الْمَعْنَىthe meaningفِيinسِوَاكَother than youلَمَّاwhenقَصَدَhe intendedإِلَيْكَto you
The meaning in other than you is that when he intended you...
فَإِنَّمَاbut onlyجَعَلَكَhe made youمُعَبَّرًاa means/passageلِدَرَكِfor attainingحَاجَتِهِhis needوَمَرْكَبًاand a mount/vehicleلِبُلُوغِfor reachingمَحَبَّتِهِhis love
He only made you a means to attain his need and a vehicle to reach his love.
وَلَوْلَاand if notبَعْضُsomeالْقَوْلِthe sayingلَوَجَبَit would be obligatoryلَكَfor youالْحَقُّthe rightعَلَيْهِupon himحَقٌّa rightيَجِبُit is obligatoryبِهِby itالشُّكْرُgratitude
And were it not for some saying, you would have a right upon him that necessitates gratitude.
فَلَيْسَso it is notيَجِبُّit is incumbentلِمَنْfor one whoكَانَwasكَذَلِكَsuchشُكْرٌthanksوَإِنِeven ifانْتَفَعْتَyou benefitedبِذَلِكَby thatمِنْهُfrom himإِذَاwhenكَانَhe wasلِنَفْسِهِfor himselfعَمِلَhe worked
So no thanks is due to one who was like that, even if you benefited from him, since he acted for himself.
لِأَنَّهُbecauseلَوْifتَهَيَّأَit had been arrangedلَهُfor himذَلِكَthatالنَّفْعُbenefitفِيinغَيْرِكَother than youلَمَاnotتَخَطَّاهُhe would have passed it overإِلَيْكَto you
Because if that benefit had been possible for him in another, he would not have skipped over to you.
وَإِنَّمَاand onlyيُوصَفُis describedبِالْجُودِwith generosityفِيinالْحَقِيقَةِrealityوَيُشْكَرُand is thankedعَلَىforالنَّفْعِbenefitفِيinحُجَّةِthe proof ofالْعَقْلِreason
And only in reality is one described as generous and thanked for benefit in the proof of reason...
الَّذِيwhoإِنْifجَادَhe is generousعَلَيْكَto youفَلَكَthen for youجَادَhe is generousوَنَفْعَكَand your benefitأَرَادَhe intended
Who, if He is generous to you, is generous for you and intends your benefit...
مِنْfromغَيْرِwithoutأَنْthatيَرْجِعَreturnsإِلَيْهِto HimجُودُهُHis generosityبِشَيْءٍwith somethingمِنَofالْمَنَافِعِbenefitsعَلَىinجِهَةٍa mannerمِنَofالْجِهَاتِthe manners
Without His generosity returning to Him with any benefit in any manner whatsoever.
وَهُوَand He isاللهُGodوَحْدَهُaloneلَاnoشَرِيكَpartnerلَهُto Him
And He is God alone, with no partner.
فَإِنَّthen indeedشُكْرَنَاour thanksلِلنَّاسِto peopleعَلَىforبَعْضِsomeمَاwhatقَدْindeedجَرَىoccurredلَنَاto usعَلَىbyأَيْدِيهِمْtheir hands
For our thanks to people for some of what has come to us by their hands...
فَإِنَّمَاis onlyهُوَitلِأَمْرَيْنِfor two reasonsأَحَدُهُمَاone of themالتَّعَبُّدُdevotion/worshipوَقَدْand indeedتَعَبَّدَHe has requiredاللهُGodبِتَعْظِيمِto honorالْوَالِدَيْنِthe parentsوَإِنْeven ifكَانَاthey both wereشَيْطَانَيْنِtwo devilsوَتَعْظِيمِand honoringمَنْwhoeverهُوَhe isأَسَنُّolderمِنَّاthan usوَإِنْeven ifكُنَّاwe wereأَفْضَلَbetterمِنْهُمْthan them
It is only for two reasons: one is devotion, for God has required honoring parents even if they are devils, and honoring those older than us even if we are better than them.
وَالْآخَرُand the otherلِأَنَّbecauseالنَّفْسَthe soulمَاnot yetلَمْnotتُحَصِّلِit has attainedالْأُمُورَthe mattersوَتَمَيَّزِand distinguishedالْمَعَانِيَthe meaningsفَالسَّابِقُthen the firstإِلَيْهَاto itحُبُّis love ofمَنْone whoجَرَىoccurredلَهَاfor himعَلَىbyيَدِهِhis handخَيْرٌgoodوَإِنْeven ifلَمْhe did notيُرِدْهَاintend itوَلَمْand did notيَقْصِدْintendإِلَيْهَاit
And the other is that as long as the soul has not fully grasped matters and distinguished meanings, the first thing that comes to it is love for one through whose hand good came to it, even if he did not intend it or aim for it.
وَوَجَدْنَاand we foundعَطِيَّةَthe giftالرَّجُلِof a manلِصَاحِبِهِto his companionلَاnotتَخْلُوit is freeأَنْthatتَكُونَit beلِلَّهِfor Godأَوْorلِغَيْرِfor other thanاللهِGod
And we found that a man's gift to his companion is either for God or for other than God.
فَإِنْifكَانَتْit wasلِلَّهِfor Godفَثَوَابُهُthen his rewardعَلَىuponاللهِGod
If it is for God, then his reward is with God.
وَكَيْفَand howيَجِبُis it obligatoryعَلَيَّon meفِيinحُجَّةِthe proof ofالْعَقْلِreasonشُكْرُهُthanking himوَهُوَwhile heلَوْifصَادَفَhe metابْنَa son ofسَبِيلٍthe road (traveler)غَيْرِيother than meلَمَاnotحَمَلَنِيhe would have carried meوَلَاnorأَعْطَانِيhe would have given me
And how is it obligatory upon me in reason to thank him when, if he had found another traveler, he would not have carried me nor given me?
وَإِمَّاorأَنْthatيَكُونَit beإِعْطَاؤُهُhis givingإِيَّايَmeلِلذِّكْرِfor reputation/fameفَإِذَاthen ifكَانَit isالْأَمْرُthe matterكَذَلِكَsuchفَإِنَّمَاthen onlyجَعَلَنِيhe made meسُلَّمًاa ladderإِلَىtoتِجَارَتِهِhis tradeوَسَبَبًاand a meansإِلَىtoبُغْيَتِهِhis desire
Or his giving me is for reputation; if this is the case, then he has made me a ladder to his trade and a means to his desire.
أَوْorيَكُونُit beإِعْطَاؤُهُhis givingإِيَّايَmeمِنْfromطَرِيقِthe way ofالرَّحْمَةِmercyوَالرِّقَّةِand tendernessوَلِمَاand for whatيَجِدُhe findsفِيinفُؤَادِهِhis heartمِنَofالْعَصَرِdistressوَالْأَلَمِand pain
Or his giving me is from mercy and tenderness and for what he finds in his heart of distress and pain.
فَإِنْifكَانَit isلِذَلِكَfor thatأَعْطَىhe gaveفَإِنَّمَاthen onlyدَاوَىhe treatedنَفْسَهُhimselfمِنْfromدَائِهِhis diseaseوَكَانَand he wasكَالَّذِيlike the one whoرَفَّهَrelievedمِنْfromخِنَاقِهِhis choking/strangling
If he gave for that reason, then he only treated himself of his ailment, and he was like one who relieved himself from choking.
وَإِنْand ifكَانَit isإِنَّمَاonlyأَعْطَانِيhe gave meعَلَىforطَلَبِseekingالْمُجَازَاةِrecompenseوَحُبِّand love ofالْمُكَافَأَةِrewardفَأَمْرُthen the matterهَذَاthisمَعْرُوفٌwell-known
And if he gave me only seeking recompense and desiring reward, then this case is well-known.
وَإِنْand ifكَانَit isإِنَّمَاonlyأَعْطَانِيhe gave meمِنْfromخَوْفِfear ofيَدِيmy handأَوْorلِسَانِيmy tongueأَوْorاجْتِرَارِseeking to drawمَعُونَتِيmy helpوَنُصْرَتِيand my supportفَسَبِيلُهُthen his wayسَبِيلُthe way ofجَمِيعِallمَاwhatوَصَفْنَاwe describedوَفَصَّلْنَاand detailed
And if he gave me only out of fear of my hand or my tongue, or to draw my help and support, then his path is the path of all we have described and detailed.
فَلِاسْمِso for the nameالْجُودِof generosityمَوْضِعَانِtwo placesأَحَدُهُمَاone of themحَقِيقَةٌrealityوَالْآخَرُand the otherمَجَازٌmetaphor
For the name of generosity there are two contexts: one is reality and the other is metaphor.
فَالْحَقِيقَةُthe realityمَاwhatكَانَisمِنَfromاللهِGodوَالْمَجَازُand the metaphorالْمُشْتَقُّderivedلَهُfor himمِنْfromهَذَاthisالْإِسْمِname
The reality is what comes from God, and the metaphor is that which is derived from this name for others.
وَمَاand whatكَانَisلِلَّهِfor Godكَانَisمَمْدُوحًاpraisedوَكَانَand isلِلَّهِfor God
And what is for God is praised, and it is for God...
Footnotes
- 1.الْخِنَاقُ: حَبْلٌ يُشَدُّ بِهِ الْعُنُقُ، وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ كَظْمُ الْغَيْظِ وَتَضَايُقُ الصَّدْرِ.
Al-Khinaq: a rope tied around the neck; here it means suppression of anger and tightness of chest.
- 2.الْمَجَازُ: اسْتِعْمَالُ اللَّفْظِ فِي غَيْرِ مَا وُضِعَ لَهُ لِعَلَاقَةٍ مَعَ قَرِينَةٍ مَانِعَةٍ مِنْ إِرَادَةِ الْحَقِيقَةِ.
Al-Majaz: using a word in other than its original meaning due to a connection with a context preventing literal interpretation.