وَقَالَand saidتَمِيمُTamimبْنُson ofمُقْبِلٍMuqbil::
And Tamim ibn Muqbil said:
فَأَخْلَفَand substitutedوَأَتْلَفَand destroyed،,إِنَّمَاonlyالْمَالُwealthعَارَةٌis a loan......
He substituted and destroyed; wealth is but a loan...
وَكُلُّهُand all of itمَعَwithالدَّهْرِtimeالَّذِيwhichهُوَitآكِلُهُ1its consumer
...and all of it is with time which consumes it. [1]
وَقَالَand saidأَبُوAbuذَرٍّDhar::«"لَكَfor youفِيinمَالِكَyour wealthشَرِيكَانِtwo partners::الْوَارِثُthe inheritorوَالْحَدَثَانِand calamities»"..
And Abu Dhar said: 'You have two partners in your wealth: the inheritor and calamities.'
وَقَالَand saidالْحُطَيْئَةُ2al-Hutay'ah::
And al-Hutay'ah said [2]:
مَنْwhoeverيَفْعَلُdoesالْخَيْرَgoodلَاnotيَعْدَمُlacksجَوَازِيَهُhis recompense......
Whoever does good will not lack its recompense...
لَاnotيَذْهَبُgoes awayالْعُرْفُfavorبَيْنَbetweenاللهِGodوَالنَّاسِand people..
...favor does not go away between God and people.
وَجَاءَand cameفِيinالْأَثَرِthe tradition::إِنَّindeedأَهْلَpeople ofالْمَعْرُوفِgoodnessفِيinالدُّنْيَاthis worldأَهْلُpeople ofالْمَعْرُوفِgoodnessفِيinالْآخِرَةِthe Hereafter..
And it came in the tradition: Indeed, the people of goodness in this world are the people of goodness in the Hereafter.
وَفِيand inالْمَثَلِthe proverb::«"إِصْنَعِdoالْخَيْرَgoodوَلَوْeven ifإِلَىtoكَلْبٍa dog»"..
And in the proverb: 'Do good even if to a dog.'
وَقَالَand saidفِيinالْحَثِّurgingعَلَىonالْقَلِيلِthe littleفَضْلًاin additionعَلَىtoالْكَثِيرِthe much،,قَالَsaidاللهُGodجَلَّglorifiedذِكْرُهُHis mention::«"فَمَنْthen whoeverيَعْمَلْdoesمِثْقَالَ3weight ofذَرَّةٍan atomخَيْرًاgoodيَرَهُhe will see it،,وَمَنْand whoeverيَعْمَلْdoesمِثْقَالَweight ofذَرَّةٍan atomشَرًّاevilيَرَهُhe will see it»"،,
And urging the little over the much, God, glorified be His mention, said: 'Then whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.' [3]
وَقَالَتْand saidعَائِشَةُAishaفِيregardingحَبَّةِa grain ofعِنَبٍgrapes::«"إِنَّindeedفِيهَاin itلَمَثَاقِيلَthere are weightsذَرٍّof atoms»"..
And Aisha said regarding a grape: 'Indeed, in it there are weights of atoms.'
وَلِذَلِكَand for thatقَالُواthey saidفِيinالْمَثَلِthe proverb::«"مَنْwhoeverحَقَّرَbelittledحُرِمَ4was deprived»"..
And for that they said in the proverb: 'Whoever belittles is deprived.' [4]
وَقَالَand saidسَلْمُSalmبْنُson ofقُتَيْبَةَQutaybah::«"يَسْتَحِيis ashamedأَحَدُهُمْone of themمِنْofتَقْرِيبِofferingالْقَلِيلِa littleمِنَofالطَّعَامِfood،,وَيَأْتِيand he comes withأَعْظَمَgreaterمِنْهُthan it»"..
And Salm ibn Qutaybah said: 'One of them is ashamed to offer a little food, and he comes with something greater than it.'
وَقَالَand said::«"جُهْدُeffort ofالْمَرْءِa manأَكْثَرُmoreمِنْthanعَفْوِهِhis surplus»"..
And he said: 'A man's effort is more than his surplus.'
وَقَدَّمَand preferredرَسُولُMessengerاللهِof GodصَلَّىblessاللهُGodعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peaceجُهْدَeffort ofالْمُقِلِّthe poorعَلَىoverعَفْوِsurplus ofالْمُكْثِرِthe rich،,وَإِنْeven ifكَانَwasمَبْلَغُamount ofجُهْدِهِhis effortقَلِيلًاlittle،,وَمَبْلَغُand amount ofعَفْوِsurplus ofالْمُكْثِرِthe richكَثِيرًاmuch..
And the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, preferred the effort of the poor over the surplus of the rich, even if the amount of his effort was little and the amount of the rich's surplus was much.
وَقَالُواand they said::«"لَاdo notيَمْنَعُكَprevent youمِنْfromمَعْرُوفٍa good deedصِغَرُهُits smallness»"..
And they said: 'Do not let the smallness of a good deed prevent you from doing it.'
وَقَالَand saidالنَّبِيُّthe ProphetصَلَّىblessاللهُGodعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peace::«"اتَّقُواfearالنَّارَthe Fireوَلَوْeven ifبِشِقِّwith half ofتَمْرَةٍa date»"..
And the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Fear the Fire even with half a date.'
وَقَالَand said::«"لَاdo notتَرُدُّواrejectالسَّائِلَthe beggarوَلَوْeven ifبِظِلْفٍ5with a hoofمُحَرَّقٍburnt»"..
And he said: 'Do not reject the beggar even with a burnt hoof.' [5]
وَقَالَand said::«"لَاdo notتَرُدُّوهُreject himوَلَوْeven ifبِفِرْسِنٍ6with a hoofشَاةٍsheep»"..
And he said: 'Do not reject him even with a sheep's hoof.' [6]
وَقَالَand said::«"لَاdo notتَحْقِرُواbelittleاللُّقْمَةَthe morsel،,فَإِنَّهَاfor itتَعُودُreturnsكَالْجَبَلِlike the mountainالْعَظِيمِgreat،,لِقَوْلِfor the sayingاللهِof GodجَلَّglorifiedذِكْرُهُHis mention))«"يَمْحَقُHe destroysاللهُGodالرِّبَاusury......
And he said: 'Do not belittle the morsel, for it returns like the great mountain, for the saying of God, glorified be His mention: "God destroys usury..."'
Footnotes
- 1.الْبَيْتُ فِي دِيوَانِهِ، وَهُوَ مِنْ قَصِيدَةٍ لَهُ فِي الْحِكْمَةِ.
The verse is in his diwan, and it is from a poem of his on wisdom.
- 2.الْحُطَيْئَةُ: جَرْوَلُ بْنُ أَوْسٍ، شَاعِرٌ مَشْهُورٌ مِنْ مُخَضْرَمِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَالْإِسْلَامِ.
Al-Hutay'ah is Jarwal ibn Aws, a famous poet from those who lived in both the pre-Islamic and Islamic eras.
- 3.مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ: وَزْنُ ذَرَّةٍ، وَالذَّرَّةُ هِيَ النَّمْلَةُ الصَّغِيرَةُ، وَيُضْرَبُ بِهَا الْمَثَلُ فِي الصِّغَرِ وَالْخِفَّةِ.
Mithqal dharrah means the weight of an atom, and the atom is the small ant, used as a proverb for smallness and lightness.
- 4.أَيْ: مَنْ اسْتَحْقَرَ الشَّيْءَ الْقَلِيلَ وَتَرَكَهُ حُرِمَ خَيْرَهُ.
That is, whoever belittles a small thing and leaves it is deprived of its good.
- 5.الظِّلْفُ: لِلْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْحَافِرِ لِلْخَيْلِ وَالْبَعِيرِ.
At-tilf is for cattle and sheep like the hoof for horses and camels.
- 6.الْفِرْسِنُ: مِنَ الْبَعِيرِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الظِّلْفِ مِنَ الْغَنَمِ، وَالْحَافِرِ مِنَ الْفَرَسِ.
Al-firsn is for the camel like the hoof for sheep, and the hoof for the horse.