اللُّصُوصُThe thievesمَالِكٌMalikفَقَدْindeedبَلَغَتْreachedلَكَto youمَاwhatلَمْnotيَبْلُغْهُreach itأَبٌa fatherبَارٌّdutifulوَلَاnorأُمٌّa motherرَؤُومٌaffectionate
Malik, the thieves have indeed conveyed to you what neither a dutiful father nor an affectionate mother has conveyed.
وَسَأَلْتَAnd you askedأَنْthatأَكْتُبَI writeلَكَfor youعِلَّةَthe reason«خَبَّابٍ»1of Khabbabفِيinنَفْيِdenyingالْغَيْرَةِjealousyوَأَنَّand thatبَذْلَgivingالزَّوْجَةِthe wifeدَاخِلٌincludedفِيinبَابِchapterالْمُؤَاسَاةِsharingوَالْأَثَرَةِand generosityوَأَنَّand thatفَرْجَthe private partالْأَمَةِof the slave girlفِيinالْعَارِيَةِlendingكَحُكْمِlike the ruleالْخِدْمَةِof service
And you asked me to write you the rationale of 'Khabbab' in denying jealousy, and that the giving of a wife falls under the category of mutual consolation and generosity; and that the private part of a female slave in lending is like the rule of service.
وَأَنَّand thatالزَّوْجَةَthe wifeفِيinكَثِيرٍmanyمِنْofمَعَانِيهَاher aspectsكَالْأَمَةِlike the slave girlوَأَنَّand thatالْأَمَةَthe slave girlمَالٌis wealthكَالذَّهَبِlike goldوَالْفِضَّةِand silverوَأَنَّand thatالرَّجُلَthe manأَحَقُّis more entitledبِبِنْتِهِto his daughterمِنَthanالْغَرِيبِthe strangerوَأَوْلَىand more deservingبِأُخْتِهِof his sisterمِنَthanالْبَعِيدِthe distant one
And that the wife in many of her aspects is like the slave girl, and that the slave girl is property like gold and silver, and that a man has more right to his daughter than a stranger, and is more entitled to his sister than a distant relative.
وَأَنَّand thatالْبَعِيدَthe distant oneأَحَقُّis more entitledبِالْغَيْرَةِto jealousyوَالْقَرِيبُand the close oneأَوْلَىis more deservingبِالْأَنَفَةِof honorوَأَنَّand thatالْإِسْتِزَادَةَthe increaseفِيinالنَّسْلِprogenyكَالْإِسْتِزَادَةِlike the increaseفِيinالْحَرْثِcultivationإِلَّاexceptأَنَّthatالْعَادَةَcustomهِيَitالَّتِيwhichأَوْحَشَتْmade repulsiveمِنْهُof itوَالدِّيَانَةُand religionهِيَitالَّتِيwhichحَرَّمَتْهُmade it forbidden
And that the distant relative is more entitled to jealousy, and the close relative is more deserving of honor; and that the increase in offspring is like the increase in cultivation, except that custom is what made it repulsive, and religion is what made it forbidden.
وَلِأَنَّand becauseالنَّاسَthe peopleيَتَزَيَّدُونَexaggerateأَيْضًاalsoفِيinاسْتِعْظَامِهِdeeming it greatوَيَنْتَحِلُونَand they attributeأَكْثَرَmoreمِمَّاthan whatعِنْدَهُمْthey haveفِيinاسْتِشْنَاعِهِdeeming it ugly
And because people also exaggerate in deeming it great, and they attribute to it more than what they have in deeming it ugly.
وَعِلَّةُAnd the rationale«الْجَهْجَاهِ»2of Jahjahفِيinتَحْسِينِbeautifyingالْكَذِبِlyingفِيinمَوَاضِعَplacesوَفِيand inتَقْبِيحِuglifyingالصِّدْقِtruthfulnessفِيinمَوَاضِعَplacesوَفِيand inإِلْحَاقِattachingالْكَذِبِlyingبِمَرْتَبَةِto the rankالصِّدْقِof truthوَفِيand inحَطِّloweringالصِّدْقِtruthإِلَىtoمَوْضِعِthe placeالْكَذِبِof lying
And the rationale of 'Jahjah' in beautifying lying in some situations, and in uglifying truth in others, and in attaching lying to the rank of truth, and in lowering truth to the position of lying.
وَأَنَّand thatالنَّاسَthe peopleيَظْلِمُونَwrongالْكَذِبَlyingبِتَنَاسِيby forgettingمَنَاقِبِهِ3its virtuesوَتَذَكُّرِand rememberingمَثَالِبِهِ4its faultsوَيُحَابُونَ5and they favorالصِّدْقَtruthبِتَذَكُّرِby rememberingمَنَافِعِهِits benefitsوَبِتَنَاسِيand by forgettingمَضَارِّهِits harms
And that people wrong lying by forgetting its virtues and remembering its faults, and they favor truth by remembering its benefits and forgetting its harms.
وَأَنَّهُمْand that theyلَوْifوَازَنُواthey balancedبَيْنَbetweenمَرَافِقِهِمَاtheir utilitiesوَعَدَّلُواand equalizedبَيْنَbetweenخِصَالِهِمَاtheir traitsلَمَّاnotفَرَّقُواthey would have differentiatedبَيْنَهُمَاbetween themهَذَاthisالتَّفْرِيقَdifferentiationوَلَمَاand notرَأَوْهُمَاthey would have seen themبِهَذِهِwith theseالْعُيُونِeyes
And that if they had balanced between their utilities and equalized between their traits, they would not have differentiated between them this differentiation, nor would they have seen them with these eyes.
وَمَذْهَبُAnd the doctrine«صَحْصَحٍ»6of Sahsahفِيinتَفْضِيلِpreferringالنِّسْيَانِforgetfulnessعَلَىoverكَثِيرٍmuchمِنَofالذِّكْرِremembranceوَأَنَّand thatالْغَبَاءَdullnessفِيinالْجُمْلَةِgeneralأَنْفَعُmore beneficialمِنَthanالْفِطْنَةِclevernessفِيinالْجُمْلَةِgeneral
And the doctrine of 'Sahsah' in preferring forgetfulness over much remembrance, and that dullness, in general, is more beneficial than cleverness, in general.
وَأَنَّand thatعَيْشَthe lifeالْبَهَائِمِof animalsأَحْسَنُbetterمَوْقِعًاin positionمِنَthanالنُّفُوسِthe soulsمِنْthanعَيْشِthe lifeالْعُقَلَاءِof the intelligent
And that the life of animals is better in position than the souls, than the life of the intelligent.
وَأَنَّكَand that if youلَوْifأَسْمَنْتَyou fattenedبَهِيمَةًan animalوَرَجُلًاand a manذَاpossessor ofمُرُوءَةٍchivalryأَوِorامْرَأَةًa womanذَاتَpossessor ofعَقْلٍintellectوَهَمَّةٍand ambitionوَأُخْرَىand anotherذَاتَpossessor ofغَبَاءٍdullnessوَغَفْلَةٍand heedlessness
And that if you fattened an animal, and a man of chivalry, or a woman of intellect and ambition, and another woman of dullness and heedlessness,
Footnotes
- 1.خَبَّابٌ: اسْمُ رَجُلٍ، وَهُوَ خَبَّابُ بْنُ الْأَرَتِّ، صَحَابِيٌّ جَلِيلٌ.
Khabbab: a man's name, he is Khabbab ibn al-Aratt, a noble Companion.
- 2.الْجَهْجَاهُ: لَقَبٌ مِنْ أَلْقَابِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ.
Al-Jahjah: a nickname from the pre-Islamic era.
- 3.الْمَنَاقِبُ: جَمْعُ مَنْقَبَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْفَضِيلَةُ.
Al-Manāqib: plural of manqabah, meaning virtue.
- 4.الْمَثَالِبُ: جَمْعُ مَثْلَبَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْعَيْبُ.
Al-Mathālib: plural of mathlabah, meaning fault.
- 5.يُحَابُونَ: يُفَضِّلُونَ وَيُعَامِلُونَ بِالْمُحَابَاةِ.
Yuhābūna: they favor and treat with partiality.
- 6.صَحْصَحٌ: اسْمُ شَخْصٍ مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ الْحُكَمَاءِ.
Sahṣaḥ: the name of a person among the wise.