وَتَقَبَّلَand acceptفِيَهِمْamong themالشَّفَاعَةَthe intercessionوَنَحْوَand similarذَٰلِكَthatدَائِمًاalways
And He accepts intercession among them, and similar things, always.
وَهُوَAnd Heيَنْصُرُsupportsفِيinالْمَسَائِلِthe mattersالَّتِيthatفِيهَاin itالنِّزَاعَthe dispute
And He supports in the matters that contain disputes.
بَيْنَbetweenأَهْلِthe peopleالْحَدِيثِof Hadithوَغَيْرِهِمand othersقَوْلَthe sayingأَهْلِof the peopleالْحَدِيثِof Hadithلَكِنْbutلَمْhe did notيَكُنْwasخَبِيرًاan expertبِمَآخِذِهِمof their sources
Between the people of Hadith and others, he supports the saying of the people of Hadith, but he was not an expert in their sources.
فَيَنْصُرُهُSo he supports himعَلَىonمَاwhatيَرَاهُhe seesهُوَheمِنْofالأُصُولِthe fundamentalsالَّتِيthatتَلَقَّاهَاhe received themعَنْfromغَيْرِهِمothers
So he supports him on what he sees as the fundamentals that he received from others.
فَيَقَعُSo it fallsفِيintoذَٰلِكَthatمِنَofالتَّنَاقُضِthe contradictionمَاwhatيُنْكِرُهُthey denyهَؤُلَاءِtheseوَهَؤُلَاءِand theseكَمَاasفَعَلَhe didفِيinمَسْأَلَةِthe matterالإِيْمَانِof faithوَنَصَرَand he supportedفِيهَاin itقَوْلَthe sayingجَهْمٍJahmمَعَwithنَصْرِهِhis supportلِلِاسْتِثْنَاءِfor exception
So it falls into that contradiction which is denied by these and those, as he did in the matter of faith, and he supported in it the saying of Jahm along with his support for the exception.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for thisخَالَفَهُmany of his companions opposed himكَثِيرٌmanyمِنْofأَصْحَابِهِhis companionsفِيinالْاسْتِثْنَاءِthe exceptionكَمَاasسَنَذْكُرُwe will mention
And for this reason, many of his companions opposed him in the exception, as we will mention.
مَأْخَذُهُHis approachفِيinذَٰلِكَthatوَاتَّبَعَهُand most of his companions followed himأَكْثَرُmoreأَصْحَابِهِof his companionsعَلَىonنَصْرِsupportقَوْلِthe sayingجَهْمٍJahmفِيinذَٰلِكَthat
His approach in that was followed by most of his companions on supporting the saying of Jahm in that.
وَمَنAnd whoeverلَمْdid notيَقِفْstandإِلَّاexceptعَلَىonكُتُبِthe booksالكَلَامِof speechوَلَمْand did notيَعْرِفْknowمَاwhatقَالَهُhe saidالسَّلَفُthe predecessorsوَأَئِمَّةِand the imamsالسُّنَّةِof the Sunnahفِيinهَذَاthisالْبَابِtopic
And whoever did not stand except on the books of speech, and did not know what the predecessors and the imams of the Sunnah said in this topic,
فَيَظُنُّhe thinksأَنَّthatمَاwhatذَكَرُوهُthey mentionedهُوَisقَوْلُthe sayingأَهْلِof the peopleالسُّنَّةِof the Sunnahوَهُوَand it isقَوْلٌa sayingلَمْnoيَقُلْهُone said
he thinks that what they mentioned is the saying of the people of the Sunnah, and it is a saying that no one has said.
أَئِمَّةٌImamsمِنَfromالسُّنَّةِthe SunnahبَلْratherقَدْhaveكَفَرَdisbelievedأَحْمَدُAhmedبْنِbinحَنْبَلٍHanbalوَوَاكِعٍand Waki'وَغَيْرِهِمand othersمَنْfromقَالَwho saidبِقَوْلِby the saying ofجَهْمٍJahmفِيinالإِيْمَانِfaithالَّذِيthatنَصَرَهُhe supportedأَبُوAbuالْحَسَنِal-Hasanوَهُوَand it isعِندَهُمْamong themشَرٌّworseمِنْthanقَوْلِthe sayingالْمُرْجِئَةِof the Murji'ah
The Imams of the Sunnah have indeed disbelieved Ahmed bin Hanbal and Waki' and others who said by the saying of Jahm in faith which Abu al-Hasan supported, and it is among them worse than the saying of the Murji'ah.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for this reasonصَارَbecameمِنْofيُعَظِّمُthose who exaltالشَّافِعِيّAl-Shafi'iمِنَfromالزَّيْدِيَّةِthe Zaidisوَالْمُعْتَزِلَةِand the Mu'tazilaوَنَحْوِهِمand similarيَطْعَنُthey criticizeفِيinكثيرٍmanyمِمَّنْwhoيُنْتَسِبُattributeإِلَيْهِto himيَقُولُونَthey say
And for this reason, those who exalt Al-Shafi'i from the Zaidis, the Mu'tazila, and similar groups criticize many who attribute themselves to him, saying:
الشَّافِعِيُّAl-Shafi'iلَمْdid notيَكُنْwasفَيْلَسُوفًاa philosopherوَلَاnorمُرْجِئًاa Murji'ahوَهَؤُلَاءِand theseفُلاسِفَةٌphilosophersأَشْعَرِيَّةٌAsh'ariteمُرْجِئَةٌMurji'ah
Al-Shafi'i was not a philosopher, nor a Murji'ah, and these are philosophers who are Ash'arite Murji'ah.
وَغَرَضُهُمْAnd their aimذَمُّis to disparageالإِرْجَاءِthe Murji'ahوَنَحْنُand weنَذْكُرُwill mentionعَمَدَتَهُمْtheir authorityلِكَوْنِهِمfor beingمَشْهُورِينَfamousعِندَamongكَثِيرٍmanyمِنَofالمُتَأَخِّرِينَthe later generationsالْمُنْتَسِبِينَwho attribute themselvesإِلَىtoالسُّنَّةِthe Sunnah.
And their aim is to disparage the Murji'ah, and we will mention their authority for being famous among many of the later generations who attribute themselves to the Sunnah.
قَالَHe saidالْقَاضِيthe judgeأَبُوAbuبَكْرٍBakrفِيinالتَّمْهِيدِthe introduction
The judge Abu Bakr said in the introduction:
فَإِنْIfقَالُواthey saidخَبِّرُونَاtell usمَاwhatالإِيْمَانُbeliefعِندَكُمْamong you?
If they said: Tell us, what is faith among you?
قِيلَIt was saidالإِيْمَانُfaithهُوَisالتَّصْدِيقُthe affirmationبِاللَّهِin Godوَهُوَand it isالْعِلْمُknowledgeوَالتَّصْدِيقُand the affirmationيُوجَدُexistsبِالْقَلْبِin the heart.
It was said: Faith is the affirmation in God, and it is knowledge, and the affirmation exists in the heart.
فَإِنْIfقَالَhe saidفَمَاwhatالدَّليلُthe evidenceعَلَىforمَاwhatقُلْتُمْyou said?
If he said: What is the evidence for what you said?
قِيلَIt was saidإِجْمَاعٌthe consensusأَهْلِthe peopleاللُّغَةِof the languageقَاطِبَةٌentirelyعَلَىonأَنَّthatالإِيْمَانَthe faithقَبْلَbeforeنُزُولِthe revelationالْقُرْآنِof the Quranوَبَعْثَةِand the sendingالنَّبِيِّthe prophetصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَmay peace be upon himهُوَisالتَّصْدِيقُthe affirmation
It was said: The consensus of the people of the language entirely that faith before the revelation of the Quran and the sending of the prophet, may peace be upon him, is the affirmation.
لَاnotيَعْرِفُونَthey knowفِيinاللُّغَةِthe languageإِيْمَانًاfaithغَيْرَother thanذَٰلِكَthat
They do not know in the language a faith other than that.
وَيَدُلُّAnd it indicatesعَلَىonذَٰلِكَthatقَوْلُهُHis sayingتَعَالَىthe ExaltedوَمَاAnd whatأَنتَyouبِمُؤْمِنٍbelieverلَنَاfor us
And that is indicated by His saying, the Exalted: "And you are not a believer for us".
أَيThat is to say:بِمُصَدِّقٍas a verifierلَنَاfor us.
That is to say: as a verifier for us.
وَمِنْهَاAnd from itقَوْلُهُمْis their sayingفُلَانٌso-and-soيُؤْمِنُbelievesبِالشَّفَاعَةِin intercessionوَفُلَانٌand so-and-soلَاnotيُؤْمِنُbelievesبِعَذَابِin punishmentالْقَبْرِthe graveأَيThat is to say:لَاnotيُصَدِّقُbelievesبِذَٰلِكَin that.
And from it is their saying that so-and-so believes in intercession, and so-and-so does not believe in the punishment of the grave; that is to say, does not believe in that.
فَوَجَبَSo it is necessaryأَنْthatالإِيْمَانَthe faithفِيinالشَّرِيعَةِthe legislationهُوَisالإِيْمَانُthe faithالْمَعْرُوفُknownفِيinاللُّغَةِthe language
So it is necessary that faith in the legislation is the faith known in the language.
لِأَنَّBecauseاللَّهَGodمَاdid notيُغَيِّرِchangeاللِّسَانَthe tongueالْعَرَبِيَّArabicوَلَاnorقَلْبَهُits essenceوَلَوْand ifفَعَلَhe didذَٰلِكَthatلَتَوَاتَرَتْit would have been reportedالأَخْبَارُthe newsبِفِعْلِهِabout his act.
Because God did not change the Arabic tongue nor its essence, and if He did that, the news would have been reported about His act.
وَتَوَفَّرَتْAnd the reasonsدَوَاعٍencouragedعَلَىtoنَقْلِهِtransmit it.وَلَغَلَبَAnd it would have prevailedإِظْهَارُهُits expressionعَلَىoverكِتْمَانِهِits concealment.
And the reasons encouraged to transmit it, and it would have prevailed its expression over its concealment.
وَفِيAnd inعِلْمِنَاour knowledgeبِأَنَّهُthat itلَمْdid notيَفْعَلْdo that.بَلْRatherإِقْرَارٌthe acknowledgmentأَسْمَاءِof namesالأَشْيَاءِof thingsوَالتَّخَاطُبِand conversationبِأَسْرِهِentirelyعَلَىonمَاwhatكَانَwasدَلِيلًاa proofعَلَىof
And in our knowledge that it did not do that. Rather, the acknowledgment of names of things and conversation entirely on what was a proof for.
أَنْthatالإِيْمَانَfaithفِيinالشَّرِيعَةِthe legislationهُوَisالإِيْمَانُfaithاللُّغَوِيُّlinguistic.
That faith in the legislation is the linguistic affirmation.
وَمِمَّاAnd among the thingsيُبَيِّنُthat clarifiesذَٰلِكَthatقَوْلُهُHis sayingتَعَالَىthe ExaltedوَمَاAnd whatأَرْسَلْنَاWe have sentمِنْofرَسُولٍa messenger
And among the things that clarifies that is His saying, the Exalted, "And what We have sent of a messenger.