فَكَانُواso they wereلِأَجْلِfor the sake ofذَلِكَthat
So for that reason they were
يَرَوْنَseeingمِنَfromالضَّرُورَةِthe necessityالتَّزَلُّفَcurrying favor
seeing it necessary to curry favor
إِلَىwithأُولَئِكَthoseالْعِبَادِservantsالْمُقَرَّبِينَthe brought-near
with those brought-near servants
حَتَّىso thatيَكُونَit may beهَذَاthisوَسِيلَةًa means
so that this may be a means
لِصَلَاحِيَّةِfor the validity ofالْقَبُولِacceptanceفِيinحَضْرَةِthe presence ofالْمَلِكِthe Kingالْحَقِيقِيِّthe True
for the validity of acceptance in the presence of the True King
وَتَنَالَand that may be attainedشَفَاعَتُهُمْtheir intercessionفِيinحَقِّهِمْtheir regard
and their intercession be attained in their regard
عِنْدَatالْجَزَاءِthe recompenseعَلَىforالْأَعْمَالِthe deedsالْحِسَابِthe reckoning
at the recompense for the deeds and the reckoning
الْخُطْوَةِthe stepوَالْقَبُولِand the acceptanceلَدَيْهِwith HimسُبْحَانَهُGlory be to Him
the step and acceptance with Him, Glory be to Him.
وَنَظَرًاand in view ofلِهَذِهِthisالْمُلَاحَظَةِobservationوَالتَّصَوُّرِand the conception
And in view of this observation and conception
الَّذِيwhichرَسَخَbecame firmly rootedفِيinنُفُوسِهِمْtheir souls
which became firmly rooted in their souls
حَدَّثَتْهُمْprompted themأَنْفُسُهُمْtheir selvesبِالسُّجُودِto prostrateأَمَامَهُمْbefore them
their selves prompted them to prostrate before them
وَالذَّبْحِand to slaughterلَهُمْfor themوَالْحْلِفِand to swearبِأَسْمَائِهِمْby their names
and to slaughter for them, swear by their names
وَالِاسْتِعَانَةِand to seek helpبِقُدْرَتِهِمُthrough their powerالْمُطْلَقَةِabsolute
and seek help through their absolute power
وَنَحْتِand to carveصُوَرِهِمْtheir imagesوَتَمَاثِيلِهِمْand their statues
and to carve their images and statues
مِنَfromالْحَجَرِstoneوَالصُّفْرِand brassوَالنُّحَاسِand copperوَغَيْرِand otherذَلِكَthat
from stone, brass, copper, and other than that
وَجَعْلِهَاand making themقِبْلَةًa directionلِلتَّوَجُّهِfor turningإِلَىtowardsأَرْوَاحِهِمْtheir spirits
and making them a direction for turning towards their spirits.
وَتَدَرَّجَand progressedالْجَهَلَةُthe ignorantمِنْfromهَذَاthisالطَّرِيقِpath
And the ignorant progressed from this path
إِلَىuntilأَنْthatبَدَأُواthey beganيَعْبُدُونَworshippingهَذِهِtheseالصُّوَرَimagesوَالتَّمَاثِيلَand statues
until they began worshipping these images and statues
وَيَعْتَقِدُونَand believingأَنَّهَاthat theyآلِهَةٌare godsبِذَاتِهَاin themselves
and believing that they are gods in themselves
وَوَقَعَand there occurredفِيinالْمُعْتَقَدَاتِthe beliefsخَلْطٌconfusionوَالْتِبَاسٌand ambiguityوَفَسَادٌand corruptionعَظِيمٌgreat
and there occurred in the beliefs a great confusion, ambiguity, and corruption.
مَعْنَىThe meaning ofالتَّشْبِيهِanthropomorphismوَصُوَرِهِand its forms
The meaning of anthropomorphism and its forms:
وَالتَّشْبِيهُAnd anthropomorphismعِبَارَةٌis an expressionعَنْofإِثْبَاتِaffirmingالصِّفَاتِthe attributesالْبَشَرِيَّةِhuman
And anthropomorphism is an expression of affirming human attributes
أَوْorأَيُّanyصِفَةٍattributeمِنْfromصِفَاتِattributes ofالْمَخْلُوقِينَthe created beings
or any attribute of the attributes of created beings
لِلَّهِto AllahتَعَالَىMost High
to Allah, the Most High.
فَكَانُواSo they wereيَقُولُونَsayingمَثَلًاfor example
So they were saying for example:
إِنَّthatالْمَلَائِكَةَthe angelsبَنَاتُdaughters ofاللَّهِAllah
that the angels are the daughters of Allah
وَأَنَّهُand that Heيَقْبَلُacceptsشَفَاعَةَthe intercession ofعِبَادِهِHis servants
and that He accepts the intercession of His servants
وَلَوْeven ifلَمْnotيَرْضَHe is pleasedبِهَاwith it
even if He is not pleased with it
كَمَاjust asيَفْعَلُdoesالْمُلُوكُkingsأَحْيَانًاsometimes
just as kings sometimes do
مَعَwithالْأُمَرَاءِthe princesالْكِبَارِthe greatوَحُكَّامِand governors ofالْوِلَايَاتِthe provinces
with great princes and governors of the provinces.
وَأَنَّهُمْAnd that theyلَمَّاwhenلَمْdid notيَسْتَطِيعُواthey manageإِدْرَاكَto comprehendالسَّمْعِthe hearingوَالْبَصَرِand the sight
And that they, when they could not comprehend hearing and sight
حَسَبَمَاaccording to whatيَلِيقُbefitsبِشَأْنِthe status ofالْأُلُوهِيَّةِdivinity
according to what befits the status of divinity
قَاسُوهُمَاthey analogized themعَلَىtoأَسْمَاعِهِمْtheir own hearings
they analogized them to their own hearings.