Reading from the author's words with commentary on them: "Because the commanded act, when expressed...
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The reader: "Because the commanded act, when expressed with a word derived from a meaning broader than that act"
The Shaykh : From a broader meaning
The reader: "From a meaning broader than that act, it is necessary that what it is derived from be a sought command, especially if it appears to us that the meaning from which it is derived is a meaning appropriate to the wisdom, as if one were to say to a guest: 'Honor him,' meaning 'Feed him,' or to an old man: 'Lower your voice for him,' meaning 'Lower your voice for him,' or the like.
And that is for several reasons: The first is that when a command is attached to a passive participle derived from a meaning, the meaning becomes the operative cause of the ruling, as in His saying, the Exalted: and His saying: [Al-Hujurat 49:10] and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Riyad as-Salihin 897 And this is well known.
If the commanded act itself is derived from a meaning broader than it, then the command and the implication themselves are attached to that broader meaning, so it becomes sought by way of priority".
The Shaykh : Is this clear? If the ruling is attached to a derivative broader than the form for which it was given as a cause, that is evidence of generality and that it is not restricted to this form. For example, if I say 'Honor the guest,' meaning 'Feed him,' is there honor in feeding or not? There is honor, because mere feeding to remove hunger, for example, is not honor. But if he is a guest and you say 'Honor the guest,' meaning 'Feed him,' the purpose is not the feeding itself; the purpose is
The student: Honor
The Shaykh : Honor. So if it were possible to honor the guest by other than feeding, this meaning would include it. If it were possible that honoring him meant providing him with a good bed, a nice room, and the like, it would fall under this. Here, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded to differ from the Jews and Christians because they do not dye [their hair]. Dyeing is a type of difference or an instance of difference, not all of difference. So the command for it is for the sake of difference. That indicates that differing from the Jews and Christians and others is a purpose intended by the Shari'ah. And this is the important point. Then, for example, is intention necessary in imitation, or does the ruling become established whenever imitation occurs? The answer is the second: because if I say to some people, 'This is an example of imitating the disbelievers,' they say, 'I did not intend to imitate.' We say: When the cause occurs, the cause is established, whether you intended it or not. Yes, yes.
We are finished. Is that the last thing we read?
The reader: The first reason. And he said, 'And that is for several reasons. The first is that when a command is attached to a passive participle derived from a meaning.' The second reason, we stopped at it, and its beginning is that all actions are derived.
The Shaykh : From a broader meaning
The reader: "From a meaning broader than that act, it is necessary that what it is derived from be a sought command, especially if it appears to us that the meaning from which it is derived is a meaning appropriate to the wisdom, as if one were to say to a guest: 'Honor him,' meaning 'Feed him,' or to an old man: 'Lower your voice for him,' meaning 'Lower your voice for him,' or the like.
And that is for several reasons: The first is that when a command is attached to a passive participle derived from a meaning, the meaning becomes the operative cause of the ruling, as in His saying, the Exalted:
So kill the polytheists
فاقتلوا المشركينso make settlement between your brothers
فأصلحوا بين أخويكمVisit the sick, feed the hungry, and (arrange for the) release of the captive.
عودوا المريض وأطعموا الجائع وفكوا العانيIf the commanded act itself is derived from a meaning broader than it, then the command and the implication themselves are attached to that broader meaning, so it becomes sought by way of priority".
The Shaykh : Is this clear? If the ruling is attached to a derivative broader than the form for which it was given as a cause, that is evidence of generality and that it is not restricted to this form. For example, if I say 'Honor the guest,' meaning 'Feed him,' is there honor in feeding or not? There is honor, because mere feeding to remove hunger, for example, is not honor. But if he is a guest and you say 'Honor the guest,' meaning 'Feed him,' the purpose is not the feeding itself; the purpose is
The student: Honor
The Shaykh : Honor. So if it were possible to honor the guest by other than feeding, this meaning would include it. If it were possible that honoring him meant providing him with a good bed, a nice room, and the like, it would fall under this. Here, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded to differ from the Jews and Christians because they do not dye [their hair]. Dyeing is a type of difference or an instance of difference, not all of difference. So the command for it is for the sake of difference. That indicates that differing from the Jews and Christians and others is a purpose intended by the Shari'ah. And this is the important point. Then, for example, is intention necessary in imitation, or does the ruling become established whenever imitation occurs? The answer is the second: because if I say to some people, 'This is an example of imitating the disbelievers,' they say, 'I did not intend to imitate.' We say: When the cause occurs, the cause is established, whether you intended it or not. Yes, yes.
We are finished. Is that the last thing we read?
The reader: The first reason. And he said, 'And that is for several reasons. The first is that when a command is attached to a passive participle derived from a meaning.' The second reason, we stopped at it, and its beginning is that all actions are derived.