فِيinتَحَفُّظِكَyour reservationقَوْلُthe sayingسَهْلِof SahlبْنِibnهَارُونَHarunفِيregardingالِاسْتِعْدَادِthe preparationفِيduringحَالِthe timeالْمُهْلَةِof respite
In your reservation is the saying of Sahl ibn Harun regarding preparation during the time of respite
وَفِيand inالْأَخْذِthe takingبِالثِّقَةِwith certainty
and in taking with certainty
وَإِنَّand indeedأَقْبَحَthe ugliestالتَّفْرِيطِof negligenceمَاthat whichجَاءَcomesمَعَwithطُولِlengthالْمُدَّةِ1of time
and indeed the ugliest negligence is that which comes with length of time [1]
وَإِنَّand indeedالْحَزْمَdeterminationكُلَّallالْحَزْمِof determinationوَالصَّوَابَand rightnessكُلَّallالصَّوَابِof rightness
and indeed determination is all determination and rightness is all rightness
أَنْthatيَسْتَظْهِرَhe should seek aidعَلَىagainstالْحَدَثَانِ2calamities
that he should seek aid against calamities [2]
وَأَنْand thatيَجْعَلَhe should makeمَاwhatفَضَلَis surplusعَنْfromقِوَامِthe sustenanceالْأَبْدَانِof bodiesرِدْءًاa protectionدُونَagainstصُرُوفِthe vicissitudesالزَّمَانِof time
and that he should make what is surplus from the sustenance of bodies a protection against the vicissitudes of time
فَإِنَّاfor weلَاnotنُنْسَبُare attributedإِلَىtoالْحِكْمَةِwisdomحَتَّىuntilنُحِيطَwe surroundأَصْلَthe rootالنِّعْمَةِof the blessing
for we are not attributed to wisdom until we surround the root of the blessing
بِأَنْby thatنَجْعَلَwe makeدُونَagainstفُضُولِهَاits surplusجُنَّةً3a shield
by making a shield against its surplus [3]
شَاهِدٌa witnessعَلَىtoعَجَبِكَyour wonderبِمَذْهَبِهِat his doctrine
a witness to your wonder at his doctrine
وَبُرْهَانٌand proofعَلَىofمَيْلِكَyour inclinationإِلَىtoسَبِيلِهِhis path
and proof of your inclination to his path
وَفِيand inاسْتِحْسَانِكَyour admiringرِوَايَةَthe narrationالْأَصْمَعِيِّof al-Asma'i
And in your admiring the narration of al-Asma'i
فِيthatأَنَّthatأَكْثَرَthe majorityأَهْلِof the peopleالنَّارِof the Fireالنِّسَاءُare womenوَالْفُقَرَاءُand the poor
that the majority of the people of the Fire are women and the poor
وَأَنَّand thatأَكْثَرَthe majorityأَهْلِof the peopleالْجَنَّةِof Paradiseالْبُلْهُare the simpleوَالْأَغْنِيَاءُand the rich
and that the majority of the people of Paradise are the simple and the rich
وَأَنَّand thatأَرْبَابَthe ownersالدُّثُورِ4of wealth
and that the owners of wealth [4]
هُمُtheyالَّذِينَwhoذَهَبُواwent away withبِالْأُجُورِ5the rewards
they are the ones who went away with the rewards [5]
بُرْهَانٌa proofعَلَىofصِحَّةِthe correctnessحُكْمِنَاof our judgmentعَلَيْكَupon you
a proof of the correctness of our judgment upon you
وَدَلِيلٌand an evidenceعَلَىofصَوَابِthe soundnessرَأْيِنَاof our opinionفِيكَin you
and an evidence of the soundness of our opinion in you
وَفِيand inتَفْضِيلِكَyour preferringكَلَامَthe wordsابْنِof IbnغَزْوَانَGhazwan
And in your preferring the words of Ibn Ghazwan
حِينَwhenقَالَhe said
when he said
تَنَعَّمْتُمْyou have enjoyedبِالطَّعَامِwith foodالطَّيِّبِgoodوَبِالثِّيَابِand with clothesالْفَاخِرَةِluxurious
You have enjoyed good food and luxurious clothes
وَبِالشَّرَابِand with drinkالرَّقِيقِdelicateوَبِالْغِنَاءِand with singingالْمُطْرِبِentertaining
and with delicate drink and entertaining singing
وَتَعَنَّيْتُمْand you have sufferedبِعِزِّwith the mightالثَّرْوَةِof wealthوَبِصَوَابِand with the soundnessالنَّظَرِof visionفِيinالْعَاقِبَةِthe outcome
and you have suffered with the might of wealth and the soundness of vision in the outcome
وَبِكَثْرَةِand with abundanceالْمَالِof wealthوَالْأَمْنِand securityمِنْfromسُوءِthe evilالْحَالِof condition
and with abundant wealth and security from the evil of condition
وَمِنْand fromذُلِّthe humiliationالرَّغْبَةِof desireإِلَىtoالرِّجَالِ6men
and from the humiliation of desire to men [6]
وَالْعَجْزِand the inabilityعَنْtoمَصْلَحَةِthe welfareالْعِيَالِof family
and the inability to provide for the welfare of family
فَتِلْكَso thatلَذَّتُكُمْis your pleasureوَهَذِهِand thisلَذَّتُنَاis our pleasure
So that is your pleasure, and this is our pleasure
وَهَذَاand thisرَأْيُنَاis our viewفِيregardingالتَّسَلُّمِbeing freeمِنَfromالذَّمِّblame
And this is our view regarding being free from blame
وَذَاكَand thatرَأْيُكُمْis your viewفِيregardingالتَّعَرُّضِexposing oneselfلِلْحَمْدِto praise
and that is your view regarding exposing oneself to praise
وَإِنَّمَاonlyيَنْتَفِعُbenefitsبِالْحَمْدِfrom praiseالسَّلِيمُthe one freeالْفَارِغُthe emptyالْبَالِmind
Only the one with a free and empty mind benefits from praise
وَيَسُرُّand delightsبِاللَّذَّاتِin pleasuresالصَّحِيحُthe soundالصَّادِقُthe truthfulالْحَسِّof sense
and the sound and truthful of sense delights in pleasures
فَأَمَّاbut as forالْفَقِيرُthe poor
but as for the poor
فَمَاthen whatأَغْنَاهُmakes him needlessعَنِofالْحَمْدِpraise
then what makes him needless of praise
وَأَفْقَرَهُand more needyإِلَىforمَاwhatبِهِby whichيَجِدُhe findsطَعْمَthe taste
and more needy for what by which he finds the taste
Footnotes
- 1.الْإِسْتِعْدَادُ فِي حَالِ الْمُهْلَةِ، وَالْأَخْذُ بِالثِّقَةِ، وَإِنَّ أَقْبَحَ التَّفْرِيطِ مَا جَاءَ مَعَ طُولِ الْمُدَّةِ.
Preparation during the time of respite, and taking with certainty, and indeed the ugliest negligence is that which comes with length of time.
- 2.الْحَدَثَانُ: النَّوَائِبُ وَالْمَصَائِبُ.
Calamities: misfortunes and disasters.
- 3.الْجُنَّةُ: الْوِقَايَةُ وَالسُّتْرَةُ.
Shield: protection and cover.
- 4.الدُّثُورُ: الْأَمْوَالُ الْكَثِيرَةُ.
Wealth: abundant money.
- 5.الْأُجُورُ: الثَّوَابُ.
Rewards: recompense.
- 6.رَغْبَةٌ إِلَى الرِّجَالِ: اِحْتِيَاجٌ إِلَيْهِمْ وَطَمَعٌ فِيمَا عِنْدَهُمْ.
Desire to men: need for them and greed for what they have.