الْفَصْلُThe chapterالْأَوَّلُfirst
The first chapter
فِيInأَصْنَافِcategoriesالْمُفَسِّرِينَof the commentatorsوَمَنَاهِجِand methodologiesتَفْسِيرِهِمْof their exegesis
On the categories of commentators and the methodologies of their exegesis
لِيُعْلَمَIt should be knownأَنَّthatالْمُفَسِّرِينَthe commentatorsيَنْقَسِمُونَare dividedإِلَىintoعِدَّةِseveralأَصْنَافٍ:categories:
It should be known that the commentators are divided into several categories:
[تَفْسِيرُ[Exegesisالْمُحَدِّثِينَ:]of the Hadith scholars:]
[Exegesis of the Hadith scholars:]
فَمِنْهُمْAmong themطَائِفَةٌis a groupقَصَدُواthat intendedإِلَىtowardsرِوَايَةِnarratingالْآثَارِthe reportsالْمُتَعَلِّقَةِrelatedبِالْآيَاتِto the versesالْكَرِيمَةِnoble
Among them is a group that intended to narrate the reports related to the noble verses,
سَوَاءٌwhetherكَانَit wasذَلِكَthatحَدِيثاًa Hadithمَرْفُوعاً،marfoo',
whether that was a marfoo' Hadith,
أَوْorمَقْطُوعاًmaqtoo'أَوْorخَبَراًa reportإِسْرَائِيلِيّاً،Isra'ili;
or maqtoo', or an Isra'ili report;
وَهَذَاand thisطَرِيقُis the wayالْمُحَدِّثِينَ.of the Hadith scholars.
and this is the way of the Hadith scholars.
تَفْسِيرُExegesisالْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ:of the theologians:
Exegesis of the theologians:
طَائِفَةٌA groupتَنَاوَلُواaddressedآيَاتِthe verses ofالصِّفَاتِattributesوَأَسْمَاءِand namesاللَّهِof Allah- تَعَالَى -- the Exalted -بِالتَّأْوِيلِ،with figurative interpretation,
A group addressed the verses of attributes and the names of Allah - the Exalted - with figurative interpretation,
فَمَاso whateverلَمْdid notيُوَافِقْagreeمِنْهَاof them- فِي- inظَاهِرِهَا -their apparent meaning -مَذْهَبَthe doctrineالتَّنْزِيهِ،of transcendence,
so whatever of them did not agree - in its apparent meaning - with the doctrine of transcendence,
صَرَفُوهَاthey diverted itعَنْfromظَاهِرِهَا،its apparent meaning,وَرَدُّواand they refutedعَلَىtheتَعَلُّقِattachmentالْمُخَالِفِينَof the opponentsبِبَعْضِto someالْآيَاتِverses
they diverted it from its apparent meaning, and they refuted the opponents' attachment to some verses,
وَنَقَضُواand they dismantledتَمَسُّكَهُمْtheir holdingبِهَا،to them,وَهَذَاand thisهُوَisمَنْهَجُthe methodologyالْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ.of the theologians.
and they dismantled their holding to them, and this is the methodology of the theologians.
[تَفْسِيرُ[Exegesisالْفُقَهَاءِof the juristsالْأُصُولِيِّينَ:]and legal theorists:]
[Exegesis of the jurists and legal theorists:]
وَطَائِفَةٌAnd a groupصَرَفَتْdirectedعِنَايَتَهَاits attentionإِلَىtowardsاسْتِنْبَاطِderivingالْأَحْكَامِthe legal rulingsالْفِقْهِيَّةِjurisprudential
And a group directed its attention towards deriving jurisprudential legal rulings,
وَتَرْجِيحِand favoringبَعْضِsomeالْمُجْتَهَدَاتِdeduced opinionsعَلَىoverبَعْضٍ،others,
and favoring some deduced opinions over others,
وَالْجَوَابِand answeringعَلَىtheتَمَسُّكِholdingالْمُخَالِفِينَof the opponentsبِالْأَدِلَّةِto the otherالْأُخْرَى،evidences,
and answering the opponents' holding to the other evidences,
وَهَذَاand thisطَرِيقُis the wayالْفُقَهَاءِof the juristsالْأُصُولِيِّينَ.and legal theorists.
and this is the way of the jurists and legal theorists.