بِغَيْرِWithoutمَاwhatيَنْبَغِيis befittingلَهَاitمِنْofالْقَبُولِacceptanceوَandالْإِكْرَامِhonor.
Without what is befitting it of acceptance and honor.
وَتَلَقَّوْهَاAnd they received itمِنْfromبَعِيدٍafar,وَلَكِنْbutبِالدَّفْعِby pushingفِيintoالصُّدُورِthe chestsمِنْهَاof it,وَالْأَعْجَازِand the hindquarters.
And they received it from afar, but by pushing it away with the chests and the hindquarters.
وَقَالُواAnd they said:مَاWhatلَكَdo you haveعِنْدَنَاwith usمِنْofعُبُورٍcrossing?وَإِنْAnd ifكَانَit isلَاnotبَدًّاinevitable,فَعَلَىthen uponسَبِيلِthe way ofالْاجْتِيَازِpassing through.
And they said: What business do you have crossing with us—and if it is inevitable, then only as a mere passing through.
أَعِدُّواPrepareلِدَفْعِهَاto repel itأَصْنَافَtypesالْعُدَدِof equipmentوَضُرُوبَand varietiesالْقَوَانِينِof laws.
Prepare various types of equipment and diverse laws to repel it.
وَقَالُواAnd they saidلَمَّاwhenحَلَّتْit settledبِسَاحَتِهِمْin their courtyard:مَاWhatلَنَاdo we haveوَلِظَوَاهِرَwith outwardلَفْظِيَّةٍverbal expressionsلَاthat do notتُفِيدُنَاbenefit usشَيْئًاanythingمِنْofالْيَقِينِcertainty?
And they said—when it settled in their courtyard—: What do we have to do with verbal appearances that grant us no certainty whatsoever?
وَعَوَامُهُمْAnd their common peopleقَالُواsaid:حَسْبُنَاSufficient for us isمَاwhatوَجَدْنَاwe foundعَلَيْهِupon itخَلْفَنَاthose who came after usمِنْofالْمُتَأَخِّرِينَthe later generations,فَإِنَّهُمْfor they areأَعْلَمُmore knowledgeableبِهَاabout itمِنْthanالسَّلَفِthe predecessorsالْمَاضِينَof the past,وَأَقْوَمُand more uprightبِطَرِيقِin the pathالْحُجَجِof argumentsوَالْبَرَاهِينِand proofs.
And their common people said: Sufficient for us is what we found our successors upon, for they are more knowledgeable about it than the early predecessors, and more upright in the ways of arguments and proofs.
وَأُولَئِكَAnd thoseغَلَبَتْovercameعَلَيْهِمُthemالسَّدَاجَةُnaïvetéوَسَلَامَةُand soundnessالصُّدُورِof hearts.
And those were overcome by naïveté and purity of heart.
وَلَمْAnd they did notيَتَفَرَّغُواhave the leisureلِتَمْهِيدِto lay downقَوَاعِدَthe foundationsالنَّظَرِof speculation,وَلَكِنْbutصَرَفُواthey devotedهِمَمَهُمْtheir ambitionsإِلَىtoفِعْلِdoingالْمَأْمُورِwhat was commandedوَتَرْكِand leavingالْمَحْظُورِwhat was forbidden.
And they did not busy themselves with laying down the foundations of philosophical speculation, but instead devoted their aspirations to doing what was commanded and avoiding what was forbidden.
فَطَرِيقَةُThus, the pathالْمُتَأَخِّرِينَof the later ones isأَعْلَمُmore knowledgeableوَأَحْكَمُand wiser,وَطَرِيقَةُand the pathالسَّلَفِof the predecessorsالْمَاضِينَof the past isأَجْهَلُless knowledgeable,لَكِنَّهَاbut it isأَسْلَمُsafer.
Thus, the path of the later generations is more knowledgeable and wiser, while the path of the past predecessors is less knowledgeable, but safer.
أَنْزَلُواThey relegatedنُصُوصَthe textsالسُّنَّةِof the Sunnahوَالْقُرْآنِand the Quranمَنْزِلَةَto the status ofالْخَلِيفَةِthe caliphفِيinهَذَاthisالزَّمَانِera:اسْمُهُhis name isعَلَىonالسِّكَّةِthe coinageوَفِيand inالْخُطْبَةِthe sermonفَوْقَaboveالْمَنَابِرِthe pulpits,مَرْفُوعَةًexalted
They relegated the texts of the Sunnah and the Quran to the status of the caliph in this era: his name is stamped on the coinage and invoked in the sermon above the pulpits, exalted in name.
وَالْحُكْمُwhile the rulingالنَّافِذُeffectiveلِغَيْرِهِbelongs to someone else;فَحُكْمُهُso its rulingغَيْرُis neitherمَقْبُولٍacceptedوَلَاnorمَسْمُوعٍheeded.
while real effective rule belongs to someone else, so its ruling is neither accepted nor heeded.
لَبِسُواThey woreثِيَابَthe garmentsأَهْلِof the peopleالْإِيمَانِof faithعَلَىoverقُلُوبِthe heartsأَهْلِof the peopleالزَّيْغِof deviationوَالْخُسْرَانِand loss,وَالْغِلِّand maliceوَالْكُفْرَانِand denial.
They wore the garments of the people of faith over the hearts of the people of deviation, loss, malice, and denial.
فَالظَّوَاهِرُThus, the outward appearancesظَوَاهِرُare the appearancesالْأَنْصَارِof the supporters,وَالْبَوَاطِنُand the inward realitiesقَدْhaveتَحَيَّزَتْalignedإِلَىwithالْكُفَّارِthe disbelievers.
Thus, their outward appearances are those of supporters, while their inner realities have aligned with the disbelievers.
فَأَلْسِنَتُهُمْSo their tonguesأَلْسِنَةُare the tonguesالْمُسَالِمِينَof the peaceful,وَقُلُوبُهُمْand their heartsقُلُوبُare the heartsالْمُحَارِبِينَof the combatants.
So their tongues are the tongues of the peaceful, and their hearts are the hearts of the combatants.
وَيَقُولُونَAnd they say:آمَنَّا"We have believedبِاللَّهِin Allahوَandبِالْيَوْمِin the LastالْآخِرِDay,"وَمَاwhileهُمْtheyبِمُؤْمِنِينَare not believers.
And they say: We believe in Allah and the Last Day, while they are not believers.