وَالتَّثْنِيَةُand the dualوَالجَمْعُand the plural
And the dual and the plural.
فَعَلِمَthen he knewالْآَنَnowأَنَّthatالْجَمْعَthe pluralبَيْنَbetweenالْمُفْرَدِthe singularوَالتَّثْنِيَةُand the dualسَهْلٌ؛is easy;وَذَلِكَand thatلِأَنَّbecauseهَذَاthisمُفْرَدٌis singularمُضَافٌaddedفَيَعُمُّso it includesكُلَّallمَاwhatثَبَتَis establishedلِلَّهِfor Allahمِنْofيَدٍ.hand.
Then he knew now that the combination between the singular and the dual is easy; and that is because this is a singular added and thus includes all that is established for Allah from a hand.
وَأَمَّاAs forبَيْنَbetweenالتَّثْنِيَةِthe dualوَالجَمْعِ؛and the plural;فَمِنْit is fromوَجْهَيْنِ:two aspects:
As for between the dual and the plural; it is from two aspects:
أَحَدُهُمَا:One of them:أَنَّهُthat itلَاis notيُرَادُmeantبِالْجَمْعِby the pluralحَقيقَةًin the true senseمَعْنَاهُ ـits meaning -وَهُوَwhich isالثَّلاثَةُthreeفَأَكْثَرُor more..بَلْButالْمُرَادُthe intentبِهِtherebyالتَّعْظِيمَ؛is glorification;كَمَاasقَالَsaidاللَّهُAllahتَعَالَى:the Exalted:إِنَّاIndeed, Weوَنَحْنُ)and We)وَقُلْنَا ...and We said ...وَمَاand whatأَشْبَهَis similarذَلِكَ،to that,وَهُوَand it isواحِدٌoneلَكِنَّbutيَقُولُhe saysهَذَاthisلِلتَّعْظِيمِ.for glorification.
One of them is that the plural is not meant in its true sense - which is three or more - but the intent is glorification; as Allah the Exalted said: "Indeed, We and We said ... and what is similar to that, and it is one, but he says this for glorification."
أَوْOrيُقَالُit is saidإِنَّthatأَقَلُّthe leastالْجَمْعَof the pluralاثْنَانِ؛is two;فَلَاtherefore, it does notيَحْصُلُoccurهُنَاhereتَعَارُضٌ.inconsistency.
Or it is said that the least of the plural is two; therefore, there is no inconsistency here.
وَأَمَّاAs forقَوْلُهُHis sayingتَعَالَى:the Exalted:وَالسَّمَاءَAnd the heavenبَنَيْنَاهَاWe have built itبِأَيْدٍwith hands﴾﴿[الذَّارِيَاتِ:[Ash-Shu’ara:٤٧]؛47];فَالأَيْدِThen the handsهُنَاhereبِمَعْنَىmeanالْقُوَّةَ؛strength;فَهِيَit isمَصْدَرٌa sourceأَدٍ يَئِيدٌ؛أَدٍ يَئِيدٌ;بِمَعْنَى:meaning:قَوِيٌّ،powerful,وَلَيْسَand notالْمُرَادُthe intendedبِالْأَيْدِby the handsصِفَةٌa descriptionاللَّهُof AllahوَلِهَذَاAnd thusمَاwhatأَضَافَهَاHe has added itاللَّهُAllahإِلَىtoنَفْسِهِ،Himself,مَاnotقَالَ:said:بِأَيْدِينَاby Our handsبَلْbutقَالَ:He said:بِأِيْدٍ؛by power;أَي:that is:بِقُوَّةٍ.by strength.
As for His saying the Exalted: "And We have built the heaven with hands"; then the hands here mean strength; it is a source that means powerful, and not the intended description of Allah, and thus what Allah has not added to Himself, not said: by Our hands, but He said: by power; that is: by strength.
وَنَظِيرٌAnd similarذَلِكَto thatقَوْلُهُHis sayingتَعَالَى:the Exalted:يَوْمَOn the dayيُكْشَفُwhen is uncoveredعَنْfromسَاقٍ﴾shank﴾[الْقَلَمِ:[Al-Qalam:٤٢]؛42];فَإنَّFor verilyلِعُلَمَاءِthe scholarsالسَّلَفِthe predecessorsفِيinقَوْلِهِ:His saying:عَنْaboutسَاقٍ:shank:قَوْلَيْنِ:there are two sayings:الْقَوْلُThe sayingالأَوَّلُ:the first:أَنَّthatالْمُرَادُthe intendedبَهِby itالشِّدَّةِ.is severity.
And similar to that is His saying the Exalted: "On the day when is uncovered from the shank"; for verily the scholars of the predecessors have two sayings regarding His saying: "about the shank": the first saying is that the intended by it is severity.
وَالْقَوْلُAnd the sayingالثَّانِي:the second:أَنَّthatالْمُرَادُthe intendedبَهِby itسَاقٌshinاللَّهِof Allahعَزَّ وَجَلَّ.the Almighty.
And the second saying is that the intended by it is the shin of Allah, the Almighty.
فَمَنSo whoeverنَظَرَlooksإِلَىtoسِيَاقِthe contextالْآيَةِthe verseمَعَwithحَدِيثِthe narrationأَبِيof Abuسَعِيدٍ؛Said;قَالَ:he said:إِنَّIndeedالْمُرَادُthe intendedبِالسَّاقِby the shankهُنَاhereسَاقٌis a leg.
So whoever looks to the context of the verse with the narration of Abu Said; he said: Indeed, the intended by the shank here is the shin of Allah.