أَتَجَافَىI shunعَنْهُ1from him
I shun him. ⟦1⟧
فَأَمَّاBut as forأَنْthatأَدَعَI leaveشَيْئًاsomethingيُطْمِعُthat makes greedyفِيforفُضُولِ2the surplusمَاwhatيَبْقَىremainsعَلَىuponالْغُرَمَاءِ3the creditors
But as for my leaving something that makes them greedy for the surplus of what remains for the creditors ⟦2⟧⟦3⟧,
فَهَذَاthisمَاwhatلَاnotيَجُوزُis permissible
this is not permissible.
فَقَامُواSo they stood upوَقَالُواand saidبِأَجْمَعِهِمْall togetherلَاnoوَاللهِby Godلَاnotسَأَلْنَاكَwe ask youعَنْaboutمُشْكِلَةٍa problem
So they stood up and said all together: 'No, by God, we will not ask you about a problem.'
حَدَّثَنِيHe told meأَحْمَدُAhmadالْمَكِّيُّal-Makkiأَخُوbrother ofمُحَمَّدٍMuhammadالْمَكِّيِّal-Makki
Ahmad al-Makki, the brother of Muhammad al-Makki, told me.
وَكَانَand he wasمُتَّصِلًاconnectedبِأَبِيwith AbuسَعِيدٍSa'id
He was connected with Abu Sa'id.
بِسَبَبِbecause ofالْعِينَةِthe 'ina (loan with profit)وَبِسَبَبِand because ofصَنْعَةِthe craftالْمَالِof wealthوَلِأَعَاجِيبِand because of the wondersأَبِيof AbuسَعِيدٍSa'idوَحَدِيثِهِand his speech
Because of the 'ina transaction and the craft of money-making, and because of Abu Sa'id's wonders and his conversation.
قَالَHe saidأَحْمَدُAhmad
Ahmad said:
قُلْتُI saidلَهُto himمَرَّةًonce
I said to him once:
وَاللهِBy Godإِنَّكَindeed youلَكَثِيرُare plentyالْمَالِof wealthوَإِنَّكَand indeed youلَتَعْرِفُknowمَاwhatنَجْهَلُwe are ignorant of
'By God, you are indeed wealthy, and you know what we do not know.'
وَإِنَّand indeedقَمِيصَكَyour shirtوَسِخٌis dirtyفَلِمَso whyلَاnotتَأْمُرُyou orderبِغَسْلِهِto wash it
And indeed your shirt is dirty, so why do you not order it to be washed?'
قَالَHe said
He said:
فَلَوْSo ifكُنْتُI wereقَلِيلَlittleالْمَالِof wealthوَأَجْهَلُand I were more ignorantمَاof whatتَعْرِفُyou know
'If I were of little wealth and more ignorant of what you know,
كَيْفَhowكَانَwould it beقَوْلُكَyour sayingلِيto me
how would your saying to me be?
إِنِّيIndeed Iقَدْhaveفَكَّرْتُthoughtفِيaboutهَذَاthisمُنْذُsinceسِتَّةِsixأَشْهُرٍmonths
I have thought about this for six months,
فَمَاand notوَضَحَbecame clearلِيto meبَعْدُyetوَجْهُthe aspectالْأَمْرِof the matterفِيهِin it
and the right course in it has not yet become clear to me.
أَقُولُI sayمَرَّةًsometimes
Sometimes I say:
الثَّوْبُthe garmentإِذَاwhenاتَّسَخَbecomes dirtyأَكَلَeatsالْبَدَنَthe body
The garment, when it becomes dirty, eats the body,
كَمَاjust asيَأْكُلُeatsالصَّدَأُrustالْحَدِيدَiron
just as rust eats iron.
وَالثَّوْبُAnd the garmentإِذَاwhenتَرَادَفَهُfollows it repeatedlyالْعَرَقُ4sweat
And the garment, when sweat keeps coming upon it ⟦4⟧,
وَجَفَّand driesوَتَرَاكَمَand accumulatesعَلَيْهِon itالْوَسَخُthe dirtوَلَبَّدَ5and mats
and dries, and dirt accumulates on it and it becomes matted ⟦5⟧,
أَكَلَeatsالسِّلْكَthe threadوَأَحْرَقَand burnsالْغَزْلَthe yarn
it eats the thread and burns the yarn.
هَذَاThisمَعَalong withنَتَنِthe stenchرِيحِهِof its smellوَقُبْحِand the uglinessمَنْظَرِهِof its appearance
This is along with the stench of its smell and the ugliness of its appearance.
وَبَعْدُAnd moreoverفَإِنِّيindeed Iرَجُلٌa manآتِيI come toأَبْوَابَthe doorsالْغُرَمَاءِof the creditorsوَغِلْمَانُand the servantsغُرَمَائِيof my creditorsجَبَابِرَةٌare tyrants
Moreover, I am a man who comes to the doors of the creditors, and the servants of my creditors are tyrants.
فَمَاSo whatظَنُّكَis your opinionبِهِمْof themإِذَاwhenرَأَوْنِيthey see meفِيinأَطْمَارٍragged clothesوَسِخَةٍdirtyوَأَسْمَالٍand worn-out garmentsدَرِنَةٍ6filthyوَحَالِand a conditionحَدَادٍ7of mourning
So what do you think of them when they see me in dirty ragged clothes and filthy worn-out garments ⟦6⟧ and a mourning condition ⟦7⟧?
جَبْهُواThey met with a frownمَرَّةً8onceوَحُجِبُواand they were veiledمَرَّةًanother time
Sometimes they face me with a frown ⟦8⟧, and sometimes they are veiled from me.
فَيَرْجِعُAnd this returnsذَلِكَthatعَلَيْنَاupon usبِمَضَرَّةٍwith harmمِنْfromإِصْلَاحِsetting rightالْمَالِthe wealth
That comes back upon us with harm to the setting right of the wealth,
وَأَنْand thatيُنْفَىbe removedعَنْهُfrom itكُلُّeveryمَاthing thatأَعَانَhelpedعَلَىinحَبْسِهِdetaining it
and that everything that helped in detaining it be removed from it,
مَعَalong withمَاwhatيَدْخُلُentersمِنَofالْغَيْظِangerوَيُلْقَىand is facedمِنْwithكَانَwhoever isكَذَلِكَlike thatمِنَofالْمَكْرُوهِdispleasure
along with the anger that enters and the displeasure faced by whoever is in that condition.
فَإِذَاSo whenاجْتَمَعَتْgatherهَذِهِtheseالْخَوَاطِرُthoughts
So when these thoughts gather,
هَمَمْتُI intendبِغَسْلِهَاto wash them
I intend to wash them.
فَإِذَاBut whenهَمَمْتُI intendبِهِto do itعَارَضَنِيopposes me
But when I intend to do it, there opposes me...
Footnotes
- 1.تَجَافَى عَنْهُ: تَبَاعَدَ عَنْهُ وَتَرَفَّعَ.
Tajafa 'anhu: he kept away from him and held himself aloof.
- 2.الفُضُولُ: مَا فَضَلَ مِنَ المَالِ.
Al-fudul: what remains of wealth.
- 3.الغُرَمَاءُ: الدَّائِنُونَ.
Al-ghurama': the creditors.
- 4.تَرَادَفَهُ العَرَقُ: تَتَابَعَ عَلَيْهِ العَرَقُ.
Taradafahu al-'araq: sweat kept coming upon it repeatedly.
- 5.لَبَّدَ: تَلَبَّدَ وَتَلَاصَقَ.
Labbada: it became matted and stuck together.
- 6.الأَسْمَالُ: الخِرَقُ البَالِيَةُ. وَالدَّرِنَةُ: الوَسِخَةُ.
Al-asmal: old worn-out rags. And al-darina: dirty.
- 7.حَالُ حَدَادٍ: حَالَةُ الحُزْنِ وَالتَّشَوُّشِ.
Hal hadad: a state of grief and dishevelment.
- 8.جَبْهُوا: اسْتُقْبِلُوا بِوَجْهٍ عَابِسٍ.
Jabhu: they were met with a frowning face.