إِلَّاexceptمِنْfromهَذَاthisالطَّرِيقِpathالْوَاحِدِsingle
except from this single path,
فَإِنَّهُfor itمُتَّصِلٌis connectedبِاللَّهِto GodمُوَصِّلٌleadingإِلَىtoاللَّهِGod.
for it is connected to God, leading to God.
قَالَSaidاللَّهُGodتَعَالَىthe Most High::وَهَذَاAnd thisصِرَاطٌis a pathعَلَىuponمُسْتَقِيمٍstraight.
God the Most High said: 'And this is a straight path.'
قَالَSaidالْحَسَنُAl-Hasan::مَعْنَاهُits meaning isصِرَاطٌa pathإِلَىtoمُسْتَقِيمٍstraight.
Al-Hasan said: 'Its meaning is a path to the straight [way].'
وَهَذَاAnd thisيَحْتَمِلُadmitsأَمْرَيْنِtwo possibilities
And this admits two possibilities:
أَنْthatيَكُونَit may beأَرَادَintendedبِهِby itأَنَّهُthat it isمِنْfromبَابِthe category ofإِقَامَةِestablishingالْأَدَوَاتِparticlesبَعْضِهَاsome of themمَقَامَin place ofبَعْضٍothers،,فَقَامَتْso establishedأَدَاةُthe particle«عَلَى»'alaمَقَامَin place of«إِلَى»'ila
that it is intended to be of the category of using certain particles in place of others, so the particle 'ala was placed in the position of 'ila;
وَالثَّانِيand the second::أَنَّهُthat itأَرَادَintendedالتَّفْسِيرَthe explanationعَلَىaccording toالْمَعْنَىthe meaning
and the second, that it intended the explanation according to the meaning.
وَهُوَAnd it isالْأَشْبَهُmore akinبِطَرِيقِto the way ofالسَّلَفِthe predecessors،,أَيْmeaningصِرَاطٌa pathمُوَصِّلٌleadingإِلَىto
And it is more akin to the way of the predecessors, meaning a path leading to [Him].
وَقَالَAnd saidمُجَاهِدٌMujahid::الْحَقُّThe truthيَرْجِعُreturnsإِلَىtoاللَّهِGod،,وَعَلَيْهِand upon Himطَرِيقُهُis His path،,لَاnotيُعَرَّجُis it divertedعَلَىtoشَيْءٍanything
And Mujahid said: 'The truth returns to God, and upon Him is His path; nothing else is turned to.'
وَهَذَاAnd thisمِثْلُis likeقَوْلِthe saying ofالْحَسَنِAl-Hasanوَأَبْيَنُand is clearer
And this is like the saying of Al-Hasan and is clearer,
وَهُوَand it isمِنْamongأَصَحِّthe most correctمَاof whatقِيلَwas saidفِيaboutالْآيَةِthe verse.
and it is among the most correct things said about the verse.
وَقِيلَAnd it was said::«عَلَى»'Alaفِيهِin itلِلْوُجُوبِdenotes obligation،,أَيْmeaningعَلَىuponبَيَانِهِits clarificationوَتَعْرِيفِهِand definitionوَالدَّلَالَةِand indicationعَلَيْهِtoward it.
And it was said: 'Ala in it denotes obligation, meaning incumbent upon its clarification, definition, and indication.
وَالْقَوْلَانِAnd the two sayingsنَظِيرُare analogous toالْقَوْلَيْنِthe two sayingsفِيregardingآيَةِthe verse ofالنَّحْلِAn-Nahl.
And the two sayings are analogous to the two sayings regarding the verse of An-Nahl.
وَهِيَAnd it is::وَإِلَىAnd toاللَّهِGodقَصْدُis the intent ofالسَّبِيلِthe path.
And it is: 'And to God is the intent of the path.'
وَالصَّحِيحُAnd the correct viewفِيهَاregarding itكَالصَّحِيحِis like the correct viewمِنْهَاregarding it.
And the correct view regarding it is like the correct view regarding the other.
فِيInآيَةِthe verse ofالْحِجْرِAl-Hijr:أَنَّthatالسَّبِيلَthe pathالْقَاصِدَthat is straight
In the verse of Al-Hijr: that the path that is direct
وَهُوَand it isالْمُسْتَقِيمُthe straightالْمُعْتَدِلُthe moderate one
which is the straight and moderate one,
يُوَصِّلاتِleadsإِلَيْهِto it.قَالَSaidطُفَيْلٌTufaylالْغُنَوِيُّAl-Ghanawi:
leads to it. Tufayl Al-Ghanawi said:
يَرْجِعُReturningإِلَىtoاللَّهِGod،,مَضَوْاthey passed awayسَلَفًاpreviously،,قَصْدُthe directness ofالسَّبِيلِthe pathعَلَيْهِمْupon them
Returning to God, they passed away previously, while the directness of the path was upon them;
وَصَرْفُand the turning away ofالْمَنَايَاdestiniesبِالرُّجَالِamong menتَشَقَّلِبُis fluctuating.
and the turning away of destinies among men is fluctuating.
أَيْThat isمَمَرُّنَاour passageعَلَيْهِمْby them،,وَإِلَيْهِمْand to themوُصُولُنَاis our arrival.
That is, our passage by them, and to them is our arrival.
وَقَالَAnd saidالْآخَرُthe other:
And the other said:
فَهُنَالِكَThereالْمَنَايَاare the destinies:أَيْmeaningوَادٍa valleyسَلَكْتُهُI traversedعَلَيْهَاalong itطَرِيقِيmy path،,أَوْorعَلَىalongطَرِيقِهَاits path.
There are the destinies: meaning a valley I traversed along my path, or along its path.
فَإِنْIfقِيلَit is said::لَوْhadأُرِيدَbeen intendedهَذَاthisالْمَعْنَىmeaningلَكَانَit would have beenالْأَلْيَقَmore fittingبِهِfor itأَدَاةُthe particle«إِلَى»'ila
If it is said: 'Had this meaning been intended, it would have been more fitting to use the particle 'ila
الَّتِيwhichهِيَisلِلِانْتِهَاءِfor termination،,لَاnotأَدَاةُthe particle«عَلَى»'alaالَّتِيwhichهِيَisلِلْوُجُوبِfor obligation.
which denotes termination, rather than the particle 'ala which denotes obligation.'
أَلَاDoتَرَىyou not seeأَنَّهُthat whenلَمَّاheأَرَادَintendedالْوُصُولَarrivalقَالَhe said::
Do you not see that when he intended arrival, he said:
إِنَّIndeedإِلَيْنَاto Usإِيَابَهُمْis their return,ثُمَّthenإِنَّindeedعَلَيْنَاupon Usحِسَابَهُمْis their reckoning.
'Indeed, to Us is their return, then indeed, upon Us is their reckoning.'
وَقَالَAnd said::إِلَيْنَاTo Usمَرْجِعُهُمْis their return.يُوَصِّلَانِtwo
And said: 'To Us is their return.'
وَقَالَAnd said::ثُمَّThenإِلَىtoرَبِّهِمْtheir Lordمَرْجِعُهُمْis their return.
And said: 'Then to their Lord is their return.'
وَقَالَAnd saidلَمَّاwhenأَرَادَhe intendedالْوُجُوبَobligation.
And said when he intended obligation.