيْخِهِhis teacherأَنَّهُthat heكَانَwasيَنْتَهِجُهُfollowing it also,(۱)(1)
As for the book filled that is between our hands, it has taken a different path that the author, may Allah have mercy on him, has chosen and defended, and he narrated from his teacher that he was also following it (1).