وَنَقُولُAnd we sayأَيْضًاalsoفِيinبَابِthe chapterالْمُقَارَنَةِof comparisonلاnoبَأْسَproblemأَنْthatنَقُولَwe sayأَعْلَمُI am knowledgeable
And we also say in the chapter of comparison that there is no problem in saying: I am knowledgeable.
بِمَعْنَىmeaningأَنْthatتَأْتِيyou comeبِاسْمِwith the nameالتَّفْضِيلِof preferenceوَلَوْeven ifفَرْضٌit is assumedخَلْوٌthe absenceالمُفَضَّلُof the preferredعَلَيْهِupon itمِنْofذَٰلِكَthatالْمَعْنَىmeaning
Meaning: that you can come with the name of preference even if the preferred is devoid of that meaning.
كَمَاasقَالَsaidاللَّهُGodتَعَالَىthe Exaltedأَصْحَابُthe companionsالْجَنَّةِof paradiseيَوْمَئِذٍon that dayخَيْرٌbetterمُسْتَقَرًّاsettlementوَأَحْسَنُand bestمَقِيلًاresting place
As God the Exalted said: 'On that day, the companions of paradise are better settled and the best resting place.'
فَجَاءَSo it cameبِاسْمِwith the nameالتَّفْضِيلِof preferenceمَعَwithأَنْthatالمُفَضَّلُthe preferredعَلَيْهِupon itلَيْسَis notفِيهِin itشَيْءٌanythingمِنْهُof itإِطْلَاقًاabsolutely
So it came with the name of preference, even though the preferred does not contain anything of it at all.
وَفِيAnd inبَابِthe chapterمُجادَلَةِdebateالْخَصْمِthe opponentوَمُحَاجَّتِهِand arguing with himيَجُوزُit is permissibleأَنْthatنَأْتِيwe comeبِاسْمِwith the nameالتَّفْضِيلِof preferenceوَإِنْand ifكَانَwasالمُفَضَّلُthe preferredعَلَيْهِupon itلَيْسَis notفِيهِin itشَيْءٌanythingمِنْهُof it
And in the chapter of debating the opponent, it is permissible to come with the name of preference, even if the preferred does not contain anything of it.
قَالَsaidاللَّهُGodتَعَالَىthe ExaltedوَءَAndاللَّهُGodخَيْرٌis betterأَمَّاthan that whichيُشْرِكُونَthey associate
As God the Exalted said: 'And God is better than that which they associate.'
ومَعْلُومٌAnd it is knownأَنَّthatمَاwhatيُشْرِكُونَthey associateلَيْسَis notفِيهِin itخَيْرٌgood
And it is known that what they associate is not in it any good.
وَقَالَAnd saidيُسُفَJosephأَرْبَابٌMastersمُتَفَرِّقُونَdiverseخَيْرٌis betterأَمِthanاللَّهُGodالْواحِدُthe Oneالْقَهَّارُthe All-Prevailing
And Joseph said: 'Are the diverse masters better, or is God the One, the Prevailing?'
وَالْأَرْبَابُAnd the mastersلَيْسَare notفِيهَاin themخَيْرٌgood
And the masters are not in them any good.
فَالْحَاصِلُSo the conclusionأَنْthatنَقُولُwe sayإِنَّIndeedأَعْلَمُI am knowledgeableالْوَارِدَةَthat is conveyedفِيinكِتَابِthe Bookاللَّهِof Godيُرَادُis intendedبِهَاby itمَعْنَاهَاits meaningالْحَقيقِيّthe trueوَمَنAnd whoeverفَسَّرَهَاinterpreted itالْمَعْنَىthe meaningوَمِنْAnd fromحَيْثُwhereاللُّغَةُthe languageالْعَرَبِيَّةُArabic
So the conclusion is that the phrase 'I am knowledgeable' that is conveyed in the Book of God is intended by its true meaning, and whoever interpreted it from where the Arabic language is concerned has erred.
فَقَدIndeedأَخْطَأَerredبِـbyعَالِمٍscholar؛;مِنْfromحَيْثُwhereوَدَلِيلٍand the evidenceالوَصْفِthe descriptionالثَّانِيthe secondالصِّدْقِtruthfulnessقَوْلِهِHis sayingتَعَالَىthe Exaltedوَمَنْand whoأَصْدَقُis more truthfulمِنَthanاللَّهِGodقِيلًاin speech
Indeed, he erred by calling God 'the scholar'; from where the evidence of the second description - truthfulness - is His saying the Exalted: 'And who is more truthful than God in speech?'
أَيthat isلاnoأَحَدٌoneأَصْدَقُis more truthfulمِنْهُthan Himوَالْصِّدْقُand the truthfulnessمُطَابَقَةٌis conformityالْكَلَامِthe speechلِلْوَاقِعِto realityوَلَاand notشَيْءٌanythingمِنَofالْكَلَامِthe speechيُطَابِقُmatchesالْوَاقِعَthe realityكَمَاasيُطَابِقُهُit matchesكَلَامُthe speechاللَّهِof Godسُبْحَانَهُthe Exaltedوَتَعَالَىand the Exalted
That is: there is no one more truthful than Him, and the truthfulness is the conformity of speech to reality, and nothing of the speech matches reality as His speech, the Exalted, matches it.
فَكُلُّSo everyمَاwhatأَخْبَرَinformedاللَّهُGodبِهِby itفَهُوَit isصِدْقٌtruthبَلْratherأَصْدَقُmore truthfulمِنْthanكُلِّallقَوْلٍsaying
So everything that God informed of is truth, and indeed it is more truthful than all sayings.
وَدَلِيلُAnd the evidenceالْوَصْفِthe descriptionالثَّالِثِthe thirdالْبَيَانُthe clarityوَالفَصَاحَةُand eloquence:قَوْلُهُHis sayingتَعَالَىthe Exaltedوَمَنْand whoأَصْدَقُis more truthfulمِنَthanاللَّهِGodحَدِيثًاin speech
And the evidence for the third description - clarity and eloquence - is His saying the Exalted: 'And who is more truthful than God in speech.'
وَحُسْنُAnd the beautyحَدِيثِهِof His speechيَتَضَمَّنُincludesالْحُسْنَthe goodnessاللَّفْظِيَّverbalوَالْمَعْنَوِيَّand the moral
And the beauty of His speech includes both verbal goodness and moral goodness.