Al-Uqud al-Durriyya - Ibn Abd al-Hadi - (الكتاب/269)

listened (1). Anyone among them who wished would present whatever argument he liked and contest whatever he pleased (2), and the amir himself also asked (3) about certain passages.

Everyone knew the disagreement and personal inclinations (4) that some of those present were harboring. It is impossible to relate everything that was said and debated in those gatherings, because it was voluminous (5). Still, I shall record a concise summary of what I recall, even though much time has passed. Moreover, voices were raised and the language (6) often became disorderly.

Among the points to which some of them objected (7) was the statement found at the beginning: “Part of faith in Allah is to believe in whatever He has described Himself with and in whatever His Messenger (8) has described Him with, without taḥrīf (distortion) or taʿṭīl (negation), and without takyīf (specifying how) or tamthīl (likening Him to His creation).”

So one of them asked, “What is meant by taḥrīf and taʿṭīl?”

(1) Manuscripts B and Q read: “he would recite it according to … a variant, while they listened to it.” (2) Manuscripts Q, F, K, and Tif read: “fima” (concerning). (3) The other copies read: “yasa’l” (asks). (4) Manuscripts F, K, and Tif add: “of which people have grasped some parts, some on account of creed, and some for other reasons.” (5) Manuscripts F, K, and Tif add: “and it is not strictly delimited.” (6) Thus in the base manuscripts; in T it reads: “laghat” (clamor). (7) In Tif the reading is: “alayya” (upon me). (8) After the word “fi,” manuscripts F and K insert: “Muhammad ﷺ.”

يسمعونها (١). ويُوْرِدُ الموردُ منهم ما شاء، ويُعَارض ما (٢) شاء. والأميرُ أيضًا سأل (٣) عن مواضع فيها. وقد علم الناسُ ما كان في نفوس طائفة من الحاضرين من الخلاف والهوى (٤). ولا يمكن ذِكْر ما جرى من الكلام والمناظرات في هذه المجالس، فإنَّه كثير (٥)، لكن أكتب ملخَّصَ ما حضرني من ذلك مع بُعْدِ العهد بذلك. ومع أنه كان يجري رَفْعُ أصواتٍ ولَفْظٌ (٦) لا ينضبط. فكان ممَّا اعترضَ عليه (٧) بعضُهم لما ذُكِرَ في أولها: «ومن الإيمان بالله: الإيمانُ بما وصفَ به نفسَه، ووصفَه به رسولُه (٨)؛ من غير تحريفٍ ولا تعطيل، ولا تكييفٍ ولا تمثيل». فقال: ما المراد بالتحريف والتعطيل؟

(١) (ب، ق): «يقرؤها على ... حرفًا وهم يسمعونها». (٢) (ق، ف، ك، طف): «فيما». (٣) بقية النسخ: «يسأل». (٤) (ف، ك، طف) زيادة: «ما قد علمَ الناسُ بعضَه، وبعضه بسبب الاعتقاد، وبعضه بغير ذلك». (٥) (ف، ك، طف) زيادة: «ولا ينضبط». (٦) كذا بالأصول، وفي (ط): «لغط». (٧) (طف): «عليَّ». (٨) بعد في (ف، ك): «محمد ﷺ ».