مِنَfromالْبُخْلِmiserliness»!فَجَعَلَهُso he made itدَاءًa disease،ثُمَّthenجَعَلَهُhe made itمِنْofأَدْوَىthe most painfulالدَّاءِdiseases.
From miserliness! He made it a disease, then he made it of the most painful diseases.
وَقَالَand he saidلِلْأَنْصَارِto the Ansar:«أَمَاverilyوَاللهِby AllahمَاnotعَلِمْتُكُمْI have known youإِلَّاexcept thatتُكْثِرُونَyou increaseعِنْدَatالْفَزَعِfear،وَتَقِلُّونَand you decreaseعِنْدَatالطَّمَعِ1greed».
And he said to the Ansar: 'By Allah, I have not known you except that you increase at times of fear and decrease at times of greed.'
وَقَالَand he said:«كَفَىsufficientبِالْمَرْءِfor a manحِرْصًاas greedرُكُوبُهُhis ridingالْبَحْرَ2the sea».
And he said: 'It is sufficient greed for a man to ride the sea.'
وَقَالَand he said:«لَوْifأَنَّthatلِابْنِfor the son ofآدَمَAdamوَادِيَيْنِ3two valleysمِنْofمَالٍwealthلَابْتَغَىhe would have soughtثَالِثًاa third،وَلَاand notيَشْبَعُis filledابْنُthe son ofآدَمَAdamإِلَّاexceptالتُّرَابُdust،وَيَتُوبُand He relentsاللهُAllahعَلَىuponمَنْwhoeverتَابَrepents».
And he said: 'If the son of Adam had two valleys of wealth, he would seek a third, and nothing fills the son of Adam except dust, and Allah relents upon whoever repents.'
وَقَالَand he said:«السَّخَاءُgenerosityمِنَfromالْحَيَاءِmodesty،وَالْحَيَاءُand modestyمِنَfromالْإِيمَانِfaith».
And he said: 'Generosity comes from modesty, and modesty comes from faith.'
وَقَالَand he said:«إِنَّindeedاللهَAllahجَوَادٌis generousيُحِبُّHe lovesالْجُودَgenerosity».
And he said: 'Indeed Allah is generous and loves generosity.'
وَقَالَand he said:«أَنْفِقْspendيَاOبِلَالُBilal،وَلَاand do notتَخْشَfearمِنْfromذِيthe Possessor ofالْعَرْشِthe Throneإِقْلَالًاreduction (of provision)».
And he said: 'Spend, O Bilal, and do not fear from the Possessor of the Throne reduction (of provision).'
وَقَالَand he said:«لَاdo notتُوكِيءْtie the mouth of (a bag)فَيُوكَأَso it will be tiedعَلَيْكَ4against you».
And he said: 'Do not tie (the mouth of your bag), lest it be tied against you.'
وَقَالَand he said:«لَاdo notتَحْصِcount (calculate)فَيُحْصَىso it will be countedعَلَيْكَ5against you».
And he said: 'Do not count (your wealth), lest it be counted against you.'
وَقَالُواand they said:«لَاnotيَنْفَعُكَbenefits youمِنْfromزَادٍprovisionمَاwhatتُبَقِّيyou leave behind».
And they said: 'That which you leave behind of provision does not benefit you.'
وَلَمْand notيُسَمِّhe namedالذَّهَبَgoldوَالْفِضَّةَand silverبِالْحَجَرَيْنِthe two stonesإِلَّاexceptوَهُوَwhile heيُرِيدُwantsأَنْtoيَضَعَhe lowerمِنْfromأَقْدَارِهِمَاtheir worth،وَمِنْand fromفِتْنَةِthe temptationالنَّاسِof peopleبِهِمَاby them.
And he did not call gold and silver the two stones except to lower their worth in people's eyes and their temptation by them.
وَقَالَand he saidلِقَيْسِto Qaysبْنِson ofعَاصِمٍ6Asim:«إِنَّمَاonlyلَكَfor youمِنْfromمَالِكَyour wealthمَاwhatأَكَلْتَyou ateفَأَفْنَيْتَand consumed،وَمَاand whatلَبِسْتَyou woreفَأَبْلَيْتَand wore out،أَوْorأَعْطَيْتَyou gaveفَأَمْضَيْتَand sent forth،وَمَاand whatسِوَىother thanذَلِكَthatفَلِلْوَارِثِis for the inheritor».
And he said to Qays ibn Asim: 'Only for you is that (part) of your wealth which you ate and consumed, or wore and wore out, or gave and sent forth; and whatever is other than that is for the inheritor.'
وَقَالَand he saidالنَّمِرُal-Namirبْنُson ofتَوْلَبٍ7Tawlab:
And al-Namir ibn Tawlab said:
وَحَثَّتْand she urgedعَلَىtoجَمْعٍcollectingوَمَنْعٍand withholding،وَنَفْسُهَاand her soul...لَهَاfor herفِيinصُرُوفِthe vicissitudesالدَّهْرِof timeحَقٌّa rightكَذُوبِ8lying
And she urged to collecting and withholding, while her soul... for her in the vicissitudes of time is a lying right.
وَكَائِنْand how manyرَأَيْنَاwe have seenمِنْofكَرِيمٍa noble oneمُرَزَّأٍafflicted...أَخِيbrother ofثِقَةٍtrustطَلْقِopenالْيَدَيْنِof handsوَهَّوبِ9a great giver
And how many noble, afflicted ones we have seen, a trusted brother with open hands and a great giver.
Footnotes
- 1.رواه مسلم في صحيحه عن عبد الله بن عمر. ومعنى الحديث: أنهم يكثرون عند الخوف ويتقلون عند الطمع.
Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih on the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar. The meaning of the hadith: that they increase (in numbers) at times of fear and decrease at times of greed.
- 2.رواه ابن أبي الدنيا في الإشراف. ومعناه: أن ركوب البحر يطلب فيه التجارة لكثرة الربح، فهو يدل على حرصه.
Narrated by Ibn Abi al-Dunya in al-Ishraf. Its meaning: that riding the sea is done to seek trade for great profit, which indicates greed.
- 3.في رواية: لو أن لابن آدم واديا من مال لابتغى ثانيا، ولو كان واديان لابتغى ثالثا. متفق عليه.
In one narration: 'If the son of Adam had one valley of wealth, he would seek a second; and if he had two valleys, he would seek a third.' Agreed upon.
- 4.توكيء: تشد رأس الوعاء. يقال: أوكيت السقاء إذا شددت رأسه وربطته. والمعنى: لا تمسك مالك عن الإنفاق فيوكأ عليك أي يمسك عنك.
Tuki' means tie the mouth of the container. It is said: 'Awkaitu al-siqa' if you tied its top. The meaning: do not withhold your wealth from spending, lest it be withheld from you.
- 5.تحص: تحسب وتعد. والمعنى: لا تعد مالك ولا تحفظه بالعد، فيعد الله عليك نعمه ولا يبارك لك فيه.
Tahsi means you count and calculate. The meaning: do not count your wealth and do not keep it by counting, lest Allah count His blessings against you and not bless you in it.
- 6.قيس بن عاصم: صحابي جليل من سادة تميم، وهو أحد الأجواد المعروفين.
Qays ibn Asim: a noble companion from the leaders of Tamim, and he is one of the well-known generous ones.
- 7.النمر بن تولب: شاعر جاهلي أدرك الإسلام وأسلم، وهو من شعراء مخضرمين.
Al-Namir ibn Tawlab: a pre-Islamic poet who lived into Islam and accepted it, and he is among the Mukhadram poets.
- 8.كذوب: بضم الكاف، أي حاجة كاذبة لا يتوصل إليها. يصف نفسه بأنه يحرص على جمع المال ويبخل به، ونفسه التي بين جنبيه تطالبه بحقه في الزمان، لكن ذلك الحق كاذب لا يتحقق.
Kadhoob: with a damma on the kaaf, i.e., a lying need that cannot be attained. He describes himself as eager to collect wealth and withhold it, while his soul between his sides demands its right in time, but that right is false and unattainable.
- 9.كائن: بمعنى كم. المعنى: كم رأينا من رجل كريم أصيب في ماله، فهو مع ذلك أخو ثقة، واسع الصدر، جواد.
Ka'in: meaning 'how many'. The meaning: how many a noble man have we seen afflicted in his wealth, yet he is a trusted brother, open-minded, and generous.