فَلَمَّاThen whenبَلَغَتِreachedالرِّسَالَةُthe letterابْنَsonالتَّوْأَمِal-Taw'amكَرِهَhe dislikedأَنْtoيُجِيبَrespondأَبَاAbuالْعَاصِal-Asلِمَاbecause of whatفِيinذَلِكَthatمِنَofالْمُنَافَسَةِ1rivalryوَالْمُبَايَنَةِ2and divergenceوَخَافَand he fearedأَنْthatيَتَرَقَّىescalateالْأَمْرُthe matterإِلَىtoأَكْثَرَmoreمِنْthanذَلِكَthatفَكَتَبَso he wroteهَذِهِthisوَبَعَثَand sentبِهَاwith itإِلَىtoالثَّقَفِيِّthe Thaqafi
When the letter reached Ibn al-Taw'am, he disliked to respond to Abu al-As, because of the rivalry and divergence that would entail, and he feared the matter might escalate further, so he wrote this and sent it to the Thaqafi:
بِسْمِIn the name ofاللَّهِAllahالرَّحْمَنِthe Most Graciousالرَّحِيمِthe Most Merciful
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
أَمَّاAs forبَعْدُafterفَقَدْindeedبَلَغَنِيreached meمَاwhatكَانَwasمِنْofذِكْرِmentionأَبِيAbuالْعَاصِal-Asلَنَاof usوَتَوْهِيهِand his belittlingبِأَسْمَائِنَاof our namesوَتَشْنِيعِهِand his vilificationعَلَيْنَاagainst us
To proceed: Indeed, what Abu al-As said about us, his belittling of our names, and his vilification against us, has reached me.
وَلَيْسَAnd notيَمْنَعُنَاprevents usمِنْfromجَوَابِهِanswering himإِلَّاexceptأَنَّهُthat heإِنْifأَجَابَنَاresponded to usلَمْnotيَكُنْwould beجَوَابُنَاour answerإِيَّاهُto himعَلَىtoقَوْلِهِhis sayingالثَّانِيthe secondأَحَقَّmore deservingبِالتَّرْكِof leavingمِنْthanجَوَابِنَاour answerعَلَىtoقَوْلِهِhis sayingالْأَوَّلِthe first
Nothing prevents us from answering him except that if he responded to us, our answer to his second statement would not be more deserving of abandonment than our answer to his first statement.
فَإِنْFor ifنَحْنُweجَعَلْنَاwe makeلِابْتِدَائِهِfor his initiationجَوَابًاan answerوَجَعَلْنَاand we makeلِجَوَابِهِfor his answerالثَّانِيthe secondجَوَابًاan answerخَرَجْنَاwe would go outإِلَىtoالتُّهَاتُرِmutual insultوَصِرْنَاand we would becomeإِلَىtoالتَّخَايُرِ3mutual reviling
For if we make an answer to his initiation, and make an answer to his second answer, we would fall into mutual insult and become engaged in mutual reviling.
وَمَنْAnd whoeverخَرَجَgoes outإِلَىtoذَلِكَthatفَقَدْindeedرَضِيَacceptedبِاللَّجَاجِwith obstinacyحَظًّاas a shareوَبِالسُّخْفِand with foolishnessنَصِيبًاas a portion
And whoever goes to that, he has indeed accepted obstinacy as his share and foolishness as his portion.
وَلَيْسَAnd notيَحْتَرِسُguards againstمِنْfromأَسْبَابِcausesاللَّجَاجِobstinacyإِلَّاexceptمَنْwhoعَرَفَknowsأَسْبَابَcausesالْبَلْوَىaffliction
And none guards against the causes of obstinacy except the one who knows the causes of affliction.
وَمَنْAnd whoeverوَقَاهُprotected himاللَّهُAllahسُوءَevilالتَّكَفِّيof incompetenceوَسُحْفِهِand its meannessوَعَصَمَهُand preserved himمِنْfromسُوءِevilالتَّصْمِيمِof determinationوَنَكَدِهِand its adversityفَقَدِthen indeedاعْتَدَلَتْbecame balancedطَبَائِعُهُhis naturesوَتَسَاوَتْand became equalخَوَاطِرُهُhis thoughts
And whoever Allah protects from the evil of incompetence and its meanness, and preserves from the evil of determination and its adversity, then indeed his natures become balanced and his thoughts become equal.
وَمَنْAnd whoeverقَامَتْstoodأَخْلَاطُهُhis humorsعَلَىonالِاعْتِدَالِbalanceوَتَكَافَأَتْand were equalخَوَاطِرُهُhis thoughtsفِيinالْوَزْنِweightلَمْnotيَعْرِفْhe would knowمِنَfromالْأَعْمَالِdeedsإِلَّاexceptالِاقْتِصَادَmoderationوَلَمْand notيَجِدْhe would findأَفْعَالَهُhis actionsأَبَدًاeverإِلَّاexceptبَيْنَbetweenالتَّقْصِيرِshortcomingوَالْإِفْرَاطِand excess
And whoever's humors are balanced, and his thoughts are equal in weight, he would know only moderation in deeds, and he would never find his actions except between shortcoming and excess.
لِأَنَّBecauseالْمَوْزُونَthe balancedلَاnotيُولَدُis bornإِلَّاexceptمَوْزُونًاbalancedكَمَاjust asأَنَّthatالْمُخْتَلِفَthe differingلَاnotيُولَدُis bornإِلَّاexceptمُخْتَلِفًاdiffering
Because the balanced is not born except balanced, just as the differing is not born except differing.
فَالْمُتَتَابِعُSo the one who persistsلَاnotيَثْنِيهِturns him awayزَجْرٌa rebukeوَلَيْسَتْand notلَهُfor himغَايَةٌa limitدُونَwithoutالتَّلَفِdestructionوَالْمُتَكَفِّيand the incompetentلَيْسَnotلَهُfor himمَأْتًىa resortوَلَاand notجِهَةٌa directionوَلَاand notلَهُfor himرُقْيَةٌ5a charmوَلَاand not
So the one who persists is not turned away by a rebuke, and he has no limit short of destruction; and the incompetent has no resort, no direction, no charm, and no...