تَعَالَىexaltedعَنْaboutذَٰلِكَthatعُلُوًّاexaltednessكَبِيرًاgreatقُلْنَاwe saidهَذَاthisمِنْofقِلَّةٍlackفَهْمِكُمْyour understanding
Exalted be He above that in great exaltation; we said this is due to the lack of your understanding.
وَسَخَافَةٌand foolishnessعَقْلِكُمْyour mindأَفَحَسِبْتُمْDid you thinkأَنَّthatالْمَكْتُوبَthe writtenفِيinاللَّوْحِthe tabletالْمَحْفُوظِthe preservedصِفَةًattribute
And the foolishness of your mind. Did you think that what is written in the preserved tablet is an attribute of Allah,
بَلْbutهِيَit isصِفَةٌattributeالْعَبْدِof the servantسَعَادَةٌhappinessوَشَقَاوَةٌand miseryوَالْعَبْدُand the servantيَجُوزُis permissibleعَلَيْهِto himالتَّغْيِيرُthe changeمِنْfromحَالٍstateإِلَىtoحَالٍstate
But it is an attribute of the servant, happiness and misery; and the servant is permissible to change from one state to another.
فَلِذَٰلِكَand thereforeصِفَتُهُhis attributeمُتَغَيِّرَةٌis changeableوَأَمَّاand as forقَضَاءُthe decreeاللَّهِof Allahوَقَدَرُهُand His predestinationفَلَاdoes notيَتَغَيَّرُchangeوَلَاand notيَتَبَدَّلُbe alteredوَالْقَضَاءُand the decreeصِفَةٌattributeالْقَاضِيof the judgeوَالْمَقْضِيُّand the ruledالْمَكْتُوبُthe writtenفِيinاللَّوْحِthe tabletالْمَحْفُوظِthe preserved
And therefore, his attribute is changeable; and as for the decree of Allah and His predestination, it does not change nor is altered. The decree is the attribute of the judge and the ruled written in the preserved tablet.
وَالْقَضَاءُand the decreeصِفَةٌattributeالرَّبِّthe Lordغَيْرُnotمُحْدَثٌcreatedوَالْمَقْضِيُّand the ruledمُحْدَثٌcreatedوَالْحُكْمُand the judgmentغَيْرُnotمُحْدَثٌcreatedوَالْمَحْكُومُand the ruled uponبِهِby itغَيْرُnotمُحْدَثٌcreatedوَالْمَقْدُورُand what is intendedمُحْدَثٌcreated
And the decree of the Lord is not created, and the ruled is created; the judgment is not created, and the ruled upon is not created, while what is intended is created.
وَتَغَيُّرُand the changeالْمَقْضِيُّthe ruledعَلَيْهِupon itلَاdoes notيَجُبُّobligesتَغَيُّرَthe changeالْقَضَاءِthe decreeإذforالنَّاسَthe peopleعَلَىuponأَرْبَعَfourفِرَقٍgroupsفَرِيقٌone groupمِنْهُمْof themقُضِيَruledعَلَيْهِupon itبِالسَّعَادَةِwith happinessابْتِدَاءًinitiallyوَانْتِهَاءًand endingمِثْلَlikeعَلِيٍّAliوَولَدَيْهِand his two sonsالْحَسَنِAl-Hassanوَالْحُسَيْنِand Al-Husseinرَضِيَmay Allah be pleased with himوَandعَنْهُمْthemوَفَرِيقٌand another groupقُضِيَruledعَلَيْهِupon itبِالشَّقَاوَةِwith miseryابْتِدَاءًinitiallyوَانْتِهَاءًand endingمِثْلَlikeأَبِيAbuجَهْلٍJahlوَأَصْحَابِهِand his companions
One group among them is ruled with happiness initially and finally, like Ali and his two sons Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein, may Allah be pleased with them; and another group is ruled with misery initially and finally, like Abu Jahl and his companions.
وَفَرِيقٌand another groupقُضِيَruledعَلَيْهِمupon themبِالسَّعَادَةِwith happinessانْتِهَاءًendingمِثْلَlikeأَبِيAbuبَكْرٍBakrوَعُمَرَand Umarرَضِيَmay Allah be pleased with himعَنْهَاfrom herوَسَحَارَةَand the magiciansفِرْعَوْنَof Pharaoh
And another group is ruled upon with happiness until the end, like Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, and the magicians of Pharaoh.
فَنَفَذَThus, it was executedقَضَاؤُهُHis decreeعَلَىuponمَاwhatكَانَwasفِيinالأَزَلِthe eternityجَرَىhas occurred
Thus, His decree was executed as it was in eternity.
فَالتَّغْيِيرُSo the changeلِلْمَقْضِيِّfor the ruledعَلَيْهِupon itلَاdoes notلِلْقَضَاءِfor the decreeوَاللَّهُand Allahالْمُوَفِّقُis the one who grants successوَقَوْلُهُAnd His sayingفِيمنabout those whoيَأْمُرُcommandsبِالْمَعْرُوفِwith goodnessوَيَنْهَىand forbidsعَنْfromالْمُنْكَرِevilفَيَتْبَعَهُand follows himعَلَىuponذَٰلِكَthatأُنَاسٌpeopleفَخَرَجَThen he went outعَلَىtoالْجَمَاعَةِthe community
So the change is for the ruled upon it, not for the decree. And Allah is the one who grants success; and His saying about those who command with goodness and forbid evil, and people follow him upon that, then he went out to the community.
هَلDoتَرَىyou seeذَٰلِكَthat؟.قَالَHe saidإِسْمَاعِيلُIshmaelفِيaboutذَٰلِكَthat:لَاNoفَهَذَاThisيُفِيدُindicatesأَنْthatالْأَمْرُthe commandبِالْمَعْرُوفِwith goodوَالنَّهْيِand forbiddingعَنْfromالْمُنْكَرِthe evilارْتَفَعَاhave risenفِيinهَذَاthisالزَّمَانِtimeلِأَنَّهُbecauseذَكَرَhe mentionedالنَّاسَthe peopleعَلَىuponأَرْبَعَfourفِرَقٍgroupsفِيinالْقَضَاءِthe decreeوَالْقَدْرِand predestination
Do you see that? He said Ishmael about that: No, this indicates that the command with good and the forbidding of evil have risen in this time because he mentioned the people in four groups regarding the decree and predestination.