Mukhtasar al-Ma'ani by al-Taftazani, Vol. 1 (مختصر المعاني) — Page 15

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

تَعْرِيفُ الْحِكْمَةِ وَلَفْظُ آلٍ.

The definition of wisdom and the term 'aal' (family/followers).

وَعُلِمَ مِنْ عَطْفِ الْخَاصِّ عَلَى الْعَامِّ رِعَايَةً لِبَرَاعَةِ الِاسْتِهْلَالِ، وَتَنْبِيهًا عَلَى فَضِيلَةِ نِعْمَةِ الْبَيَانِ، مِنَ الْبَيَانِ بَيَانٌ لِقَوْلِهِ: مَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ قَدَمَ رِعَايَةً لِلسَّجْعِ، وَالْبَيَانُ هُوَ الْمَنْطِقُ الْفَصِيحُ الْمُعْرِبُ عَمَّا فِي الضَّمِيرِ.

It is understood from the conjunction of the specific with the general, in observance of the excellence of the opening (bara'at al-istihlal) and as an alert to the virtue of the blessing of eloquence (bayan), that the word 'bayan' is an explanation of his saying: 'what we did not know,' placed first in observance of rhyme; and 'bayan' is the eloquent speech that expresses what is in the conscience.

هُوَ الْمُظْهَرُ بِدَلَالَاتٍ وَضْعِيَّةٍ.

It is that which is manifested through conventional indicators.

أَيِ الْمَنْطُوقُ بِهِ بِمَعْنَى الظَّاهِرِ.

Meaning, that which is spoken, in the sense of the manifest.

وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ خَيْرِ مَنْ نَطَقَ بِالصَّوَابِ، وَأَفْضَلِ مَنْ أُوتِيَ الْحِكْمَةَ.

And blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the best of those who spoke the truth and the most excellent of those who were given wisdom.

هُوَ ضِدُّ الْخَطَأِ.

It is the opposite of error.

هِيَ عِلْمُ الشَّرَائِعِ وَكُلُّ كَلَامٍ وَافَقَ الْحَقَّ، وَتَرَكَ فَاعِلَ الْإِيتَاءِ؛ لِأَنَّ هَذَا الْفِعْلَ لَا يَصْلُحُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ، وَفَصْلُ الْخِطَابِ أَيِ الْخِطَابُ الْمَفْصُولُ الْبَيِّنُ الَّذِي يَتَبَيَّنُهُ مَنْ يُخَاطَبُ بِهِ وَلَا يَلْتَبِسُ عَلَيْهِ، يَجِدُهُ بَيِّنًا.

It is the knowledge of religious laws and every speech that conforms to the truth, and he omitted the agent of 'giving' (in the phrase 'given wisdom') because this action is only appropriate for Allah; and 'fasl al-khitab' means the distinct, clear speech which the one addressed understands and which is not ambiguous to him, for he finds it clear.

أَوْ الْخِطَابُ الْفَاصِلُ بَيْنَ الْحَقِّ وَالْبَاطِلِ.

Or it is the speech that separates truth from falsehood.

وَعَلَى آلِهِ أَصْلُهُ أَهْلٌ بِدَلِيلِ أُهَيْلٍ، خَصَّ اسْتِعْمَالَهُ.

And upon his 'aal' (family); its root is 'ahl' (family), as evidenced by the diminutive 'uhayl,' and he restricted its usage.

وَعُلِمَ: أَيْ عَلَّمَنَا فَالْمَفْعُولُ الْأَوَّلُ مُقَدَّرٌ عَلَى الْعَامِّ: لِأَنَّ تَعْلِيمَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى إِيَّانَا الْبَيَانَ الَّذِي لَمْ نَكُنْ نَعْلَمُهُ مِنْ جُمْلَةِ إِنْعَامِهِ.

'And it was known' (wa-'ulima): meaning He taught us, so the first object is implied, regarding the general, because His teaching—glory be to Him and Exalted—us the eloquence which we did not know is part of His bestowal of blessings.

لِبَرَاعَةِ الِاسْتِهْلَالِ: هُوَ أَوَّلُ تَصْوِيتِ الصَّبِيِّ، اسْتُعِيرَ لِأَوَّلِ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، فَبَرَاعَةُ الِاسْتِهْلَالِ بِحَسَبِ الْمَعْنَى اللُّغَوِيِّ تَفَوُّقُ الِابْتِدَاءِ سُمِّيَ بِهَا اصْطِلَاحًا لِكَوْنِ الِابْتِدَاءِ مُنَاسِبًا لِلْمَقْصُودِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ سَبَبٌ لِتَفَوُّقِ الِابْتِدَاءِ، وَالْبَرَاعَةُ حَاصِلَةٌ هُنَا بِذِكْرِ الْبَيَانِ؛ لِأَنَّ هَذَا الْكِتَابَ فِي فَنِّ الْبَيَانِ.

'For the excellence of the opening' (bara'at al-istihlal): it is the first sound a child makes, borrowed for the beginning of everything; so 'bara'at al-istihlal' according to the linguistic meaning is the superiority of the beginning, and it is named as such in terminology because the beginning is appropriate to the intended purpose, for it is a cause for the superiority of the beginning, and the excellence is achieved here by mentioning 'bayan' because this book is in the art of eloquence.

مَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ ذِكْرُهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ التَّعْلِيمُ لَا يَتَعَلَّقُ إِلَّا بِغَيْرِ الْمَعْلُومِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمُرَادَ مَا لَمْ نَكُنْ نَعْلَمُهُ بِقُوَّتِنَا لَوْ خَلَّيْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا لِعُلُوِّهِ عَنْ كَسْبِ قُوَّتِنَا، فَفِيهِ إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى كَمَالِ الْمِنَّةِ حَيْثُ عَلَّمَنَا مَا لَسْنَا أَهْلًا لِعِلْمِهِ.

'What we did not know' (ma lam na'lam): its mention, even though teaching only relates to what is not known, is because the intent is what we would not have known by our own power had we been left to ourselves, due to its loftiness above our own power of acquisition; thus, it contains an indication of the perfection of the favor, as He taught us what we were not capable of knowing.

وَالصَّلَاةُ: وَهِيَ لِرَسُولِهِ لِزِيَادَةِ تَشْرِيفٍ وَتَرْفِيعٍ، وَمِنَ الْخَلْقِ طَلَبُ ذَلِكَ.

'And blessings' (wa-al-salah): it is for His Messenger for the sake of increasing honor and elevation, and from the creation, it is a request for that.

خَيْرُ مَنْ نَطَقَ: فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى، إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى، وَخَيْرُ الْمِلَلِ مِلَّتُهُ، وَأَحْسَنُ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُهُ.

'The best of those who spoke' (khayru man nataqa): for he does not speak out of desire; it is but a revelation revealed, and the best of religions is his religion, and the best of guidance is his guidance.

الْحِكْمَةُ: هِيَ مَعْرِفَةُ الْحَقَائِقِ عَلَى مَا هِيَ عَلَيْهِ فِي نَفْسِ الْأَمْرِ، وَإِصَابَةُ الرَّأْيِ وَإِدْرَاكُ عِلَلِ الْأَحْكَامِ.

'Wisdom' (al-hikmah): it is the knowledge of truths as they are in reality, the correctness of opinion, and the comprehension of the causes of rulings.

عِلْمُ الشَّرَائِعِ الْإِضَافَةُ لِلْبَيَانِ إِنْ جُعِلَ الْعِلْمُ بِمَعْنَى الْمَسَائِلِ، وَلَامِيَّةٌ إِنْ جُعِلَ بِمَعْنَى الْإِدْرَاكِ، وَبِمَعْنَى مِنْ أَوْ فِي إِنْ جُعِلَ بِمَعْنَى الْمَلَكَةِ.

'Knowledge of religious laws' (ilm al-shara'i'): the genitive construction is for explanation if 'knowledge' is taken to mean the issues, and it is a 'lamiyyah' (possessive) if it is taken to mean comprehension, and it is in the sense of 'from' or 'in' if it is taken to mean the faculty.

وَكُلُّ كَلَامٍ عَطْفٌ عَلَى مَا قَبْلَهُ مِنْ عَطْفِ الْعَامِّ عَلَى الْخَاصِّ؛ لِأَنَّ قَوْلَكَ: الْوَاحِدُ نِصْفُ الِاثْنَيْنِ كَلَامٌ وَافَقَ الْحَقَّ وَلَيْسَ بِشَرِيعَةٍ.

'And every speech' (wa-kullu kalam): this is a conjunction to what preceded it, from the conjunction of the general to the specific, because your saying: 'One is half of two' is speech that conforms to the truth but is not a religious law.

وَفَصْلٌ: جَعَلَ الشَّارِحُ الْفَصْلَ مَجَازًا بِمَعْنَى الْمَفْصُولِ أَوِ الْفَاصِلِ، وَيَجُوزُ إِبْقَاؤُهُ عَلَى الْحَقِيقَةِ أَيْ عَلَى الْمَصْدَرِيَّةِ، وَوَصْفُ الْخِطَابِ بِهِ عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْمُبَالَغَةِ.

'And distinction' (wa-fasl): the commentator made 'fasl' a metaphor in the sense of 'the distinguished' or 'the separator,' and it is permissible to keep it in its literal sense, i.e., as a verbal noun, and describing the speech with it is by way of hyperbole.

وَعَلَى آلِهِ فِيهِ إِضَافَةُ الْآلِ إِلَى الضَّمِيرِ وَهُوَ جَائِزٌ عَلَى التَّحْقِيقِ خِلَافًا لِمَنْ قَالَ: إِنَّهُ مِنْ لَحْنِ الْعَامَّةِ.

'And upon his family' (wa-'ala alihi): it contains the genitive construction of 'aal' to the pronoun, and this is permissible according to the correct view, contrary to those who said it is a solecism of the common people.

بِدَلِيلِ أُهَيْلٍ فِيهِ أَنَّهُ تَصْغِيرُ أَهْلٍ وَلَيْسَ بِتَصْغِيرِ آلٍ، بَلْ تَصْغِيرُهُ أُوَيْلٌ كَمَا سَمِعَهُ الْكِسَائِيُّ مِنْ أَعْرَابِيٍّ فَصِيحٍ وَأَنَّ الْآلَ لَا يُضَافُ لِغَيْرِ الْعُقَلَاءِ، فَلَا يُقَالُ: آلُ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَأَيْضًا لَا يُضَافُ إِلَّا مِمَّا فِيهِ شَرَفٌ وَخَطَرٌ، فَلَا يُقَالُ آلُ الْحَجَّامِ بِخِلَافِ الْأَهْلِ، وَلَعَلَّ الْمُرَادَ مِنَ الْآلِ كُلُّ مَنْ آمَنَ، فَإِنْ أُرِيدَ بِهِ أُمَّهَاتُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَهُوَ أَبُوهُمْ، فَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ أَوْلَادُهُ وَآلُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ فَيَشْمَلُ الدُّعَاءُ لِكُلِّ مَنْ آمَنَ.

'As evidenced by uhayl': it is the diminutive of 'ahl' and not the diminutive of 'aal'; rather, its diminutive is 'uwayl,' as Al-Kisa'i heard from an eloquent Bedouin, and 'aal' is not added to non-rational beings, so one does not say 'the family of Islam,' and also it is not added except to that which has honor and status, so one does not say 'the family of the cupper,' unlike 'ahl'; and perhaps the intent of 'aal' is everyone who believed, so if it is intended to mean the Mothers of the Believers and he is their father, then the believers are his children and his family unto Allah, so the supplication includes everyone who believed.

Vocabulary · المفردات (20 verbs · 133 nouns)

• عَلِمَ — to teach
• عَطَفَ — to connect
• نَطَقَ — to speak
• آتَى — to give
• وَافَقَ — to agree
• تَرَكَ — to leave
• صَلَحَ — to be fit
• تَبَيَّنَ — to become clear
• خَاطَبَ — to address
• الْتَبَسَ — to be confused
• وَجَدَ — to find
• خَصَّ — to specify
• اسْتَعَارَ — to borrow
• سَمَّى — to name
• تَعَلَّقَ — to relate
• خَلَّى — to leave
• أَوْحَى — to inspire
• جَازَ — to be permissible
• سَمِعَ — to hear
• آمَنَ — to believe
• تَعْرِيف — definition
• حِكْمَة — wisdom
• لَفْظ — word
• آل — family
• عَطْف — conjunction
• خَاصّ — specific
• عَامّ — general
• رِعَايَة — regard
• بَرَاعَة — skill
• اسْتِهْلَال — beginning
• تَنْبِيه — alert
• فَضِيلَة — virtue
• نِعْمَة — blessing
• بَيَان — clarity
• قَوْل — saying
• قَدَم — precedence
• سَجْع — rhyme
• مَنْطِق — logic
• فَصِيح — eloquent
• مُعْرِب — expressive
• ضَمِير — conscience
• مُظْهَر — manifested
• دَلَالَة — indication
• وَضْعِيَّة — conventional
• مَنْطُوق — spoken
• ظَاهِر — apparent
• صَلَاة — prayer
• سَلَام — peace
• سَيِّد — master
• خَيْر — best
• صَوَاب — correctness
• أَفْضَل — better
• ضِدّ — opposite
• خَطَأ — error
• عِلْم — knowledge
• شَرِيعَة — law
• كَلَام — speech
• حَقّ — truth
• فَاعِل — doer
• إِيتَاء — giving
• فِعْل — action
• اللَّه — God
• فَصْل — separation
• خِطَاب — discourse
• مَفْصُول — separated
• بَيِّن — clear
• فَاصِل — separator
• بَاطِل — a falsehood
• أَهْل — family
• دَلِيل — evidence
• أُهَيْل — little family
• اسْتِعْمَال — usage
• مَفْعُول — object
• أَوَّل — first
• مُقَدَّر — estimated
• تَعْلِيم — teaching
• سُبْحَان — glory
• إِنْعَام — bestowal
• تَصْوِيت — vocalization
• صَبِيّ — boy
• شَيْء — thing
• حَسَب — according to
• مَعْنَى — meaning
• لُغَوِيّ — linguistic
• تَفَوُّق — superiority
• ابْتِدَاء — start
• اصْطِلَاح — terminology
• مُنَاسِب — appropriate
• مَقْصُود — intended
• سَبَب — reason
• حَاصِل — result
• ذِكْر — mention
• كِتَاب — book
• فَنّ — art
• مُرَاد — intended
• قُوَّة — power
• نَفْس — self
• عُلُوّ — loftiness
• كَسْب — earning
• إِشَارَة — sign
• كَمَال — perfection
• مِنَّة — favor
• رَسُول — messenger
• زِيَادَة — increase
• تَشْرِيف — honor
• تَرْفِيع — exaltation
• خَلْق — creation
• طَلَب — request
• هَوَى — desire
• وَحْي — revelation
• مِلَّة — religion
• أَحْسَن — best
• هَدْي — guidance
• مَعْرِفَة — knowledge
• حَقِيقَة — fact
• أَمْر — matter
• إِصَابَة — attaining
• رَأْي — opinion
• إِدْرَاك — perception
• عِلَّة — cause
• حُكْم — ruling
• إِضَافَة — addition
• مَسْأَلَة — issue
• لَامِيَّة — lam-related
• مَلَكَة — faculty
• وَاحِد — one
• نِصْف — half
• اثْنَان — two
• شَارِح — commentator
• مَجَاز — metaphor
• إِبْقَاء — keeping
• مَصْدَرِيَّة — source-nature
• وَصْف — description
• طَرِيق — way
• مُبَالَغَة — exaggeration
• جَائِز — permissible
• تَحْقِيق — verification
• خِلَاف — disagreement
• لَحْن — solecism
• عَامَّة — common
• تَصْغِير — diminutive
• أُوَيْل — little family
• أَعْرَابِيّ — bedouin
• عَاقِل — rational
• إِسْلَام — Islam
• شَرَف — honor
• خَطَر — status
• حَجَّام — cupper
• أُمّ — mother
• مُؤْمِن — believer
• أَب — father
• وَلَد — child
• دُعَاء — supplication