وَكَذَٰلِكَand likewiseلَاnotيَغْضَبُangryعِندَهُمْwith themيَوْمَdayالْقِيَامَةِof resurrectionدُونَwithoutمَاwhatقَبْلَهُbefore itبَلْbutغَضَبَهُangerقَدِيمٌancientإِمَّاeitherبِمَعْنَىmeaningالإرَادَةِthe will,,إِمَّاorبِمَعْنَىmeaningآخَرَother.
And likewise, they are not angry on the Day of Resurrection as they were before it. Rather, their anger is ancient, either in the sense of will or in another sense.
فَهَـٰؤُلَـٰئِكَSo theseيَقُولُونَsay::إِذَاifعَلِمَhe knowsأَنَّthatالْإِنْسَانَthe humanيَمُوتُdiesكَافِرًۭاa disbelieverلَمْnotيَزَلْceaseمُرِيدًۭاwillingلِعُقُوبَتِهِto punish him،,فَذَاكَso thatالإِيمَانُthe beliefالَّذِيthatكَانَwasمَعَهُwith himبَاطِلًۭinvalidلَاnoفَائِدَةًbenefitفِيهِin it,,بَلْbutوُجُودُهُits existenceكَعَدَمِهِlike its non-existence,,فَلَيْسَso it is notهَذَاthisأَصْلًۭاoriginally,,وَإِذَاand ifعَلِمَhe knowsأَنَّهُthat heيَمُوتُdiesمُؤْمِنًۭاbeliever,,لَمْnotيَزَلْceaseمُرِيدًۭاwillingلِإِثَابَتِهِto reward him,,وَذَاكَso thatالْكُفْرُthe disbeliefالَّذِيthatفَعَلَهُhe didوُجُودُهُits existenceكَعَدَمِهِlike its non-existence.
So they say: If he knows that the human dies as a disbeliever, he has not ceased to will his punishment, so that belief that was with him is invalid, offers no benefit in it, and its existence is like its non-existence. Thus, this is not originally valid. And if he knows that he dies as a believer, he has not ceased to will to reward him, and so that disbelief that he performed, its existence is like its non-existence.
فَلَمْSo notيَكُنْwasهَذَاthisكَافِرًۭاdisbelieverعِندَهُمْamong themأَصْلًۭاoriginally,,فَهَـٰؤُلَـٰئِكَSo theseيَسْتَثْنُونَexcludeفِيinالإِيمَانِbeliefبِنَاءًbasedعَلَىonهَذَاthisالْمَأْخَذِpremise,,وَكَذَٰلِكَand likewiseبَعْضٌsomeمُحَقِّقِيهِof their scholarsيَسْتَثْنُونَexcludeفِيinالْكُفْرِdisbelief,,مِثْلَlikeأَبِيAbuمَنْصُورٍMansoorالْمَاتُرِيدِيِّal-Maturidi,,فَإِنَّهُfor indeedمَاwhatذَكَرُوهُthey mentionedمُطَّرِدٌis consistentفِيْمَاin both,,وَلَـٰكِنَbutجَمَاهِيرُthe majorityالأَئِمَّةِof imamsعَلَىonأَنَّهُthat itلَاnotيُسْتَثْنَىis excludedفِيinالْكُفْرِdisbelief,,وَالْاستِثْنَاءُand the exceptionفِيهِin itبِدْعَةًinnovationلَمْnotيُعْرَفْbe knownعَنْfromأَحَدٍanyoneمِنَofالسَّلَفِthe predecessors,,وَلَـٰكِنَّbutهُوَit isلاَزِمٌnecessaryلَهُمْfor them.
So this was not a disbeliever among them originally. So these exclude in belief based on this premise. And likewise, some of their scholars exclude in disbelief, like Abu Mansoor al-Maturidi. For indeed, what they mentioned is consistent in both cases, but the majority of the imams hold that there is no exception in disbelief, and exception in it is an innovation not known from anyone of the predecessors, but it is necessary for them.
وَالَّذِينَAnd those whoفَرَّقُواdifferedمِنَamongهَـٰؤُلَـٰئِكَtheseقَالُواsaid::نَسْتَثْنِيwe excludeفِيinالإِيمَانِbeliefرَغْبَةًdesireإِلَىtoاللَّهِGodفِيtoأَنْthatيُثَبِّتَنَاHe makes us steadfastعَلَيْهِon itإِلَىuntilالْمَوْتِdeathوَالكُفْرُand disbeliefلَاnotيَرْغَبُdesireفِيهِin itأَحَدٌanyone,,لَـٰكِنْbutيُقَالُit is said::إِذَاifكَانَit wasقَوْلَكَyour saying::مُؤْمِنًۭاbeliever,,كَقَوْلِكَlike your saying::فِيinالْجَنَّةِparadise,,فَأَنتَthen youتَقُولُsayعَنْaboutالْكَافِرِthe disbelieverهُوَheكَافِرٌis a disbeliever,,وَلَاand notتَقُولُsayهُوَheفِيinالنَّارِthe fireإِلَّاexceptمُعَلَّقًۭاconditionalبِمَوْتِهِon his deathعَلَىonالكُفْرِdisbelief,,فَدَلَّwhich indicatesعَلَىtoأَنَّهُthat heكَافِرٌis a disbelieverفِيinالْحَالِthe stateقَطْعًۭاdefinitely,,وَإِنand ifجَازَit may beأَنْthatيَصِيرَhe becomesمُؤْمِنًۭاa believer,,كَذَٰلِكَlikewiseالْمُؤْمِنُthe believer.
And those who differed among these said: We exclude in belief with a desire to God to make us steadfast in it until death, and no one desires disbelief in it. But it is said: If your saying, 'believer', is like your saying, 'in paradise', then you say about the disbeliever that he is a disbeliever, and you do not say he is in the fire except conditionally on his death on disbelief, which indicates that he is definitely a disbeliever at that point, even if it may be that he becomes a believer, likewise the believer.
وَسَوَاءٌAnd whetherأَخْبَرَhe informsعَنْaboutنَفْسِهِhimselfأَوْorعَنْaboutغَيْرِهِothers.
And whether he informs about himself or about others.
فَلَوْIfقِيلَit was saidعَنْaboutيَهُودِيٍّa Jewأَوْorنَصْرَانِيٍّa Christian::هَذَاthisكَافِرٌis disbeliever,,قَالَhe said::إِنْifشَاءَwillsاللَّهُGod,,إِذَاifلَمْnotيَعْلَمْhe knowsأَنَّهُthat heيَمُوتُdiesكَافِرًۭاas a disbeliever,,وَعِندَand amongهَـٰؤُلَـٰئِكَtheseلَاnotيَعْلَمُknowأَحَدٌanyoneأَحَدًۭاanyoneمُؤْمِنًۭاa believerإِلَّاexceptإِذَاifعَلِمَhe knowsأَنَّهُthat heيَمُوتُdiesعَلَيْهِon it,,وَهَذَاand thisالْقَوْلُsayingقَالَهُwas said byكَثِيرٌmanyمِنْofأَهْلِthe peopleالْكَلَامِof rhetoricأَصْحَابِthe followersابْنِIbnكُلَابٍKulabوَوَافَقَهُمْand agreed with themعَلَىonذَٰلِكَthatكَثِيرٌmanyمِنْofأَتْبَاعِfollowersالأَئِمَّةِthe imams,,لَـٰكِنَّbutلَيْسَnotهَذَاthisقَوْلَsayingأَحَدٍof anyoneمِنَofالسَّلَفِthe predecessorsلَاnotالأَئِمَّةِthe imamsالأَرْبَعَةِthe fourوَلَا, غَيْرُهُمْothers,,وَلَاnorكَانَwasأَحَدٌanyoneمِنَofالسَّلَفِthe predecessorsالَّذِينَwhoيَسْتَثْنُونَexcludeفِيinالإِيمَانِbeliefيُعَلِّلُونَjustifyبِهَذَاby this,,لَاnotأَحْمَدُAhmadوَلَاnorأَيْنَanyoneمَعَهُbefore him.
If it were said about a Jew or a Christian: 'This is a disbeliever', he would say: 'If God wills', if he does not know that he will die as a disbeliever. And among these, no one knows anyone is a believer except if he knows that he dies on it. And this saying was said by many of the people of rhetoric, the followers of Ibn Kulab, and many of the followers of the imams agreed with them on that, but this is not the saying of anyone among the predecessors, neither the four imams nor others, and no one among the predecessors who excludes in belief justifies it by this, neither Ahmad nor anyone before him.
وَمَأْخَذُAnd the premiseهَذَاof thisالْقَوْلُsayingطَرَدَهُwas adhered toطَائِفَةٌa groupمِمَّنْof whomكَانُواwereفِيat theالأَصْلِbeginningيَسْتَثْنُونَexcludeفِيinالإِيمَانِbeliefاتِّبَاعًfollowingلِلْسَّلَفِthe predecessors,,وَكَانُواand they wereقَدْhaveأَخَذُواtakenالِاسْتِثْنَاءَthe exceptionعَنْfromالسَّلَفِthe predecessors,,وَكَانَتْand had beenأَهْلُthe peopleالشَّامِof the Levantشَدِيدِينَsevereعَلَىagainstالْمُرْجِئَةِthe Murji’ah,,وَكَانَand wasمُحَمَّدٌMuhammadبْنَbinيُوسُفَYusufالْفِرْيَابِيُّal-Firyabiصَاحِبَthe companionالثَّوْرِيِّal-Thawriمُرَابِطًۭاstationedبِعَسْقَلَانَin Asqalanلَمَّاwhenكَانَتْwasمُعَمَّرَةًprosperous,,وَكَانَتْand it wasمِنْofخِيَارِthe bestثُغُورِfrontiersالْمُسْلِمِينَof Muslims,,وَلِهَذَاand for this reasonكَانَit wasفِيهَاin itفَضَائِلُvirtuesالْفَضِيلَةِof virtue
And the premise of this saying was adhered to by a group of those who originally excluded in belief in following the predecessors. And they had taken the exception from the predecessors. And the people of the Levant were severe against the Murji’ah. And Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Firyabi, the companion of al-Thawri, was stationed in Asqalan when it was prosperous, and it was among the best frontiers of Muslims. And for this reason, there were virtues of virtue.