فَإِنَّIndeedطَرِيقَthe pathالْحَقِّof truthتَأْخُذُtakesعُلُوّاًan elevationصَاعِدَةًascendingبِصَاحِبِهَاwith its companionإِلَىtoالْعُلَىthe heightsالْكَبِيرِgreat
Indeed, the path of truth takes an ascending elevation with its companion to the great heights,
وَطَرِيقُand the pathالضَّلَالِof misguidanceتَأْخُذُtakesسَفْلاًa descentهَاوِيَةًfallingبِسَالِكِهَاwith its travelerفِيinأَسْفَلِthe lowestسَافِلِينَof the lowly.
and the path of misguidance takes a falling descent with its traveler into the lowest of the low.
وَفِيAnd inقَوْلِهِHis sayingتَعَالَىthe ExaltedقَالَHe saidهَذَاthisصِرَاطٌis a pathعَلَيَّupon Meمُسْتَقِيمٌstraight.
And in His saying, the Exalted, He said: "This is a straight path upon Me."
قَوْلٌA sayingثَالِثٌthird.
There is a third saying.
وَهُوَAnd it isقَوْلُthe sayingالْكِسَائِيِّof Al-Kisaiإِنَّهُthat itعَلَىis uponالتَّهْدِيدِthe threatوَالْوَعِيدِand warning,
And it is the saying of Al-Kisai that it is by way of threat and warning,
نَظِيرُsimilar toقَوْلِهِHis sayingإِنَّIndeedرَبَّكَyour Lordلَبِالْمِرْصَادِis surely in ambush.
similar to His saying: "Indeed, your Lord is surely in ambush."
كَمَاAsيُقَالُit is saidطَرِيقُكَyour pathعَلَيَّis upon Meوَمَمْرَكَand your passageعَلَيَّis upon Me
As it is said: "Your path is upon Me, and your passage is upon Me"
لِمَنْfor whomتُرِيدُyou wantإِعْلَامَهُto inform himبِأَنَّهُthat he isغَيْرُnotفَائِتٍescapingلَكَfrom you,وَلَاand notمُعْجِزٍbeyond reach.
to inform whom you wish that he cannot escape from you, nor is he beyond your reach.
وَالسِّيَاقُAnd the contextيَأْبَىrejectsهَذَاthis,وَلَاand does notيُنَاسِبُsuitهَذَاthisلِمَنْfor one whoتَأَمَّلَهُcontemplates it.
And the context rejects this, and it does not suit one who contemplates it.
فَإِنَّهُIndeed, itقَالَهُwas saidمُجِيبًاin responseلِإِبْلِيسَto Iblisالَّذِيwhoقَالَsaid
Indeed, it was said in response to Iblis who said:
لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْI will surely mislead themأَجْمَعِينَall,إِلَّاexceptعِبَادَكَYour servantsمِنْهُمُamong themالْمُخْلَصِينَthe sincere.
"I will surely mislead them all, except Your sincere servants among them."
فَإِنَّهُIndeed, there isلَاnoسَبِيلَwayلِيfor meإِلَىtoإِغْوَائِهِمْmislead them,وَلَاnorطَرِيقَpathلِيfor meعَلَيْهِمْagainst them.
Meaning: Indeed, there is no way for me to mislead them, nor is there a path for me against them.
فَقَرَّرَThus, Allah affirmedاللَّهُGodعَزَّthe Mightyوَجَلَّand Majesticذَلِكَthatأَتَمَّin the most perfectالتَّقْرِيرِaffirmation.
Thus, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, affirmed that in the most perfect manner.
وَأَخْبَرَAnd He informedأَنَّthatالْإِخْلَاصَsincerityصِرَاطٌis a pathعَلَيْهِupon itمُسْتَقِيمٌstraight.
And He informed that sincerity is a straight path leading to Him.
فَلَاSo there isسُلْطَانَno authorityلَكَfor youعَلَىoverعِبَادِيMy servants
So there is no authority for you over My servants
الَّذِينَwhoهُمْareعَلَىonهَذَاthisالصِّرَاطِpath,لِأَنَّهُbecause it isصِرَاطٌa pathعَلَيَّleading to Me.
who are on this path, because it is a path leading to Me.
وَلَاAnd neitherسَبِيلَis there a wayلِإِبْلِيسَfor Iblisإِلَىtoهَذَاthisالصِّرَاطِpathوَلَاnorالْحَوْمَcirclingحَوْلَaroundسَاحَتِهِits vicinity.
And neither is there a way for Iblis to reach this path, nor to circle around its vicinity.
فَإِنَّهُIndeed, it isمَحْرُوسٌguardedمَحْفُوظٌand preservedبِاللَّهِby Allah,فَلَاsoيَصِلُcan reachعَدُوُّthe enemyاللَّهِof Allahإِلَىtoأَهْلِهِits people.
Indeed, it is guarded and preserved by Allah, so the enemy of Allah cannot reach its people.
فَلْيَتَأَمَّلِSo let reflectالْعَارِفُthe knowledgeable oneهَذَاon thisالْمَوْضِعَmatterحَقَّtrueالتَّأَمُّلِreflection,
So let the knowledgeable one truly reflect on this matter,
وَلْيَنْظُرْand let him lookإِلَىatهَذَاthisالْمَعْنَىmeaning,وَيُوَازِنْand weighبَيْنَهُbetween itوَبَيْنَand betweenالْقَوْلَيْنِthe two other sayings,الْآخَرَيْنِother,
and let him look at this meaning, and weigh between it and the other two sayings,
أَيُّهُمَاwhich of the twoأَلْيَقُis more fittingبِالْآيَتَيْنِwith the two verses,وَأَقْرَبُand closerإِلَىtoمَقْصُودِthe objectiveالْقُرْآنِof the Quranوَأَقْوَالِand the statementsالسَّلَفِof the predecessors?
which of them is more fitting with the two verses, and closer to the objective of the Quran and the statements of the predecessors?
وَأَمَّاAnd as forتَشْبِيهُthe analogyالْكِسَائِيِّof Al-Kisaiلَهُregarding itبِقَوْلِهِto His sayingإِنَّIndeedرَبَّكَyour Lordلَبِالْمِرْصَادِis surely in ambush,
And as for Al-Kisai's analogy of it to His saying: "Indeed, your Lord is surely in ambush",
فَلَاthere is notيُخْفَىhiddenالْفَرْقُthe differenceبَيْنَهُمَاbetween themسِيَاقاًin contextوَدَلَالَةًand implication.
the difference between the two in context and implication is not hidden.
فَتَأَمَّلْهُSo contemplate it,وَلَاand do notيُقَالُsayفِيregardingالتَّهْدِيدِthe threat:
So contemplate it, and do not say regarding the threat:
هَذَا"Thisطَرِيقٌis a pathمُسْتَقِيمٌstraightعَلَىuponمَنْone whoلَاdoes notيَسْلُكُهُwalk it."
"This is a straight path upon one who does not walk it."
وَلَيْسَتْFor it is notسَبِيلُthe wayالْمُهَدَّدِof the threatened personمُسْتَقِيمَةًstraight.
For the way of the threatened person is not straight.
فَهُوَSo he isغَيْرُnotمُهَدَّدٍthreatenedبِصِرَاطِby the pathاللَّهِof Allahالْمُسْتَقِيمِthe straight.
So he is not threatened by the straight path of Allah.
وَسَبِيلُهُAnd his pathالَّتِيwhichهُوَheعَلَيْهَاis uponلَيْسَتْis notمُسْتَقِيمَةًstraightعَلَىtowardاللَّهِAllah.
And his path which he is upon is not straight toward Allah.
فَلَاSo does notيَسْتَقِيمُstandهَذَاthisالْقَوْلُsayingأَلْبَتَّةَat all.
Therefore, this saying does not hold up at all.
(١)(1)سُورَةُSurahالْحِجْرِAl-HijrالْآيَةُVerse٤١41.
(1) Surah Al-Hijr, Verse 41.
(٢)(2)سُورَةُSurahالْفَجْرِAl-FajrالْآيَةُVerse١٤14.
(2) Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 14.
(٣)(3)سُورَةُSurahالْحِجْرِAl-HijrالْآيَةُVerse٣٩39.
(3) Surah Al-Hijr, Verse 39.