وَاحْذَرْAnd bewareأَنْthatتُخْرِجَyou take outمِنْfromمَالِكَyour wealthدِرْهَمًاa dirhamحَتَّىuntilتَرَىyou seeمَكَانَهُits placeخَيْرًاbetterمِنْهُthan it
And beware of spending a dirham from your wealth until you see that its place is better than it.
وَلَاAnd do notتَنْظُرْlookإِلَىatكَثْرَتِهِits abundanceفَإِنَّfor indeedرَمْلَthe sandعَالِجٍ1of Aalijلَوْifأُخِذَit were takenمِنْهُfrom itوَلَمْand notيُرَدَّreturnedعَلَيْهِto itلَذَهَبَit would goعَنْawayآخِرِهِits end
And do not look at its abundance, for if the sand of Aalij were taken from it and not returned, it would go entirely.
إِنَّIndeedالْقَوْمَthe peopleقَدْhaveأَكْثَرُواspoken muchفِيaboutذِكْرِthe mentionالْجُودِof generosityوَتَفْضِيلِهِand preferring itوَفِيand aboutذِكْرِthe mentionالْكَرَمِof nobilityوَتَشْرِيفِهِand honoring it
Indeed, the people have spoken much about generosity and preferring it, and about nobility and honoring it.
وَسَمَّوْاAnd they calledالسَّرَفَextravaganceجُودًاgenerosityوَجَعَلُوهُand made itكَرَمًاnobility
And they called extravagance generosity and made it nobility.
وَكَيْفَAnd howيَكُونُcan it beكَذَلِكَsoوَهُوَwhile itنِتَاجُthe productمَاof whatبَيْنَbetweenالضَّعْفِweaknessوَالنَّفْجِ2and self-praise
And how can it be so, when it is the product of what is between weakness and self-praise?
وَكَيْفَAnd howوَwhileالْعَطَاءُthe givingلَاnotيَكُونُisسَرَفًاextravagantإِلَّاexceptبَعْدَafterمُجَاوَزَةِexceedingالْحَقِّthe right
And how, when giving is not extravagant except after exceeding the right?
وَلَيْسَAnd there is notوَرَاءَbeyondالْحَقِّthe rightإِلَىtoالْبَاطِلِfalsehoodكَرَمٌnobility
And beyond the right, there is no nobility towards falsehood.
وَإِذَاAnd ifكَانَwasالْبَاطِلُfalsehoodكَرَمًاnobilityكَانَwasالْحَقُّthe truthلُؤْمًاmeanness
And if falsehood is nobility, then truth is meanness.
وَالسَّرَفُAnd extravaganceحَفِظَكَmay protect youاللهُGodمَعْصِيَةٌis disobedience
And extravagance, may God protect you, is disobedience.
وَإِذَاAnd ifكَانَتْwasمَعْصِيَةُdisobedience ofاللهِGodكَرَمًاnobilityكَانَتْwasطَاعَتُهُHis obedienceلُؤْمًاmeanness
And if disobedience of God is nobility, then His obedience is meanness.
وَلَئِنْAnd even ifجَمَعَهُمَاgathered themاسْمٌa nameوَاحِدٌoneوَشَمِلَهُمَاand encompassed themحُكْمٌa rulingوَاحِدٌone
And even if one name gathered them and one ruling encompassed them...
وَمُضَادَّةُAnd the opposition ofالْحَقِّtruthلِلْبَاطِلِto falsehoodكَمُضَادَّةِis like the opposition ofالصِّدْقِtruthfulnessلِلْكَذِبِto lyingوَالْوَفَاءِand faithfulnessلِلْغَدْرِto treacheryوَالْجَوْرِand injusticeلِلْعَدْلِto justiceوَالْعِلْمِand knowledgeلِلْجَهْلِto ignorance
And the opposition of truth to falsehood is like the opposition of truthfulness to lying, faithfulness to treachery, injustice to justice, and knowledge to ignorance.
لَيَجْمَعَنَّsurely will gatherهَذِهِtheseالْخِصَالَqualitiesاسْمٌa nameوَاحِدٌoneوَلَيَشْمَلَنَّهَاand surely will encompass themحُكْمٌa rulingوَاحِدٌone
Surely one name will gather these qualities and one ruling will encompass them.
وَقَدْAnd indeedوَجَدْنَاwe foundاللهَGodعَابَblamedالسَّرَفَextravaganceوَعَابَand blamedالْحَمِيَّةَ3zealوَعَابَand blamedالْعَصَبِيَّةَpartisanship
And indeed we found that God blamed extravagance, zeal, and partisanship.
وَوَجَدْنَاهُAnd we found Himقَدْhasخَصَّspecifiedالسَّرَفَextravaganceبِمَاwith whatلَمْnotيَخُصَّHe specifiedبِهِwith itالْحَمِيَّةَzeal
And we found that He specified extravagance with something He did not specify zeal with.
لِأَنَّهُbecause itلَيْسَis notحُبُّthe loveالْمَرْءِof a manلِرَهْطِهِfor his clanمِنْfromالْعَصَبِيَّةِpartisanshipوَلَاand notأَنَفَتُهُhis prideمِنْfromالضَّيْمِoppressionمِنْfromحَمِيَّةِzeal ofالْجَاهِلِيَّةِignorance
Because a man's love for his clan is not from partisanship, nor his pride against oppression from the zeal of ignorance.
وَإِنَّمَاBut ratherالْعَصَبِيَّةُpartisanshipمَاis whatجَاوَزَexceededالْحَقَّthe rightوَالْحَمِيَّةُand zealالْمُعَيَّبَةُblameworthyمَاis whatتَعَدَّىtransgressedالْقَصْدَthe moderate course
But rather, partisanship is what exceeds the right, and blameworthy zeal is what transgresses the moderate course.
فَوَجَدْنَاAnd we foundاسْمَthe nameالْأَنَفَةِof prideقَدْmayيَقَعُoccurمَحْمُودًاpraiseworthyوَمَذْمُومًاand blameworthy
And we found that the name of pride may be praiseworthy or blameworthy.
وَمَاAnd notوَجَدْنَاwe foundاسْمَthe nameالْعَصَبِيَّةِof partisanshipوَلَاand notاسْمَthe nameالسَّرَفِof extravaganceيَقَعُoccursأَبَدًاeverإِلَّاexceptمَذْمُومًا4blameworthy
And we never found the name of partisanship or the name of extravagance occurring except as blameworthy.
وَإِنَّمَاBut ratherيَسُرُّis pleasedبِاسْمِwith the nameالسَّرَفِof extravaganceجَاهِلٌan ignorant personلَاnoعِلْمَknowledgeلَهُfor him
But rather, an ignorant person with no knowledge is pleased by the name of extravagance.
أَوْorرَجُلٌa manإِنَّمَاonlyيَسُرُّis pleasedبِهِby itلِأَنَّbecauseأَحَدًاsomeoneلَاnotيُسَمِّيهِcalls himمُسْرِفًاextravagantحَتَّىuntilيَكُونَit isعِنْدَهُwith himقَدْhasجَاوَزَexceededحَدَّthe limitالْجُودِof generosity
Or a man is pleased by it only because no one calls him extravagant until he has, in his view, exceeded the limit of generosity.
وَحَكَمَand he judgedلَهُfor himبِالْحَقِّwith the truthثُمَّthenأَرْدَفَهُhe followed itبِالْبَاطِلِwith falsehood
And he judged for him with the truth, then followed it with falsehood.
فَإِنْAnd ifسُرَّhe is pleasedمِنْfromغَيْرِotherهَذَاthisالْوَجْهِaspectفَقَدْthen indeedشَارَكَhe sharedالْمَادِحَthe praiserفِيinالْخَطَأِthe errorوَشَاكَلَهُand resembled himفِيinوَضْعِplacingالشَّيْءِthe thingفِيinغَيْرِother thanمَوْضِعِهِits place
And if he is pleased for any other aspect, then he has shared the praiser in error and resembled him in placing the thing in other than its proper place.
Footnotes
- 1.عَالِجٌ: رَمْلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ بِكَثْرَتِهِ، وَهُوَ مَوْضِعٌ بِالْبَادِيَةِ.
Aalij: a sand known for its abundance, a place in the desert.
- 2.النَّفْجُ: التَّكَبُّرُ وَالْعُجْبُ، وَقِيلَ: هُوَ النَّفْخُ وَالْعَظَمَةُ.
An-Nafj: arrogance and self-conceit, or it is said blowing and grandeur.
- 3.الْحَمِيَّةُ: الْأَنَفَةُ وَالْإِبَاءُ، وَالْمَقْصُودُ هُنَا حَمِيَّةُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ.
Al-Hamiyyah: pride and refusal, here meaning the zeal of ignorance.
- 4.أَيْ: لَمْ يَرِدْ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَلَا فِي السُّنَّةِ مَدْحُ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ وَلَا السَّرَفِ قَطُّ.
That is, neither partisanship nor extravagance has ever been praised in the Quran or the Sunnah.