وَمِنْهُمْAnd among themمَنْwhoيَكُونُisنُزُولُهُhis descentإِلَىtoمَعْصِيَةٍsin::إِمَّاeitherصَغِيرَةٍsmallأَوْorكَبِيرَةٍbig(١)(1)،,يَحْتَاجُneedsفِيinعَوْدَةٍhis returnإِلَىtoدَرَجَتِهِhis rankإِلَىtoتَوْبَةٍrepentanceنَصُوحٍsincereوَإِنَابَةٍand returnصَادِقَةٍtruthful..
And among them are those whose descent is to sin: either small or big (1), they need sincere repentance and a truthful return to their rank.
وَاخْتَلَفَAnd the people disagreedالنَّاسُthe people::هَلwhetherيَعُودُhe returnsبَعْدَafterالتَّوْبَةِthe repentance(۲)(2)إِلَىtoدَرَجَتِهِhis rankالَّتِيthatكَانَhe wasفِيهَاin it,,بِنَاءِbasedعَلَىonأَنَّthatالتَّوْبَةَthe repentanceتَمْحُوerasesأَثَرَthe effectالذَّنبِof sin,,وَتَجْعَلُand makesوُجُودَهُits existenceكَعَدَمِهِlike its absence,,فَكَأَنَّهُso it is as ifلَمْnotيَكُنْit was;أَوْorلَاnotيَعُودُreturnsبِنَاءًbasedعَلَىonأَنَّthatالتَّوْبَةَthe repentanceتَأْثِيرَهَاits effectفِيin(۳)(3)إِسْقَاطِcancelingالعُقُوبَةِthe punishment,,وَأَمَّاand as forالدَّرَجَةِthe rankالَّتِيthatفَاتَتْهُhe missedفَإِنَّهُthen heلَاdoes notيَصِلُreachإِلَيْهَاto it(٤)(4)?..
And the people disagreed: whether he returns after the repentance (2) to the rank he was in, based on the fact that repentance erases the effect of sin, and makes its existence like its absence, so it is as if it had never been; or he does not return based on the notion that the effect of repentance is to cancel the punishment, and as for the rank that he missed, then he does not reach it (4)?
قَالُواThey said(٥): (5)وَتَقْرِيرُAnd the statementذَلِكَof thatأَنَّهُis that heكَانَwasمُسْتَعِدًّاpreparedبِاشْتِغَالِهِby his engagementبِالطَّاعَةِin obedienceفِيinالزَّمَنِthe timeالَّذِيthatعَصَىhe disobeyedفِيهِin itلِصُعُودٍfor ascendingآخَرَanother,,وَارْتِفَاعِهِand his rising(٦)(6)بِجُمْلَةِwith the entiretyأَعْمَالِهِof his deedsالسَّالِفَةِpreviousبِمَنْزِلَةٍis likeكَسْبِthe earningالرَّجُلِof the manكُلِّeveryيَوْمٍdayبِجُمْلَةِwith the entiretyمَالِهِof his wealthالَّذِيthatيَمْتَلِكُهُhe owns,,وَكُلَّمَاand every timeتَضَاعَفَmultipliesالْمَالُthe wealthتَضَاعَفَmultipliesالرِّبْحُthe profitفَقَدْfor surelyرَاحَhe has incurredعَلَيْهِon himفِيinزَمَنِthe timeالْمَعْصِيَةِof sin,,ارْتِفَاعٍan ascentوَرِبْحٍand gainبِجُمْلَةِwith the entiretyأَعْمَالِهِof his deeds,,فَإِذَاso if(۷)(7)اسْتَأْنَفَhe resumesالْعَمَلَthe workاسْتَأْنَفَhe resumesصُعُودًاascendingمِنْfromنُزُولٍdescent,,وَكَانَand he wasقَبْلَbeforeذَلِكَthatصَاعِدًاascendingمِنْfromصُعُودٍascent(۸)(8) ,وَبَيْنَهُمَاand between themبُونٌis a gapعَظِيمٌgreat...
They said: And the explanation of this is that he was prepared by engaging in obedience in the time he disobeyed to ascend another, and his rising (6) with the entirety of his previous deeds is like the earning of a man every day with the entirety of his wealth that he owns, and every time the wealth multiplies, the profit multiplies. For surely he incurred in the time of sin an ascent and gain with the entirety of his deeds, so if (7) he resumes work he resumes an ascent from descent, and he was before that ascending from ascent (8), and between them is a great gap.
قَالُواThey said::وَمَثَلُAnd the example ofذَلِكَthatرَجُلَانِtwo menمُرْتَقِيَانِascendingفِيinسَلَّمَيْنِtwo staircasesلَاwithoutنِهَايَةٍendلَهُمَاfor them,,وَهُمْand they areسَوَاءٌequal,,فَنَزَلَso one descendsأَحَدُهُمَاone of themإِلَىtoأَسْفَلَdownوَلَوْevenدَرَجَةًa degreeوَاحِدَةًone,,ثُمَّthenاسْتَأْنَفَhe resumesالصُّعُودَthe ascent.
They said: And the example of that is two men ascending in two staircases without end, and they are equal, so one of them descends down, even if just one degree, then he resumes the ascent.