وَإِذاand when قَرَأتَyou read كَلامَهُhis words قَدَّرتَهُyou deemed him
وَإِذا قَرَأتَ كَلامَهُ قَدَّرتَهُ
سَحبانَSahban أَوor يوفيhe rises عَلىabove سَحبانِSahban
سَحبانَ أَو يوفي عَلى سَحبانِ
When you read his words, you would judge him
And when you read his words, you deem him
to be Sahban—or one who surpasses Sahban.
Sahban, or one who surpasses Sahban.
لَوif كانَhad شاهَدَهُwitnessed him مَعَدٌّMa'add خاطِباًdelivering an address
لَو كانَ شاهَدَهُ مَعَدٌّ خاطِباً
وَذووand those possessing الفَصاحَةِeloquence مِنamong بَنيthe sons of قَحطانِQahtan
وَذوو الفَصاحَةِ مِن بَني قَحطانِ
Had Ma‘add witnessed him speaking as an orator,
Had Ma'add witnessed him delivering an address,
together with the eloquent men of Banu Qahtan,
And the eloquent among the sons of Qahtan,
لَأَقَرَّwould have acknowledged كُلٌّeach طائِعينَwillingly بِأَنَّهُthat he
لَأَقَرَّ كُلٌّ طائِعينَ بِأَنَّهُ
أَولاهُمُthe worthiest of them بِفَصاحَةٍin eloquence وَبَيانِand clear expression
أَولاهُمُ بِفَصاحَةٍ وَبَيانِ
all would willingly have acknowledged that he
Each would have willingly acknowledged that he
was foremost among them in eloquence and exposition:
Was the worthiest of them in eloquence and clear expression.
هاديthe guide of الأَنامِhumankind مِنَfrom الضَلالَةِerror وَالعَمىand blindness
هادي الأَنامِ مِنَ الضَلالَةِ وَالعَمى
وَمُجيرُهاand their protector مِنfrom جاحِمِthe blaze of النيرانِthe fires
وَمُجيرُها مِن جاحِمِ النيرانِ
a guide of humankind out of error and blindness,
A guide for humankind away from error and blindness,
and its deliverer from the inferno of the fires;
And their protector from the blazing fires.
رَبُّmaster of العُلومِthe sciences إِذاwhen أَجالَhe cast قِداحَهُhis lot-arrows
رَبُّ العُلومِ إِذا أَجالَ قِداحَهُ
لَمdid not يَختَلِفdisagree فيabout فَوزهنَّtheir winning اِثنانِtwo people
لَم يَختَلِف في فَوزهنَّ اِثنانِ
master of the sciences—when he casts his shafts,
Master of the sciences—when he casts his lot-arrows,
no two dispute their victory;
No two disagree about their success.
ذوpossessing فِطنَةٍinsight فيinto المُشكِلاتِdifficult problems وَخاطِرٍand a mind
ذو فِطنَةٍ في المُشكِلاتِ وَخاطِرٍ
أَمضىsharper وَأَنفَذand more piercing مِنthan شَباةِthe point of سِنانِa spearhead
أَمضى وَأَنفَذ مِن شَباةِ سِنانِ
possessed of insight into difficult questions, and a mind
Possessed of insight into difficult problems, and a mind
keener and more penetrating than a spearpoint.
Sharper and more piercing than a spearhead's point.
وَإِذاand when تَفَكَّرَreflects عالِمٌa scholar فيupon كُتبِهِhis books
وَإِذا تَفَكَّرَ عالِمٌ في كُتبِهِ
يَبغيseeking التُقىpiety وَشَرائِطَand the conditions of الإيمانِfaith
يَبغي التُقى وَشَرائِطَ الإيمانِ
And when a scholar reflects upon his books,
And when a scholar reflects upon his books,
seeking piety and the conditions of faith,
Seeking piety and the conditions of faith,
مُتَبَيِّناًdiscerning clearly لِلدينِconcerning religion غَيرَnot مُقَلِّدٍan uncritical follower
مُتَبَيِّناً لِلدينِ غَيرَ مُقَلِّدٍ
يَسموhe aspires بِهِمَّتِهِwith his resolve إِلىtoward الرضوانِdivine approval
يَسمو بِهِمَّتِهِ إِلى الرضوانِ
discerning religion for himself, not merely imitating,
Discerning religion, not blindly imitating,
he aspires with high resolve toward divine approval;
Aspiring with his resolve to divine approval,
أَضحَتhave become وُجوهُthe facets of الحَقِّtruth فيin صَفَحاتِهاtheir pages
أَضحَت وُجوهُ الحَقِّ في صَفَحاتِها
تَرميcast إِلَيهِtoward him بِواضِحِwith clear البُرهانِproof
تَرمي إِلَيهِ بِواضِحِ البُرهانِ
the faces of truth upon their pages appear,
The facets of truth on their pages begin
confronting him with manifest demonstration—
To cast clear proof toward him,
مِنfrom حُجَّةٍan argument ضَمِنَguaranteed الوَفاءَfulfillment بِنَصرِهاin supporting it
مِن حُجَّةٍ ضَمِنَ الوَفاءَ بِنَصرِها
نَصُّthe explicit words of الرَسولِthe Messenger وَمُحكَمُand the unambiguous verses of القُرآنِthe Qur'an
نَصُّ الرَسولِ وَمُحكَمُ القُرآنِ
from a proof whose full vindication is guaranteed
From an argument whose full support is guaranteed
by the Messenger’s explicit text and the decisive Qur’an;
By the Messenger's explicit words and the Qur'an's unambiguous verses,
وَدلالَةٍand evidence تَجلوilluminates مَطالِعَthe beginnings of سَيرِهاits course
وَدلالَةٍ تَجلو مَطالِعَ سَيرِها
غُرُّthe brightest of القَرائِحِintellects مِنamong ذَويthose possessing الأَذهانِunderstanding
غُرُّ القَرائِحِ مِن ذَوي الأَذهانِ
and from a demonstration whose unfolding course is disclosed
And evidence whose unfolding course is illumined
by the brightest minds among people of understanding—
By the brightest intellects among discerning people,
حَتّىuntil تَرىyou see مُتَبَصِّراًclear-sighted فيin دينِهِhis religion
حَتّى تَرى مُتَبَصِّراً في دينِهِ
مَفلولَblunted غَربِthe sharp edge of الشَكِّdoubt بِالإيقانِby certainty
مَفلولَ غَربِ الشَكِّ بِالإيقانِ
until you see him clear-sighted in his faith,
Until you see him clear-sighted in his religion,
the keen edge of doubt blunted by certainty.
With doubt's sharp edge blunted by certainty.
اللَهُGod وَفَّقَهُenabled him اِتِّباعَto follow رَسولِهِHis Messenger
اللَهُ وَفَّقَهُ اِتِّباعَ رَسولِهِ
وَكِتابِهِand His Book الأَصلَينِthe two foundations فيin التِبيانِclear exposition
وَكِتابِهِ الأَصلَينِ في التِبيانِ
God granted him success in following His Messenger
God has enabled him to follow His Messenger
and His Book—the twin foundations of elucidation—
And His Book, the two foundations of clear exposition,
وَأَمَدَّهُand sustained him مِنfrom عِندِهِHis presence بِمَعونَةٍwith aid
وَأَمَدَّهُ مِن عِندِهِ بِمَعونَةٍ
حَتّىuntil أَنافَhe rose high بِهاthrough it عَنِabove الأَعيانِthe eminent
حَتّى أَنافَ بِها عَنِ الأَعيانِ
and sustained him with aid from Himself,
And has sustained him with aid from Himself,
until through it he towered above the eminent;
Until, through it, he rose above the eminent,
وَأَراهُand showed him بُطلانَthe falsity of المَذاهِبِthe doctrines قَبلهُbefore him
وَأَراهُ بُطلانَ المَذاهِبِ قَبلهُ
مِمَّنof those who قَضىjudged بِالرَأيِby opinion وَالحُسبانِand conjecture
مِمَّن قَضى بِالرَأيِ وَالحُسبانِ
and showed him the falsity of the doctrines before him,
And showed him the falsity of doctrines preceding him,
those of whoever judged by opinion and conjecture.
Of those who judged by opinion and conjecture.
Sol 6.1