صِفَاتُAttributesاللَّهِof Allahتَعَالَىthe Exaltedوَبَيْنَand explainedمَنْwhoتَنَاقُضَهُمْtheir contradictionsوَفَسَادٍand the corruptionقَوْلِهِمof their statementمَاwhatهُوَisمَعْرُوفٌknownعَنْهُabout Him, فَتَنَازَعَ, there was a disputeالأَشْعَرِيُّthe Ash'ariوَأَبُوand AbuهَاشِمٌHashimفِيinمَبْدَأِthe principle ofاللُّغَاتِlanguages, فَقَالَ, he saidأَبُوAbuهَاشِمٌHashim: هِيَ: they areاصْطِلَاحِيَّةٌconventional.وَقَالَAnd saidالأَشْعَرِيُّthe Ash'ari(۱):(1):هِيَThey areتَوْقِيفِيَّةٌ.definitive.
The attributes of Allah the Exalted and the contradictions and corrupt statements about Him have been explained. A dispute arose between the Ash'ari and Abu Hashim regarding the principle of languages; Abu Hashim said: They are conventional, while the Ash'ari said: They are definitive.
ثُمَّThenخَاضَpeople engagedالنَّاسُin this issue.بَعْدَهُمَاAfter them, فَقَالَ, others saidآخَرُونَsome of themبَعْضَهَاsome of itتَوْقِيفِيٌّis definitiveوَبَعْضَهَاand some of itاصْطِلَاحِيَّةٌis conventionalوَقَالَand a fourth group saidفَرِيقٌa teamرَابِعٌfourthبِالْوَقْفِ.about suspension.
Then people engaged in this issue; some said that some of it is definitive while others said that some is conventional, and a fourth group mentioned a suspension on this matter.
وَالْمَقْصُودُAnd the intentionهُنَاhereأَنَّهُis thatلَاno oneيُمْكِنُcanأَحَدٌanyoneأَنْtoيُنْقَلَreportعَنْaboutالْعَرَبِthe Arabs, بَلْ, butوَلَاnotعَنْaboutأُمَّةٍa nationمِنْofالْأُمَمِ.the nations.
And the intention here is that no one can report about the Arabs, nor about any nation of the nations.
اجْتَمَعَتْThey gatheredجَمَاعَةٌa groupفَوُضِعَتْand establishedجَمِيعُallهَذِهِtheseالْأَسْمَاءِnamesالْمَوْجُودَةُexistingفِيinاللُّغَةِthe language, ثُمَّ, and thenاسْتُعْمِلُوهَاthey used themبَعْدَafterالْوَضْعِthe establishment, إِنَّمَا, butالْمَعْرُوفُthe knownالْمَنْقُولُtransmittedبِالتَّوَاتُرِby continuous transmissionاِسْتِعْمَالُis the useهَذِهِof theseالْأَلْفَاظِtermsفيمَاin whatعَنَوهُthey intendedبِهَاwith themمِنَfromالْمَعَانِي.the meanings.
A group gathered and established all these existing names in the language, and then they used them after their establishment, and the known transmission by continuous transmission is the use of these terms in the meanings they intended with them.
فَإِنَّIfادَّعَىsomeone claimsمَدْعٍthat he knowsأَنَّهُthat itيَعْلَمُis knownوَضْعًاby establishmentتَقَدَّمَthat precededذَٰلِكَthat,فَهُوَhe isمُبْطِلٌ،false,فَإِنَّforهَذَاthisلَمْhas notيُنْقَلْهُbeen transmittedأَحَدٌby anyoneمِنَfromالنَّاسِthe peopleوَلَاnorيُقَالُis it said: نَحْنُ: Weنَعْلَمُknowذَٰلِكَthatبِالدَّليلِ،by proof.
If someone claims that he knows how it was established prior to that, he is indeed false, for this has not been transmitted by anyone, nor is it said: We know that by proof.
فَإِنَّForإِنْifلَمْit is notيَكُنْa previously establishedاصْطِلَاحٌconvention,مُتَقَدِّمٌ،it cannot be used.لَمْThere is notيُمْكِنُcanالِاسْتِعْمَالُ.the usage.
For if there is no previous convention, then the usage cannot occur.
قِيلَIt was said: لَيْسَ: It is notالأَمْرُthe case that way,كَذَٰلِكَ،rather,بَلْbutنَحْنُweالْتَّمْيِيزَ،differentiate,أَنَّهُthat itسُمِعْنَاwe have heardأَنَّthatاللَّهَAllahيُلْهِمُinspiredالْحَيَوَانَthe animalمِنَwithالْأَصْوَاتِthe soundsمَاthat whichبِهِby whichيَعْرِفُsome recognizeبَعْضَهَاeach other,مُرَادٌthe intention of about.بَعْضٍ،that.وَقَدْand indeedصَارَتْbecameذَٰلِكَthisمَنْطِقًاa language.وَقَوْلًاand a statementفِيinقَوْلِthe sayingسُلَيْمَانَ:of Solomon:عُلِّمْنَاWe were taughtمَنْطِقَthe language ofالطَّيْرِ)the birds.
It was said: It is not the case that way, but we can differentiate, that we have heard that Allah inspires animals with the sounds by which some recognize each other. This has indeed become a language and a statement in the saying of Solomon: 'We were taught the language of the birds.'
وَفِيAnd inقَوْلِهِ:his saying:قَالَتْShe saidنَمْلَةٌa antيَتَأَيَّةَاO antsالنَّمْلُthe antsادْخُلُواenterمَسَاكِنَكُمْyour dwellings.
And in his saying: 'An ant said: O ants, enter into your dwellings.'
وَفِيAnd inقَوْلِهِ:his saying:يَاجِبَالُO Mountainsأُولِيof the believersمَعَهُwith him,وَالطَّيْرُand the birds.
And in his saying: 'O Mountains, you who are with him, and the birds.'
وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd likewiseالْآدَمِيُّونَ،humans,فَالْمَوْلُودُwhen bornإِذَاifظَهَرَhe expressesمِنْهُfrom himأَبَوَيْهhis parentsأَوْorمِنْfromيُرَبِّيهِthose who raise himيَنْطِقُhe speaksبِالْلَّفْظِ،with the word,وَيُشِيرُand indicatesإِلَىtoالْمَعْنَى،the meaning,فَصَارَso he becameيَفْهَمُhe understandsأَنَّthatذَٰلِكَthatالْلَّفْظَwordيُسْتَعْمَلُis usedفِيinذَٰلِكَthat meaning:أَي:that is to say,أَرَادَhe intendedالْمُتَكَلِّمُthe speakerبَهِby itذَٰلِكَthatالْمَعْنَى،meaning.ثُمَّThenهَذَاthisحَتَّىuntilيَعْرِفَhe knowsلُغَةَthe languageالْقَوْمِof the peopleالَّذِينَwhoنَشَأَhe grew upبَيْنَهُمْamong themمِنْwithoutغَيْرِanyأَنْthatيَكُونُواthey have beenقَدْestablishedاصْطَلَحُواassociated with him on a prior convention.مَعَهُwith himعَلَىonوَضْعٍthe establishmentمُتَقَدِّمٍ،prior,بَلْrather,وَلَاnorأُوقَفُوهُdid they teach himعَلَىthe meaningsمَعَانِيof meanings,الْأَسْمَاءِ،the names,وَإِنْand ifكَانَhe wasأَحْيَانًاsometimesقَدْhe mightيَسْأَلُaskعَنْaboutمُسَمَّىwhat is meant byبَعْضٍsomeالأَشْيَاءِ،things,فَيُوْقِفُhe refersعَلَيْهَا،to it,كَمَاasيُتَرَجَمُit translatesلِلرَّجُلِto the manالَّذِيwhoلَاdoes notيَعْرِفُهَاknow itفَيُوْقِفُso he understandsعَلَىwhat is meant byمَعَانِيthe meanings of.أَلْفَاظِهَا،its terms.وَإِنْAnd ifبَاشَرَ he engagesأَهْلَهَاthe people of itمُدَّةً،for a period,عَلِمَhe knowsذَٰلِكَthatبِدُونِwithoutتَوْقِيفٍteachingمِنْfromأَحَدٍ.anyone.
And likewise humans, when a child is born, if he expresses from his parents or those who raise him, he speaks the word and indicates the meaning. So he understands that the word is used in that meaning: that is to say, the speaker meant that meaning. Then this continues until he knows the language of the people among whom he grew up without them having established a prior convention with him nor taught him the meanings of the names. Although sometimes he might ask about what is meant by some things, he is referred to that, just as it is translated to a man who does not know it so he understands the meanings of its terms without teaching from anyone.
نَعَمْYes,قَدْpeople mayيَضَعُestablishالنَّاسُpeopleالِاسْمَa nameلِمَاfor whatيَحْدُثُhappensمِمَّاfrom whatلَمْhas not beenيَكُنْknownمِنْfromقَبْلِهِمbefore themيَعْرِفُهُknows it,فَسَمَّاهُ،so he names it,كَمَاasيُولَدُwhen a child is bornلِأَحَدِهِمto one of them,وَلَدٌa childفَيَزْعُمُand he claimsاسْمًاa nameإِمَّاeitherمَنْقُولًاtransmittedوَإِمَّاorمُرَتَّجَلًا،emergency.
Yes, people may establish a name for what happens of what has not been known before them, and thus name it; as when one of them has a child, he names it either with a transmitted name or an improvised one.
وَقَدْAnd it has beenيُقَالُsaidالْمُسَمَّىthe named(1)(1)غَيْرَnot the oneأَنْthat the oneبَعْضُsomeالْمُنْتَسِبِينَwho belongلِلْإِمَامِto Imamالأَشْعَرِيِّthe Ash'ariخَالَفُوهُhave opposed him.فِيInذَٰلِكَ.that.وُمِنْهُمْAmong themبَعْضٌsomeمِنَofنَشَاهِدُwe observeفِيinزَمَانِنَاour timeمِمَّنof thoseزَعَمُواwho claimedأَنَّهُمْthat they areأَشَاعِرَةٌAsh'arisوَلَاand notيَصِحُّvalidانْتِسَابُهُمْtheir affiliationلِهَذَاto thisالْإِمَامِ.Imam.- زُهَيْرٍ.- Zuhair.٧٦76
And it has been said that the named (1) is not that some of those who belong to Imam al-Ash'ari have opposed him in that. Among them are some we observe in our time, who claim that they are Ash'aris, while their affiliation to this Imam is not valid.