وَحَمَدَAnd He praisedنَفْسَهُHimselfعَلَىforعَدَمِthe absence ofالشَّرِيكِa partner
And He praised Himself for the absence of a partner,
المُتَضَمِّنِwhich includesتَفَرُّدِهُHis uniquenessبِالْرُّبُوبِيَّةِin lordshipوَالْإِلَٰهِيَّةِand divinity
which includes His uniqueness in lordship and divinity,
وَتَوَحُّدِهِand His onenessبِصِفَاتِwith the attributesالْكَمَالِof perfection
and His oneness with the attributes of perfection
الَّتِيwhichلَاnotيُوَصَفُis describedبِهَاwith themغَيْرُهُanyone other than Him
which no one other than Him is described with,
فَيَكُونَso that He would beشَرِيكًاa partnerلَهُto Him
so that there would be a partner to Him.
فَلَوْFor ifعَدَمَهَاit were absentلَابُدَّit mustأَنْthatيَكُونَthere beكُلَّeveryمَوْجُودٍexisting thingأَكْمَلَmore completeمِنْهُthan Him
For if it were absent, every existing thing would necessarily be more complete than Him.
لَأَنَّBecauseالْمَوْجُودَthe existing thingأَكْمَلُis more completeمِنْthanالْمَعْدُومِthe non-existent
Because the existing thing is more complete than the non-existent.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for this reasonلَاnotيُحْمَدُis praisedنَفْسُهُHimselfسُبْحَانَهُGlory be to Himبِعَدَمٍfor an absenceإِلَّاexceptإِذَاwhenكَانَit isمُتَضَمِّنًاinclusiveلِثُبُوتِof the establishment ofكَمَالٍperfection
And for this reason, He—Glory be to Him—is not praised for an absence unless it is inclusive of the establishment of perfection,
كَمَاjust asحَمَدَHe praisedنَفْسَهُHimselfبِكَوْنِهِfor beingلَاnotيَمُوتُdyingلِتَضَمُّنِهِbecause it includesكَمَالَthe perfection ofحَيَاتِهِHis life
just as He praised Himself for not dying, because that includes the perfection of His life.
وَحَمَدَAnd He praisedنَفْسَهُHimselfبِكَوْنِهِfor beingلَاnotتَأْخُذُهُovertaken byسِنَةٌslumberوَلَاand norنَوْمٌsleep
And He praised Himself for not being overtaken by slumber or sleep,
لِتَضَمُّنِbecause of the inclusion ofذَٰلِكَthatكَمَالَof the perfection ofقَيُّومِيَّتِهِHis self-subsisting sustenance
because that includes the perfection of His self-subsisting sustenance.
وَحَمَدَAnd He praisedنَفْسَهُHimselfبِأَنَّهُfor the fact thatلَاnotيُعْزَبُis concealedعَنْfromعِلْمِهِHis knowledge
And He praised Himself for the fact that nothing is concealed from His knowledge,
مِثْقَالُthe weight ofذَرَّةٍan atomفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earthوَلَاand norفِيinالسَّمَاءِthe heaven
not even the weight of an atom in the earth or in the heaven,
وَلَاand neitherأَصْغَرُsmallerمِنْthanذَٰلِكَthatوَلَاnorأَكْبَرُgreater
nor anything smaller than that nor greater,
لِكَمَالِdue to the perfection ofعِلْمِهِHis knowledgeوَإِحَاطَتِهِand His encompassing
due to the perfection of His knowledge and His encompassing grasp.
وَحَمَدَAnd He praisedنَفْسَهُHimselfبِأَنَّهُfor the fact thatلَاnotيَظْلِمُHe wrongsأَحَدًاanyone
And He praised Himself for the fact that He does not wrong anyone,
لِكَمَالِdue to the perfection ofعَدْلِهِHis justiceوَإِحْسَانِهِand His benevolence
due to the perfection of His justice and His benevolence.
وَحَمَدَAnd He praisedنَفْسَهُHimselfبِأَنَّهُfor the fact thatلَاnotتُدْرِكُهُcomprehend Himالْأَبْصَارُthe visions
And He praised Himself for the fact that visions do not comprehend Him,
لِكَمَالِdue to the perfection ofعَظَمَتِهِHis greatness
due to the perfection of His greatness;
فَهُوَfor Heيُرَىis seenوَلَاand notيُدْرَكُcomprehended
He is seen and yet not comprehended,
كَمَاjust asأَنَّهُHeيَعْلَمُknowsوَلَاand notيُحَاطُencompassedعِلْمُهُin His knowledge
just as He knows and yet His knowledge is not encompassed.
فَمُجَرَّدُSo mereنَفْيِnegation ofالرُّؤْيَةِvisionلَيْسَis notبِكَمَالٍperfection
So the mere negation of vision is not perfection,
لِأَنَّbecauseالْعَدَمَthe non-existentلَاnotيُرَىis seen
because the non-existent is not seen.
فَلَيْسَSo there is notفِيinكَوْنِthe state ofالشَّيْءِa thingلَاnotيُرَىbeing seenكَمَالٌany perfectionأَلْبَتَّةَwhatsoever
So there is no perfection whatsoever in the mere fact that a thing is not seen.
وَإِنَّمَاRatherالْكَمَالُperfectionفِيis inكَوْنِهِHis beingلَاnotيُحَاطُencompassedبِهِbyرُؤْيَةًvisionوَلَاnorإِدْرَاكًاperception
Rather, perfection is in His not being encompassed by vision or perception,
لِعَظَمَتِهِdue to His greatnessفِيinنَفْسِهِHimselfوَتَعَالِيهِand His transcendenceعَنْaboveإِدْرَاكِthe comprehension ofالْمَخْلُوقِthe createdلَهُof Him
due to His greatness in Himself and His transcendence above the creation's comprehension of Him.
وَكَذَلِكَAnd likewiseحَمَدَHe praisedنَفْسَهُHimselfبِعَدَمِfor the absence ofالْغَفْلَةِheedlessnessوَالنِّسْيَانِand forgetfulnessلِكَمَالِdue to the perfection ofعِلْمِهِHis knowledge
And likewise, He praised Himself for the absence of heedlessness and forgetfulness, due to the perfection of His knowledge.
فَكُلُّSo everyسَلْبٍnegationفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe QuranحَمَدَpraisedاللَّهُAllahبِهِwith itنَفْسَهُHimself
So every negation with which Allah praised Himself in the Quran
فَلِمُضَادَّتِهِis either for its oppositionلِثُبُوتِto the establishment ofضِدِّهِits oppositeوَلِتَضَمُّنِهِand for its inclusion ofكَمَالِthe perfection ofثُبُوتِestablishingضِدِّهِits opposite
is due to its opposition to the establishment of its opposite, and due to its inclusion of the perfection of establishing that opposite.
فَعَلِمْتُSo I came to knowأَنَّthatحَقِيقَةَthe reality ofالْحَمْدِpraiseتَابِعَةٌis dependentلِثُبُوتِupon the establishment ofأَوْصَافِthe attributes ofالْكَمَالِperfection
So I came to know that the reality of praise is dependent upon the establishment of the attributes of perfection,
وَأَنَّand thatنَفْيَهَاits negationنَفْيٌis a negationلِحَمْدِهِof His praise
and that its negation is a negation of His praise,
وَنَفْيَand that the negation ofالْحَمْدِpraiseمُسْتَلْزِمٌnecessitatesلِثُبُوتِthe establishment ofضِدِّهِits opposite
and the negation of praise necessitates the establishment of its opposite.
دَلَالَةُThe indication ofالْحَمْدِpraiseعَلَىonتَوْحِيدِthe oneness ofالْأَسْمَاءِthe namesوَالصِّفَاتِand attributes
The indication of praise regarding the oneness of the names and attributes:
فَهَذِهِSo thisدَلَالَةٌis an indicationعَلَىofتَوْحِيدِthe oneness ofالْأَسْمَاءِthe namesوَالصِّفَاتِand the attributes
So this is an indication of the oneness of the names and the attributes.
وَأَمَّاAnd as forدَلَالَةُthe indication ofالْأَسْمَاءِthe namesالْخَمْسَةِthe fiveعَلَيْهَاupon it
And as for the indication of the five names upon it,
وَهِيَwhich areاللَّهُAllahوَالرَّبُّand the Lordوَالرَّحْمَٰنُand the Most Mercifulوَالرَّحِيمُand the Most Compassionateوَالْمَلِكُand the King
which are Allah, the Lord, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, and the King,
فَمَبْنِيَّةٌit is builtعَلَىuponأَصْلَيْنِtwo foundational principles
it is built upon two foundational principles:
أَحَدُهُمَاOne of them
One of them:
أَنَّthatأَسْمَاءَthe names ofالرَّبِّthe LordتَبَارَكَBlessedوَتَعَالَىand Exalted is He
that the names of the Lord—Blessed and Exalted is He—
دَالَّةٌindicateعَلَىtheصِفَاتِattributes ofكَمَالِهِHis perfection
indicate the attributes of His perfection.