الفَلَّاحُThe farmerنَادَىcalledمُنَادِيthe callerالإِيمَانِof faithعَلَىonرَأْسٍthe headالصِّرَاطِof the straightالمُسْتَقِيمِpath
The farmer called the caller of faith on the head of the straight path,
يَاOقَوْمَنَاour peopleأَجِيبُواrespondاللَّهَto Allahوَآمِنُواand believeبِهِin Him
'O our people, respond to Allah and believe in Him;
يَغْفِرْHe will forgiveلَكُمfor youمِنْofذُنُوبِكُمyour sinsوَandيُحِرُكُمHe will save youمِنْfromعَذَابٍtormentأَلِيمٍpainful
He will forgive you your sins and save you from a painful torment.'
دَاعٍThe callerأَسْمَعُI hearـ-وَاللَّهِby Allahـ-لَوْifصَادَفَتْit encounteredآذَانًاearsوَاعِيَةًattentive،,وَبَصَرًاand sightلَوْifصَادَفَتْit encounteredقُلُوبًاheartsمِنَofالفَسَادِcorruptionخَالِيَةًempty
The caller said, 'By Allah, if it encountered attentive ears and sight that encountered hearts free from corruption.'
لَكِنْButعَصَفَتْblewعَلَىonالْقُلُوبِthe heartsهَذِهِtheseالأَهْوَاءُthe desiresفَأَطْفَأَتْand extinguishedمَصَابِيحَهَاits lamps
But the desires blew upon these hearts, extinguishing their lamps.
وَتَمَكَّنَتْAnd became dominantمِنْهَاover themآرَاءُthe opinionsالرِّجَالِof menفَأَغْلَقَتْand closedأَبْوَابَهَاits doorsوَأَضَاعَتْand lostمَفَاتِيحَهَاits keysوَرَانَّand it overcameعَلَيْهَاupon itكَشَبَّهَاlike its veil
And opinions of men became dominant over them, closing its doors and losing its keys, and it overcame it like a veil.
فَلَمْSo did notتَجِدْfindحَقَائِقَthe truthsالْقُرْآنَof the Quranإِلَيْهَاto itمَنْفَذًاa passage
So the truths of the Quran found no passage to it.
وَتَحَكَّمَتْAnd ruledفِيُهَاin itأَسْقَامُthe ailmentsالْجَهْلِof ignoranceفَلَمْso did notتَنْتَفِعْbenefitمَعَهَاwith itبِصَالِحٍby goodالْعَمَلِdeeds
And the ailments of ignorance ruled in it, so it did not benefit from good deeds.
وَعَجَبًاAnd how strangeلَهَاfor it! كَيْفَhowجَعَلَتْdid it makeغِذَاءَهَاits foodمِنْofهَذِهِtheseالْآرَاءِopinionsالَّتِيwhichلَاdo notتُسْمِنُsatisfyوَلَاnorتُغْنِيnourishمِنْfromجُوعٍhunger
And how strange for it! How did it make its food from these opinions that do not satisfy nor nourish from hunger,
وَلَمْand did notتَقْبَلْacceptالِاغْتِذَاءَnourishmentبِكَلاَمِby the wordsرَبِّof the Lordالْعَالَمِينَof the worlds،,وَنُصُوصِand textsحَدِيثِof the Hadithنَبِيِّهِof His Prophetالْمَرْفُوعِthe elevated
and did not accept nourishment by the words of the Lord of the worlds, and the texts of the Hadith of His elevated Prophet.
أَمْOrكَيْفَhowاهْتَدَتْdid it find guidanceفِيinظُلْمَةِthe darknessالْآرَاءِof opinionsإِلَىtoالتَّمْيِيزِthe differentiationبَيْنَbetweenالْخَطَإِerrorوَالصَّوَابِand correctness،,وَخَفِيَand was concealedعَلَيْهَاfrom itذَلِكَthatفِيinمَطَالِعِthe beginningsالْأَنْوَارِof lightsمِنَfromالسُّنَّةِthe Sunnahوَالْكِتَابِand the Book
Or how did it find guidance in the darkness of opinions to differentiate between error and correctness, while that was concealed from it in the beginnings of the lights of the Sunnah and the Book?
وَعَجَبًاAnd how strange! كَيْفَhowمَيَّزَتْdid it differentiateبَيْنَbetweenصَحِيحِthe correctالْآرَاءِopinionsوَسَقِيمِهَاand the sick ones،,وَمَقْبُولِهَاand the acceptable onesوَمَرْدُودِهَاand the rejected ones
And how strange! How did it differentiate between the correct opinions and the sick ones, and the acceptable and rejected ones,
وَرَاجِحِهَاand the preferred onesوَمَرْجُوحِهَاand the less preferred ones،,وَأَقَرَّتْand it acknowledgedعَلَىuponأَنْفُسِهَاitselfبِالْعَجْزِof its inabilityعَنْtoتَلَقِّيreceiveالْهُدَىthe guidanceوَالْعِلْمِand knowledgeمِنْfromكَلَامِthe speech
and the preferred and less preferred ones, and acknowledged its inability to receive guidance and knowledge from the speech,
مَنْof Oneكَلَامِهِwhose speechلَاdoes notيَأْتِيهِcome to itالْبَاطِلُfalsehoodمِنْfromبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِHis handsوَلَاnorمِنْfromخَلْفِهِbehind him،,وَهُوَand He isالْكَّفِيلُthe guarantorبِإِيضَاحِfor clarifyingالْحَقِّthe truthمَعَwithغَايَةِthe utmostالْبَيَانِclarity
of One whose speech does not allow falsehood to come between His hands nor from behind Him, and He is the guarantor for clarifying the truth with the utmost clarity?
وَكَلَامٌAnd the wordsمِنْofأُوتِيَone who was givenجَوَامِعِthe comprehensiveالْكَلِمِwords،,وَاسْتَوَلَىand dominatedكَلَامُهُhis speechعَلَىonالْأَقْصَىthe highestمِنَofالْبَيَانِclarity
And the words of him who was given comprehensive speech, and whose speech dominated the highest form of clarity.
كَلَّاNo،,بَلْbutهِيَit isالْعُقُولُthe mindsعَنْfromطَرَائِقِthe pathsقَصَدَهَاthat it aimed for
No, but it is the minds that have strayed from the paths that it aimed for.
يُرَبِّيIt raisesفِيهَاin itالصَّغِيرَthe small one،,وَيَهْرَمُand agesفِيهَاin itالْكَبِيرَthe elder
It raises the small one in it, and ages the elder in it.
وَاللَّهِBy Allahفِتْنَةٌa trialأَعْمَتْhas blindedالْقُلُوبَthe heartsعَنْfromمَوَاقِعِthe locationsرُشْدِهَاof their guidance
By Allah, it is a trial that has blinded the hearts from the locations of their guidance.
وَحَيَّرَتْAnd bewilderedوَظَنَّتْand thoughtخَفَافِيشَthe batsالْبَصَائِرَof insightأَنَّهَاthat it isالْغَايَةُthe goalالَّتِيthatيَتَسَابِقُraceإِلَيْهَاtoward itالْمُتَسَابِقُونَthe competitors
And bewildered, and the bats of insight thought that it was the goal toward which the racers raced,
،,وَالنِّهَايَةُand the endالَّتِيthatتَنَافَسَcompetedفِيهَاin itالْمُتَنَافِسُونَthe rivalsوَتَزَاحَمُواand viedعَلَيْهَاfor it.وَهَيْهَاتُAnd alas.أَيْنَWhereالشَّهِيُّthe desirableمِنْfromشَمْسِthe sunالظُّهَىof noon?
and the end that the rivals competed and vied for. And alas. Where is the desirable from the sun of noon?
وَأَيْنَAnd whereالْثَّرَىthe earthمِنْfromكَوَاكِبِthe starsالْجَوْزَاءِof Gemini?وَأَيْنَAnd whereالْكَلَامُthe speechالَّذِيthatلَمْdid notتَضُمِّنَاenclose for us
And where is the earth from the stars of Gemini? And where is the speech that did not enclose for us.