وَالْتَبْذِيرُand extravagance
And extravagance.
وَخَرَجَand went outغَيْلَانُGhaylanبْنُibnسَلَمَةَ1Salamaمِنْfromجَمِيعِallمَالِهِhis wealthفَأَكْرَهَهُso he forced himعُمَرُUmarعَلَىuponالرُّجُوعِreturningفِيهِto it
And Ghaylan ibn Salama went out from all his wealth, so Umar forced him to return to it.
وَقَالَand he saidلَوْifمُتَّyou had diedلَرَجَمْتُI would have stonedقَبْرَكَyour graveكَمَاasيُرْجَمُis stonedقَبْرُthe grave ofأَبِيAbuرِغَالٍRighal
And he said: 'If you had died, I would have stoned your grave as the grave of Abu Righal is stoned.'
وَقَالَand saidاللَّهُAllahجَلَّmajesticوَعَزَّand mightyلِيُنْفِقْlet spendذُوpossessor ofسَعَةٍwealthمِنْfromسَعَتِهِhis wealthوَمَنْand whoeverقُدِرَis restrictedعَلَيْهِupon himفَلْيُنْفِقْthen let him spendمِمَّاfrom whatآتَاهُAllah gave himاللَّهُAllah
And Allah, majestic and mighty, said: 'Let the wealthy spend from his wealth, and whoever is restricted, let him spend from what Allah has given him.'
وَقَالَand saidالنَّبِيُّthe ProphetصَلَّىmayاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peaceيَكْفِيكَsufficient for youمَاwhatبَلَّغَكَhas reached youالْمَحَلَّthe place of arrival
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'What brings you to your destination is sufficient for you.'
وَقَالَand he saidمَاwhatقَلَّis littleوَكَفَىand sufficesخَيْرٌis betterمِمَّاthan whatكَثُرَis muchوَأَلْهَىand distracts
And he said: 'What is little and suffices is better than what is much and distracts.'
وَقَالَand saidاللَّهُAllahتَبَارَكَblessedوَتَعَالَىand exaltedوَالَّذِينَand those whoإِذَاwhenأَنْفَقُواthey spendلَمْnotيُسْرِفُواthey are extravagantوَلَمْand notيَقْتُرُواthey are stingyوَكَانَand isبَيْنَbetweenذَلِكَthatقَوَامًا2a moderate way
And Allah, blessed and exalted, said: 'And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy, but hold a moderate way between that.'
وَقَالَand saidالنَّبِيُّthe ProphetصَلَّىmayاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peaceإِنَّindeedالْمُنْبَتَّthe one whose mount becomes exhaustedلَاneitherأَرْضًاlandقَطَعَhe crossedوَلَاnorظَهْرًاa mountأَبْقَى3he spared
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Indeed, the one who overdrives his mount neither crosses the land nor spares the mount.'
وَقَالَand saidاللَّهُAllahجَلَّmajesticذِكْرُهُis His remembranceوَلَاand do notتَجْعَلْmakeيَدَكَyour handمَغْلُولَةً4chainedإِلَىtoعُنُقِكَyour neckوَلَاand do notتَبْسُطْهَاstretch itكُلَّallالْبَسْطِthe stretchingفَتَقْعُدَlest you sitمَلُومًاblameworthyمَحْسُورًاregretful
And Allah, majestic is His remembrance, said: 'And do not make your hand chained to your neck, nor stretch it fully, lest you sit blameworthy and regretful.'
وَلِذَلِكَand thereforeقَالُواthey saidخَيْرُthe bestمَالِكَof your wealthمَاwhatنَفَعَكَbenefited youوَخَيْرُand the bestالْأُمُورِof mattersأَوْسَاطُهَاtheir middle waysوَسِرُّand the secretالسَّيْرِof travelingالْحَقْحَقَةُ5is the moderate pace
And therefore they said: 'The best of your wealth is what benefits you, and the best of matters is their middle way, and the secret of traveling is the moderate pace.'
وَالْحَسَنَةُand the good deedبَيْنَbetweenالسَّيِّئَتَيْنِthe two evil deeds
And the good deed is between the two evil deeds.
وَقَالُواand they saidدِينُthe religionاللَّهِof Allahبَيْنَbetweenالْمُقَصِّرِthe negligentوَالْغَالِيand the excessive
And they said: 'The religion of Allah is between the negligent and the excessive.'
وَقَالُواand they saidفِيinالْمَثَلِthe proverbبَيْنَهُمَاbetween themيَرْمِيshootsالرَّامِيthe archer
And they said in the proverb: 'Between them the archer shoots.'
وَقَالُواand they saidعَلَيْكَupon you (you must adhere)بِالسَّدَادِto moderationوَالِاقْتِصَادِand frugalityوَلَاand notوَكْسَdeficiencyوَلَاand notشَطَطَ6excess
And they said: 'Adhere to moderation and frugality, with neither deficiency nor excess.'
وَقَالُواand they saidبَيْنَbetweenالْمُمِخَّةِthe fat camelوَالْعَجْفَاءِ7and the lean camel
And they said: 'Between the fat camel and the lean camel.'
وَقَالُواand they saidلَاdo notتَكُنْbeحُلْوًاsweetفَتُبْتَلَعَso you are swallowedوَلَاand do notمُرًّاbitterفَتُلْفَظَso you are spat out
And they said: 'Do not be so sweet that you are swallowed, nor so bitter that you are spat out.'
وَقَالُواand they saidفِيinالْمَثَلِthe proverbلَيْسَnotالرِّيُّthe quenching of thirstعَنِfromالتَّشَافِ8the drinking until fully satisfied
And they said in the proverb: 'Quenching is not from over-drinking.'
Footnotes
- 1.غَيْلَانُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ الثَّقَفِيُّ: صَحَابِيٌّ، أَسْلَمَ وَحَسُنَ إِسْلَامُهُ، وَكَانَ مِنْ أَجْوَدِ النَّاسِ، وَقِصَّتُهُ مَشْهُورَةٌ.
Ghaylan ibn Salama al-Thaqafi: a Companion, he embraced Islam and his Islam was good, and he was one of the most generous people, and his story is well-known.
- 2.قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنْفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَامًا [الفرقان: 67].
The saying of Allah, exalted: 'And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy, but hold a moderate way between that' [Al-Furqan: 67].
- 3.الْحَدِيثُ رَوَاهُ أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ وَغَيْرُهُ، وَقَالَ الْعِرَاقِيُّ: رَوَاهُ الطَّبَرَانِيُّ فِي الْأَوْسَطِ بِسَنَدٍ ضَعِيفٍ.
The hadith was narrated by Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilya and others, and al-Iraqi said: narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Awsat with a weak chain.
- 4.قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَحْسُورًا [الإسراء: 29].
The saying of Allah, exalted: 'And do not make your hand chained to your neck, nor stretch it fully, lest you sit blameworthy and regretful' [Al-Isra: 29].
- 5.الْحَقْحَقَةُ: شِدَّةُ السَّيْرِ وَهُوَ فَوْقَ الْعَنَقِ وَدُونَ الْهَرْوَلَةِ.
Al-haqhaqah: intensity of walking, which is above the normal pace and below jogging.
- 6.الْوَكْسُ: النَّقْصُ، وَالشَّطَطُ: مُجَاوَزَةُ الْحَدِّ فِي الْإِفْرَاطِ وَالتَّفْرِيطِ.
Al-waks: deficiency, and al-shatat: exceeding the limit in excess or negligence.
- 7.الْمُمِخَّةُ: النَّاقَةُ الَّتِي بَلَغَتْ أَقْصَى السِّمَنِ، وَالْعَجْفَاءُ: الْمَهْزُولَةُ.
Al-mumikhah: the she-camel that has reached the utmost fatness, and al-ajfa': the thin one.
- 8.التَّشَافُّ: شُرْبُ الْمَاءِ حَتَّى يَمْتَلِئَ الرِّيُّ وَيَزِيدَ عَلَيْهِ.
At-tashaffuf: drinking water until full satisfaction and beyond.