قَالَHe saidمِنْfromالصَّحَابَةِthe companionsوَلَاand notالتَّابِعِينَthe followersلَهُمْthemبِإِحْسَانٍwith goodوَلَاand notأَحَدٌanyoneمِنَfromالأَئِمَّةِthe imamsالْمَشْهُورِينَfamousفِيinالعِلْمِknowledgeكَالمَالِكِlike Malekوَالثَّوْرِيِّand al-Thawriوَالأَوْزَاعِيِّand al-Awzaiوَأَبِيand AbuحَنِيفَةَHanifaوَالشَّافِعِيِّand al-Shafi'iبَلْbutوَلَاand notتَكَلَّمَspokeبِهِof itأَئِمَّةُthe imamsاللُّغَةِof the languageوَالنَّحْوِand grammarكَالخَلِيلِlike Al-Khalilوَسِيَبَوَيْهand Sibawayhوَأَبِيand AbuعَمْرٍوAmrبِنْbinالْعَلَاءِAl-'Alaوَنَحْوَهُمْand others like them
He said that there is none from the companions or the followers who are good, nor anyone from the famous imams in knowledge, such as Malek, al-Thawri, al-Awzai, Abu Hanifa, and al-Shafi'i. In fact, none spoke of it by the imams of the language and grammar, such as Al-Khalil, Sibawayh, and Abu Amr bin Al-Ala, and those like them.
وَأَوَّلُAnd the firstمَنْtoعَرَفَbe knownأَنَّهُthat heتَكَلَّمَspokeبِلفْظِwith the wordالْمِجَازِmetaphorأَبُوAbuعُبَيْدَةَUbaidahمَعْمَرَMa'marبِنْbinالْمُثَنَّىAl-Muthannaفِيinكِتَابِهِhis bookوَلَكِنbutلَمْnotيَعْنِmeanبِالْمِجَازِby metaphorمَاwhatهُوَisقَسِيمٌoppositeالْحَقِيقَةِthe truthوَإِنَّمَاratherعَنَىhe meantبِمِجَازٍby the metaphorالْآيَةَof the verseمَاwhatيُعَبِّرُis expressedبِهِwith itعَنْaboutالْآيَةِthe verseوَلِهَذَاAnd for this reasonقَالَhe said
And the first known to have spoken with the word 'metaphor' was Abu Ubaidah Ma'mar bin Al-Muthanna in his book, but he did not mean by metaphor what is the opposite of truth. Rather, he meant by the metaphor of the verse what is expressed about the verse, and for this reason, he said.
مِنَAmongالْأُصُولِيِّينَthe fundamentalistsكَأَبِيlike AbuالْحُسَيْنِAl-HusaynالْبَصْرِيِّAl-Basriوَأَمْثَالِهِand those like himإِنَّمَاIndeedتَعْرِفُyou recognizeالْحَقِيقَةَthe truthمِنَfromالْمِجَازِthe metaphorبِطُرُقٍby waysمِنْهَاof themنَصٌّthe textأَهْلُof the peopleاللُّغَةِthe languageعَلَىonذَٰلِكَthatبِأَنْthatيَقُولُواthey sayهَذَاthisحَقِيقَةٌis the truthوَهَذَاand thisمِجَازٌis a metaphor
Among the fundamentalists, like Abu Al-Husayn Al-Basri and those like him, it is indeed recognized that the truth is known from the metaphor by various ways, one of which is the text of the people of the language stating that 'this is the truth and this is a metaphor'.
فَقَدْIndeedتَكَلَّمَhe spokeبِلَاwithoutعِلْمٍknowledgeفَإِنَّهُfor heظَنَّthoughtأَنَّthatأَهْلَthe peopleاللُّغَةِof the languageقَالُواsaidهَذَاthisوَلَمْand notيَقُلْhe saidذَٰلِكَthatأَحَدٌanyoneمِنْfromأَهْلِthe peopleاللُّغَةِof the languageوَلَاand notمِنَfromسَلَفِthe predecessorsالأُمَّةِof the nationوَعُلَمَائِهَاand its scholarsوَإِنَّمَاratherهَذَاthisاصطلاحٌis a terminologyحَادِثٌnewوَالْغَالِبُand it is likelyأَنَّهُthat itكَانَwasمِنْfromجِهَةِthe direction ofالمُعْتَزِلَةِthe Mu'tazilaوَنَحْوِهِمand those like themمِنَofالمُتَكَلِّمِينَthe speakersفَإِنَّهُIndeedلَمْnotيُوجَدْexistهَذَاthisفِيinكَلَامِthe speechأَحَدٍanyoneمِنْofأَهْلِthe peopleالْفِقْهِof jurisprudenceوَالأُصُولِand fundamentalsوَالتَّفْسِيرِand exegesisوَالْحَدِيثِand hadithوَنَحْوِهِمand others like themمِنَfromالسَّلَفِthe predecessors
Indeed, he spoke without knowledge; for he thought that the people of the language said this, but no one from the people of the language said that, nor from the predecessors of the nation and its scholars. Rather, this is a new terminology, and it is likely that it originated from the direction of the Mu'tazila and those like them among the speakers. Indeed, this did not exist in the speech of anyone from the people of jurisprudence, fundamentals, exegesis, hadith, and others like them from the predecessors.
وَهَذَاAnd thisالشَّافِعِيُّAl-Shafi'iهُوَisأَوَّلُthe firstمَنْtoجَرَّدَextractالكَلَامَthe speechفِيinأُصُولِthe fundamentalsالْفِقْهِof jurisprudenceلَمْnotيَقْسِمْdivideهَذَاthisالتَّقْسِيمَclassificationوَلَاand notتَكَلَّمَspokeبِلفْظِwith the wordالْحَقِيقَةِtruthوَالْمِجَازِand metaphor
And Al-Shafi'i is the first to extract the speech in the fundamentals of jurisprudence, and he did not classify this classification, nor did he speak with the terms 'truth' and 'metaphor'.
وَكَذَٰلِكَLikewiseمُحَمَّدٌMuhammadبِنْbinالْحَسَنِAl-Hasanلَهُfor himفِيinالْمَسَائِلِthe issuesالْمَبْنِيَّةِbasedعَلَىonالْعَرَبِيَّةِArabicكَلَامٌspeechمَعْرُوفٌknownفِيinالْجَامِعِthe comprehensiveالْكَبِيرِgreatوَغَيْرِهِand othersوَلَمْand notيَتَكَلَّمْspeakبِلفْظِwith the wordالْحَقِيقَةِtruthوَالْمِجَازِand metaphor
Likewise, Muhammad bin Al-Hasan has known speech in the issues based on Arabic in the comprehensive book and others, and he did not speak with the terms 'truth' and 'metaphor'.
وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd likewiseلَفْظُthe wordالْمِجَازِmetaphorفِيinكَلَامِthe speechأَحَدٍof anyoneمِنْهُمْof themإِلَّاexceptفِيinكَلَامِthe speechأَحْمَدَAhmadبِنْbinحَنَبَلَHanbalفَإِنَّهُfor heقَالَsaidفِيinكِتَابِهِthe bookالْرَّدِّthe refutationعَلَىagainstالْجَهْمِيَّةِthe Jahmiyyaفِيinقَوْلِهِhis statementإِنَّاwe indeedوَنَحْنُand weوَنَحْوَand aboutذَٰلِكَthatفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Qur'anهَذَاthisمِنْis fromمِجَازٍthe metaphorاللُّغَةِof the languageيَقُولُhe saysالرَّجُلُthe manإِنَّاweسَنُعْطِيكَshall give youإِنَّاindeedسَنَفْعَلُwe shall doفَذَكَرَSo he mentionedأَنَّthatهَذَاthisمِجَازٌis a metaphorاللُّغَةِof the language
And likewise, the term 'metaphor' does not appear in the speech of anyone of them, except in the speech of Ahmad bin Hanbal, for he said in the book of the refutation against the Jahmiyya in his statement 'Indeed we and we are', and about that in the Qur'an, this is from the metaphor of the language. He says 'the man: we shall give you, indeed we shall do'. So he mentioned that this is a metaphor of the language.
وَبِهَذَاAnd with thisاحْتَجَّhe arguedعَلَىagainstمَذْهَبِهِhis doctrineمِنْfromأَصْحَابِهِhis companionsمِنْofقَالَwho saidإِنَّthat indeedفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Qur'anمِجَازٌis a metaphorكَالْقَاضِيlike the judgeأَبِيAbuيَعْلَىYa'laوَابْنِand IbnعَقِيلٍAqilوَأَبِيand AbuالْخَطَّابِAl-Khattabوَغَيْرِهِمand othersوَآخَرُونَand othersمِنْfromأَصْحَابِهِhis companionsمَنَعُواpreventedأَنْthatيَكُونَthere isفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Qur'anمِجَازٌmetaphor
And with this, he argued against his doctrine from his companions, who said that indeed in the Qur'an there is a metaphor, like the judge Abu Ya'la, Ibn Aqil, Abu Al-Khattab, and others. And others from his companions prevented that there be a metaphor in the Qur'an.
كَأَبِيLike AbuالْحَسَنِAl-HassanالْجَزَرِيِّAl-Jazariوَأَبِيand AbuعَبْدِAbdullahبِنْbinحَامِدٍHamedوَأَبِيand AbuالْفَضْلِAl-FadlالتَّمِيمِيِّAl-Tamimiابْنِson ofأَبِيAbuالْحَسَنِAl-HassanالتَّمِيمِيِّAl-Tamimi
Like Abu Al-Hassan Al-Jazari, Abdullah bin Hamed, and Abu Al-Fadl Al-Tamimi, son of Abu Al-Hassan Al-Tamimi.
وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd likewiseأَنْtoيَكُونَbeفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Qur'anمِجَازٌmetaphorمُحَمَّدٌMuhammadبِنْbinخُوَيْزُKhuwayzمَنْدَانِMandaanوَغَيْرِهِمand othersمِنَfromالْمَالِكِيَّةِthe Malikis
And likewise, there should not be a metaphor in the Qur'an from Muhammad bin Khuwayz Mandaan and others from the Malikis.
وَمِنْAnd fromعَلِيٍّDawoodابْنِbinأَلِيٍّAliوَابْنِهِand his sonأَبُوAbuبَكْرٍBakrوَمُنْذِرٍand MundhirبِنْbinسَعِيدٍSaeedالْبَلُّوطِيِّAl-Baloutiوَصَنَّفَand authoredفِيinهِitمُصَنَّفًاa composition
And from Ali bin Dawood and his son Abu Bakr and Mundhir bin Saeed Al-Balouti, and he authored a composition in it.
وَحُكِيَAnd it was narratedبَعْضُsomeالنَّاسِpeopleعَنaboutأَحْمَدَAhmadفِيinذَلِكَthatرِوَايَتَيْنِtwo narrations
And it was narrated by some people about Ahmad in that two narrations.
وَأَمَّاAnd as forسَائِرِthe restالأَئِمَّةِthe imamsفَلَمْNot oneيَقُلْsaidأَحَدٌanyoneمِنْهُمْfrom themوَلَاand notمِنَofقُدَمَاءِthe ancientsأَصْحَابِthe companionsأَحْمَدَAhmadإِنَّthatفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Qur'anمِجَازًاis a metaphorلَاnotمَالِكٌMalikوَلَاand notسَائِرٌthe rest
And as for the rest of the imams, not one said of them nor of the ancient companions of Ahmad that in the Qur'an there is a metaphor. Neither Malik nor the rest.