وَأَمَّاAnd as forاِسْتَدْلَالُهُمْtheir proofبِالْبَيْتِ؛by the verse;فَنَقُولُwe say
And as for their proof by the verse; we say:
أَثْبَتُواProveلَنَاto usسَنَدًاthe chain of narrationهَذَاthisالْبَيْتَverseوَثِقَةًand the trustworthinessرِجَالَهُ،of its narrators,وَلَنْand they will notيَجِدُواfindإِلَىtoذَٰلِكَthatسَبِيلًاa way.
Prove to us the chain of narration of this verse and the trustworthiness of its narrators, and they will not find a way to that.
مَنWhoهَذَاis thisالْقَائِلُ؟speaker?أَفَلَاCan it notيُمْكِنُbe possibleأَنْthatيَكُونَit isقَالَهُsaid itبَعْدَafterتَغَيُّرِthe changeالْلِسَانِ؟of the tongue?
Who is this speaker? Can it not be possible that he said it after the change of the language?
لِأَنَّBecauseكُلَّeveryقَوْلٍsayingيُسْتَدَلُّused as proofبِهِby itعَلَىonالْلُّغَةِthe languageالْعَرَبِيَّةِArabicبَعْدَafterتَغَيُّرِthe changeاللُّغَةِlanguageالْعَرَبِيَّةِArabicفَإِنَّهُit is notلَيْسَa proof;لِأَنَّbecauseالْعَرَبِيَّةَArabicبَدَأَتْbeganتَتَغَيَّرَto changeحِينَwhenاَتَّسَعَتْexpandedالْفُتُوحُthe conquestsوَدَخَلَand enteredالْعَجَمُthe non-Arabsمَعَwithالْعَرَبِ،the Arabs,فَاخْتَلَفَتْthen the language differed,الْلِّسَانُ،the tongue,وَهذاand thisفِيهِcontainsاحْتِمَالٌthe possibilityأَنَّهُthat itبَعْدَafterتَغَيُّرِchangeاللِّسَانِ.of the tongue.
Because every saying used as proof for the Arabic language after its change is not a proof; because Arabic began to change when the conquests expanded and the non-Arabs entered with the Arabs, so the language differed, and this contains the possibility that it was after the change of the tongue.
أَنْthatتَفْسِيرَكُمْyour interpretationاِسْتَوَى'estawa'بَشَرٌBasharعَلَىonالْعِرَاقِ"Iraq"بِـwith the meaning of(اِسْتَوَى)(took control)تَفْسِيرٌinterpretationتُعَضِّدُهُsupported byالْقَرِينَةُ،the evidence,لِأَنَّهُbecauseمِنْofالمُتَعَذِّرِdifficultأَنْthatبَشَرًاBasharيَصْعَدُascendفَوْقَaboveالْعِرَاقِIraqفَيَسْتَوِيَthen to be onعَلَيْهِon itكَمَاasيَسْتَوِيَhe would sitعَلَىonالسَّرِيرِthe bedأَوْorعَلَىonظَهْرِthe backالدَّابَّةِof the animal.فَلِهَذَاSo for thisنَلْجَأُwe resortإِلَىtoتَفْسِيرِهِits interpretationبِـby(اِسْتَوَى).(took control).
That your interpretation of 'Bashar ascended on Iraq' as 'took control' is an interpretation supported by the evidence, because it is difficult for Bashar to ascend above Iraq to be on it as he would sit on the bed or on the back of the animal. So for this, we resort to interpreting it as 'took control.'
هَذَاThisنَقُولُهُwe sayمِنْfromبَابِthe aspect ofالتَّنَزُّلِconcession;وَإِلَّاand if not;فَعِندَنَاwe haveفِيinهَذَاthisجَوَابٌan answerآخَرَ:another:
This we say from the aspect of concession; and if not, we have another answer to this:
أَنْthatنَقُولُ:we say:الِاسْتِوَاءَthe concept of 'istawa'فِيinالْبَيْتِthe verseبِمَعْنَىmeaningالْعُلُوِّ؛elevation;لِأَنَّbecauseالْعُلُوَّelevationنَوْعَانِ:is of two types:عَوْدًاreturn--عُلُوٌّphysical elevation;كَمَسْتَوَائِنَاlike our sittingعَلَىonالسَّرِيرِthe bed.وَAndعُلُوٌّelevation;مَعْنَوِيٌّ؛metaphorical;بِمَعْنَىmeaningالسِّيْطَرَةِthe powerوَالْغَلَبَةِ.and dominance.
That we say: the concept of 'istawa' in the verse means elevation; because elevation is of two types: 1 - physical elevation; like our sitting on the bed. 2 - and metaphorical elevation; meaning power and dominance.
قَالَsaidشَيْخُSheikhالإِسْلَامِof IslamابْنُIbnتَيْمِيَةَTaimiyaوَلَمand notيُثْبِتْproveنَقْلًاnarrationصَحِيحًاauthenticأَنَّهُthat itشِعْرٌis poetry,عَرَبِيٌّ،Arabic,وَكَانَand wasغَيْرَnotأَئِمَّةِthe imamsاللُّغَةِof grammarأَنْكَرُوهُdenied it;وَقَالُوا:and they said:إِنَّهُIndeed, itبَيْتٌverseمَصْنُوعٌis fabricatedلَاnotيُعْرَفُknownفِيinاللُّغَةِ،language,وَقَدْand hasعُلِمَbeen knownوَاحِدٌa oneمِنْofأَنَّهُthat itلَوْifاحْتَجَّarguedبِحَدِيثٍwith the hadithرَسُولِof the Messengerاللَّهِ ﷺof Allah, may peace be upon him,لَحَتَاجَhe would needإِلَىtoصِحَّتِهِ،its authenticity,فَكَيْفَso howبِبَيْتٍwith a verseمِنَthatالشِّعْرِpoetryلَاdoes notيُعْرَفُis knownإِسْنَادُهُ؟its chain?
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taimiya said and did not prove that there is an authentic narration that it is Arabic poetry, and many of the imams of the language denied it and said: Indeed, it is a fabricated verse that is not known in the language, and one of them has said that if he were to argue with a hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, he would need its authenticity; so how about a verse of poetry whose chain is not known?
وَقَدْAndطَعَنُواthey slanderedفِيهِin it.أَئِمَّةُThe Imamsاللُّغَةِof language(مَجْمُوع(Miscellaneousالْفَتَاوَىfatwas)(١٤٦/٥)(146/5).٣٧٨378
And they slandered it the Imams of the language (Miscellaneous Fatwas (146/5).