بَيَانٌstatementأَنَّthatاخْتِلَافٌthe differenceالأُمَّةُof the nationرَحْمَةٌis mercy
The statement that the difference of the nation is mercy.
الشَّرَائِعُThe lawsوَهُوَand it isبَعْدَafterالتَّوْحِيدِthe monotheismثُمَّthenالدِّينُthe religionعَقْدٌis basedعَلَىonالصَّوَابِthe right
The laws are based after the monotheism, then the religion is based on the right.
وَالْدِّيَانَةُAnd the faithسِيرَةٌis a practiceعَلَىonالصَّوَابِthe right
And the faith is a practice on the right.
قَالَHe saidأَبُوAbuمُطِيعٌMuti’رَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercy on himاللَّهُGodقُلْتُI saidلِأَبِيto AbuحَنِيفَةَHanifaرَضِيَmay Allah be pleased with himعَنْهُabout himأَخْبِرْنِيinform meعَنْaboutأَفْضَلَthe bestالْفِقْهِof jurisprudence
Muti’ may Allah have mercy on him said: I said to Abu Hanifa, may Allah be pleased with him, "Inform me about the best jurisprudence."
يَعْنِيmeaningعَنْaboutأَفْضَلَthe bestالْفِقْهِof jurisprudence
Meaning the best jurisprudence.
فَأَجَابَThen he answeredأَبُوAbuحَنِيفَةَHanifaرَضِيَmay Allah be pleased with himعَنْهُabout him
Then Abu Hanifa, may Allah be pleased with him, answered about him.
قَالَ:He said:(يَتَعَلَّمُ(A man learnsالرَّجُلُthe man(الإِيمَانُ(faithأَيُّthat isأَحْكَامَrulesالإِيمَانِof faithوَالثَّبَاتُand steadfastnessعَلَيْهِupon him
He said: "A man learns faith, that is, the rules of faith and steadfastness upon it."
يَعْنِيIt meansبِعِلْمٍby knowledgeالحَالُthe stateالعِلْمُthe knowledgeالَّذِيthat whichهُوَhe isعَلَيْهِupon himمِنَfromالشَّرِيعَةِthe lawوَهُوَand it isيُعْرَفُis knownالْعَبْدُthe servantنَفْسَهُhimselfعَلَىonأَيِّwhichحَالٍstateهُوَhe isفَيَكُونُhe will beمُسْتَعِدًّاpreparedلِإِتِيَانِfor comingمَلَكِthe angelالمَوْتِof deathعَلَيْهِupon him
It means that by knowledge, the state which he is in from the law is known to the servant about himself, so he will be prepared for the coming of the angel of death upon him.
وَعَنْAnd aboutهَذَاthisقَالَhe saidعَلَيْهِupon himالسَّلاَمُ:peace be upon him:طَلَبٌthe seekingالعِلْمُof knowledgeفَرِيضَةٌis an obligationعَلَىonكُلِّeveryمُسْلِمٍMuslimوَمُسْلِمَةٍand Muslimahأَرَادَhe intendedبِهَاby itالحَالُthe stateوَالْحَالَةُand the conditionالَّتِيthat whichيَكُونُhe isفِيهَاin itعَامِلًاactingأَيَّthat isعَامِلًاactingعَالِمًاa scholarوَفَقِيهًاand a juristطَالِبًاwho is a studentفَيَعْرِفُSo he knowsنَفْسَهُhimself
And about this, he said: "The seeking of knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim and Muslimah, meaning by it the state and the condition in which he is acting, that is, acting as a scholar and a jurist who is a student. Thus he knows himself."
وَقَالَAnd he saidعَلَيْهِpeace be upon himالسَّلاَمُ:أَيْthat isمَنwhoeverعَرَفَknowsنَفْسَهُhimselfفَقَدْhas
And he said, peace be upon him: "Whoever knows himself has indeed known his Lord."
وَالشَّرَائِعُAnd the lawsوَالسُّنَنُand the Sunnahأَرَادَhe intendedبِهَاby itالْحَلَالُthe lawfulوَالْحَرَامُand the unlawful**
And the laws and the Sunnah intended by them the lawful and the unlawful.
قَوْلُهُHis saying(وَالْحُدُودُ(And the limitsأَرَادَhe intendedبِهَاby itعِلْمٌknowledgeالاجْتِنَابِof avoidanceعَنْfromالْمَعَاصِيsinsوَالْائِتِمَارِand obedienceبِالْأَوَامِرِto the commandments
His saying: "And the limits," he intended by it knowledge of avoidance from sins and obedience to the commandments.
قَالَHe saidاللَّهُGodتَعَالَى:the Exalted said:«مِنْ«And whoeverيَتَعَدَّtransgressesحُدُودَthe limitsاللَّهِof Allahفَقَدْhasظَلَمَwrongedنَفْسَهُhimself
God the Exalted said: "And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah has indeed wronged himself."
قَوْلُهُHis sayingوَاخْتِلَافُAnd the differenceالأُمَّةِof the nationرَحْمَةٌ)is mercy)أَرَادَhe intendedبِهَاby itعِلْمٌknowledgeالنَّظَرُthe insightبِدَقَائِقَthe subtletiesالْمَعَانِيof meaningsقِيَاسًاby analogyوَاسْتِحْسَانًاand approvalوَاسْتِنْبَاطًاand inferenceلَاnotاخْتِرَاعًاinventionمِنْfromجَهَةِthe angleهَوَىof desireالنَّفْسِthe soulوَهَذَاAnd thisلَأَنَّbecauseالأَشْيَاءُthingsتُعْرَفُare knownبِأَضْدَادِهَاby their oppositesفَمَنSo whoeverلَمْdid notيَعْرِفْknowالكُفْرَthe disbeliefلَاdoes notيَعْرِفْknowالإِيمَانَthe faithوَمَنAnd whoeverلَاdoes notيَعْرِفْknowالْبِدْعَةَthe innovationوَالضَّلَالَةَand misguidanceلَاdoes notيَعْرِفْknowالإِهْتِدَاءَthe guidanceوَالِاسْتِقَامَةَand uprightness
His saying: "And the difference of the nation is mercy," he intended by it knowledge of the insight into the subtleties of meanings by analogy, approval, and inference, not invention from the angle of the desire of the soul. And this is because things are known by their opposites. So whoever does not know disbelief does not know faith. And whoever does not know innovation and misguidance does not know guidance and uprightness.