وَالطَّوَّافِينَ1and the circumambulators
And the circumambulators [footnote 1].
وَالْقَوْمُand the peopleقَبْلِيbefore meأَنْthatيَمُوتُواthey dieلَمْnotيَكُنْwasلَهُمْfor themتِلْكَthatعَادَةٌcustom
The people before me did not have that custom of dying.
وَلَيْسَand notيَقُولُsaysالنَّاسُthe people
And people do not say:
وَاللهِby Godلَفُلَانٍfor so-and-soأَصَحُّmore soundمِنَthanالْجَلَاوِزَةِ2the constables
By God, so-and-so is more sound than the constables [footnote 2]?
((يَعْنِيmeaningاخْتِلَافَdisagreementالْجَلَاوِزَةِof the constablesفِيinالْعَدُوِّthe enemy))
(Meaning the constables' disagreement about the enemy.)
وَلَرُبَّمَاand perhapsأَقَمْتُI stayedفِيinالْمَنْزِلِthe houseلِبَعْضِfor someالْأَمْرِthe matterفَأُكْثِرُso I increaseالصُّعُودَascendingوَالنُّزُولَand descendingخَوْفًاfearمِنْofقِلَّةِlackالْحَرَكَةِmovement
And perhaps I stayed at home for some matter, and I would increase going up and down out of fear of lack of movement.
وَأَمَّاand as forالتَّشَاغُلُthe occupationبِالْبَعِيدِwith the farعَنِfromالْقَرِيبِthe nearفَإِنِّيthen IلَاnotأَعْرِضُI approachلِلْبَعِيدِto the farحَتَّىuntilأَفْرُغَI finishمِنَfromالْقَرِيبِthe near
As for occupying oneself with the far instead of the near, I do not approach the far until I finish with the near.
وَأَمَّاand as forمَاwhatذَكَرْتُمْyou mentionedمِنَofالزِّيَادَةِthe increaseفِيinالطُّعْمِfoodفَقَدْindeedأَيْقَنْتُI am certainنَفْسِيmy soulوَاطْمَأَنَّand comfortedقَلْبِيmy heart
As for what you mentioned about increase in food, my soul is certain and my heart comforted
عَلَىonأَنَّهُthat itلَيْسَis notلِنَفْسِيfor myselfإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatلَهَاis for it
That there is nothing for my soul except what is destined for it.
وَأَنَّهَاand that itإِنْifحَاسَبَتْنِيit calls me to accountأَيَّامَdaysالنَّصَبِof fatigueحَاسَبْتُهَاI call it to accountأَيَّامَdaysالرَّاحَةِof rest
And if it calls me to account for days of fatigue, I will call it to account for days of rest.
فَسَتَعْلَمُthen you will knowحِينَئِذٍthenأَيْنَwhereأَيَّامُdaysالْخَرِيبَةِof al-Kharibaمِنْfromأَيَّامِdaysثَقِيفٍ3of Thaqif
Then you will know where the days of al-Khariba are compared to the days of Thaqif [footnote 3].
وَأَمَّاand as forمَاwhatذَكَرْتُمْyou mentionedمِنْofتَلَقِّيreceivingالْحُمُولَةِthe loads
As for what you mentioned about receiving loads
وَمِنْand ofمُزَاحَمَةِcrowdingأَهْلِpeopleالسُّوقِthe market
And crowding with the market people
وَمِنَand ofالنَّتْرِthe tuggingوَالْجَذْبِand pulling
And of tugging and pulling
فَأَنَاthen IأَقْطَعُI crossعَرْضَwidthالسُّوقِof the marketمِنْfromقَبْلِbeforeأَنْthatيَقُومَstandأَهْلُpeopleالسُّوقِof the marketلِصَلَاتِهِمْfor their prayer
I cross the width of the market before the market people stand for their prayer.
ثُمَّthenيَكُونُisرُجُوعِيmy returnعَلَىonظَهْرِbackالسُّوقِ4of the market
Then my return is along the back of the market [footnote 4].
وَأَمَّاand as forمَاwhatذَكَرْتُمْyou mentionedمِنْofشَأْنِmatterالنَّعْلِthe sandalوَالسَّرَاوِيلِand the trousers
As for what you mentioned about the matter of the sandal and the trousers
فَإِنِّيthen Iمِنْfromلَدُنْsinceخُرُوجِيmy departureمِنْfromمَنْزِلِيmy houseإِلَىtoأَنْthatأَقْرُبَI approachمِنْfromبَابِdoorصَاحِبِيmy friend
From the time I leave my house until I approach my friend's door
فَإِنَّمَاonlyنَعْلِيmy sandalفِيinيَدِيmy handوَسَرَاوِيلِيand my trousersفِيinكُمِّيmy sleeve
My sandal is in my hand and my trousers are in my sleeve.
فَإِذَاso whenصِرْتُI reachإِلَيْهِto himلَبِسْتُهُمَاI wore them both
When I reach him, I put them on.
فَإِذَاso whenفَصَلْتُI departedمِنْfromعِنْدِهِhimخَلَعْتُهُمَاI took them off
When I depart from him, I take them off.
فَهُمَاso they bothفِيinذَلِكَthatالْيَوْمِdayأَوْدَعُsafestأَبْدَانًا5bodiesوَأَحْسَنُand bestحَالًاcondition
So on that day they are the safest of bodies [footnote 5] and in the best condition.
بَقِيَremainedالْآنَnowلَكُمْfor youمِمَّاof whatذَكَرْتُمْyou mentionedشَيْءٌanything»?
Is there anything left for you now of what you mentioned?
قَالُواthey said«لَاno»
They said, "No."
قَالَhe said«فَهَهُنَاso hereوَاحِدَةٌoneتَفِيsufficesبِجَمِيعِfor allمَاwhatذَكَرْتُمْyou mentioned»
He said, "So here is one thing that suffices for all that you mentioned."
قَالُواthey said«وَمَاand whatهِيَis it»
They said, "And what is it?"
قَالَhe said«إِذَاifعَلِمَknowsالْقَرِيبُthe nearالدَّارِof the houseوَمَنْand whoلِيfor meعَلَيْهِagainst himأُلُوفُthousandsالدَّنَانِيرِof dinarsشِدَّةَseverityمُطَالَبَتِيof my demandingلِلْبَعِيدِto the farالدَّارِof the houseوَمَنْand whoلَيْسَis notلِيfor meعَلَيْهِagainst himإِلَّاexceptالْفُلُوسُthe small coinsأَتَىcomesبِحَقِّيwith my rightوَلَمْand notيَطْمَعْhe covetsنَفْسَهُhimselfفِيinمَالِيmy wealth
He said, "When the one near in house, who owes me thousands of dinars, knows the severity of my demanding from the one far in house, who owes me only small coins, he will come with my right and not covet my wealth."
وَهَذَاand thisتَدْبِيرٌa planيَجْمَعُcombinesإِلَىtoرُجُوعِreturnمَالِيmy wealthطُولَlengthرَاحَةِrestبَدَنِي6my body
This is a plan that combines the return of my wealth with long rest for my body [footnote 6].
ثُمَّthenأَنَاIبِالْخِيَارِat choiceفِيinتَرْكِleavingالرَّاحَةِrestلِأَنِّيbecause IأُقْسِمُهَاI divide itعَلَىoverالْأَشْغَالِoccupationsحِينَئِذٍthenكَيْفَhowشِئْتُI wish
Then I have the choice to abandon rest, because I can divide it among the occupations as I wish.
وَأُخْرَىand anotherأَنَّthatهَذَاthisالْقَلِيلَlittleلَوْifلَمْnotيَكُنْwasفَضْلَةًsurplusمِنْfromكَثِيرٍmuchوَمَوْصُولًاand connectedبِدَيْنٍto a debtلِيfor meمَشْهُورٍwell-knownلَجَازَit would be permissibleأَنْthat
Another point is that this little amount, if it were not a surplus from much and connected to a well-known debt owed to me, it would be permissible to
Footnotes
- 1.الطَّوَّافِينَ: جَمْعُ طَائِفٍ، وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ يَطُوفُونَ بِالْكَعْبَةِ.
The circumambulators: plural of one who circumambulates, i.e., those who perform tawaf around the Kaaba.
- 2.الْجَلَاوِزَةُ: جَمْعُ جَلْوَازٍ، وَهُمُ الشُّرَطُ وَأَعْوَانُ السُّلْطَانِ.
Al-Jalawiza: plural of Jalwaz, meaning the police and the sultan's assistants.
- 3.الْخَرِيبَةُ: مَوْضِعٌ بِالْبَصْرَةِ، وَثَقِيفٌ: قَبِيلَةٌ مَعْرُوفَةٌ.
Al-Khariba: a place in Basra, and Thaqif: a well-known tribe.
- 4.ظَهْرُ السُّوقِ: جَانِبُهُ الْبَعِيدُ عَنِ الْبَابِ، أَوْ آخِرُهُ.
The back of the market: its far side from the door, or its end.
- 5.أَوْدَعُ أَبْدَانًا: أَكْثَرُ سَلَامَةً وَأَقَلُّ تَعَبًا.
Safest of bodies: most safe and least tired.
- 6.تَدْبِيرٌ يَجْمَعُ إِلَى رُجُوعِ الْمَالِ طُولَ رَاحَةِ الْبَدَنِ: أَيْ يُحَصِّلُ الْمَالَ وَيُرِيحُ الْبَدَنَ.
A plan that combines the return of wealth with long rest of the body: i.e., it secures the money and rests the body.