وَالمَقْصُودُAnd the intendedهُناhereأَنَّthatكُلَّeveryعَاصٍsinnerاللَّهَAllahفَهُوَhe isجاهِلٌignorant,,وَكُلُّand allخَائِفٍfearfulمِنْهُof Himفَهُوَhe isعالِمٌknowledgeableمُطيعٌobedientلِلَّهِto Allah,,وَإنَّمَاand indeedيَكُونُit isجاهِلًاignorantلِنَقْصِdue to the lackخَوْفِهِof his fearمِنَofاللَّهِAllah,,إذْfor ifلَوْhe hadتَمَّcompleteخَوْفُهُhis fearمِنَofاللَّهِAllahلَمْhe would notيَعْصِsin.
And the intended here is that every sinner of Allah is ignorant, and every fearful of Him is knowledgeable and obedient to Allah; he is ignorant due to the lack of his fear of Allah, for if his fear of Allah were complete, he would not sin.
وَمِنْهُAnd from itقَوْلُthe sayingابْنِof IbnمَسْعُودٍMas'udرَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُmay Allah be pleased with him::كفىSufficient isبِخَشْيَةِthe fear ofاللَّهِAllahعِلْمًاas knowledge,,وَكفىand sufficient isبِالِاغْتِرَارِbeing deceivedبِاللَّهِby Allahجَهْلًاas ignorance.
And from it is the saying of Ibn Mas'ud may Allah be pleased with him: 'Sufficient is the fear of Allah as knowledge, and sufficient is being deceived by Allah as ignorance.'
وَذَلِكَAnd thatلِأَنَّis becauseتَصَوُّرَthe conceptالمَخُوفِof what is fearedيُوْجِبُnecessitatesالْهَرَبَthe fleeingمِنْهُfrom it,,وَتَصَوُّرَand the conceptالمُحَبَّof the belovedيُوْجِبُrequiresطَلَبَهُits seeking,,فَإِذَاso ifلَمْnotيَهْرُبْrun awayمِنْfromهَذَاthisوَلَمْand did notيَطْلُبْseekهَذَاthisدَلَّit indicatesعَلَىthatأَنَّهُhe has notلَمْnotيَتَصَوَّرْconceivedتَصَوُّرًاa complete conceptتَامًّاentirely.
And that is because the concept of what is feared necessitates fleeing from it, and the concept of the beloved requires its seeking; so if one does not flee from this and does not seek this, it indicates that he has not conceived a complete concept.
وَلَكِنْButقَدْmayيَتَصَوَّرَhe can conceiveالْخَبَرَthe newsعَنْهُabout it,,وَتَصَوُّرَand the conceptionالْخَبَرِof the newsوَتَصْدِيقَهُand its verificationوَحِفْظَand the retentionحُرُوفِهِof its lettersغَيْرَis different fromتَصَوُّرِthe conceptالْمُخْبِرِof the informantعَنْهُabout it.
But he may conceive the news about it, and the conception and verification of the news and retention of its letters is different from the conception of the informant about it.
وَكَذَلِكَAnd likewiseإِذَاifلَمْnotيَكُنْbeالمَتَصَوَّرُwhat is envisagedمُحَبًّاbelovedلَهُto himوَلَاnorمَكْرُوهًاhated,,فَإِنَّforالإِنْسَانَa personيُصَدِّقُbelievesبِمَاin whatهُوَisمَخُوفٌfearfulعَلَىtoغَيْرِهِothersوَمُحَبٌّand belovedلِغَيْرِهِto others,,وَلَاand does notيُورِثُهُinherit himذَلكَthatهَرَبًاfleeingوَلَاnorطَلَبًاseeking.
And likewise, if the concept is neither beloved to him nor disliked, for a person believes what is fearful for others and beloved for others, and that does not lead him to seeking or fleeing.
وَكَذَلِكَAnd likewiseإِذَاifأُخْبِرَhe is informedبِمَاof whatهُوَisمُحَبٌّbelovedلَهُto himوَمَكْرُوهٌand hated,,وَلَمْand did notيَكْذِبْdenyالمُخْبِرُthe informantبَلْbutعَرَفَhe knowsصِدْقَهُhis truthfulness,,لَكِنْbutقَلْبَهُhis heartمَشْغُولٌpreoccupiedبِأُمُورٍwith mattersأُخْرَىotherعَنْfromتَصَوُّرِconceivingمَاwhatأُخْبِرَhe has informedبِهِof.فَهَذَاSo thisلَاdoes notيَتَحَرَّكُmoveلِلْهَرَبِto fleeوَلَاnorلِلطَّلَبِto seek.
And likewise, if he is informed of what is beloved to him and disliked, and the informant is not denied but he knows his truthfulness, but his heart is preoccupied with other matters from conceiving what he has informed, so this does not move him to flee or to seek.
وَفِيAnd inالكَلَامِthe speechالْمَعْرُوفِthe knownعَنْaboutالْحَسَنِAl-HasanالْبَصْرِيِّAl-Basri--وَيُرْوَىand it is narratedمِرْسَلًاdismissiblyعَنْfromالنَّبِيِّthe Prophetﷺpeace be upon him:: العِلْمُknowledgeعِلْمَانِis two kinds,,,فَعِلْمٌthe knowledgeفِيinالْقَلْبِthe heartوَعِلْمٌand knowledgeعَلَىonاللِّسَانِthe tongue,,فَعِلْمُso the knowledgeالقَلْبِof the heartهُوَisالنَّافِعُbeneficial,,وَعِلْمٌand the knowledgeاللِّسَانِof the tongueحُجَّةٌis an argumentاللَّهِof AllahعَلَىagainstعِبَادِهِHis servants.
And in the well-known speech about Al-Hasan Al-Basri – and it is narrated dismissibly from the Prophet, peace be upon him: 'Knowledge is of two types: knowledge in the heart and knowledge on the tongue; so knowledge of the heart is beneficial, and knowledge of the tongue is an argument of Allah against His servants.'
وَقَدْAnd indeedأَخْرَجَاboth have narratedفِيinالصَّحِيحَيْنِthe two SahihsعَنْfromأَبِيAbuمُوسَىMusa,, عَنْfromالنَّبِيِّthe Prophetﷺpeace be upon him,,أَنَّهُ قَالَthat he said: “مَثَلُThe exampleالْمُؤْمِنِof the believerالَّذِيwhoيَقْرَأُreadsالْقُرْآنَthe Qur'anمَثَلُis likeالأَتْرُجَّةِthe Etrog (citron),طَعْمُهَاits tasteطَيِّبٌis goodوَرِيحُهَاand its fragranceطَيِّبٌis good,,وَمَثَلُand the exampleالْمُؤْمِنِof the believerالَّذِيwhoلَاdoes notيَقْرَأُreadالْقُرْآنَthe Qur'anمَثَلُis likeالتَّمْرَةِthe date,طَعْمُهَاits tasteطَيِّبٌis goodوَلَاand notرِيحَ لَهَاfragrance for it.,,وَمَثَلُAnd the exampleالْمُنَافِقِof the hypocriteالَّذِيwhoيَقْرَأُreadsالْقُرْآنَthe Qur'anمَثَلُis likeالرِّيحَانَةِthe sweet basil;رِيحُهَاits fragranceطَيِّبٌis goodوَطَعْمُهَاand its tasteمُرٌّis bitterوَمَثَلُand the exampleالْمُنَافِقِof the hypocriteالَّذِيwhoلَاdoes notيَقْرَأُreadالْقُرْآنَthe Qur'anمَثَلُis likeالْحَنَظَلَةِthe colocynth;طَعْمُهَاits tasteمُرٌّis bitterوَلَاand notرِيحَ لَهَاfragrance for it.وَهَذَاAnd thisالْمُنَافِقُhypocriteالَّذِيwhoيَقْرَأُreadsالْقُرْآنَthe Qur'anيَحْفَظُهُretains itوَيتَشَاوَرُand reflects onمَعَانِيهِits meaningsوَقَدْand mayيُصَدِّقَbelieveأَنَّهُthat itكَلَامُis the wordاللَّهِof Allahوَأَنَّand thatالرَّسُولَthe Messengerحَقٌّis true,,وَلَاand does notيَكُونُbecomeمُؤْمِنًاa believer,كَمَاjust asأَنَّtheالْيَهُودَJewsيَعْرِفُونَهُknow himكَمَاjust asيَعْرِفُونَthey knowأَبْنَاءَهُمْtheir childrenوَلَيْسُواand they are notمُؤْمِنِينَbelievers.,,وَكَذَلِكَAnd likewiseإِبْلِيسَIblisوَفِرْعَوْنَand Pharaohوَغَيْرَهُمَاand others.لَكِنَّButمَنْ كَانَwhoever has beenكَذَلِكَlike thatلَمْ يَكُنdid not attainحَصَلَacquiredلَهُfor himالعِلْمَthe knowledgeالتَّامَّcomplete.
And indeed, both have narrated in the two Sahihs from Abu Musa, from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said: "The example of the believer who reads the Qur'an is like the Etrog (citron), its taste is good and its fragrance is good. And the example of the believer who does not read the Qur'an is like the date; its taste is good but it has no fragrance. And the example of the hypocrite who reads the Qur'an is like the sweet basil; its fragrance is good but its taste is bitter. And the example of the hypocrite who does not read the Qur'an is like the colocynth; its taste is bitter and it has no fragrance. And this hypocrite who reads the Qur'an retains it and reflects on its meanings and may believe that it is the word of Allah and that the Messenger is true, yet he does not become a believer, just as the Jews know him as they know their children and they are not believers, and likewise Iblis and Pharaoh and others; but whoever has been like that did not attain complete knowledge.