الطَّيِّبُthe good؛;وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetصَلَّىmay He blessاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace::
The good; and indeed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
إِذَاwhenطَبَخْتُمْyou cookلَحْمًاmeatفَزِيدُواthen increaseفِيinالْمَاءِthe water،,
When you cook meat, then increase the water.
فَإِنْfor ifلَمْnotيُصِبْobtainأَحَدَكُمْone of youلَحْمًاmeat،,أَصَابَhe obtainsمَرَقًاbroth..
For if one of you does not get meat, he gets broth.
وَعِبْتُمُونِيAnd you criticized meبِخَصْفِfor patchingالنِّعَالِ1the sandals
And you criticized me for patching sandals [1]
،,وَبِتَصْدِيرِand for providing the frontالْقَمِيصِ2of the shirt
, and for the front of the shirt [2]
،,وَحِينَand whenزَعَمْتُI claimedأَنَّthatالْمَخْصُوفَةَthe patchedأَبْقَىmore lastingوَأَوْطَأُand softerوَأَوْقَىand more protective،,
, and when I claimed that the patched (sandals) are more lasting, softer, and more protective,
وَأَنْفَىand more repellingلِلْكِبْرِof pride،,وَأَشْبَهُand more similarبِالنُّسُكِto asceticism،,
and more repelling of pride, and more similar to asceticism,
وَأَنَّand thatالتَّرْقِيعَthe patchingمِنَofالْحَزْمِprudence،,
and that patching is part of prudence,
وَأَنَّand thatالِاجْتِمَاعَthe gatheringمَعَwithالْحِفْظِpreservation،,وَأَنَّand thatالتَّفَرُّقَthe separationمَعَwithالتَّضْيِيعِwastefulness..
and that gathering is with preservation, and that separation is with wastefulness.
وَقَدْAnd indeedكَانَwasالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetصَلَّىmay He blessاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace
And indeed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
يَخْصِفُpatchedنَعْلَهُhis sandal،,وَيَرْقَعُand patchedثَوْبَهُhis garment،,
patched his sandal, and patched his garment,
وَيَلْطَعُ3and lickedإِصْبَعَهُhis finger،,
and licked his finger [3],
وَيَقُولُand says::لَوْifأُتِيتُI was broughtبِذِرَاعٍwith a forearmلَأَكَلْتُI would eat،,
and would say: 'If I were brought a forearm, I would eat,'
وَلَوْand ifدُعِيتُI was invitedإِلَىtoكُرَاعٍa shankلَأَجَبْتُ4I would respond..
and if I were invited to a shank, I would respond [4].'
وَلَقَدْAnd indeedلَفَّقَتْsewedسَعْدَىSa'daابْنَةُdaughter ofعَوْفٍAwf
And indeed Sa'da bint Awf sewed
إِزَارَthe waist wrapper ofطَلْحَةَTalha،,
the waist wrapper of Talha,
وَهُوَwhile he isجَوَادُthe generous ofقُرَيْشٍQuraysh،,
while he is the generous of Quraysh,
وَهُوَand he isطَلْحَةُTalhaالْفَيَّاضُ5the abundant..
and he is Talha the abundant [5].
وَكَانَAnd wasفِيinثَوْبِthe garment ofعُمَرَUmarرِقَاعُpatches ofأَدَمٍ6leather..
And in Umar's garment were patches of leather [6].
وَقَالَAnd he said::مَنْwhoeverلَمْnotيَسْتَحْيِfeels ashamedمِنَofالْحَلَالِthe lawful
And he said: 'Whoever does not feel ashamed of the lawful
،,خَفَّتْbecomes lightمَؤُونَتُهُhis burden،,وَقَلَّand becomes littleكِبْرُهُhis pride..
, his burden becomes light, and his pride becomes little.'
وَقَالُواAnd they said::«"لَاnoجَدِيدَnew (garment)لِمَنْfor whoeverلَاdoes notيَلْبَسُwearالْخَلَقَthe worn-out»"..
And they said: 'There is no new (garment) for whoever does not wear the worn-out.'
وَبَعَثَAnd sentزِيَادٌZiyadرَجُلًاa manيَرْتَادُ7to scout
And Ziyad sent a man to scout [7]
لَهُfor himمُحَدِّثًاa storyteller،,
for him a storyteller,
وَاشْتَرَطَand stipulatedعَلَىonالرَّائِدِthe scoutأَنْthatيَكُونَhe beعَاقِلًاsensibleمُسَدَّدًاright-minded
and stipulated on the scout that he be sensible and right-minded.
،,فَأَتَاهُso he brought himبِهِhimمُوَافِقًاsuitable،,
, so he brought him suitable,
فَقَالَthen he said::«"أَكُنْتَwere youذَاpossessor ofمَعْرِفَةٍacquaintanceبِهِwith him»"؟?
then he said: 'Were you acquainted with him?'
قَالَHe said::«"لَاno،,وَلَاand notرَأَيْتُهُI saw himقَبْلَbeforeسَاعَتِهِhis moment»"..
He said: 'No, and I had not seen him before this moment.'
قَالَHe said::«"أَفَنَاقَلْتَهُthen did you converse with himالْكَلَامَthe speech،,
He said: 'Did you converse with him,
وَفَاتَحْتَهُand open with himالْأُمُورَthe matters،,قَبْلَbeforeأَنْthatتُوصِلَهُyou deliver himإِلَيَّto me»"؟?
and open the matters with him, before you delivered him to me?'
قَالَHe said::«"لَاno»"..
He said: 'No.'
قَالَHe said::«"فَلِمَthen whyاخْتَرْتَهُdid you choose himعَلَىoverجَمِيعِallمَنْthose whomرَأَيْتَهُyou saw»"؟?
He said: 'Then why did you choose him over all those you saw?'
قَالَHe said::«"يَوْمُنَاour dayيَوْمُday ofقَائِظٍintense heat،,
He said: 'Our day is a day of intense heat,
وَلَمْand notأَزَلْceaseأَتَعَرَّفُI recognizeعُقُولَthe minds ofالنَّاسِpeopleبِطَعَامِهِمْby their foodوَلِبَاسِهِمْand their clothingفِيinمِثْلِlikeهَذَاthisالْيَوْمِday،,
and I have not ceased to recognize people's minds by their food and clothing on such a day,
وَرَأَيْتُand I sawثِيَابَthe clothes ofالنَّاسِpeopleجُدُدًاnewوَثِيَابَهُand his clothesلُبْسًا8worn
and I saw people's clothes new, and his clothes worn [8],
،,فَظَنَنْتُso I thoughtبِهِof himالْحَزْمَthe prudence»"..
, so I thought of him prudence.'
Footnotes
- 1.خَصْفُ النِّعَالِ: رَقْعُهَا وَإِصْلَاحُهَا بِوَضْعِ رُقْعَةٍ عَلَى مَوْضِعِ الْخَرْقِ.
Patching sandals: repairing them by placing a patch over the torn area.
- 2.تَصْدِيرُ الْقَمِيصِ: وَضْعُ رُقْعَةٍ فِي صَدْرِ الْقَمِيصِ أَوْ تَقْوِيَتُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعِ.
Providing the front of the shirt: placing a patch on the chest of the shirt or reinforcing it in that area.
- 3.يَلْطَعُ إِصْبَعَهُ: يَلْعَقُهَا بِلِسَانِهِ بَعْدَ الْأَكْلِ لِتَنْظِيفِهَا وَعَدَمِ تَرْكِ أَثَرٍ لِلطَّعَامِ.
He licks his finger: he licks it with his tongue after eating to clean it and not leave any trace of food.
- 4.الْكُرَاعُ: مِنْ يَدِ الْحَيَوَانِ أَوْ رِجْلِهِ، وَالْمَقْصُودُ أَنَّهُ يُجِيبُ الدَّعْوَةَ وَلَوْ كَانَ الطَّعَامُ قَلِيلًا أَوْ حَقِيرًا.
A shank: part of an animal's foreleg or hind leg, meaning he would accept the invitation even if the food was little or humble.
- 5.طَلْحَةُ الْفَيَّاضُ: هُوَ طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ التَّيْمِيُّ، وَالْفَيَّاضُ بِمَعْنَى الْكَثِيرُ الْعَطَاءِ.
Talha the abundant: he is Talha ibn Ubaydullah at-Taymi, and 'al-Fayyad' means the one who gives abundantly.
- 6.أَدَمٌ: جِلْدٌ مَدْبُوغٌ، وَالْمُرَادُ أَنَّ فِي ثَوْبِ عُمَرَ رُقَعًا مِنَ الْجِلْدِ مَخِيطَةً فِيهِ.
Leather: tanned skin, meaning that in Umar's garment there were patches of leather sewn into it.
- 7.يَرْتَادُ: يَبْحَثُ وَيَتَحَرَّى، وَالرَّائِدُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُرْسَلُ لِيَتَفَقَّدَ الْأَحْوَالَ وَيَبْحَثَ عَنِ الشَّيْءِ الْمَطْلُوبِ.
To scout: to search and investigate, and the scout is the one sent to inspect conditions and search for the desired thing.
- 8.لُبْسًا: جَمْعُ لَبِسَ، وَهُوَ الثَّوْبُ الَّذِي قَدْ لُبِسَ وَأَصْبَحَ قَدِيمًا أَوْ مُمَزَّقًا.
Worn: plural of labis, meaning the garment that has been worn and become old or torn.