مُسْتَقِيمٌstraight؟?
Straight?
فَهَذَاThisمَثَلٌis an exampleضَرَبَهُstruck by HimاللَّهُAllahلِلْأَصْنَامِfor the idolsالَّتِيthatلَاdo notتَسْمَعُhearوَلَاnorتَنْطِقُspeakوَلَاnorتَعْقِلُunderstand,,وَهِيَand they areكُلٌّallعَلَىuponعَابِدِهَاtheir worshiper,,يَحْتَاجُneedsالضَّمُّthe idolإِلَىtoأَنْbeيَحْمِلَهُcarried by him,,وَيَضَعَهُand placed,,وَيُقِيمَهُand established,,وَيَخْدِمَهُand served,,فَكَيْفَso howيُسَوُّنَهُdo they equate himفِيinالْعَادَةِcustomبِاللَّهِwith Allahالَّذِيwhoيَأْمُرُcommandsبِالْعَدْلِwith justiceوَالتَّوْحِيدِand oneness?
This is an example struck by Allah for the idols that do not hear, do not speak, and do not understand, and they are all upon their worshipers. The idol needs to be carried by its worshiper, placed, established, and served. So how do they equate him in custom with Allah who commands justice and oneness?
وَهُوَAnd He isقَادِرٌcapableمُتَكَلِّمٌspeaking,,غَنِيٌّrich.
And He is capable, speaking, and rich.
وَهُوَAnd He isعَلَىuponصِرَاطٍthe pathمُسْتَقِيمٍstraightفِيinقَوْلِهِHis sayingوandفِعْلِهِHis action.
And He is upon a straight path in His saying and action.
فَقَوْلُهُHis sayingصِدْقٌis truthوَرَشَدٌand guidanceوَنَصِيحَةٌand adviceوَهُدًىand guidance.
His saying is truth, guidance, advice, and guidance.
وَفِعْلُهُAnd His actionحِكْمَةٌis wisdomوَعَدْلٌand justiceوَرَحْمَةٌand mercyوَمَصْلَحَةٌand benefit.
And His action is wisdom, justice, mercy, and benefit.
هَذَاThisأَصَحُّis the most correctالْأَقْوَالِof the sayingsفِيinالْآيَةِthe verse.
This is the most correct of the sayings in the verse.
وَهُوَAnd it isالَّذِيthe one whoلَمْdid notيُذْكَرْmentionكَثِيرٌmuchمِنْofالْمُفَسِّرِينَthe interpretersغَيْرَهُother than it.
And it is the one who was not mentioned by many of the interpreters other than it.
وَمَنْAnd whoذَكَرَmentionedغَيْرَهُother than itقَدَّمَpresentedعَلَىtoالْأَقْوَالِthe sayings,,ثُمَّthenحَكَاهَاnarrated it,,بَعْدَهَاafter itكَمَاasفَعَلَdidالْبَغَوِيُّAl-Baghawiفَإِنَّهُfor heجَزَمَasserted itبِهwith it,,وَجَعَلَهُand made itتَفْسِيرًاinterpretationالْآيَةِof the verse.
And whoever mentioned something other than it presented it over the sayings, then narrated it after it, as Al-Baghawi did, for he asserted it with it and made it the interpretation of the verse.
ثُمَّThenقَالَhe said::وَقَالَAnd saidالْكَلْبِيُّAl-Kalbi::يَدُلُّكُمْHe guides youعَلَىtoصِرَاطٍthe pathمُسْتَقِيمٍstraight.
Then he said: And Al-Kalbi said: He guides you to the straight path.
قُلْتُI said::وَدَلَالَتُهُAnd His guidanceلَنَاfor usعَلَىtoالصِّرَاطِthe pathهِيَisمِنْfromمُوجِبٍthe necessityكَوْنِهِof Him beingسُبْحَانَهُglorifiedعَلَىuponالصِّرَاطِthe pathالْمُسْتَقِيمِstraight.
I said: And His guidance for us to the path is from the necessity of Him being glorified upon the straight path.
فَإِنَّForدَلَالَتَهُHis guidanceبِفِعْلِهِin His actionsوَقَوْلِهِand His saying,,وَهُوَand He isعَلَىuponالصِّرَاطِthe pathالْمُسْتَقِيمِstraightفِيinأَفْعَالِهِHis actionsوَأَقْوَالِهِand His sayings.
For His guidance in His actions and His sayings, and He is upon the straight path in His actions and sayings.
فَلَاSo does notيُنَاقِضُcontradictقَوْلَthe sayingمَنْof whomقَالَsaidإِنَّهُthat heسُبْحَانَهُglorifiedعَلَىuponالصِّرَاطِthe pathالْمُسْتَقِيمِstraight.
So it does not contradict the saying of whoever said that He is glorified upon the straight path.
قَالَHe said::وَقِيلَAnd it was said::هُوَHe isرَسُولُthe Messengerاللَّهِof Allahصَلَّىpeace be uponاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand greetingsيَأْمُرُwho commandsبِالْعَدْلِwith justice.وَهُوَAnd He isعَلَىuponصِرَاطٍthe pathمُسْتَقِيمٍstraight.
He said: And it was said: He is the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, who commands with justice. And He is upon the straight path.
قُلْتُI said::وَهَذَاAnd thisحَقٌّis trueلَاdoes notيُنَاقِضُcontradictالْقَوْلَthe sayingالْأَوَّلَthe first.
I said: And this is true, does not contradict the first saying.
فَاللهُFor Allahعَلَىuponالصِّرَاطِthe pathالْمُسْتَقِيمِstraight.وَرَسُولُهُAnd His Messengerعَلَيْهِupon himفَإِنَّهُfor heلَاdoes notيَأْمُرُcommandوَلَاnorيَفْعَلُdoesإِلَّاexceptمُقْتَضَاهُwhat is necessitatedوَمُوجِبُهُand its cause..
For Allah is upon the straight path. And His Messenger upon him certainly does not command nor do except what is necessitated and its cause.
وَعَلَىAnd uponهَذَاthisيَكُونُisالْمَثَلُthe exampleمَضْرُوبًاstruckلِإِمَامِfor the leaderالْكُفَّارِof the disbelieversوَهَادِيِهِمْand their guide,,وَهُوَand he isالصَّنَمُthe idolالَّذِيthatهُوَisأَبْكَمُmute,,لَاnotيَقْدِرُableعَلَىonهُدًىguidanceوَلَاnorخَيْرٍgood.
And upon this is the example struck for the leader of the disbelievers and their guide, and he is the idol that is mute, not able to provide guidance or good.
وَلِإِمَامِAnd for the leaderالْأَبْرَارِof the righteous,,وَهُوَand he isرَسُولُthe Messengerاللَّهِof Allahصَلَّىpeace be uponاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand greetingsالَّذِيwhoيَأْمُرُcommandsبِالْعَدْلِwith justice.وَهُوَAnd he isعَلَىuponصِرَاطٍthe pathمُسْتَقِيمٍstraight.
And for the leader of the righteous, and he is the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, who commands with justice. And he is upon the straight path.
سُورَةٌSurahالنَّحْلِAn-Nahlالْآيَةُthe verse٧٦76.
Surah An-Nahl, the verse 76.
وَهَذَاAnd thisهُوَisالْأَحَقُّthe most deservingبِالْآيَةِof the verseوَالْأَنْسَبُand the most suitableبِالسِّيَاقِwith the contextفَإِنَّهُfor itسُبْحَانَهُglorifiedيَذْكُرُmentionsأَنَّهُthat Heمَاdid notأَفْسَدَcorruptedعُقُولَthe mindsالْمُشْرِكِينَof the polytheistsإِلَّاexceptأُولَـئِكَthoseالطَّاغُوتَtyrantsالْمُسْتَكْبِرُونَwho are arrogantوَالأَصْنَامُand the idolsالْحَيَّةُthe livingالأَجْسَامُthe bodiesالْمَيِّتَةُthe deadالْقُلُوبُthe heartsوَالْأَرْوَاحُand souls.
And this is the most deserving of the verse and the most suitable with the context, for it, glorified, mentions that He did not corrupt the minds of the polytheists except those tyrants who are arrogant and the idols that are living bodies with dead hearts and souls.
مِنَFromالشُّيُوخِthe shaykhsالدَّجَّالَةِthe deceiversوَالسَّادَةِand the mastersالصَّادِينَwho repelلِلْجَاهِلِthe ignorantوَالْدَّهْمَاءِand the common peopleعَنْfromصِرَاطِthe pathاللَّهِof Allahالمُسْتَقِيمِthe straight.
From the shaykhs, the deceivers, and the masters who repel the ignorant and the common people from the path of Allah, the straight.
فَإِنَّهُمْFor theyيَأْمُرُونَcommandبِالْجَوْرِwith injusticeوَأَظْلَمَand the darkestالظُّلْمِof oppression,,وَيَدْعُونَand inviteإِلَىtoالتَّقْلِيدِblind imitationالأَعْمَىthe blindوَقَتْلِand the killingالْإِنْسَانِيَّةِof humanityالْعَاقِلَةِthe rationalالْمُمَيَّزَةِthe discerning.
For they command with injustice and the darkest of oppression, and invite to blind imitation and the killing of rational and discerning humanity.
لِيَتَهَيَّأُواSo that they may prepareلَهُمْfor themselvesاسْتِعْبَادٌenslavement.
So that they may prepare for themselves enslavement.