لَيْسَتْnotمِمَّاof whatلَاnotيُفْهَمُunderstoodالْمُرَادُintentionبِهِby itبَلْbutنَفْسُitselfمَاwhatدَلَّتْindicatedعَلَيْهِon itلَاnotيَكْفِيsufficientوَحْدَهُaloneفِيinالْعَمَلِthe work
It is not a matter that cannot be understood; rather, what it indicates is not sufficient alone for action.
فَإِنَّForالْمَأْمُورَthe commandedبِهِwith itصَدَقَةًcharityتَكُونُthat isمُطَهِّرَةًpurifyingمُزَكِّيَةًmaking them betterلَهُمْfor themوَهَذَاand thisإِنَّمَاonlyيُعْرَفُis knownبِبَيَانِby the explanationالرَّسُولِof the Messenger
For what is commanded is a charity that purifies and enriches them, and this is only known by the explanation of the Messenger.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for thisقَالَAhmed saidيُحَذِّرُhe warnsالْمُتَكَلِّمَthe one who speaksفِيinالْفِقْهِjurisprudenceهَذَيْنِthese twoالأَصْلَيْنِprinciples
And for this, Ahmed warns the speaker in jurisprudence of these two principles: the ambiguous and analogy.
وَقَالَAnd he saidأَكْثَرَmostمَاwhatيَخْطِئُerrالنَّاسُthe peopleمِنْfromجِهَةِthe directionالتَّأْوِيلِof interpretationوَالْقِيَاسِand analogyيُرِيدُwantsبِذَٰلِكَby thatأَنْtoلَاnotيَحْكُمَjudgeبِمَاby whatيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَيْهِon itالْعَامُّthe generalوَالْمُطْلَقُand the absoluteقَبْلَbeforeالنَّظَرِthe examinationفِيْمَاin whatيَخُصُّهُspecifies itوَيُقَيِّدُهُand restricts itوَلَاand notيَعْمَلَperformبِالْقِيَاسِby analogyقَبْلَbeforeالنَّظَرِthe examinationفِيinدَلَالَةِthe indicationالنُّصُوصِthe textsهَلْwhetherتَدْفَعُهُreject it
And he said: Most of what people err about comes from the direction of interpretation and analogy; he wants with that not to judge by what is indicated by the general and the absolute before looking into what specifies and restricts it, and not to act by analogy before examining the indication of the texts, whether it negates it.
فَإِنَّForأَكْثَرَmostخَطَأَerrorالنَّاسُthe peopleتَمَسُّكَهُمْtheir adherenceبِمَاby whatيَظُنُّونَهُthey thinkمِنْofدَلَالَةِindicationاللَّفْظِthe wordوَالْقِيَاسِand analogyفَالأُمُورُThus, mattersالظَّنِّيَّةُthat are speculativeلَاdo notيُعْمَلُactبِهَاby themحَتَّىuntilيَبْحَثَhe searchesعَنْforالمُعَارِضِthe opposingبَحْثًاsearchيُطْمَئِنُّis assuredالْقَلْبَthe heartإِلَيْهِto itوَإِنْand ifأَخْطَأَhe errsمِنْwhoلَمْnotيَفْعَلْdoذَٰلِكَthat
For most of the error of the people is their adherence to what they think is the indication of the word and analogy; speculative matters should not be acted upon until a search for the opposing has been conducted, a search that reassures the heart towards it, even if one who does not do that errs.
وَهَذَاAnd thisهُوَisالْوَاقِعُthe realityفِيinالمُتَمَسِّكِينَthose adheringبِالظَّوَاهِرِto the apparent meaningsوَالْأَقِيسَةِand analogiesوَلِهَذَاand for thisجَعَلَhe madeالِاحْتِجَاجَthe argumentبِالظَّوَاهِرِby the apparent meaningsمَعَwithالْإِعْرَاضِthe disregardعَنْforتَفْسِيرِthe interpretationالنَّبِيِّof the Prophetﷺ(peace be upon him)وَأَصْحَابِهِand his companionsطَرِيقًاa wayأَهْلِof the peopleالْبِدَعِof innovationsوَلَهُand he hasفِيinذَٰلِكَthatمُصَنَّفٌa large work
And this is the reality of those adhering to the apparent meanings and analogies; and for this, he made the argument by the apparent meanings while disregarding the interpretation of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions a way of the people of innovations, and he has a large work in that.
وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd likewiseالْتَمَسُّكُadheringبِالْأَقِيسَةِto analogiesمَعَwithالْإِعْرَاضِthe disregardعَنْforالنُّصُوصِthe textsوَالْآثَارِand the narrationsطَرِيقًاa wayأَهْلِof the peopleالْبِدَعِof innovationsوَلِهَذَاand for thisكَانَwasكُلُّeveryقَوْلٍstatementابْتَدَعَهُinnovated byهَؤُلَاءِtheseقَوْلًاa sayingفَاسِدًاcorruptedوَأَمَّاAnd as forالصَّوَابَthe correctمِنْofأَقْوَالِهِمْtheir sayingsمَاwhatوَافَقُواthey agreedفِيهِin itالسَّلَفَthe predecessorsمِنَofالصَّحَابَةِthe Companionsوَالْتَّابِعِينَand the followersلَهُمْof themبِإِحْسَانٍwith goodness
And likewise, adherence to analogies with disregard for the texts and narrations is a way of the people of innovations; and for this, every statement innovated by those is a corrupted saying, and the correct from their sayings is what they agreed upon with the predecessors from the Companions and the followers of them with goodness.
وَقَوْلُهُAnd His sayingتَعَالَىthe Most HighيُوصِيكُمُHe commands youاللَّهُAllahفِيinأَوْلَادِكُمْyour children﴾(quotation markالنِّسَاءِ:An-Nisa:١٠10﴿quotation mark)سَمَّاهُHe namedعَامًّاgeneralوَهُوَand it isمُطْلَقٌunrestrictedفِيinالْأَحْوَالِcircumstances
And His saying, the Most High: 'Allah commands you concerning your children' (An-Nisa: 10), He named it general, and it is unrestricted in circumstances.
يَعُمُّهَاit encompasses themعَلَىonطَرِيقِthe methodالْبَدَلِof substitutionكَمَاjust asيَعُمُّit encompassesقَوْلُهُ:His statement:﴾(quotation markفَتَحْرِيرُThen freeingرَقَبَةٍa neck[النِّسَاءِ: ٩١](An-Nisa: 91)
It encompasses them in the method of substitution, just as His statement encompasses: 'Then freeing a neck' (An-Nisa: 91).
جَمِيعَallالرَّقَابِof the necksلَاnotيَعُمُّهَاit encompasses themكَمَاjust asيَعُمُّit encompassesلَفْظُthe wordالْوَلَدِthe childلِلْأَوْلَادِfor children
It does not encompass all necks as it does not encompass the word for 'the children' for children.
وَمَنْAnd whoeverأَخَذَtakesبِهَذَاby thisلَمْnotيَأْخُذْtakeبِمَاby whatدَلَّindicatedعَلَيْهِon itظَاهِرُthe apparentلَفْظِwordالْقُرْآنِthe Quranبَلْbutأَخَذَtakesبِمَاby whatظَهَرَappearsلَهُto himمِمَّاof whatسَكَتَremained silentعَنْهُabout itالْقُرْآنُthe Quranفَكَانَthen wasالظُّهُورُthe apparentلِسُكُوتِfor the silenceالْقُرْآنِof the Quranعَنْهُabout itلَاnotلِدَلَالَةِfor the indicationالْقُرْآنِof the Quranعَلَىonأَنَّهُthat itظَاهِرٌis apparent
And whoever takes this does not take by what the apparent word of the Quran indicates, but rather takes by what appears to him from what the Quran remained silent about; thus, the appearance is for the silence of the Quran about it, not for the indication of the Quran that it is apparent.
فَكَانُواThus they wereمُتَمَسِّكِينَadheringبِظَاهِرِto the apparentمِنْofالْقَوْلِthe sayingلَاnotبِظَاهِرِby the apparentالْقَوْلِsaying
Thus, they were adhering to the apparent of the saying not by the apparent saying.
وَعُدَّتُهُمْAnd their basisعَدَمُthe absenceالْعِلْمِof knowledgeبِالنُّصُوصِof the textsالَّتِيthatفِيهَاin itعِلْمٌknowledgeبِمَاof whatقَيَّدَrestrictsوَإِلَّاand otherwiseفَكُلُّallمَاwhatبَيَّنَهُclarifiedالْقُرْآنُthe Quranوَأَظْهَرَهُand made it clearفَهُوَit isحَقٌّthe truth
And their basis is the absence of knowledge of the texts that contain knowledge of what restricts; otherwise, all that the Quran clarified and made clear is the truth.
بِخِلَافِUnlikeمَاwhatيَظْهَرُappearsلِلْإِنْسَانِto a personلِمَعْنًىfor a meaningآخَرَotherغَيْرَother thanنَفْسِitselfالْقُرْآنِthe Quranيُسَمَّىis calledظَاهِرًاapparentالْقُرْآنِthe Quran
Unlike what appears to a person for another meaning other than the Quran itself is called the apparent of the Quran.
كَاسْتَدْلَالَاتِLike the inferencesأَهْلِof the peopleالْبِدَعِof innovationsمِنَfromالْمُرْجِئَةِthe Murji'ahالْجَهْمِيَّةِthe Jahmiyyahوَالْخَوَارِجِand the Kharijitesوَالْشِّيَعَةِand the Shiites
Like the inferences of the people of innovations from the Murji'ah, the Jahmiyyah, the Kharijites, and the Shiites.
قَالَHe saidأَحْمَدَAhmedوَأَمَّاAnd as forمَنْwhoزَعَمَclaimsأَنَّthatالإِيمَانَfaithالإِقْرَارُis the acknowledgmentفَمَاthen whatيَقُولُdoes he sayفِيaboutالْمَعْرِفَةِknowledgeهَلdoesيَحْتَاجُhe needإِلَىtoالْمَعْرِفَةِknowledgeمَعَwithالإِقْرَارِthe acknowledgmentوَهَلْAnd doesيَحْتَاجُhe needأَنْtoيَكُونَbeمُصَدِّقًاa believerبِمَاwith whatعَرَفَhe knows
He said: Ahmed: And as for one who claims that faith is the acknowledgment, then what does he say about knowledge? Does he need knowledge along with the acknowledgment?
فَإِنَّهُForزَعَمَhe claimedأَنَّهُthat heيَحْتَاجُneedsإِلَىtoالْمَعْرِفَةِknowledgeمَعَwithالإِقْرَارِthe acknowledgmentفَقَدْthen he hasزَعَمَclaimedأَنَّهُthat heمِنْis ofشَيْئَيْنِtwo things
For he claimed that he needs knowledge along with the acknowledgment; then he has claimed that he is of two things.