Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

I say:

This view calls for scrutiny, and part of it is false. Expressions in different languages include shared words, such as tannūr (oven), and other names that are identical across languages. Others vary, as is generally the case with languages. Their differences are differences of variety, not opposition, like two names for the same thing.

The same applies to the meanings expressed in different languages. The “single meaning” known to different nations, which each nation expresses in its own language, may be the same in kind across those nations, without varying as a single Arabic expression may vary.

Yet different nations may conceive of that meaning differently. For example, one nation may know something by one attribute and express it with that attribute in view, while another nation knows it by another attribute and expresses it accordingly. This occurs with the names of Allah, His Messenger, and His Book, and with many names used to express things that are generally known to all. Thus, although “Futukrī, Khaddāy, and Nasat Shakk” and similar expressions are names for Allah Most High, their meanings do not correspond in every respect to the meaning of the name Allah. The same applies to “Bīghnīr and Bihashim” and similar expressions.

Hence, if you examine the Persian, Turkish, and other expressions used to translate the Quran, you will find some difference between their meanings, although they agree in their basic sense—just as two languages share sounds, although they differ in how those sounds are combined. You may even find greater differences between these meanings than between “equivalent” expressions—which fall between synonyms and expressions with distinct meanings—such as “a keen-edged sword” and “an Indian-made sword”; “misgiving” and “doubt”; “surging” and “movement”; and “path” and “way.”

قُلْت: وَهَذَا الْقَوْلُ فِيهِ نَظَرٌ وَبَعْضُهُ بَاطِلٌ؛ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ أَلْفَاظَ اللُّغَاتِ (مِنْهَا مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ كَالتَّنُّورِ وَكَمَا يُوجَدُ مِنْ الْأَسْمَاءِ الْمُتَّحِدَةِ فِي اللُّغَاتِ. وَمِنْهَا: مُتَنَوِّعٌ كَأَكْثَرِ اللُّغَاتِ وَاخْتِلَافُهَا اخْتِلَافَ تَنَوُّعٍ لَا تَضَادَّ؛ كَاخْتِلَافِ الِاسْمَيْنِ لِلْمُسَمَّى الْوَاحِدِ. وَكَذَلِكَ مَعَانِي اللُّغَاتِ؛ فَإِنَّ " الْمَعْنَى الْوَاحِدَ " الَّذِي تَعْلَمُهُ الْأُمَمُ؛ وَتُعَبِّرُ عَنْهُ كُلُّ أُمَّةٍ بِلِسَانِهَا؛ قَدْ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ الْمَعْنَى وَاحِدًا بِالنَّوْعِ فِي الْأُمَمِ؛ بِحَيْثُ لَا يَخْتَلِفُ كَمَا يَخْتَلِفُ اللَّفْظُ الْوَاحِدُ بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ. وَقَدْ يَكُونُ تَصَوُّرُ ذَلِكَ الْمَعْنَى مُتَنَوِّعًا فِي الْأُمَمِ مِثْلَ: أَنْ يَعْلَمَهُ أَحَدُهُمْ بِنَعْتِ وَيُعَبِّرَ عَنْهُ بِاعْتِبَارِ ذَلِكَ النَّعْتِ وَتَعْلَمُهُ الْأُمَّةُ الْأُخْرَى بِنَعْتِ آخَرَ وَتُعَبِّرُ عَنْهُ بِاعْتِبَارِ ذَلِكَ النَّعْتِ كَمَا هُوَ الْوَاقِعُ فِي أَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ وَأَسْمَاءِ رَسُولِهِ وَكِتَابِهِ وَكَثِيرٍ مِنْ الْأَسْمَاءِ الْمُعَبَّرِ بِهَا عَنْ الْأَشْيَاءِ الْمُتَّفَقِ عَلَى عِلْمِهَا فِي الْجُمْلَةِ " فَتُكْرِي وَخَدَّايَ وَنَسَتْ شَكَّ " وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ. وَإِنْ كَانَتْ أَسْمَاءَ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى فَلَيْسَ مَعْنَاهَا مُطَابِقًا مِنْ كُلِّ وَجْهٍ لِمَعْنَى اسْمِ اللَّهِ؛ وَكَذَلِكَ " بيغنير وَبِهَشِمِ " وَنَحْوُ ذَلِكَ. وَلِهَذَا إذَا تَأَمَّلْت الْأَلْفَاظَ الَّتِي يُتَرْجَمُ بِهَا الْقُرْآنُ - مِنْ الْأَلْفَاظِ الْفَارِسِيَّةِ وَالتُّرْكِيَّةِ وَغَيْرِهَا - تَجِدْ بَيْنَ الْمَعَانِي نَوْعَ فَرْقٍ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مُتَّفِقَةً فِي الْأَصْلِ كَمَا أَنَّ اللُّغَتَيْنِ مُتَّفِقَتَانِ فِي الصَّوْتِ وَإِنْ اخْتَلَفَتَا فِي تَأْلِيفِهِ؛ وَقَدْ تَجِدُ التَّفَاوُتَ بَيْنَهَا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ التَّفَاوُتِ بَيْنَ الْأَلْفَاظِ " الْمُتَكَافِئَةِ " - الْوَاقِعَةِ بَيْنَ الْمُتَرَادِفَةِ وَالْمُتَبَايِنَةِ - كَالصَّارِمِ وَالْمُهَنَّدِ؛ وَكَالرَّيْبِ وَالشَّكِّ وَالْمَوْرِ وَالْحَرَكَةِ وَالصِّرَاطِ وَالطَّرِيقِ.

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