وَالنَّفَجُ1And An-Nafajأَرِيحِيَّةٌ2is a comfortable thing
And An-Nafaj «١» is a comfortable thing «٢».
وَسُوءُAnd badنَظَرِconsiderationالْمَرْءِof a manلِنَفْسِهِfor himselfوَلِعَقِبِهِand for his offspringكَرَمًاis generosity
And a man's bad consideration for himself and his offspring is generosity.
قَالَSaidرَسُولُthe Messengerاللهِof Allahصَلَّىmay He blessاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace::«أَبْدِاْ"Beginبِمَنْwith those whomتَعُولُ3you support»"
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Begin with those whom you support «٣»."
وَأَنْتَAnd youتُرِيدُwantأَنْtoتُغْنِيَenrichعِيَالَthe dependentsغَيْرِكَof othersبِإِفْقَارِby impoverishingعِيَالِكَyour dependents
And you want to enrich the dependents of others by impoverishing your own dependents.
وَتَسُدُّAnd you fillالْغَرِيبَthe strangerبِشَقَاوَةِwith the miseryالْقَرِيبِof the relative
And you fill the stranger with the misery of the relative.
وَتَتَفَضَّلُAnd you bestow favorsعَلَىuponمَنْone whoلَاdoes notيَعْدِلُturn awayعَنْكَfrom you
And you bestow favors upon one who does not turn away from you.
وَمَنْAnd whoلَوْifأَعْطَيْتَهُyou gave himأَبَدًاalwaysلَأَخَذَhe would takeأَبَدًاalways
And who, if you gave him always, he would take always.
قَدْCertainlyعَلِمْتُمْyou knowمَاwhatقَالَsaidصَاحِبُنَاour companionلِأَخِيto the brotherتَغْلِبَof Taghlib
You certainly know what our companion said to the brother of Taghlib.
فَإِنَّهُFor heقَالَsaid::يَاOأَخَاbrotherتَغْلِبَof Taghlib
For he said: "O brother of Taghlib.
إِنِّيIndeed Iوَاللهِby AllahكُنْتُwasأُجْرِيI let flowمَاwhatجَرَىflowedهَذَاthisالْغَيْلُ4flood
Indeed, by Allah, I was letting flow what this flood flowed «٤».
وَأُجْرِيAnd I let flowوَقَدِwhileانْقَطَعَhas stoppedالنِّيلُ5the Nile
And I let flow while the Nile has stopped «٥».
إِنِّيIndeed Iوَاللهِby AllahلَوْifأَعْطَيْتُكَI gave youلَمَاnotوَصَلَتْwould have reachedإِلَيْكَto you
Indeed, by Allah, if I gave you, it would not have reached you.
حَتَّىuntilأَتَجَاوَزَI pass overمَنْone whoهُوَhe isأَحَقُّmore deservingبِذَلِكَof thatمِنْكَthan you
Until I pass over one who is more deserving of that than you.
إِنِّيIndeed IلَوْifأَمْكَنْتُI enabledالنَّاسَthe peopleمِنْfromمَالِيmy wealthلَنَزَعُواthey would have pulled outدَارِيmy houseطُوبَةًbrickطُوبَةً6brick
Indeed, if I enabled the people from my wealth, they would have pulled out my house brick by brick «٦».
إِنَّهُIndeedوَاللهِby Allahمَاnotبَقِيَremainedمَعِيwith meمِنْهُof itإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatمَنَعْتُهُI prevented itالنَّاسَthe people
Indeed, by Allah, nothing remained with me of it except what I prevented the people from.
وَلَكِنِّيBut Iأَقُولُsay::
But I say:
وَاللهِBy Allahإِنِّيindeed IلَوْifأَمْكَنْتُI enabledالنَّاسَthe peopleمِنْfromنَفْسِيmyselfلَادَّعَوْاthey would have claimedرِقِّي7my slavery
By Allah, if I enabled the people from myself, they would have claimed my slavery «٧».
بَعْدَafterسَلْبِthe plunderingنِعْمَتِيmy blessing»"
After the plundering of my blessing."
قَالَSaidإِسْمَاعِيلُIsmail::وَسَمِعْتُهُAnd I heard himيَقُولُsay::
Ismail said: "And I heard him say:
«عَجِبْتُ"I wonderلِمَنْat one whoقَلَّتْbecame fewدَرَاهِمُهُhis dirhamsكَيْفَhowيَنَامُhe sleeps
"I wonder at one whose dirhams became few, how he sleeps.
وَلَكِنْButلَاnotيَسْتَوِيare equalمَنْone whoلَمْdid notيَنَمْsleepسُرُورًاdue to joyوَمَنْand one whoلَمْdid notيَنَمْsleepغَمًّا8due to grief
But not equal are one who did not sleep due to joy and one who did not sleep due to grief «٨».
ثُمَّThenقَالَhe said::«قَالَ"Saidرَسُولُthe Messengerاللهِof Allahصَلَّىmay He blessاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace
Then he said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said
فِيregardingوَصِيَّةِthe bequestالْمَرْءِof a manيَوْمَon the dayفَقْرِهِof his povertyوَحَاجَتِهِand his need
Regarding the bequest of a man on the day of his poverty and his need.
وَقَبْلَAnd beforeأَنْthatيُغَرْغِرَ9he reaches the gurgling of death::«الثُّلُثُ"The thirdوَالثُّلُثُand the thirdكَثِيرٌis much»"
And before he reaches the gurgling of death «٩»: 'The third, and the third is much.' "
Footnotes
- 1.النَّفَجُ: الْفَزَعُ وَالْجَزَعُ، وَقِيلَ: النَّفَجُ اسْتِرْخَاءُ الْأَعْضَاءِ مِنَ الْفَزَعِ.
An-Nafaj: fear and panic, and it is said: An-Nafaj is the relaxation of limbs from fear.
- 2.الْأَرِيحِيَّةُ: النَّشَاطُ وَالْخِفَّةُ وَالسَّعَةُ.
Arihiyya: activity, lightness, and spaciousness.
- 3.الْحَدِيثُ بِهَذَا اللَّفْظِ رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ.
This hadith with this wording was narrated by Muslim from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him.
- 4.الْغَيْلُ: وَادٍ بِالْيَمَنِ، وَكَانَ إِذَا أَتَى عَلَيْهِ السَّيْلُ جَرَى، وَإِذَا انْقَطَعَ انْقَطَعَ.
Al-Ghayl: a valley in Yemen, when the flood came to it, it flowed, and when it stopped, it stopped.
- 5.النِّيلُ: النَّهْرُ الْمَعْرُوفُ بِمِصْرَ.
An-Nil: the well-known river in Egypt.
- 6.طُوبَةٌ: لَبِنَةٌ.
Tuba: a brick.
- 7.رِقِّي: عُبُودِيَّتِي.
My riqq: my slavery.
- 8.هَذَا مِنْ كَلَامِ الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ عِيَاضٍ.
This is from the speech of Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad.
- 9.يُغَرْغِرُ: أَيْ يَصِلُ رُوحُهُ إِلَى حُلْقُومِهِ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ.
Yugharghir: meaning his soul reaches his throat at death.