يُرِيدُونَThey wantمِنْfromمَعْنَىthe meaningكَلَامِof the speechاللَّهِof Godوَصِفَاتِهِand His attributes!!!!وَلَاAnd cannotيَسْتَطِيعُthey canأَهْلُthe people ofالتَّفْوِيدِtafwid (delegation of interpretation)أَنْtoيَرُدُّواrespondعَلَيْهِمْ؛to them;لِأَنَّهُمْbecause theyيَقُولُونَsay:نَحْنُWeلَاdo notنَعْلَمُknowمَاذَاwhatأَرَادَintendedاللَّهَ؛God;فَجَائِزٌso it is possibleأَنْthatيَكُونَit isالَّذِيthat whichيُرِيدُwantsاللَّهُGodهُوَisمَاwhatقُلْتُمْ!you said!
They want from the meaning of God's speech and His attributes!! And the people of tafwid cannot respond to them; because they say: We do not know what God intended; so it is possible that what God desires is what you said!
فَفَتَحُواSo they openedبَابَa doorشُرُورٍof evilsعَظِيمَةٍ،great,وَلِهَذَاAnd for this reasonجَاءَتْthe saying cameالْعِبَارَةُthe phraseالْكَاذِبَةُfalse::طَرِيقَةُThe methodologyالسَّلَفِof the predecessorsأَسْلَمَ،is more secure,وَطَرِيقَةُand the methodologyالْخَلَفِof the successorsأَعْلَمُis more knowledgeableوَأَحْكَمُ»!and more prudent!
So they opened a door of great evils, and for this reason, the false saying came: 'The method of the predecessors is more secure, and the method of the successors is more knowledgeable and more prudent!'
يَقُولُIbn Taymiyyah saysشَيْخُthe Sheikhالإِسْلَامِof Islam:«هَذِهِ‘Thisقَالَهَاwas said byبَعْضُsomeالْأَغْبِيَاءِ».fools.’
The Sheikh of Islam says: 'This was said by some fools.'
وَهُوَAnd it isصَحِيحٌ؛correct;أَنْthatالْقَائِلُthe speakerغَبِيٌّ.is a fool.
And it is correct; that the speaker is a fool.
هَذِهِThisالْكَلِمَةُwordمِنْis one of theأَكْذَبِmost falseمَاwhatيَكُونُisنُطْقًاspokest;وَمَدْلُولًا،and meaning,طَرِيقَةًThe wayالسَّلَفِof the predecessorsأَسْلَمَ،is the safest,وَطَرِيقَةًand the wayالْخَلَفِof the successorsأَعْلَمُis more knowledgeableوَأَحْكَمُ؟!and more prudent?!لَاNoيُوجَدُthere isسَلَامَةٌsafetyبِدُونِwithoutعِلْمٍknowledge;وَحِكْمَةٍand wisdomأَبَدًا!!
This word is one of the most false in terms of being uttered and its meaning, 'the way of the predecessors is the safest, and the way of the successors is more knowledgeable and more prudent?!' No safety exists without knowledge and wisdom, ever!
فَالَّذِيSo the one whoلَاdoes notيَدْرِيknow aboutعَنْthe way;الطَّرِيقِ؛does not know;لَاthere is noيَسْلَمُ؛safety;لِأَنَّهُbecauseلَيْسَis notمَعَهُwith himعِلْمٌ،knowledge,لَوْifكَانَhe hadمَعَهُwith himعِلْمٌknowledgeوَحِكْمَةٍ؛and wisdom;لَسَلِمَ؛he would be safe;فَلَاSo noسَلَامَةٌsafetyإِلَّاexceptبِعِلْمٍwith knowledgeوَحِكْمَةٍ.and wisdom.
So the one who does not know about the way; does not know; there is no safety; because he is not with knowledge. If he were with knowledge and wisdom, he would be safe; so no safety except with knowledge and wisdom.
إِذَاIfقُلْتَyou say:إِنَّthatطَرِيقَةُthe methodالسَّلَفِof the predecessors;أَسْلَمَ؛is more secure;لَزِمَit followsأَنْthatتَقُولَyou say:هِيَit isأَعْلَمُmore knowledgeableوَأَحْكَمُ.and more prudent.
If you say: 'The method of the predecessors is more secure;' it follows that you must say: 'It is more knowledgeable and prudent.'
وَإِلَّا؛And otherwise;لَكُنتَyou would beمُتَنَاقِضًا.contradictory.
And otherwise; you would be contradictory.
إِذًا؛Therefore;فَالْعِبَارَةُthe correct phraseالصَّحِيحَةُ:is:«طَرِيقَةُ‘The wayالسَّلَفِof the predecessorsأَسْلَمَis more secureوَأَعْلَمُand more knowledgeableوَأَحْكَمٌ،and more prudent,’وَهَذَاand thisمَعْلُومٌ.is known.
Therefore; the correct phrase is: 'The way of the predecessors is more secure, more knowledgeable and more prudent,' and this is known.
وَطَرِيقَةُAnd the methodالْخَلَفِof the successorsمَاwhatقَالَهُwas said byالْقَائِلُ(۱):the speaker(1):لَعَمْرِيBy my life,لَقَدْindeedطَفْتُI have gone aroundالْمَعَاهِدَthe institutesكُلَّهَاall of themوَسِرْتُand I have moved my sightطَرَفِيmy gazeبَيْنَbetweenتِلكَthoseالْمَعَالِمِ.landmarks.
And the method of the successors has been said by the speaker(1): 'By my life, I have gone around all of the institutes and moved my gaze between those landmarks.'
(۱)(1)هَذَانِThese twoالْبَيْتَانِlinesذُكِرَاهُمَاwere mentioned byعَبْدُAbdulالكَرِيمِthe nobleالشَّهْرَسْتَانِيal-Shahrastaniفِيinكِتَابِهِhis bookنِهَايَةِEndالإِقْدَامِof the endeavorفِيinعِلْمِthe scienceالكَلَامِ.of speech.وَلَمْAnd he did notيُبَيِّنْclarifyقَائِلَهُمَاwho said them,اُنظُرْlookالصَّوَاعِقِthe boltsلِابْنِof Ibnالْقَيِّمِal-Qayyim(۱۶۶/۱).(166/1).
(1) These two lines were mentioned by Abdul the Noble al-Shahrastani in his book 'The End of the Endeavor in the Science of Speech.' And he did not clarify who said them; look at the bolts of Ibn al-Qayyim (166/1).