وَلِهَذَاAnd for thisذُمَّwas condemnedاللَّهُAllahتَعَالَىthe Exaltedآلِهَةُthe godsالْكَافِرِينَ،of the disbelievers,وَعَابَهَاand He criticized themبِسَلْبِby strippingأَوْصَافِthe attributesالْكَمَالِof perfectionعَنْهَا.from them.
And for this, Allah the Exalted condemned the gods of the disbelievers, and criticized them by stripping them of the attributes of perfection.
فَعَابَهَاSo He criticized themبِأَنَّهَاfor that theyلَاdo notتَسْمَعُhearوَلَاnorتُبْصِرُ،see,وَلَاnorتَتَكَلَّمُspeakوَلَاnorتَهْدِيguideوَلَاnorتَنْفَعُbenefitوَلَاnorتَضُرُّ.harm.
So He criticized them for that they do not hear, nor see, nor speak, nor guide, nor benefit, nor harm.
وَهَذِهِAnd thisصِفَةٌis the attributeإِلَٰهِof the godالْجَهْمِيَّةِ،of the Jahmites,الَّتِيwhichعَابَ بِهَاHe criticized withالْأَصْنَامَthe idolsنَسَبُوهَاthey attributed itإِلَيْهِ،to Him,تَعَالَىExalted isاللَّهُAllahعَمَّاabove whatيَقُولُsayالظَّالِمُونَthe wrongdoersوَالْجَاحِدُونَand the deniersعُلُوًّاwith a highكَبِيرًا.greatness.
And this is the attribute of the god of the Jahmites, which He criticized the idols with; they attributed it to Him, exalted is Allah above what the wrongdoers and the deniers say with great elevation.
فَقَالَSo He saidتَعَالَىthe ExaltedحِكَايَةًnarratingعَنْaboutخَلِيلِهِHis close friendإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimعَلَيْهِupon himالسَّلَامُbe peaceفِيinمُحَاجَّتِهِhis argumentأَبَاهُ:with his father:﴿يَاOأَبَتِmy fatherلِمَwhyتَعْبُدُdo you worshipمَاthat whichلَاdoes notيَسْمَعُhearوَلَاnorيُبْصِرُseeوَلَاnorيُغْنِيavailعَنْكَyouشَيْئًا﴾؟in anything?
So the Exalted said, narrating about His close friend Ibrahim, peace be upon him, in his argument with his father: ﴿O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear, nor see, nor avail you in anything?﴾
فَلَوْIfكَانَwereإِلَٰهُthe godإِبْرَاهِيمَof Ibrahimبِهَذِهِwith thisالصِّفَةِattributeوَالْمَثَابَةِand statusلَقَالَhe would have saidلَهُto himآزَرُ:Azar:وَأَنْتَAnd you,إِلَٰهُكَyour godبِهَذِهِis with thisالْمَثَابَةِ،status,فَكَيْفَso howتُنْكِرُdo you denyعَلَيَّ؟me?
If the god of Ibrahim were with this attribute and status, Azar would have said to him: 'And you, your god is with this status, so how do you deny me?'
لَكِنْButكَانَhe wasـ--مَعَalong withشِرْكِهِhis polytheism --أَعْرَفَmore knowledgeableبِاللَّهِabout Allahمِنْthanالْجَهْمِيَّةِ.the Jahmites.
But he was -- along with his polytheism -- more knowledgeable about Allah than the Jahmites.
وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd likewiseكَفَّارُthe disbelieversقُرَيْشٍof Qurayshكَانُواthey wereـ--مَعَalong withشِرْكِهِمْtheir polytheism --مُقِرِّينَacknowledgingبِصِفَاتِthe attributesالصَّانِعِof the Creatorسُبْحَانَهُglory be to Himوَعُلُوِّهِand His exaltationعَلَىoverخَلْقِهِ.His creation.
And likewise, the disbelievers of Quraysh were -- along with their polytheism -- acknowledging the attributes of the Creator, glory be to Him, and His exaltation over His creation.
وَقَالَAnd He saidتَعَالَى:the Exalted:﴿وَاتَّخَذَAnd tookقَوْمُthe people ofمُوسَىMusaمِنْfromبَعْدِهِafter himمِنْout ofحُلِيِّهِمْtheir ornamentsعِجْلًاa calfجَسَدًاa bodyلَهُfor itخُوَارٌ.was a lowing sound.أَلَمْDid notيَرَوْاthey seeأَنَّهُthat itلَاdoes notيُكَلِّمُهُمْspeak to themوَلَاnorيَهْدِيهِمْguide themسَبِيلًا؟to a way?
And He said, the Exalted: ﴿And the people of Musa took, after him, out of their ornaments a calf, a body for which was a lowing sound. Did they not see that it does not speak to them nor guide them to a way?﴾
اتَّخَذُوهُThey took itوَكَانُواand they wereظَالِمِينَ.wrongdoers.
They took it and they were wrongdoers.
فَلَوْIfكَانَwereإِلَٰهُthe Godالْخَلْقِof the creationسُبْحَانَهُglory be to Himكَذَلِكَlike thatلَمْthere would notيَكُنْhave beenفِيin thisإِنْكَارٍdenialعَلَيْهِمْ،against them,وَاسْتِدْلَالٍand argumentعَلَىuponبُطْلَانِthe invalidityالْإِلَهِيَّةِof the divinityبِذَلِكَ.by that.
If the God of the creation, glory be to Him, were like that, there would not have been in this any denial against them, nor any argument upon the invalidity of the divinity by that.
فَإِنْIfقِيلَ:it is said:فَاللَّهُthen Allahتَعَالَىthe Exaltedلَاdoes notيُكَلِّمُspeakعِبَادَهُ.to His servants.
If it is said: Then Allah the Exalted does not speak to His servants.
قِيلَ:It is said:بَلَى،Indeed,قَدْHe hasكَلَّمَهُمْ؛spoken to them;فَمِنْهُمْand among themمَنْis he whomكَلَّمَهُspoke toاللَّهُAllahمِنْfromوَرَاءِbehindحِجَابٍ،a veil,مِنْهُfrom Himإِلَيْهِto himبِلَاwithoutوَاسِطَةٍa mediatorكَمُوسَى،like Musa,وَمِنْهُمْand among themمَنْis he whomكَلَّمَهُHe spoke toعَلَىuponلِسَانِthe tongueرَسُولِهِof His messengerالْمَلَكِيِّ.the angelic.
It is said: Indeed, He has spoken to them; and among them is he whom Allah spoke to from behind a veil, directly from Him without a mediator, like Musa; and among them is he whom He spoke to upon the tongue of His angelic messenger.
وَهُمْAnd they areالْأَنْبِيَاءُ.the prophets.
And they are the prophets.
وَكَلَّمَAnd He spokeاللَّهُAllahسَائِرَto allالنَّاسِthe peopleعَلَىuponأَلْسِنَةِthe tonguesرُسُلِهِ،of His messengers,فَأَنْزَلَso He revealedكَلَامَهُHis speechالَّذِيwhichبَلَّغَتْهُconveyed itرُسُلُهُHis messengersعَنْهُ.from Him.
And Allah spoke to all the people upon the tongues of His messengers, so He revealed His speech which His messengers conveyed from Him.
وَقَالُواAnd they saidلَهُمْ:to them:هَذَاThisكَلَامُis the speechاللَّهِof AllahالَّذِيwhichتَكَلَّمَHe spokeبِهِ،with it,وَأَمَرَنَاand He commanded usبِتَبْلِيغِهِto convey itإِلَيْكُمْ.to you.
And they said to them: This is the speech of Allah which He spoke with, and He commanded us to convey it to you.
وَمَنْAnd fromهَهُنَاhereقَالَsaidالسَّلَفُ:the predecessors:مَنْWhoeverأَنْكَرَdeniesكَوْنَthe stateاللَّهِof Allahمُتَكَلِّمًاas speakingفَقَدْthen indeedأَنْكَرَhas deniedرِسَالَةَthe messageالرُّسُلِof the messengersكُلِّهِمْ.all of them.
And from here the predecessors said: Whoever denies the state of Allah as speaking has indeed denied the message of all the messengers.
لِأَنَّBecauseحَقِيقَتَهَاits realityتَبْلِيغُis conveyingكَلَامِهِHis speechالَّذِيwhichتَكَلَّمَHe spokeبِهِwith itإِلَىtoعِبَادِهِ.His servants.
Because its reality is conveying His speech which He spoke with to His servants.
فَإِذَاSo ifانْتُفِيَis negatedكَلَامُهُHis speechانْتُفِيَتِis negatedالرِّسَالَةُ.the message.
So if His speech is negated, the message is negated.
وَقَالَAnd He saidتَعَالَىthe Exaltedفِيinسُورَةِthe SurahطَهَTahaعَنِaboutالسَّامِرِيِّ:the Samaritan:﴿فَأَخْرَجَSo he brought outلَهُمْfor themعِجْلًاa calfجَسَدًاa bodyلَهُfor itخُوَارٌwas a lowing soundفَقَالُواso they saidهَذَاThisإِلَهُكُمْis your godوَإِلَهُand the godمُوسَىof Musaفَنَسِيَ﴾.but he forgot.
And He said, the Exalted, in Surah Taha about the Samaritan: ﴿So he brought out for them a calf, a body for which was a lowing sound, so they said: This is your god and the god of Musa, but he forgot.﴾
أَفَلَاDo they notيَرَوْنَseeأَلَّاthat notيَرْجِعُit returnsإِلَيْهِمْto themقَوْلًاwith a wordوَلَاnorيَمْلِكُdoes it possessلَهُمْfor themضَرًّاany harmوَلَاnorنَفْعًا﴾؟benefit?
﴿Do they not see that it does not return to them with any word, nor does it possess for them any harm nor benefit?﴾
وَرَجَعَAnd returnedالْقَوْلُ:the saying:هُوَit isكَذَلِكَ.like that.
And the saying returned: it is like that.