فَقَالَHe saidلِيto meمَرَّةًonceبَعْضُهُمْsome of themالإِيْمَانُthe faithمِنَfromحَيْثُwhereهُوَit isإِيْمَانٌfaithلَاnotيَقْبَلُacceptsالزِّيَادَةَincreaseوَالنَّقْصَانَand decrease
Once, some of them said to me, 'Faith, as it is faith, does not accept increase or decrease.'
فَقُلْتُI saidلَهُto him::قَوْلُكَYour sayingمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereهُوَit isكَمَاasيَقُولُit is said::الإِنْسَانُthe humanمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereهُوَit isإِنْسَانٌhuman,,وَالحَيَوَانُand animalمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereهُوَit isحَيَوَانٌanimal,,وَالْوُجُودُand existenceمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereهُوَit isوُجُودٌexistence,,وَالسَّوَادُand darknessمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereهُوَit isسُوَادٌdarkness,,وَأَمْثَالُand similarذَٰلِكَthatلَاnotيَقْبَلُacceptsالزِّيَادَةَincreaseوَالنَّقْصَانَand decrease,,وَالْصِّفَاتُand the attributes,,فَيُثْبِتُso it affirmsلِهَذِهِto theseالْمُسَمَّيَّاتِdesignationsوُجُوداًexistenceمُطْلَقاًabsoluteمُجَرَّداًabstractعَنْfromجَمِيعِallالْقُيُودِrestrictionsوَالصِّفَاتِand attributes,,وَهَذَاand thisلَاnotحَقِيقَةٌa realityلَهُfor itفِيinالْخَارِجِthe external,,وَإِنَّمَاbutهُوَit isشَيْءٌsomethingيُقَدِّرُهُmeasured byالإِنْسَانُthe humanفِيinذِهْنِهِhis mind,,كَمَاasيُقَدِّرُone estimatesمَوْجُوداًan existenceلَاnotقَدِيماًancientوَلَاnorحَادِثاًnew,,وَلَاnorقَائِمًاstandingبِنَفْسِهِby itselfوَلَاnorبِغَيْرِهِby others,,وَيُقَدِّرُand one estimatesإِنْسَانًاa humanلَاnotمَوْجُودًاan existenceوَلَاnorمَعْدُومًاnon-existence،,وَيُقَالُand it is said:: الْمَاهِيَّةُthe essenceمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereهِيَit isهِيَit isلَاnotتُوَصَفُdescribedبِوُجُودٍby existenceوَلَاnorعَدَمٍnon-existence,,وَالْمَاهِيَّةُand the essenceمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereهِيَit isهِيَit isشَيْءٌsomethingيُقَدِّرُهُmeasured byالذِّهْنُthe mind,,وَذَٰلِكَand thatمَوْجُودٌexistsفِيinالذِّهْنِthe mindلَاnotفِيinالْخَارِجِthe external.. وَأَمَّاAnd as forتَقْدِيرُthe estimationشَيْءٍsomethingلَاnotيَكُونَexistsفِيinالذِّهْنِthe mindوَلَاnorفِيinالْخَارِجِthe external,,فَمُمْتَنِعٌit is impossibleوَهَذَاand thisالتَّقْدِيرُestimationلَاnotيَكُونُexistsإِلَّاexceptفِيinالذِّهْنِthe mindكَسَائِرِlike otherتَقْدِيرِestimationsالْأُمُورِmattersالْمُمْتَنِعَةِimpossibleمِثْلَsuch asتَقْدِيرِthe estimationصُدُورِof the issuanceالْعَالَمِthe universeعَنْfromصَانِعِينَmakers,,وَنَحْوَand likeذَٰلِكَthat,,فَإِنَّforهَذِهِtheseالْمُقَدَّرَاتِestimationsفِيinالذِّهْنِthe mind
And as for the estimation of something that does not exist in the mind or in the external world, it is impossible; and such estimation can only be in the mind like other estimations of impossible matters, such as estimating the universe as produced by makers, and the like, for these estimations exist in the mind.
فَهَكَذَاThusتَقْدِيرُthe estimationإِيْمَانٍof faithلَاnotيَتَّصِفُis describedبِهِby it,,مُؤْمِنٌa believerبَلbutهُوَit isمُجَرَّدٌmerelyعَنْfromكُلِّallقَيْدٍrestraint
Thus, the estimation of faith does not attribute to it a believer, rather it is merely free from any restraint.
وَتَقْدِيرُAnd the estimationإِنْسَانٍof a humanلَاnotيَكُونُexistsمَوْجُودًاan existenceوَلَاnorمَعْدُومًاnon-existent,,بَلratherمَاwhatثُمَّis thereإِيْمَانٌfaithإِلَّاexceptمَعَwithالْمُؤْمِنِينَthe believers,,وَلَاnorثُمَّis thereإِنْسَانِيَّةٌhumanityإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatاتَّصَفَis attributedبِهَاto itالإِنْسَانُthe human
And the estimation of a human does not present itself as existent or non-existent; rather, there is no faith except alongside believers, nor is there humanity except what human beings are characterized by.
فَكُلُّFor everyإِنْسَانٍhumanلَهُhasإِنْسَانِيَّةٌhumanityتَخُصُّهُspecific to him,,وَكُلُّand everyمُؤْمِنٍbelieverلَهُhasإِيْمَانٌfaithيَخُصُّهُspecific to him
For every human has a humanity specific to him, and every believer has a faith specific to him.
فَإِنْسَانِيَّةُSo the humanityزَيْدٍof Zaidتُشَبِّهُis similar toإِنْسَانِيَّةِthe humanityعَمْرٍof Amr,,لَيْسَتْis notهِيَitهِيَis it،,وَإِذَاand ifاشْتَرَكُواthey shareفِيinنَوْعِkindالإِنْسَانِيَّةِof humanityفَمَعْنَىthen the meaningذَٰلِكَis thatأَنَّهُمَاtheyيَشْتَرِكِيَانِshareفِيinأَمْرٍmatterكُلِّيٍّuniversalمُطْلَقٍabsoluteيَكُونُexistsفِيinالذِّهْنِthe mind
So the humanity of Zaid is similar to the humanity of Amr, yet they are not the same; and if they share in the kind of humanity, then it means they share in an absolute universal matter existing in the mind.
وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd likewiseإِذَاifقِيلَit is said::إِيْمَانُFaithزَيْدٍof Zaidمِثْلُis likeإِيْمَانِthe faithعَمْرٍof Amr,,فَإِيْمَانُthen faithكُلِّof everyوَاحِدٍoneيَخُصُّهُis specific to him
And likewise, if it is said, 'The faith of Zaid is like the faith of Amr,' then the faith of every individual is specific to him.
فَلَوْIfقُدِّرَone estimatedأَنَّthatالإِيْمَانَfaithيَتَمَاثَلُis identicalلَكَانَthere would beلِكُلِّfor eachمُؤْمِنٍbelieverإِيْمَانٌfaithيَخُصُّهُspecific to him,,وَذَٰلِكَand thatالإِيْمَانُfaithمُخْتَصٌّis particular,,مُعَيَّنٌand specified
If it were estimated that faith is identical, there would be for each believer faith specific to him and that faith is particular and defined.
لَيْسَIt is notهُوَitالإِيْمَانُthe faithمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereهُوَit isهُوَit is،, بَلbutهُوَit isإِيْمَانٌfaithمُعَيَّنٌspecific,,وَذَٰلِكَand thatالإِيْمَانُfaithيَقْبَلُacceptsالزِّيَادَةَincrease,,وَالَّذِينَand thoseيَنْفُونَdenyالتَّفَاضُلَthe differentiationفِيinهَذِهِtheseالأُمُورِmattersيَتَصَوَّرُونَimagineفِيinأَنْفُسِهِمُthemselvesإِيْمَانًاfaithمُطْلَقًاabsolute,,أَوْorإِنْسَانًاhumanمُطْلَقًاabsolute,,أَوْorوُجُودًاexistenceمُطْلَقًاabsoluteمُجَرَّدًاabstractعَنْfromجَمِيعِallالْصِّفَاتِattributesالمُعَيَّنَةِdefinedلَهُfor it,,ثُمَّthenيَظُنُّونَthey assumeأَنَّthatهَذَاthisهُوَisالإِيْمَانُthe faithالْمَوْجُودُexistingفِي, النَّاسِpeople,,وَذَٰلِكَand thatلَاnotيَقْبَلُacceptsالتَّفَاضُلَdifferentiation,,وَلَاnorيَقْبَلُacceptsفِيinنَفْسِهِitselfالتَّعَدُّدَthe multiplicity,,إذforهُوَit isتَصَوُّرٌa conceptionمُعَيَّنٌspecificقَائِمٌstandingفِيinنَفْسِهthe mindمَتَصَوِّرَةًof its conception
It is not faith as such; rather, it is a specific faith, and that faith accepts increase, and those who deny differentiation in these matters imagine within themselves an absolute faith, or an absolute human, or an absolute existence, abstracted from all specified attributes, then they assume that this is the faith that exists among people, and that does not accept differentiation, nor does it accept multiplicity in itself, for it is a specific conception existing in the mind of its conceiver.