وَقَالُواAnd they said
And they said:
دَخَلَenteredهِشَامُHishamبْنُson ofعَبْدِAbdالْمَلِكِ1al-Malik
Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik entered
حَائِطًاa gardenلَهُ2of his
a garden of his,
فِيهِin itفَاكِهَةٌfruitوَأَشْجَارٌand treesوَثِمَارٌand produce
in which there were fruit, trees, and produce,
وَمَعَهُand with himأَصْحَابُهُhis companions
and with him were his companions.
فَجَعَلُواAnd they beganيَأْكُلُونَeatingوَيَدْعُونَand supplicatingبِالْبَرَكَةِfor blessing
So they began eating and supplicating for blessing.
فَقَالَThen saidهِشَامٌHisham
Hisham said:
يَاOغُلَامُboy
O boy,
اقْلَعْuprootهَذَاthis
uproot this
وَاغْرِسْand plantمَكَانَهُin its placeزَيْتُونًاolive (tree)
and plant in its place an olive tree.'
قَالُواThey said
They said:
وَكَانَAnd wasالْمُغِيرَةُal-Mughiraبْنُson ofعَبْدِAbdاللَّهِAllahبْنِson ofأَبِيAbuعَقِيلٍAqilالثَّقَفِيُّal-Thaqafi
And al-Mughira ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi Aqil al-Thaqafi was
يَأْكُلُeatingتَمْرًاdatesهُوَheوَأَصْحَابُهُand his companions
eating dates, he and his companions.
فَانْطَفَأَAnd went outالسِّرَاجُthe lamp
Then the lamp went out,
وَكَانُواand they wereيُلْقُونَthrowingالنَّوَىthe date pitsفِيintoطَسْتٍa basin
and they were throwing the date pits into a basin.
فَسَمِعَThen he heardصَوْتَthe sound ofنَوَاتَيْنِtwo pits
Then he heard the sound of two pits (falling),
فَقَالَso he said
so he said:
مَنْWhoهَذَاis thisالَّذِيwhoيَلْعَبُplaysبِالْكَعْبَيْنِ3with the two dice
Who is this who plays with the two dice?'
وَقَالُواAnd they said
And they said:
بَاعَsoldحُوَيْطِبُHuwaytibبْنُson ofعَبْدِAbdالْعُزَّى4al-Uzza
Huwaytib ibn Abd al-Uzza sold
دَارًاa houseمِنْfromمُعَاوِيَةَMu'awiya
a house to Mu'awiya
بِخَمْسَةٍfor fiveوَأَرْبَعِينَand fortyأَلْفَthousandدِينَارٍdinars
for forty-five thousand dinars.
فَقِيلَSo it was saidلَهُto him
So it was said to him:
أَصْبَحْتَYou have becomeكَثِيرَmuchالْمَالِof wealth
'You have become very wealthy.'
قَالَHe said
He said:
وَمَاAnd whatمَنْفَعَةُis the benefit ofخَمْسَةٍfiveوَأَرْبَعِينَand fortyأَلْفًاthousand
'And what is the benefit of forty-five thousand
مَعَwithسِتَّةٍsixمِنَofالْعِيَالِdependents
with six dependents?'
وَقَالُواAnd they said
And they said:
سَأَلَaskedخَالِدُKhaledبْنُson ofصَفْوَانَSafwanرَجُلٌa man
A man asked Khaled ibn Safwan,
فَأَعْطَاهُso he gave himدِرْهَمًاa dirham
so he gave him a dirham.
فَاسْتَقَلَّهُThen he considered it smallالسَّائِلُthe beggar
The beggar considered it small.
فَقَالَSo he said
So he said:
يَاOأَحْمَقُfool
'O fool,
إِنَّIndeedالدِّرْهَمَthe dirhamعُشْرُis a tenth ofالْعَشَرَةِthe ten
the dirham is a tenth of ten,
وَإِنَّand indeedالْعَشَرَةَthe tenعُشْرُis a tenth ofالْمِائَةِthe hundred
and ten is a tenth of a hundred,
وَإِنَّand indeedالْمِائَةَthe hundredعُشْرُis a tenth ofالْأَلْفِthe thousand
and a hundred is a tenth of a thousand,
وَإِنَّand indeedالْأَلْفَthe thousandعُشْرُis a tenth ofالْعَشَرَةِthe tenآلَافٍthousands
and a thousand is a tenth of ten thousand.
أَمَاDo notتَرَىyou seeكَيْفَhowارْتَفَعَis elevatedالدِّرْهَمُthe dirhamإِلَىtoدِيَةِthe blood moneyمُسْلِمٍ5of a Muslim
Do you not see how the dirham is elevated to the blood money of a Muslim?'
Footnotes
- 1.هُوَ هِشَامُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ، الْخَلِيفَةُ الْأُمَوِيُّ (رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ)
He is Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, the Umayyad caliph (may Allah have mercy on him).
- 2.حَائِطٌ: الْبُسْتَانُ مِنَ النَّخْلِ وَغَيْرِهِ
Ha'it: a garden of palm trees and other trees.
- 3.الْكَعْبَانِ: قِطْعَتَا خَشَبٍ أَوْ عَظْمٍ يُلْعَبُ بِهِمَا، وَهُمَا كَالنَّرْدِ
Al-Ka'ban: two pieces of wood or bone used for play, similar to dice.
- 4.حُوَيْطِبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعُزَّى: صَحَابِيٌّ جَلِيلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ، أَسْلَمَ عَامَ الْفَتْحِ
Huwaytib ibn Abd al-Uzza: a noble Companion from Quraysh, he embraced Islam in the year of the Conquest.
- 5.دِيَةُ الْمُسْلِمِ: مِائَةٌ مِنَ الْإِبِلِ أَوْ أَلْفُ دِينَارٍ أَوْ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ
The blood money of a Muslim: one hundred camels, or one thousand dinars, or twelve thousand dirhams.