أَفَيَظُنُّDoesالمَعْرِضُthe one who turns awayعَنْfromكِتَابِthe bookرَبِّهِof his Lordوَسُنَّةِand the Sunnahرَسُولِهِof His Messengerأَنْthatيَنْجُوhe will be savedمِنْfromرَبِّهِhis Lordبِآرَاءِby the opinionsالرِّجَالِof men?
Does the one who turns away from the Book of his Lord and the Sunnah of His Messenger think that he will be saved from his Lord by the opinions of men?
أَوْOrيَتَخَلَّصُhe will escapeمِنْfromبَأْسِthe mightاللَّهِof Allahبِكَثْرَةِby the abundanceالْبُحُوثِof researchوَالْجِدَالِand debate,وَضُرُوبِand typesالْأَقَائِسِof reasoningوَتَنَوُّعِand the varietyالْأَشْكَالِof forms?
Or does he escape from the might of Allah by the abundance of research and debate, and the types of reasoning, and the variety of forms?
أَوْOrبِالْإِشَارَاتِby signsوَالشَّطَحَاتِand spiritual outbursts,وَأَنْوَاعِand typesالْخَيَالِof imagination?
Or by signs and spiritual outbursts, and types of imagination?
هَيْهَاتَFar from itوَاللَّهِby Allah!
Far from it, by Allah!
لَقَدْIndeedظَنَّhe thoughtأَكْذَبَthe most falseالظَّنِّof thoughts,وَمَنَّىand ledنَفْسَهُhis selfأَبْيَنَto a clearerالْمُحَالِimpossibility.
Indeed, he thought the most false of thoughts, and has led his self to a clearer impossibility.
وَإِنَّمَاAnd indeedضَمِنَتِguaranteesالنَّجَاةَsalvationلِمَنْfor whoeverحَكَمَrulesهُدَىthe guidanceاللَّهِof Allahعَلَىoverغَيْرِهِothersوَتَزَوَّدَand takes the provisionالتَّقْوَىof pietyوَأَتَىand comesبِالدَّلِيلِwith the evidence.
And indeed, salvation is guaranteed for whoever rules by the guidance of Allah over others, takes the provision of piety, and comes with the evidence.
وَسَلَكَAnd followsالصِّرَاطَthe pathالْمُسْتَقِيمَstraight,وَاسْتَمْسَكَand clingsمِنَto theالْوَحْيِrevelationبِالْعُرْوَةِwith the firm bondالْوُثْقَىthe most steadfastالَّتِيthatلَاis notانْفِصَامَto be severedلَهَاfor it.
And follows the straight path, and clings to the revelation with the most steadfast firm bond that cannot be severed.
وَاللَّهُAnd Allahسَمِيعٌis All-Hearing,عَلِيمٌAll-Knowing.
And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
وَبَعْدُAnd after,فَلَمَّاwhenكَانَit wasكَمَالُthe perfectionالْإِنْسَانِof manإِنَّمَاis solelyهُوَbyالْعِلْمِthe knowledgeالنَّافِعِbeneficial,وَالْعَمَلِand good deeds.
And after, when the perfection of man is solely by beneficial knowledge and good deeds.
وَهُمَاAnd both areالْهُدَىthe guidanceوَدِينُand the religionالْحَقِّof truth,وَبِتَكْمِيلِهِand by completingلِغَيْرِهِfor othersفِيinهَذَيْنِthese twoالْأَمْرَيْنِmatters,كَمَاasقَالَsaidتَعَالَىthe Most High,وَالْعَصْرِ"By time,إِنَّindeedالْإِنْسَانَmanلَفِيis inخُسْرٍloss."
And both are the guidance and the religion of truth, and by completing others in these two matters, as the Most High said: 'By time, indeed, man is in loss.'
إِلَّاExceptالَّذِينَthose whoآمَنُواbelievedوَعَمِلُواand didالصَّالِحَاتِrighteous deeds,وَتَوَاصَوْاand advisedبِالْحَقِّone another with truth,وَتَوَاصَوْاand advisedبِالصَّبْرِone another with patience.
Except those who believed and did righteous deeds, and advised one another with truth and advised one another with patience.
أَقْسَمَHe sworeسُبْحَانَهُGlory be to Himأَنْthatكُلَّeveryأَحَدٍoneخَاسِرٌis a loserإِلَّاexceptمَنْwhoكَمَّلَcompletesقُوَّتَهُhis strengthالْعِلْمِيَّةَin knowledgeبِالْإِيمَانِwith faith,وَقُوَّتَهُand his strengthالْعَمَلِيَّةَin actionبِالْعَمَلِwith good works.
He swore, Glory be to Him, that every one is a loser except for those who complete their strength in knowledge with faith and their strength in action with good works.
وَكَمَّلَAnd completesغَيْرَهُothersبِالتَّوْصِيَةِby advisingبِالْحَقِّwith truthوَالصَّبْرِand patience.
And completes others by advising with truth and patience.
فَالْحَقُّFor truthهُوَisالْإِيمَانُfaithوَالْعَمَلُand deeds,وَلَاand they do notيَتِمَّانِbecome completeإِلَّاexceptبِالصَّبْرِwith patienceعَلَيْهِمَاregarding both of them,وَالتَّوَاصِيand advisingبِهِمَاwith them.
For truth is faith and deeds, and they do not become complete except with patience regarding both of them and advising with them.
كَانَIt isحَقِيقًاworthyبِالْإِنْسَانِfor a personأَنْtoيُنْفِقَspendسَاعَاتِhoursعُمُرِهِof his lifeبَلْ— rather,أَنْفَاسِهِhis breaths —فِيمَاon whatيَنَالُhe attainsبِهِtherebyالْمَطَالِبَthe objectivesالْعَالِيَةَlofty,وَيُخْلِصُand securesبِهِtherebyمِنَfromالْخُسْرَانِthe lossالْمُبِينِthat is clear.
It is worthy for a person to spend hours of his life — rather, his breaths — on what he thereby attains the lofty objectives and secures himself from the clear loss.
وَلَيْسَAnd notذَاكَthatإِلَّاexceptبِالْإِقْبَالِby turningعَلَىtoالْقُرْآنِthe Quran,وَتَفَهُّمِهِunderstanding it,وَتَدَبُّرِهِcontemplating it,وَاسْتِخْرَاجِextractingكُنُوزِهِits treasures,وَإِثَارَةِstirring upدَفَائِنِهِits buried wealth,وَصَرْفِand directingالْعِنَايَةِcareإِلَيْهِtoward it,وَالْعُكُوفِand dedicatingبِالْهِمَّةِeffortعَلَيْهِto it.
And that is not achieved except by turning to the Quran, understanding it, contemplating it, extracting its treasures, stirring up its buried wealth, directing care toward it, and dedicating effort to it.
فَإِنَّهُFor indeed itالْكَفِيلُis responsibleبِمَصَالِحِfor the interestsالْعِبَادِof the servantsفِيinالْمَعَاشِlivelihoodوَالْمَعَادِand the afterlife,وَالْمُوصِلُand it leadsلَهُمْthemإِلَىtoسَبِيلِthe pathالرَّشَادِof guidance.
For indeed it is responsible for the interests of the servants in livelihood and the afterlife, and it leads them to the path of guidance.
فَالْحَقِيقَةُSo the truthوَالطَّرِيقَةُand the method,وَالْأَذْوَاقُand the tastesوَالْمَوَاجِيدُand the spiritual experiencesالصَّحِيحَةُthat are correct,كُلُّهَاall of themلَاare notتُقْتَبَسُderivedإِلَّاexceptمِنْfromمِشْكَاتِهِits niche,وَلَاand notتَسْتَثْمَرُbenefited fromإِلَّاexceptمِنْfromشَجَرَاتِهِits trees.
So the truth, the method, and the tastes and correct spiritual experiences, all of them are not derived except from its niche, nor benefited from except from its trees.
وَنَحْنُAnd weبِعَوْنِ— by the helpاللَّهِof Allah —نُنَبِّهُwill draw attentionعَلَىtoهَذَاthisبِالْكَلَامِby speakingعَلَىaboutفَاتِحَةِthe openingالْكِتَابِof the Bookوَأُمِّand the Motherالْقُرْآنِof the Quran,وَعَلَىand onبَعْضِsome ofمَاwhatتَضَمَّنَتْهُcontainsهَذِهِthisالسُّورَةُchapterمِنْofهَذِهِtheseالْمَطَالِبِobjectives,وَمَاand whatتَضَمَّنَتْهُit contains.
And we — by the help of Allah — will draw attention to this by speaking about the opening of the Book and the Mother of the Quran, and on some of what this chapter contains of these objectives, and what it contains.