فِيInهَذَاthisكُلِّهِentirelyكَماasيَخْتَارُhe choosesذَلِكَthatالْقَاضِيthe judgeأَبُوAbuبَكْرٍBakr,,وَابْنِand IbnعَقِيلٍAqeel,,وَغَيْرِهِمَاand others.
In all this, just as that judge Abu Bakr, Ibn Aqeel, and others choose.
وَقَدْAndحُكِيَit has been reportedعَنْaboutأَحْمَدَAhmadفِيinالتَّفَاضُلِthe differentiationفِيinالمَعْرِفَةِknowledgeرَوَايَتَانِtwo narrations.
And it has been reported about Ahmad in the differentiation in knowledge, two narrations.
وَإِنْكَارُAnd denialالتَّفَاضُلِof differentiationفِيinهَذِهِtheseالصِّفَاتِattributesهُوَisمِنْofجِنْسِthe kindأَصْلِoriginقَوْلٍof saying,,الْمُرْجِئَةِthe Murji’ah,,وَلَكِنْbutيَقُولُهُsaid by himمَنْwhoيُخَالِفُcontradictsالْمُرْجِئَةَthe Murji’ah.
And the denial of differentiation in these attributes is of the kind of the origin of the saying of the Murji’ah, but it is said by those who contradict the Murji’ah.
وَهَـٰؤُلَـٰئِكَAnd theseيَقُولُونَsay::التَّفَاضُلَdifferentiationإِنَّمَاis onlyهُوَinالأَعْمَالِactionsوَأَمَّاand as forالْإِيمَانُfaithالَّذِيwhichهُوَisفِيinالْقُلُوبِthe heartsفَلَاdoes notيَتَفَاضَلُdifferentiateوَلَيْسَand notالأَمْرُthe matterكَماasقَالُوهُthey said.
And these say: differentiation is only in actions, and as for the faith which is in the hearts, it does not differentiate, and the matter is not as they said.
بَلْRatherجَمِيعُallذَلِكَthatيَتَفَاضَلُdifferentiates.وَقَدْAndيَقُولُونَthey say::إنَّthatأَعْمَالَthe actionsالْقَلْبِof the heartتَتَفَاضَلُdifferentiates,بِخِلَافٍunlikeمَعَارِفَthe knowledgesالْقَلْبِof the heart,,وَلَيْسَand notالأَمْرُthe matterكذلكlike that.
Rather, all that differentiates. And they say: that the actions of the heart differentiate, unlike the knowledges of the heart, and the matter is not like that.
بَلْRatherإِيمَانُthe faithالْقُلُوبِof the heartsيَتَفَاضَلُdifferentiatesمِنْfromجِهَةٍthe perspective of whatمَاwhatوَجَبَis mandatedعَلَىonهَذَاthis,وَمِنْand fromجِهَةٍthe perspective of whatمَاwhatوَجَبَis mandatedعَلَىonهَذَاthis.فَلَاSo notيَسْتَوِيَانِequalفِيinالْوُجُوبِthe obligation,وَأُمَّةَand the nationمُحَمَّدٍof Muhammadوَإِنْand ifوَجَبَis mandatedعَلَيْهِمْupon themجَمِيعُهُمْallالْإِيمَانُthe faithبَعْدَafterاسْتِقْرَارِstipulatedالشَّرْعِlaw,فَوُجُوبُthen the obligationالْإِيمَانِof faithبِالشَّيْءِon the specific thingالمُعَيَّنِspecifiedمَوْقُوفٌconditionalعَلَىuponأَنْthatيَبْلُغَreachesالْعَبْدُthe servantإِنْifكَانَit isخَبَرًاa report,وَعَلَىand uponأَنْthatيَحْتَاجَneedsإِلَىtoالْعَمَلِworkبِهِwith itإِنْifكَانَit isأَمْرًاa command,وَعَلَىand uponالْعِلْمِthe knowledgeبِهِof itإِنْifكَانَit isعِلْمًاknowledge,وَإِلَّاelseفَلَاthen notيَجِبُobligatoryعَلَىuponكُلِّeveryمُسْلِمٍMuslimأَنْtoيَعْرِفَknowكُلَّeveryخَبَرٍnewsوَكُلَّand everyأَمْرٍcommandفِيinالْكِتَابِthe Bookوَالسُّنَّةِand the Sunnahوَيَعْرِفَand knowمَعْنَاهُits meaning.وَيُعَلِّمَهُand teach it.فَإِنَّForهَذَاthisلَاnotيَقْدِرُone is ableعَلَيْهِto do.فَالْوُجُوبُThe obligationمِمَّاis from whatيَتَنَوَّعُvariesالنَّاسُthe peopleفِيهِin it,ثُمَّthenقَدَرَهُمْtheir capacityفِيinأَدَاءِperformingالْوَاجِبِthe obligatoryمُتَفَاوِتَةٌis varied,ثُمَّthenنَفْسُthe selfالْمَعْرِفَةِof knowledgeتَخْتَلِفُdiffersبِالْإِجْمَالِin generalوَالْتَّفْصِيلِand detailsوَالْقُوَّةِand strengthوَالضُّعْفِand weaknessوَدَوَامِand the permanence ofالْحُضُورِpresence,ومَعَand withالْغَفْلَةِcarelessness,فَلَيْسَتْso it is notالْمُفَصَّلَةُthe meticulousالْمُسْتَحْضَرَةُthe preparedالثَّابِتَةُestablishedالَّتِيthatيُثَبِتُestablishesاللَّهُAllahصَاحِبَهَاits possessorبِالْقَوْلِwith the statementالثَّابِتِthat is firmفِيinالْحَيَاةِlifeالدُّنْيَاthe worldlyوَالْآخِرَةِand the Hereafter,كَالمُجْمَلَةِlike the generalالَّتِيthatغَفَلَتْis neglectedعَنْهَاabout it,وَإِذَاand ifحَصَلَتْoccursلَهُto himمَاwhatيُرِيبُهُgives him doubtفِيَهَاin it,ذَكَرَهَاhe recalls itفِيinقَلْبِهhis heartثُمَّand thenرَغِبَdesiresإِلَىtoاللَّهِAllahفِيinكَشْفِremovingالرَّيْبِthe doubts.
Rather, the faith of the hearts differentiates from the perspective of what is mandated upon this, and from the perspective of what is mandated upon this, so they are not equal in obligation. And the nation of Muhammad, if all of them have an obligation to believe after the establishment of the law, then the obligation of believing in a specific thing is conditional upon the servant reaching it if it is a report, and upon needing to act on it if it is a command, and upon knowledge of it if it is knowledge. Otherwise, it is not obligatory upon every Muslim to know every report and every command in the Book and the Sunnah and to know its meaning and teach it, for this no one can do. The obligation varies among people, and then their ability to perform the obligation is varied, and then the nature of knowledge differs in generality and detail, strength and weakness, continuity of presence, and in cases of carelessness. Thus, the meticulous present knowledge that establishes its possessor with the firm statement in this worldly life and the Hereafter is not like the general knowledge that is neglected. And when that which brings him doubt occurs, he recalls it in his heart and then desires Allah to remove the doubts.
ثُمَّThenأَحْوَالُthe statesالْقُلُوبِof the heartsوَأَعْمَالِهَاand their actionsمِثْلُsuch asمَحَبَّةِloveاللَّهِof Allahوَرَسُولِهِand His Messengerوَخَشْيَةِand fearاللَّهِof Allahوَالْتَّوَكُّلِand relianceعَلَيْهِupon Him,وَالصَّبْرِand patienceعَلَىonحُكْمِهِHis decree,وَالشُّكْرِand gratitudeلَهُto Him,,وَالاِنَابَةِand turning backإِلَيْهِto Himوَإِخْلَاصُand sincerityالْعَمَلِof actionلَهُto Himمِمَّاof whatيَتَفَاضَلُdifferentiatesالنَّاسُthe peopleفِيهَاin itتَفَاضُلًاdifferentiating.لَاnotيُعَرَّفُis knownقَدْرُهَاits measureإِلَّاexceptاللَّهُAllahعَزَّ وَجَلَّthe Almighty and Exalted.وَمَنْAnd whoeverأَنَكَرَdeniesتَفَاضُلَهُمْtheir differentiationفِيin this,فَهُوَhe isإِمَّاeitherجَاهِلٌignorantلَمْnotيَتَصَوَّرَهُcomprehend it,وَإِمَّاorمُعَانِدٌstubborn.
Then the states of the hearts and their actions are such as love of Allah and His Messenger, and fear of Allah, and reliance upon Him, and patience on His decrees, and gratitude to Him, and turning back to Him, and sincerity of action to Him—these are what the people differentiate in, a differentiation that is known only to Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. And whoever denies their differentiation in this is either ignorant and has not comprehended it, or obstinately opposed.
قَالَSaidالإِمَامُthe ImamأَحْمَدُAhmad::فَإِنَّIfزَعَمُواthey claimأَنَّهُمْthat theyلَاdo notيَقْبَلُونَacceptزِيَادَةَthe increaseالإِيمَانِof faithمِنْbecause ofأَجَلٍthe reasonأَنَّهُمْthat theyلَاdo notيَدْرُونَknowمَاwhatزِيَادَتُهُits increase,وَأَنَّهَاand that itغَيْرٌis notمَحْدُودَةٌlimited,فَمَاthen whatيَقُولُونَdo they sayفِيaboutأَنْبِيَاءِthe Prophetsاللَّهِof Allahوَكُتُبِهِand His Booksوَرُسُلِهِ؟and His Messengers?هَلDoيُقِرُّونَthey acknowledgeبهِمْthemفِيinالْجُمْلَةِ؟the general?
The Imam Ahmad said: If they claim that they do not accept the increase of faith because they do not know what its increase is, and that it is not limited, then what do they say about the Prophets of Allah, and His Books, and His Messengers? Do they acknowledge them in general?
وَيَزْعُمُونَAnd they claimأَنَّهُthat itمِنْis ofالإِيمَانِfaith,فَإِذَاso ifقَالُواthey say:::نَعَمYes,قِيلَit was said to them:قِيلَsaidلَهُمْto them:
And they claim that it is of faith, so if they say: Yes, it was said to them: