The commentators side by side

﴿ثم لتعلم أنّه لمّا كان الأمر على ما قلناه من ظهوره ، بصورته ، أحالنا تعالى في العلم به على النظر في الحادث ، وذكر أنّه أرانا آياته فين فاستدللنا بنا عليه ، فما وصفناه بوصف إلَّا كنّا نحن ذلك الوصف﴾

Quotes words that differ from our text (wavy underline).

يعني رضي الله عنه :لمّا قرّر أنّ الخليفة ظاهر بصورة المستخلف فيما استنابه فيه ، ونسبه إليه ، وملَّكه إيّاه ، لا جرم أنّه تعالى أحاله في العلم به على النظر في الحادث في كل ما نسب إليه من صورة على صورة القديم.فإذا عرفنا المخلوق على الصورة بنسبه ولوازمه الثبوتية كماليّها وغير كماليّها استدللنا بكمالاتنا الثبوتية التي أعطانا الكامل بالذات على ثبوت الكمالات له على الوجه الأكمل .واستدللنا أيضا بنقائصنا ونسبنا غير الكمالية على أنّها منتفية عن موجدنا وثابتة له نقائض تلكالنقائص من الكمالات ، وفي الحقيقة ما وصفناه بوصف إلَّا كنّا نحن ذلك الوصف .والتحقيق يقتضي أنّه ليس لنا من الأمر شيء ، بل كل ما لنا فمنه ، كما قال : "وَما بِكُمْ من نِعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ الله " فما وصفناه بنا إلَّا من حيث كوننا به فيه منه له .قال رضي الله عنه

He (may God be pleased with him) means: since he established that the vicegerent (khalīfa) is manifest in the form of the One who appointed him vicegerent (al-mustakhlif) in that which He deputized him, ascribed to him, and gave him possession of — it necessarily follows that He, exalted, referred [us] in the knowledge of Him to reflection upon the contingent, in every form ascribed to it corresponding to the form of the Eternal (al-qadīm). So when we know the created being according to the form, through its relations (nisab) and its affirmative concomitants (lawāzim) — both its perfections and its non-perfections — we infer, by means of our affirmative perfections which the One Perfect in Essence (al-kāmil bi-l-dhāt) has given us, the affirmation of the perfections for Him in the most perfect manner. And we also infer, by means of our deficiencies and our non-perfective relations, that these are negated of our Originator (mūjid), and that there are affirmed for Him the opposites of those deficiencies, namely the perfections. In reality, we never described Him with any attribute except that we ourselves were that attribute. And verification (taḥqīq) requires that we possess nothing of the matter [in ourselves]; rather, everything we have is from Him, as He said: 'Whatever blessing you have is from God' [Q16:53]. So we never described Him by means of ourselves except insofar as we exist through Him, in Him, from Him, for Him. He (may God be pleased with him) said:

﴿ثم ليعلم أنه لما كان الأمر على ما قلناه من ظهوره بصورته﴾

Quotes words that differ from our text (wavy underline).

أي، ظهور هذا الحادث، وهو الإنسان الكامل، بصورة الحق. وضمير "أنه" للشأن. و "من" بيان "ما". وقوله

i.e., the manifestation of this contingent being (al-ḥādith), namely the Perfect Human (al-insān al-kāmil), in the form of the Real. The pronoun in "annahu" refers to the affair (al-shaʾn). And "min" is explicative of "mā." And his saying:

﴿ثمّ لتعلم أنّه لمّا كان الأمر على ما قلناه من ظهوره بصورته﴾

أي ظهور الحادث بصورة الواجب

i.e., the manifestation of the contingent (al-ḥādith) in the form of the Necessary (al-wājib)

﴿ثم ليعلم أنه لما كان الأمر على ما قلناه من ظهوره﴾

Quotes words that differ from our text (wavy underline).

أي الحادث (بصورته) أي بصفة الحق

i.e., that of the contingent thing (al-ḥādith), (in its form) i.e., in the description proper to the Real

﴿ثم لتعلم انه لما كان الامر علي مافلناه من ظهوره بصورته﴾

Quotes words that differ from our text (wavy underline).

آندنصکره معلوم اولسونکه تحقیق شان بود رکه وقتا کم امر یعنی حادثک امری واجب الوجودک صور تیله ظهوردن بزم دیدیکمز اوزره اولد یسه یعنی واجب الوجود ک صور تیله حادثک ظهوری امری بزم دیکمز کی اولد یسه

Then let it be known that the case is this: when the matter — that is, the matter of the originated — was as we have said, of manifestation by the form of the necessary of being; that is, when the matter of the originated's ẓuhūr (manifestation) by the form of the necessary of being was as we have said,

﴿لما كان الأمر … علی ما قلناه من ظهوره﴾

Quotes words that differ from our text (wavy underline).

بيان لما أي ظهوره الحادث (بصورته) . أي الحق سبحانه (احالنا) الحق

An explanation of "lammā" (since/when) — namely, the manifestation of the contingent thing (in its form). That is, the Real, glory be to Him — (He referred us) — the Real

﴿أحالنا تعالى في العلم به﴾

أي بالحق. وقوله

i.e., of the Real. And his saying:

﴿أحالنا تعالى في العلم به على النظر في الحادث﴾

نظر تدبّر وتفكَّر

a reflection of deliberation (tadabbur) and contemplative thought (tafakkur)

﴿تعالى في العلم به … على النظر في الحادث وذكر أنه أرانا آیاته﴾

Quotes words that differ from our text (wavy underline).

الدالة عليه ذات وصفة (فيه). أي في الحادث ليستدل به تعالى كما قال تعالى : "سنيرهم آياتنا في الآفاق وفي أنفسهم "آيه 53 سورة فصلت

which indicate Him, in essence (dhāt) and attribute (in it) — that is, in the contingent thing — so that He, Exalted, may be inferred thereby, as He, Exalted, said: "We will show them Our signs in the horizons and in themselves" (Qur'an 41:53, Sūrat Fuṣṣilat).

﴿احالنا تعالى في العلم به … على النظر﴾

أي على طريق الاستدلال

i.e., to the path of inferential reasoning (istidlāl)

﴿امالنا تعالي في العلم به علي النظر في الحادث وذكرانه ارانا آياته فينا﴾

Quotes words that differ from our text (wavy underline).

(وفی بعض النسخ (فیه) حق تعالی کندی وجودی علنده بزی حادثه نظر اتمکه حواله ابتدی وبزه ذکر ایتدیکه تحقیق اول امانتی بزم وجودات حادثه مزده بزه کوستردی یعنی حادث قدیمک صورتیله ظاهر اولمغله کندی وجودی علمی وآیاتی مشاهده سنی بزم وجودات حادثه مزه نظر اتمکه حواله ایدوب) سنریهم آیاتنا فی الافاق وفی انفسهم (قولی ایله ذکر ایلدی زیرا آیاتنی آفاق وانفسده بزه بسط ایلدی فاستد للنا بناعلیه فاوصفناه بوصف الاکفاء

(And in some copies: “fīhi” (in Him/it).) God Most High referred us, for the knowledge of His being, to looking at the originated, and mentioned to us that He has indeed shown us that […] in our originated existences. That is, since the originated is manifest by the form of the eternal, He referred the knowledge of His being and the witnessing of His signs to our looking at our originated existences, and mentioned [this] by His words: “We shall show them Our signs on the horizons and in themselves” (Q 41:53); for He spread out His signs for us on the horizons and in the souls. “So we inferred Him from ourselves, and […] described Him with a description […]

﴿على النظر في الحادثات﴾

Quotes words that differ from our text (wavy underline).

بقول نبيه، صلى الله عليه وسلم: "من عرف نفسه فقد عرف ربه.". وقوله

by the word of His Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace: "Whoever knows himself knows his Lord." And his saying:

﴿في الحادث﴾

من الآفاق والأنفس لامتناع العلم به إلا بالنظر إليه

among the horizons and the souls, since knowledge of Him is impossible except through reflective consideration of it

﴿وذكر أنه أرانا آياته فيه﴾

أي، في الحادث بقوله: "سنريهم آياتنا في الآفاق وفيأنفسهم". وقوله: "وفي أنفسكم أفلا تبصرون." وإنما قدم (إراءة الآيات في الآفاق) لأنها تفصيل مرتبة الإنسان، وفي الوجود العيني مقدم عليه. وأيضا رؤية الآيات مفصلا في العالم الكبير للمحجوب أهون من رؤيتها في نفسه وإن كان بالعكس أهون للعارف وقوله

i.e., in the contingent being (al-ḥādith), by His saying: "We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and in themselves," and His saying: "and in yourselves; do you not then see?" He gave precedence to the showing of the signs in the horizons because they constitute the unfolding in detail of the level of the human being, whereas in concrete existence (al-wujūd al-ʿaynī) it (the human level) precedes it. Also, seeing the signs unfolded in detail in the macrocosm (al-ʿālam al-kabīr) is easier for the veiled one than seeing them in himself, even though the reverse is easier for the gnostic (al-ʿārif). And his saying:

﴿وذكر أنّه أرانا آياته فيه … فاستدللنا بنا عليه﴾

استدلال شهود وتيقّن

an inference of witnessing (shuhūd) and certainty (tayaqqun)

﴿وذكر أنه أرانا آياته﴾

وهي آثار أسمائه وصفاته (فيه) أي في الحادث فكان الاستدلال واجبا علينا بالأمر الإلهي فأطعنا أمره لتحصیل معرفه (فاستدلنا) استدلالا من الأثر إلى المؤثر (بنا) بسبب نظرنا فين (عليه) أي على الحق فحينئذ لا بد لنا أن نحكم عليه بوصف على ما يقتضيه طريق الاستدلال قوله عليه يتعلق بالاستدلال

which are the traces of His names and attributes, (in it) i.e., in the contingent thing. Thus inferential reasoning became obligatory upon us by divine command, and we obeyed His command in order to attain knowledge of Him. (So we inferred) — an inference proceeding from the trace to the one who leaves the trace — (through us) by reason of our reflective consideration in it, (concerning Him) i.e., concerning the Real. At that point we were necessarily bound to judge Him by a description in accordance with what the path of inferential reasoning requires. His saying "concerning Him" pertains to "inferential reasoning."

﴿فاستدللنا بنا عليه﴾

كالاستدلال من الأثر إلى المؤثر

like inferring from the trace (al-athar) to the one who effects the trace (al-muʾaththir).

﴿فاستدللنا بنا﴾

أي بأنفسنا والنظر فيها كما قال تعالى: " وفي أنفسكم أفلا تبصرون " آية 21 سورة الذاريات. (عليه تعالی) فما وصفناه تعالى (بوصف) وما عرفناه به (إلا كنا عن ذلك الوصف) ، أي متصفين بذلك الوصف أو عينه بناء على ما سبق من أن كل موجود عبارة عن مجموع أعراض اجتمعت في عين واحدة. وفي بعض النسخ إلا كنا نحن ذلك الوصف ومعناه ظاهر (إلا الوجود الذاتي الخاص) لا العام الذي يعم الوجوب الذاتي والوجوب بالغير فإنه يتصف به الحادث أيضا

— that is, by means of ourselves and reflection upon them, as He, Exalted, said: "And in yourselves — do you not then see?" (Qur'an 51:21, Sūrat al-Dhāriyāt). (concerning Him, Exalted) — so we did not describe Him, Exalted, (with an attribute), nor did we come to know Him thereby, (except that we ourselves were [characterized] by that attribute) — that is, characterized by that attribute, or being its very entity (ʿayn), based on what has preceded, namely that every existent is an expression for a totality of accidents (aʿrāḍ) gathered together in a single entity (ʿayn). And in some copies: "except that we ourselves were that attribute," the meaning of which is evident — (except for the specific essential existence) — not the general [existence] which encompasses both necessity in itself and necessity through another, for the contingent thing is also characterized by the latter.

﴿فما وصفناه بوصف إلا كنا نحن ذلك الوصف﴾

أي، كنا نحن متصفا بذلك الوصف. ولما كانت الصفات الحقيقية عين هذه الأعيان الحادثة، على ما قررنا من أنالذات مع صفة تصير اسما وعينا ثابتة والعالم من حيث الكثرة ليس إلا مجموع الأعراض، وقوله

i.e., we ourselves were qualified by that description. And since the true attributes (al-ṣifāt al-ḥaqīqiyya) are identical with these contingent entities (al-aʿyān al-ḥāditha) — according to what we have established, namely that the Essence (al-dhāt) together with an attribute becomes a name and a fixed entity (ʿayn thābita) — and the cosmos (al-ʿālam), in respect of multiplicity, is nothing but the totality of the accidents. And his saying:

﴿فما وصفناه بوصف إلَّا كنّا نحن ذلك الوصف﴾

بعينه ، ضرورة أنّ الأوصاف الكليّة موجودة بوجود الحوادث الجزئيّة - كما سبق بيانه

itself, necessarily, since universal descriptions exist only through the existence of particular contingents - as was explained previously

﴿فما وصفناه﴾

أي فما حكمنا عليه (بوصف) من الأوصاف

i.e., we did not pass judgment concerning Him (by a description) among the descriptions

﴿كنا نحن ذلك الوصف﴾

وفي بعض النسخ: (إلا كنا ذلك الوصف) . وقوله: (إلا الوجوب الذاتي الخاص) أي بالحق. وقوله

— in some manuscripts it reads: "but we were that description." And his saying: "except the specific essential necessity (al-wujūb al-dhātī al-khāṣṣ)" i.e., pertaining to the Real. And his saying:

﴿إلا كنا نحن﴾

وجدنا فينا ووصفنا أنفسنا

found it in ourselves and described ourselves

﴿ذلك الوصف إلا الوجوب الذاتي الخاص﴾

بالحق فإنه لا يوجد فينا ولا نومف أنفسنا به فإذا استدللنا عليه على هذا الطريق علمناه بنا وم (فلما عملناه) بنا بسبب علمنا أنفسن

proper to the Real, for it is not found in us, nor do we describe ourselves by it. So when we inferred concerning Him by this path, we knew Him through us and [...]. (So when we knew Him) through us, by reason of our knowledge of ourselves...

﴿نحن ذلك الوصف الا الوجوب الخاص الذاتي﴾

یعنی حق تعالی صورت الهیة اسمائیه ایله بزم وجودا تمزده یعنی خلایقک وجودنده ظاهره اولمغله بزکندی وجود مزی اول صورت اوزره بیلورز آنک جمیع نسبی ولوازم ثبو تیه سیله کرک کمالیله وکرک غیر کمالیه اولسون* پس بزآنک وجودنه وکمالات ثبوتیه سنه اکل وجه اوزره استدلال ایدرز* بزم کمالات وثبوتیه مزده که بالذات کامل اولان بزده ظهور اتمکله آنلری بزه اعطا ایلدی* پس بزآنی وصف ایتمــدک بر وصف الله الا بزاول وصفک عینی اولدق وجوب خاص ذاتیدن غیری زیرا حادثک وجوب خاص ذاتیده قدمی یوقدر* پس بزآنی وصف اتمزز الابزده ظاهر اولان انک اوصافیله زیرا اکراول وصف بزده موجود اولمییدی وبزانکله متصف اولمییدق انکله حتی وصف اتمکه بزقادر اولمزدق (لیس لنا من الامر شی بل کل مالنا من الکمالات والاوصاف فنه یقول تعالی) ((ومابکم من نعمة فن الله

That is, since God Most High is manifest with the divine, name-related form in our existences — that is, in the existence of the creatures — we know our own being according to that form, with all its relations and positive concomitants, whether of perfection or of non-perfection. So we infer His being and His positive perfections in the most complete manner, in our perfections and positive [qualities], which He, who is perfect by essence, gave to us by becoming manifest in us. So we did not describe Him with any description except that we were the very [thing] of that description, other than the special essential necessity; for the originated has no qadam (footing) in the special essential necessity. So we do not describe Him except with His attributes that are manifest in us; for if that attribute were not existent in us and we were not qualified by it, we would not be able to describe the Real by it. (“We have nothing of the matter; rather, all that we have of perfections and attributes is from Him. He, Most High, says: ‘And whatever blessing you have, it is from God’ (Q 16:53).”)

﴿إلَّا الوجوب الخاصّ الذاتي ، فلمّا علمناه بنا ومنّا ، نسبنا إليه كلّ ما نسبناه إلينا﴾

Quotes words that differ from our text (wavy underline).

يعني رضي الله عنه :من حيث إنّ نسبة نسبة الشيء نسبة لذلك الشيء ولازم لازمه بالوسط .قال رضي الله عنه

He (may God be pleased with him) means: inasmuch as the relation of the relation of a thing is [itself] a relation of that thing, and the concomitant of its concomitant [is a concomitant of it] through mediation (bi-l-wāsiṭa). He (may God be pleased with him) said:

﴿إلَّا الوجوب الخاص الذاتي﴾

لما عرفت أنّه ليس للممكن فيه حظَّ أصلا . ثمّ هاهنا دقيقة لا بدّ لمستكشفي رموز الكتاب من الوقوف عليها ، وهي أنّ من امّهات الأوصاف المشتركة بين الواجب والحادث - الظاهر بصورته الذي هو مثله السمع والبصر، لقوله تعالى : "لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِه ِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ". فلذلك بعد تحقيق معنى المثليّة أشار إلى ذينك الوصفين على طريق الاستدلال كما هو مسلك هذا الفصّ بقوله رضي الله عنه

since you have already learned that the possible (al-mumkin) has no share in it whatsoever. Now there is here a subtle point which those seeking to uncover the symbols of the Book must grasp, namely: among the principal attributes shared between the Necessary and the contingent - which is manifest in His form and is His likeness (mithl) - are hearing and sight, according to His saying, exalted: "There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing." Therefore, after establishing the meaning of likeness (mithliyya), he alluded to these two attributes by way of inference (istidlāl), as is the method of this Fuṣṣ, in his saying, may God be pleased with him