الزُّمْرَةُthe groupالأُولَىٰthe firstمِنَofأَهْلِthe peopleالْجَنَّةِthe paradiseفِيهَاin itشَبَهٌsimilarityمِنَtoالْقَمَرِthe moonلَكِنْbutبِدُونِwithoutمُمَاثَلَةٍsimilarityوَبِهَذَاand thusيُصَدِّقُit is trueمَاwhatذَهَبَwentإِلَيْهِto itأَهْلُthe peopleالسُّنَّةِthe Sunnahوَالْجَمَاعَةِand the community؛;مِنْofأَنْthatصِفَاتِattributesاللَّهِAllahسُبْحَانَهُglorifiedوَتَعَالَىٰand exaltedلَيْسَتْare notمُمَاثَلَةًsimilarلِصِفَاتِto the attributesالمَخْلُوقِينَof the created beings؛;مِنْofغَيْرِwithoutتَحْرِيفٍperversionوَلَاand notتَعْطِيلٍnegation،,وَمِنْand fromغَيْرِwithoutتَكْيِيفٍassimilationوَلَاand notتَمْثِيلٍrepresentationنَسْمَعُwe hearكَثِيرًاa lotمِنَofالْكُتُبِthe booksالَّتِيthatنَقْرَؤُهَاwe readيَقُولُونَthey sayتَشْبِيهٍsimilarity؛;يُعَبِّرُونَthey expressبِالتَّشْبِيهِby analogyوَهُمْand theyيَقْصِدُونَintendالتَّمْثِيلَrepresentation؛;فَأَيُّهُمَاwhich of themأَوْلَىٰis more appropriateأَنْtoنُعَبِّرَwe expressبِالتَّشْبِيهِby analogy،,أَوorنُعَبِّرَwe expressبِالتَّمْثِيلِby representation؟?
The first group of the people of paradise has a resemblance to the moon, but without comparison; and thus it agrees with what the people of Sunnah and Jama’ah have said, that the attributes of Allah, the Exalted, are not similar to the attributes of the created beings; without distortion, without negation, and without assimilation or representation.
نَقُولُwe say::بِالتَّمْثِيلِby representationأَوْلَىٰis more appropriateلِأَنَّbecauseالْقُرْآنَthe Quranعَبَّرَexpressedبِهِby itلَيْسَnotكَمِثْلِهِlike Himشَيْءٌanything[الشُّورَىٰ:[Ash-Shura:١١]11]،,﴿(فَلَاso do notتَجْعَلُواmakeلِلَّهِfor Allahأَندَادًاpartners﴾)[البَقَرَةِ:[Al-Baqarah:٢٢]22]......وَمَاand whatأَشْبَهَis similarذَلِكَto that،,وَكُلَّand everyمَاwhatعَبَّرَexpressedبِهِby itالْقُرْآنَthe Quran؛;فَهُوَit isأَوْلَىٰmore appropriateمِنْthanغَيْرِهِمْothers؛;لِأَنَّنَاbecause weلَاdo notنَجِدُfindأَفْصَحَmore eloquentمِنَthanالْقُرْآنَthe Quran،,وَلَاand notأَدَلُّmore indicativeعَلَىonالمَعْنَىthe meaningالْمُرَادَintendedمِنَofالْقُرْآنَthe Quran،,وَاللَّهُand Allahأَعْلَمُknows bestبِمَاabout whatيُرِيدُHe wantsمِنْofكَلَامِهِHis speech،,فَتَكُونَand it isمُوَافَقَةًagreementالْقُرْآنَthe Quranهِيَisالصَّوَابَthe correct،,فَنُعَبِّرُso we expressبِنَفْيِby negatingالتَّمْثِيلَthe representation؛;وَهَكَذَاand thusفِيinكُلِّallمَكَانٍplaces؛;فَإِنَّfor verilyمُوَافَقَةًagreementالنَّصِّthe textفِيinاللَّفْظِthe wordingأَوْلَىٰis preferredمِنْthanذِكْرٍthe mentionلَفْظٍtermمُرَادِفٍsynonymousأَوْorمُقَارِبٍcloseثَانِيًاSecondly::أَنْthatالتَّشْبِيهَthe analogyعِندَamongبَعْضِsomeالنَّاسِthe peopleيَعْنِيmeansإِثْبَاتَaffirmationالصِّفَاتِthe attributes،,وَلِهَذَاand for thisيُسَمُّونَthey callأَهْلَthe peopleالسُّنَّةِthe Sunnahمُشَبِّهَةًanalogists؛;فَإِذَاso ifقُلْنَاwe say::مِنْwithoutغَيْرِwithoutتَشْبِيهٍanalogy.هَذَاThisالرَّجُلُmanلَاnotيَفْهَمُunderstandsمِنَfromالتَّشْبِيهِanalogyإِلَّاexceptإِثْبَاتَaffirmationالصِّفَاتِthe attributes؛;صَارَit has becomeكَأَنَّنَاas if weنَقُولُsayلَهُto himمِنْwithoutغَيْرِwithoutإِثْبَاتِaffirmationصِفَاتٍattributes؛;فَصَارَand it has becomeمَعْنَىthe meaningالتَّشْبِيهِthe analogyيُوهِمُimpliesمَعْنًىthe meaningفَاسِدًاcorrupted؛;فَلِهَذَاso for thisكَانَwasالْعَدْولُdeviationعَنْهُfrom itأَوْلَىٰis preferred،,كَأَنَّas if
We say: expressing by representation is more appropriate. First: because the Quran expressed it: "There is nothing like Him" [Ash-Shura: 11], "So do not make for Allah any partners" [Al-Baqarah: 22]... and what is similar to that, and everything that the Quran expressed by it is preferred more than others; because we do not find more eloquent than the Quran, nor anything more indicative of the intended meaning from the Quran, and Allah knows best what He wants from His speech, so concordance with the Quran is the correct one, thus we express by negating representation. And thus in every place; for the concordance of the text in wording is preferred to mention synonymous or similar term.