كَبِيرًاgreatوَتَوَسُّطَand in moderationأَبُوAbuحَنِيفَةَHanifaوَأَصْحَابَهُand his companionsرَضِيَmay Allah be pleasedاللّهَAllahعَنْهُمْabout themفَقَالُواthen they said
Abu Hanifa and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, said in moderation.
الْخَلْقُcreationفِعْلٌis the actionاللَّهِof Allahوَهُوَand it isإِحْدَاثٌthe creationالإِسْتِطَاعَةُof abilityفِيinالْعَبْدِthe servant, وَاسْتِعْمَالُ, and the useالِاسْتِطَاعَةِof the abilityالْمُحْدَثَةِnewly createdفِعْلٌis the actionالْعَبْدِof the servantحَقِيقَةًin realityلَاnotمَجَازًاmetaphoricallyعَلَىasمَاwhatبَيَّنَاهُwe have clarified
Creation is the action of Allah, and it is the creation of the ability in the servant, and the use of the newly created ability is the action of the servant in reality, not metaphorically, as we have clarified.
فَسَلِّمُواSo they acceptedمِنَfromالْقَدَرِthe predestinationوَالْجَبْرِand compulsionوَاخْتِلَافٍand the differenceآخَرَanotherبَيْنَنَاbetween usوَبَيْنَand betweenالأَشْعَرِيَّةِthe Ash'aritesإِنَّهَاthat itتَقُولُsaysإِنَّthatالِاسْتِطَاعَةَthe abilityالَّتِيthat whichتَصْلُحُis validلِلشَّرِّfor evilلَاnotتَصْلُحُis validلِلْخَيْرِfor good, وَهَذَا, and thisقَرِيبٌis closeمِنَtoالْجَبْرِcompulsionبَلْratherعَيْنٌis equivalent toالْجَبْرِcompulsionلَأَنَّbecauseلَاthere is noاسْتِطَاعَةًabilityالشَّرِّof evilإِذاifكَانَتْit wasلَاnotتَصْلُحُvalidلِلْخَيْرِfor goodصَارَit becomesمُجْبَرًاcompelledفِيinفِعْلِthe actالشَّرِّof evil
Therefore, they accepted the predestination and compulsion; and another difference between us and the Ash'arites is that they say that the ability that is valid for evil is not valid for good, and this is close to compulsion, rather, it is compulsion, because there is no ability for evil if it is not valid for good, hence one becomes compelled in the act of evil.
وَمِنْAnd fromهَذَاthisجَوَزَthey allowالأَشْعَرِيَّةُthe Ash'aritesتَكْلِيفٌthe dutyمَاwhatلَاnotيُطَاقُis bearable
And from this, the Ash'arites allow the imposing of duties that cannot be borne.
وَنَرُدُّAnd we respondعَلَيْهِمْto themبِقَوْلِهِby His sayingتَعَالَىExalted be HeلَاnotيُكَلِّفُburdensاللَّهُAllahنَفْسًاa soulإِلَّاexceptوَسْعَهَاits capacity
And we respond to them by His saying, Exalted be He, "Allah does not burden a soul except according to its capacity."
فَإِنْIfقِيلَit is saidقَالَsaidاللَّهُAllahتَعَالَىExalted be Heخَبَرًاas news ofعَنْaboutالْمُصْطَفَىthe chosen oneعَلَيْهِupon himالسَّلاَمُbe peaceرَبَّنَاOur Lordوَلَاand do notتَحْمِلْنَاburden usمَاthat whichلَاnotطَاقَةٌcapacityلَنَاfor usبِهَاwith it
If it is said, Allah Exalted be He said as news about the chosen one, 'Our Lord, and do not burden us with that which we have no capacity to bear.'
فَلَوْSo ifكَانَit wasالْأَمْرُthe matterفَوْقَaboveالطَّاقَةِthe capacityلَكَانَthere would beهَذَاthisالسُّؤَالُquestionمِنَfromالمُصْطَفَىthe chosen oneعَلَيْهِupon himالسَّلاَمُbe peaceكُفْرًاan act of disbeliefكَمَاasقَالَhe saidلَاdo notتَظْلِمُنَاoppress usوَلَاand do notتَجِرَّbring aboutعَلَيْنَاupon usقُلْنَاWe said
So if the matter was above capacity, this question from the chosen one would be an act of disbelief, as he said, 'Do not oppress us and do not bring upon us.' We said:
سُؤَالُThe questionالنَّبِيِّof the ProphetعَلَىuponاللَّهِAllahكَانَwasعَلَىuponسَبِيلِthe pathالتَّخْفِيفِof easeلَاnotعَلَىuponسَبِيلِthe pathنَفْيِof denialالطَّاقَةِthe capacityأَصْلاًat all
The question of the Prophet concerning Allah was upon the path of ease, not upon the path of denial of capacity at all.
دَلِيلُهُHis evidenceسِيَاقٌis the contextالْآيَةُof the verseرَبَّنَاOur Lordوَلَاand do notتَحْمِلُburdenعَلَيْنَاupon usإِصْرٌa burdenكَمَاasحَمَلَتْit was carriedعَلَىonالَّذِينَthoseمِنْofقَبْلَنَاbefore us
His evidence is the context of the verse: 'Our Lord, and do not burden us with a burden as You burdened those before us.'
أَلَاDo you not seeتَرَىyou seeأَنَّكَthat youإِذَاifرَأَيْتَyou seeدَابَّةًa creatureقَدْindeedحَمَلَتْcarriedحَمَلًاa burdenثَقِيلًاheavyقُلْتَyou saidهَذِهِthisالدَّابَّةُcreatureحَمَلَتْhas carriedفَوْقَbeyondطَاقَتَهَاits capacity
Do you not see that if you see a creature that has indeed carried a heavy burden, you say, 'This creature has carried beyond its capacity.'
قُلْتَYou saidإِنَّthatتَعَلُّقَهُمْtheir insistenceبِهَذِهِwith thisالْآيَةَverseمِنَfromالْوَغَادَةِthe baseوَقِلَّةِand the lackالْفَهْمِof understanding
You said that their insistence on this verse comes from the base elements and the lack of understanding.
بَحْثٌThe discussionاتِّحَادِof the unityالِاسْتِطَاعَةِof the abilityلِلْخَيْرِfor goodوَالشَّرِّand evil
The discussion is about the unity of the ability for good and evil.