إن الإله الذي يرى وتدركه الأ

إن الإله الذي يرى وتدركه الأ

بصار ذاك الاعتقاد فلا

بصار ذاك الاعتقاد فلا

Indeed, the God who is seen and perceived by the

The God whom eyes can see, that belief

eyes is that belief; thus you do not

Knows none but Him. For God has set it

تدري سواه فإن الله قرَّره

تدري سواه فإن الله قرَّره

على لسانِ الذي أبداه حين جلا

على لسانِ الذي أبداه حين جلا

know any other, for God has established it

Upon the tongue of him who spoke it out when He revealed

through the tongue of the one who disclosed it when he made it plain.

As for the God no eye can see,

أما الإله الذي لا عينَ تدركه

أما الإله الذي لا عينَ تدركه

ذاك الإله الذي في خلقه جهلا

ذاك الإله الذي في خلقه جهلا

As for the God whom no eye perceives,

That is the God whose creation is unknown.

that is the God unknown among His creation.

So al-Ash'ari spoke true in his words,

فيصدق الأشعريّ في مقالته

فيصدق الأشعريّ في مقالته

ومن يقابله هذا لمن عقلا

ومن يقابله هذا لمن عقلا

Thus al-Ash‘ari speaks truly in his assertion,

And whoever differs, he lacks reason.

and so does his opponent—this is for one who understands.

A creation never fails to know its Lord,

وليس يجهلُ خلقَ ربه أبداً

وليس يجهلُ خلقَ ربه أبداً

وكيف يجهل من قد حبله وصلا

وكيف يجهل من قد حبله وصلا

Nor is he ever ignorant of his Lord’s creation,

How could one not know Him who created and connected him?

and how could one who has joined His cord be ignorant?

God's knowledge is too vast to be confined

الله أوسع علماً أن يقيده

الله أوسع علماً أن يقيده

عقدٌ لذلك لم يضرب له مثلا

عقدٌ لذلك لم يضرب له مثلا

God is too vast in knowledge to be confined

By a doctrine. Thus no likeness was set for Him.

by a creed; therefore He has set forth no likeness of Himself.

And all who set likenesses for Him err,

وكلُّ من يضربِ الأمثال فيه يصب

وكلُّ من يضربِ الأمثال فيه يصب

لذا نهى وأتانا اتبعوا الرسلا

لذا نهى وأتانا اتبعوا الرسلا

And everyone who sets forth likenesses of Him hits the mark;

Thus He forbade, and commanded us: Follow the Messengers.

hence He forbade it, and to us came: “Follow the messengers.”

Doctrine is what He said, not what we depict,

فالعقد ما قاله لا ما نصوِّره

فالعقد ما قاله لا ما نصوِّره

وما نقيم له في قلبنا مثلا

وما نقيم له في قلبنا مثلا

So belief is what He has said, not what we imagine,

And what we conceive in our hearts as a likeness.

nor the likeness we set up for Him in our heart.