فَلَمْAnd I did not (see)أَرَseeإلاexceptواضِعًاputtingكَفًّاa handحَائِرٍof a confused personعَلَىonذَقَنِthe chinأَوْorقَارِعًاknockingسِنَّthe teethنَادِمٍof a regretful (person)
And I did not see except a hand of a confused person on the chin or knocking the teeth of a regretful person.
هَذِهِThis isالطَّرِيقَةُthe wayالَّتِيthatيَقُولُhe saysعَلَيْهَاabout itإِنَّهُthat heمَاdid not findوَجَدَfoundإلاexceptوَاضِعًاputtingكَفًّa handحَائِرٍconfusedعَلَىonذَقَنٍthe chin.
This is the way that he says about it: he found only a hand of a confused person on the chin.
وَهَذَاAnd thisلَيْسَis notعِندَهُwith himعِلْمٌknowledgeأوorآخَرُanotherقَارِعًاknockingسِنَّthe teethنَادِمٍof a regretful person;
And this is not knowledge for him, or another: knocking the teeth of a regretful person;
لِأَنَّهُbecauseلَمْhe did notيَسْلُكْtakeطَرِيقَthe wayالسَّلاَمَةِof safetyأَبَدًاever.
because he has never taken the way of safety.
وَالرَّازِيAnd Al-Raziوَهُوَand he isمِنْfromكُبَرَائِهِمtheir eldersيَقُولُsaysنِهَايَةُthe endإِقْدَامِof the initiativeالْعُقُولِof mindsعِقَالٌis a restraint.
And Al-Razi - he is one of their elders - says: The end of the initiative of minds is a restraint.
وَأَكْثَرُAnd most ofسَعْيِthe effortالْعَالِمِينَof the scholarsضَلَالٌis misguidance.
And most of the effort of the scholars is misguidance.
وَأَرْوَاحُنَاAnd our soulsفِيinوَحَشَةٍa wildernessمِنْfromأَجْسَامِنَاour bodiesوَغَايَةِAnd the endدُنْيَانَاof our worldأَذًىis a painوَوَبَالٌand calamity.
And our souls are in a wilderness from our bodies and the end of our world is a pain and calamity.
وَلَمْAnd did notنَسْتَفِدwe benefitمِنْfromبَحْثِنَاour researchطُولَthe lengthعُمُرِنَاof our lifeسِوَىexceptأَنْthatجَمَعْنَاwe gatheredفِيهin itقِيلَit was saidوَقَالُواand they said.
And we did not benefit from our research in the length of our life except that we gathered in it what was said and they said.
ثُمَّThenيَقُولُhe saysلَقَدIndeed,تَأَمَّلْتُI contemplatedالطُّرُقَthe waysالْكَلَامِيَّةَof speech;وَالْمَنَاهِجَand the methodsالْفَلْسَفِيَّةَof philosophy;فَمَاso I did not seeرَأَيْتُهَاthemتَشْفِيthat cureعَلِيلًاthe ill (person),وَلَاand notتُرَوِّيsatisfyغَلِيلاًthirsty.
Then he says: Indeed, I contemplated the ways of speech and the methods of philosophy; so I did not see them cure the ill nor satisfy the thirsty.
وَوَجَدْتُAnd I foundأَقْرَبَthe closestالطُّرُقَthe waysطَرِيقَةَthe wayالْقُرْءَانَthe Quran;أَقْرَأُI readفِيinالإِثْبَاتِaffirmationالرَّحْمَانِthe Most Mercifulعَلَىonالْعَرْشِthe Throne (of Allah)اسْتَوَىHe establishedإِلَيْهِto himيَصْعَدُascendsالْكَلِمُthe good wordsالطَّيِّبُgood.وَأَقْرَأُAnd I readفِيinالنَّفْيِnegation:لَيْسَthere is notكَامْثَلِهِlike HimشَيْءٌanythingوَلَاAnd notيُحِيطُونَcomprehend himبِهِwith himعِلْمًاknowledge.
And I found the closest ways the way of the Quran; I read in the affirmation: ‘The Most Merciful established upon the Throne’ and I read in the negation: ‘There is nothing like Him’, and ‘They do not comprehend Him with knowledge.’
وَمَنْAnd whoeverجَرَّبَexperiencesمِثْلَlikeتَجْرِبَتِيmy experience,عَرَفَhe knowsمِثْلَlikeمَعْرِفَتِيmy knowledge.’
And whoever experiences like my experience, knows like my knowledge.
أَهَؤُلاَءِAre thoseنَقُولُwe sayإِنَّthatطَرِيقَتُهُمْtheir methodأَعْلَمُis more knowledgeableوَأَحْكَمُand wiser?!
Are those we say that their method is more knowledgeable and wiser?!
الَّذِيThe one whoيَقُولُsaysإِنِّيI hopeأتَمَنَّىto dieأَنْthatأَمُوتُI dieعَلَىonعَقِيدَةِthe beliefعَجَائِزِof the old women;
The one who says: 'I hope to die on the belief of the old women;'
هَذِهِTheseالْأَبْيَاتُversesلِلْفَخْرِof FakhriالرَّازِيAl-Razi;ذَكَرَهَاhe mentioned themفِيinكِتَابِهِhis bookأَقْسَامِClassificationاللَّذَّاتِof pleasures,اُنْظُرْSeeالصَّاعِقَاتِthe Thunderboltsلِابْنِof IbnالْقَيِّمِQayyim (the righteous);
These verses of Fakhri Al-Razi; he mentioned them in his book 'Classification of Pleasures', see 'Thunderbolts' by Ibn Qayyim.
الْقَائِلُThe speakerهُوَisأَبُوAbuالمَعَالِيAl-MaaliالْجُوَيْنِيAl-Juwayni;اُنْظُرْseeالصَّاعِقَاتِthe Thunderboltsلِابْنِof IbnالْقَيِّمِQayyim (the righteous);
The speaker is Abu Al-Maali Al-Juwayni; see 'Thunderbolts' by Ibn Qayyim.