arid al jahl

Page 38

الصَّفَحَاتُThe pagesالْإِلَهِيَّةُdivineفِيinالْقُرْآنِ:the Quran:

The Divine Pages in the Quran:

ثُمَّThenلَمَّاwhenكَانَit wasإِثْبَاتُestablishingالصِّفَاتِthe attributesالْإِلَهِيَّةِdivine

Then, since establishing the divine attributes

بِذِكْرِby mentioningكُنْهِهَاtheir essenceوَحَقَائِقِهَاand realitiesوَدَقِيقِand subtleمَسَائِلِهَاmattersمُسْتَحِيلاًimpossibleفِيregardingحَقِّهِمْ،them,

by mentioning their true essence, realities, and subtle matters was impossible regarding them,

وَكَانَand sinceتَرْكُهُمْleaving themمِنْwithoutدُونِbeingاطِّلَاعٍinformedعَلَىofهَذِهِtheseالصِّفَاتِdivineالْإِلَهِيَّةِattributes

and leaving them without any insight into these divine attributes

يَحْرِمُهُمْwould deprive themمِنْofمَعْرِفَةِknowingالرُّبوبِيَّةِLordship

would deprive them of knowing Lordship

- الَّتِي- whichهِيَisأَنْفَعُthe most beneficialوَسِيلَةٍmeansفِيinتَهْذِيبِrefiningالنُّفُوسِthe humanالْبَشَرِيَّةِ -souls -

- which is the most beneficial means in refining human souls -

كَانَit wasحِكْمَةُthe wisdomاللَّهِof Allah- تَعَالَى -- Exalted is He -

it was the wisdom of Allah - Exalted is He -

وَهُوَand Heأَحْكَمُis the Most Wiseالْحَاكِمِينَ -of judges -

and He is the Most Wise of judges -

أَنْtoيَخْتَارَchooseمِنَfromالصِّفَاتِthe humanالْبَشَرِيَّةِattributesالَّتِيwhichنَعَهْدُهَاwe knowوَنُشَاهِدُهَاand witness

to choose from the human attributes that we know and witness

وَالَّتِيand whichنَتَمَادَحُwe praise one anotherبِهَاwithوَنَفْتَخِرُand take prideبِالتَّحَلِّيin adorning ourselvesبِهَا،with them,

and with which we praise one another and take pride in adorning ourselves,

صِفَاتٍattributesكَرِيمَةًnobleعَدِيدَةًnumerousتُسْتَعْمَلُusedلِأَدَاءِto conveyمَعَانٍmeaningsغَامِضَةٍobscureدَقِيقَةٍand subtle

numerous noble attributes used to convey subtle, obscure meanings

لَاthatتَبْلُغُdo not reachجَلَالَهَاtheir majestyوَعَظَمَتَهَاand greatnessعُقُولُthe mindsالْبَشَرِ،of humans,

whose majesty and greatness human minds cannot reach,

ثُمَّthenيَجْعَلُHe makesقَوْلَهُHis statementالْفَصْلَ:decisive:

then He makes His decisive statement:

{لَيْسَ{There isكَمِثْلِهِnothingشَيْءٌ}like unto Him}

{There is nothing like unto Him}

تَرْيَاقاًas an antidoteلِدَاءِto the diseaseالْجَهْلِof ignoranceالْعُضَالِ،chronic,

as an antidote to the chronic disease of ignorance,

وَعِلَاجاًand a cureلِقِلَّةِfor lackالْبَصَرِof insightوَالْإِدْرَاكِ،and perception,

and a cure for the lack of insight and perception,

وَنَهَىand He prohibitedعَنْfromاسْتِعْمَالِusingتِلْكَthoseالصِّفَاتِhumanالْبَشَرِيَّةِattributes

and He prohibited the use of those human attributes

الَّتِيwhichيُخْشَىare fearedمِنْهَاto causeجُمُوحُthe runawayالْأَوْهَامِof illusionsوَالظَُّنُونِand suspicions

that might cause the runaway of illusions and suspicions

نَحْوَtowardالْعَقَائِدِbeliefsالْبَاطِلَةِfalseكَإِثْبَاتِsuch as attributingالْوَلَدِ،a son,

toward false beliefs such as attributing a son,

وَالْبُكَاءِ،weeping,وَالْجَزَعِpanicوَمَاand whatإِلَىtoذَلِكَ.that.

weeping, panic, and similar things.

خَطَرُThe dangerالْخَوْضِof delvingفِيintoالصِّفَاتِthe attributesبِدُونِwithoutتَوْقِيفٍ:textual authority:

The Danger of Delving into the Attributes Without Textual Authority:

وَإِذَاAnd ifأَنْعَمْتَyou bestowالنَّظَرَregardوَتَأَمَّلْتَand ponderمَسْأَلَةَthe matterالصِّفَاتِof attributesالْإِلَهِيَّةِdivineبِدِقَّةٍwith precision

And if you carefully consider and ponder the matter of the divine attributes with precision,