سَمَاوَاتِheavensوَandمِنَfromالْأَرْضِthe earthمِثْلَهُنَّlike them
Heavens and from the earth like them.
أَيُّthat isفِيinالْعَدَدِnumber
That is: in number.
قَوْلُهُHis sayingبَلْratherيُؤْمِنُونَthey believeبِأَنَّthatاللَّهَAllahسُبْحَانَهُGlorified be Heلَيْسَis notكَمِثْلِهِlike Himشَيْءٌanything
Rather, they believe that Allah, Glorified be He, is not like anything.
وَهُوَand He isالسَّمِيعُthe All-Hearingالْبَصِيرُthe All-Seeing
And He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
الْشَّرْحُExplanation::
Explanation:
قَوْلُهُHis sayingبَلbutيُؤْمِنُونَthey believeكَذَلِكَlikewiseيُقِرُّthey affirmأَهْلُthe peopleالسُّنَّةِof the Sunnahوَandالْجَمَاعَةِthe communityبِذَلِكَwith thatإِقْرَارًاan affirmationوَتَصْدِيقًاand a beliefبِأَنَّthatاللَّهَAllahلَيْسَis notكَمَثَلِهِlike Himشَيْءٌanything
His saying: "But they believe..."; that is: the people of the Sunnah and the community affirm this with acknowledgment and belief that Allah is not like anything.
كَمَاasقَالَHe saidعَنْaboutنَفْسِهِHis selfلَيْسَis notكَمِثْلِهِlike Himشَيْءٌanythingوَهُوَand He isالسَّمِيعُthe All-Hearingالْبَصِيرُthe All-Seeing
As He said about Himself: "There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing."
فَهُنَاSo hereنَفَىHe negatedالْمُشَابَهَةَthe comparisonثُمَّthenأَثْبَتَHe affirmedالسَّمْعَthe hearingوَالْبَصَرَand the sightفَنَفَىHe negatedالْعَيْبَthe flawثُمَّthenأَثْبَتَHe affirmedالْكَمَالَthe perfection
So here He negated similarity, then affirmed hearing and sight; He negated the flaw and then affirmed perfection.
لِأَنَّbecauseنَفْيَnegationالْعَيْبِthe flawقَبْلَbeforeإِثْبَاتِaffirmingالْكَمَالِthe perfectionوَلِهَذَاand thereforeيُقَالُit is saidالتَّخْلِيَةُthe purgingقَبْلَbeforeالتَّحْلِيَةِthe bestowal
Because the negation of flaws comes before affirming perfection; and therefore, it is said: 'Cleansing comes before embellishment.'
فَنَفَىSo He negatedالْعُيُوبَthe flawsيَجِبُare begunبِهَاwith itأَوَّلًاfirstثُمَّthenيُذْكَرُit is mentionedإِثْبَاتُthe affirmationالْكَمَالِthe perfection
So the flaws are negated first, and then the affirmation of perfection is mentioned.
وَكَلِمَةٌAnd the wordشَيْءٌthingنَكْرَةٌindefiniteفِيinسِيَاقِthe contextالنَّفْيِof negationفَتَعُمُّso it includesكُلَّallشَيْءٍthing
And the word 'thing' is indefinite in the context of negation; thus, it encompasses everything.
لَيْسَThere is notشَيْءٌanythingمِثْلُهُlike Himأَبَدًاeverعَزَّ وَجَلَّGlorified and Exalted be He
There is nothing like Him ever, Glorified and Exalted be He.
أَيi.e.مَخْلُوقٍcreatureوَإِنْand ifعَظُمَgreat
i.e., any creature, no matter how great; is not comparable to Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He.
لِأَنَّbecauseمُمَاثَلَةٌcomparisonالنَّاقِصِthe imperfectنَقْصٌis a deficiencyبَلindeedإِنْifطَلَبَthe requestالْمُفَاضَلَةَthe preferenceبَيْنَbetweenالنَّاقِصِthe imperfectوَالْكَامِلِand the perfectتَجْعَلُهُmakes itنَاقِصًاimperfect
Because the comparison of the imperfect is a deficiency; indeed, if one requests the preference between the imperfect and the perfect, it makes it imperfect.
كَمَاasقِيلَit was saidأَلَمْDid notتَرَyou seeأَنَّthatالسَّيْفَthe swordيَنْقُصُdecreasesقَدْرُهُits worthإِذَاifقِيلَit is saidإِنَّthatالسَّيْفَthe swordأَمْضَىis sharperمِنَthanالْعَصَاthe stick
As it was said: 'Did you not see that the sword decreases in worth if it is said that the sword is sharper than the stick?'
فَهُنَاSo hereلَوْifقُلْنَاwe saidإِنَّthatلِلَّهِfor Allahمِثْلًاsomething equalلَزِمَit necessitatesمِنْfromذَٰلِكَthatتَنْقُصُbelittlesاللَّهَAllahعَزَّ وَجَلَّGlorified and Exalted be He
So here, if we said that Allah has something equal, that would necessitate belittling Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He.
فَلِهَذَاAnd thereforeنَقُولُwe sayنَفَىHe negatedاللَّهَAllahعَنْfromنَفْسِهِHimselfمُمَاثَلَةَthe similarityالْمَخْلُوقِينَto the creatures
And therefore, we say that Allah negated the similarity to creatures from Himself.
لِأَنَّbecauseمُمَاثَلَةٌlikenessالْمَخْلُوقِthe createdنَقْصٌis a deficiencyوَعَيْبٌand a flawلِأَنَّbecauseالْمَخْلُوقُthe createdنَاقِصٌis imperfectوَتَمْثِيلٌand representationالنَّاقِصِينَthe imperfect
Because the likeness of the created is a deficiency and a flaw; because the created is imperfect, and the representation of the imperfect is imperfect.