فَزَعَمُواthey claimedأَنَّهُthat itمَاis notمَعْنًىthe same meaningوَاحِدٌoneوَاسْتَشْهَدُواand they citedبِذَٰلِكَthat asعَلَىevidence forمَاwhatادَّعَوْهُthey claimedمِنْofأَنَّthatالشَّرِيعَةَthe Shariahهِيَisالْمِنْهَاجُthe guidance
They claimed that it is not the same meaning and cited that as evidence for what they claimed about the Shariah: it is the guidance.
فَقَالَSo he saidلَهُمْto themالْمُخَالِفُونَthe opponentsلَهُمْto themالنَّأْيُthe distancingأَعْمُis broaderمِنْthanالْبُعْدِthe distanceفَإِنَّForالنَّأْيَthe distancingكُلَّمَاwheneverقَلَّlessبُعْدَهُits distanceأَوْorكَثُرَgreaterكَأَنَّهُit is as ifمِثْلٌlikeالْمُفَارَقَةِthe separationوَالْبُعْدِand the distanceإِنَّمَاis onlyيُسْتَعْمَلُusedفِيْمَاin whatكَثُرَتْincreasedمَسَافَةٌthe distanceمُفَارَقَةٌof separation
So the opponents said to them: 'The distancing is broader than the distance, for the distancing is whenever its distance is less or greater; it is as if like the separation and the distance, and it is only used in what is of increased distance of separation.'
وَقَدْAnd Indeedقَالَsaidتَعَالَىthe ExaltedوَهُمْAnd theyيَنْهَوْنَforbidعَنْهُfrom itوَيَنْقُونَand they avoidعَنْهُfrom it
And indeed, the Exalted said: 'And they forbid from it and they avoid from it'.
وَهُمْTheyمَذْمُومُونَare blameworthyعَلَىforمَجَانِبَتِهِمْtheir avoidanceوَالتَّنَحِّيand distancingعَنْهُfrom it
They are blameworthy for their avoidance and distancing from it.
سَوَاءٌWhetherكَانُواthey areقَرِيبِينَnearأَوْorبُعَيْدِينَfarوَلَيْسَAnd notكُلَّهُمْall of themكَانُواwereبُعَيْدًاdistantعَنْهُfrom itوَلَاand notسِيمَاespeciallyعِندَwithمَنْthose whoيَقُولُونَsayنَزَلَتْit was revealedفِيaboutأَبِيAbuطَالِبٍTalib
Whether they are near or far, and not all of them were distant from it, especially with those who say it was revealed about Abu Talib.
وَقَدْAnd indeedقَالَsaidالنَّابِغَةُthe poet al-NabighaوَالنُّؤْيُAnd the distantكَالحَوْضِis like a pondبِالْمَظْلُومَةِof the oppressedالْجِلْدِskin
And indeed, the poet al-Nabigha said: 'And the distant is like a pond of the oppressed skin.'
وَالْمُرَادُAnd the intentبِهِwith itمَاwhatيُحَفَّرُis dugحَوْلَaroundالْخَيْمَةِthe tentلِيَنْزِلَso that water descendsفِيْهِin itالْمَاءُthe waterوَلَاand notيَدْخُلَentersالْخَيْمَةَthe tentأَيْthat isصَارَit has becomeكَالحَوْضِlike a pondفَهُوَso it isمُجَانِبًاadjacent toلِلْخَيْمَةِthe tentلَيْسَit is notبَعِيدًاdistantمِنْهَاfrom it
And the intent with it is what is dug around the tent so that water descends in it and does not enter the tent; that is, it has become like a pond, so it is adjacent to the tent and not distant from it.
فَصْلٌSection
Section
فَإِذَاWhenتَبَيَّنَit is clarifiedهَذَاthisفَلَفْظُthen the wordالإِيمَانِFaithإِذَاifأُطْلِقَit is usedفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Quranوَالسُّنَّةِand the Sunnahيُرَادُis intendedبِهِby itمَاwhatيُرَادُis intendedبِلَفْظِwith the wordالْبِرِّrighteousnessوَبِلَفْظِand with the wordالتَّقْوَىpietyوَبِلَفْظِand with the wordالدِّينِreligionكَمَاasتَقَدَّمَpreviously
When this is clarified, then the word 'Faith', if it is used in the Quran and the Sunnah, is intended as is intended by the word 'righteousness', and by the word 'piety', and by the word 'religion' as previously stated.
فَإِنَّForالنَّبِيَّthe Prophet ﷺ(peace be upon him)بَيَّنَexplainedأَنَّthatالإِيمَانَfaithبُضْعٌis severalوَسَبْعُونَand seventyشُعْبَةٌbranchesأَفْضَلُهَاthe best of themقَوْلٌis the wordلَاthere is noإِلَهَgodإِلَّاbutاللَّهُAllahوَأَدْنَاهَاand the least of themإِمَاطَةٌremovingالْأَذَىharmعَنْfromالطَّرِيقِthe road
For the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained that faith is several and seventy branches, the best of them is the word 'there is no god but Allah,' and the least of them is removing harm from the road.
فَكَانَتْSo it wasكُلُّeverythingمَاthatيُحِبُّهُGod lovesيَدْخُلُentersفِيinاسْمِthe nameالإِيمَانِfaithوَكَذَٰلِكَand likewiseلَفْظُthe wordالْبِرِّrighteousnessيَدْخُلُentersفِيهُin itجَمِيعُallذَٰلِكَof thatإِذَاifأُطْلِقَit is usedوَكَذَٰلِكَand likewiseلَفْظُthe wordالتَّقْوَىpietyوَكَذَٰلِكَand likewiseالدِّينُreligionأَوْorدِينُthe religionالإِسْلَامِof Islam
So it was that everything God loves enters into the name of faith; and likewise, the word righteousness enters into all of that when it is used, and likewise the word piety, and likewise the religion or the religion of Islam.
وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd likewiseرُوِيَit was narratedأَنَّهُمْthat theyسَأَلُواaskedعَنْaboutالإِيمَانِfaithفَأُنْزِلَتْand Allah revealedاللَّهُAllahهَذِهِthisالْآيَةُverse
And likewise, it was narrated that they asked about faith, and Allah revealed this verse.
لَيْسَnotالْبِرَّrighteousnessأَنْthatتُوَلُّواyou turnوُجُوهَكُمْyour facesقِبَلَtowardsالْمَشْرِقِthe eastوَالْمَغْرِبِand the westوَلَكِنَّbutالْبِرَّrighteousness
Not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the east and the west, but righteousness.
وَقَدْAnd indeedفَسَّرَexplainedالْبِرَّrighteousnessبِالْإِيمَانِas faithوَفَسَّرَand explainedبِالتَّقْوَىas pietyوَفَسَّرَand explainedبِالْعَمَلِas actionالَّذِيthat whichيُقَرِّبُbrings closerإِلَىtoاللَّهِAllahوَالْجَمِيعُand allحَقٌّis trueوَقَدْAnd indeedرُوِيَit was narratedمَرْفُوعًاthat was elevatedإِلَىtoالنَّبِيِّthe Prophet ﷺ(peace be upon him)أَنَّهُthat heفَسَّرَexplainedالْبِرَّrighteousnessبِالْإِيمَانِas faith
And indeed, it was explained that righteousness is as faith, and it was explained as piety, and it was explained as action that brings one closer to Allah, and all of this is true. And indeed, it was narrated that was elevated to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he explained righteousness as faith.
قَالَSaidمُحَمَّدٌMuhammadابْنُson ofنَصْرٍNasrحَدَّثَنَاnarrated to usإِسْحَاقُIshaqابْنُson ofإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimحَدَّثَنَاnarrated to usعَبْدُ اللَّهِAbdullahابْنُson ofيَزِيدَYazidالْمُقَرِئُthe Reciterوَالْمَلَائِيُand the fillerقَالَاthey saidحَدَّثَنَاnarrated to usالْمَسْعُودِيُّal-Mas'udiعَنْaboutالْقَاسِمِal-Qasimقَالَsaidجَاءَتْa man cameإِلَىtoأَبِيAbuذَرٍّDharrفَسَأَلَهُand asked himعَنْaboutالإِيمَانِfaithفَقَرَأَand he recitedلَيْسَnotالْبِرَّrighteousnessأَنْthatتُوَلُّواyou turnوُجُوهَكُمْyour facesقِبَلَtowardsالْمَشْرِقِthe eastوَالْمَغْرِبِand the westوَلَكِنَّbutالْبِرَّrighteousness
Muhammad bin Nasr said: Ishaq bin Ibrahim narrated to us, Abdullah bin Yazid the reciter and the filler said: Al-Mas'udi narrated to us from Al-Qasim, who said: 'A man came to Abu Dharr and asked him about faith, and he recited: 'Not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the east and the west, but righteousness.'