يُقَصِّرُfalls shortدُونَهُbefore himالعِيَالُthe dependentsوَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالحَسَنُal-Hasan«مَا"notعَالَbecame poorأَحَدٌanyoneقَطُّeverعَنْdue toقَصْدِهِhis moderation»"
Dependents fall short of him, and al-Hasan said: 'No one ever became poor due to his moderation.'
وَقِيلَAnd it was saidلِشَيْخٍto an elderمِنْfromأَهْلِpeople ofالبَصْرَةِBasra«مَالَكَ"Why do you notلَاnotيَنْمَىincreaseلَكَfor youمَالٌwealth»"؟?
And it was said to an elder from the people of Basra: 'Why does your wealth not increase?'
قَالَHe said«لِأَنِّي"Because Iاتَّخَذْتُtookالعِيَالَthe dependentsقَبْلَbeforeالمَالِwealthوَاتَّخَذَand tookالنَّاسُthe peopleالمَالَwealthقَبْلَbeforeالعِيَالِdependents»"
He said: 'Because I took dependents before wealth, and people took wealth before dependents.'
وَقَدْAnd indeedرَأَيْتُI have seenمَنْone whoتَقَدَّمَprecededعِيَالُهُhis dependentsمَالَهُhis wealthفَجَبَرَهُand repaired itالإِصْلَاحُrighteousnessوَرَفَدَهُand supported himالِاقْتِصَادُthriftوَأَعَانَهُand helped himحُسْنُgoodالتَّدْبِيرِmanagementوَلَمْand notأَرَI sawلِشَهَوَاتِيfor my desiresتَدْبِيرًاmanagementوَلَاnorلِشَرَهِيfor my greedصَبْرًاpatience
And I have seen one whose dependents preceded his wealth, and righteousness repaired it, thrift supported him, and good management helped him. And I have not seen my desires managed, nor my greed patient.
وَقَالَAnd saidإِيَاسُIyāsبْنُson ofمُعَاوِيَةَ1Mu'āwiya«إِنَّ"Indeedالرَّجُلَthe manيَكُونُthere isعَلَيْهِupon himأَلْفٌa thousandفَيُصْلِحُso he spends wiselyفَتَصْلُحُso it becomes goodلَهُfor himالغَلَّةُthe produceوَيَكُونُand there isعَلَيْهِupon himأَلْفَانِtwo thousandفَيُنْفِقُso he spendsأَلْفَيْنِtwo thousandفَيُصْلِحُso he spends wiselyفَتَصْلُحُso it becomes goodلَهُfor himالغَلَّةُthe produceفَيَكُونُso there isعَلَيْهِupon himأَلْفَانِtwo thousandفَيُنْفِقُso he spendsثَلَاثَةَthreeآلَافٍthousandفَيَبِيعُso he sellsالعَقَارَthe propertyفِيforفَضْلِthe excessالنَّفَقَةِ2of expenditure»"
And Iyās ibn Mu'āwiya said: 'A man may have a thousand [in debt] and he spends wisely, so his produce becomes good for him. And he may have two thousand and spends two thousand wisely, so his produce becomes good for him. Then he may have two thousand and spends three thousand, so he sells the property to cover the excess expenditure.'
وَذُكِرَAnd mentionedالحَدِيثُthe hadithعَنْfromأَبِيAbuلِينَةَ3Laynaقَالَhe saidكُنْتُI wasأَرَىI sawزِيَادًاZiyādوَهُوَwhile he wasأَمِيرٌa governorيَمُرُّpassingبِنَاby usعَلَىonبَغْلَةٍa muleفِيonعُنُقِهَاits neckحَبْلٌa ropeمِنْofلِيفٍfiberمُدَرَّجٍ4wrappedعَلَىaroundعُنُقِهَاits neck»"
And the hadith was mentioned from Abu Layna, who said: 'I used to see Ziyād, while he was governor, passing by us on a mule with a rope of fiber wrapped around its neck.'
وَكَانَAnd wasسَلْمُSalmبْنُson ofقُتَيْبَةَQutaybaيَرْكَبُridesبَغْلَةًa muleوَحْدَهُaloneوَمَعَهُand with himأَرْبَعَةُfourآلَافِthousandمُرَابِطَةٍ5frontier guards
And Salm ibn Qutayba used to ride a mule alone, while with him were four thousand frontier guards.
وَرَآهُAnd saw himالفَضْلُal-Fadlبْنُson ofعِيسَىIsaعَلَىonحِمَارٍa donkeyوَهُوَwhile he wasأَمِيرٌa governorفَقَالَand he said«قُعُودُ"Riding ofنَبِيٍّa prophetوَبِذْلَةُand humility ofجَبَّارٍ6a tyrant»"
And al-Fadl ibn Isa saw him on a donkey while he was a governor, and said: 'The riding of a prophet and the humility of a tyrant.'
وَلَوْAnd ifشَاءَhad wishedأَبُوAbuسَيَّارَةَ7Sayyāraأَنْthatيَدْفَعَhe pushes forwardبِالعَرَبِthe Arabsعَلَىonجَمَلٍa camelمُهْرِيٍّ8Mahriأَوْorفَرَسٍa horseعَتِيقٍthoroughbredلَفَعَلَhe would have doneوَلَكِنَّهُbut heأَرَادَwantedهَدْيَthe guidanceالصَّالِحِينَthe righteous
And if Abu Sayyāra had wished to push the Arabs on a Mahri camel or a thoroughbred horse, he would have done so, but he wanted the guidance of the righteous.
وَحَمَلَAnd rodeعُمَرُUmarعَلَىonبِرْذَوْنٍa muleفَهَمْلَجَ9and it pacedتَحْتَهُbeneath himفَنَزَلَso he dismountedعَنْهُfrom itفَقَالَand saidلِأَصْحَابِهِto his companions«جَنِّبُونِي"Keep away from meهَذَاthisالشَّيْطَانَdevil»"
And Umar rode on a mule, and it paced beneath him, so he dismounted from it and said to his companions: 'Keep this devil away from me.'
ثُمَّThenقَالَhe saidلِأَصْحَابِهِto his companions«لَا"Do notتَطْلُبُواseekالعِزَّhonorبِغَيْرِby other thanمَاwhatأَعَزَّكُمُHe honored youاللهُGodبِهِwith»"
Then he said to his companions: 'Do not seek honor by other than what God has honored you with.'
Footnotes
- 1.هُوَ إِيَاسُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ قُرَّةَ الْمُزَنِيُّ، قَاضِي الْبَصْرَةِ وَعَالِمُهَا.
He is Iyās ibn Mu'āwiya ibn Qurra al-Muzanī, the judge of Basra and its scholar.
- 2.أَيْ: يَبِيعُ عَقَارَهُ لِيَسُدَّ بِهِ النَّفَقَةَ الزَّائِدَةَ عَلَى دَخْلِهِ.
That is, he sells his property to cover the expenditure that exceeds his income.
- 3.أَبُو لِينَةَ: تَابِعِيٌّ مَعْرُوفٌ، وَيُقَالُ إِنَّهُ مَوْلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ.
Abu Layna: a well-known follower (tābi'ī), and it is said he was a freed slave of Umm Salama.
- 4.مُدَرَّجٌ: أَيْ مَلْوِيٌّ عَلَى عُنُقِهَا.
Mudarraj: meaning wrapped around its neck.
- 5.مُرَابِطَةٍ: أَيْ خَيْلٍ مُرَابِطَةٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ.
Murābiṭa: meaning horses stationed on the frontier for the sake of God.
- 6.قُعُودُ نَبِيٍّ وَبِذْلَةُ جَبَّارٍ: أَيْ رُكُوبُهُ الْحِمَارَ مِنْ تَوَاضُعِهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ أَمِيرًا.
The riding of a prophet and the humility of a tyrant: meaning his riding the donkey was out of humility, even though he was a governor.
- 7.أَبُو سَيَّارَةَ: هُوَ عَمْرُو بْنُ جَابِرٍ الْحَنَفِيُّ، مِنْ سَادَةِ الْعَرَبِ.
Abu Sayyāra: he is 'Amr ibn Jābir al-Hanafī, one of the nobles of the Arabs.
- 8.جَمَلٌ مُهْرِيٌّ: مَنْسُوبٌ إِلَى مَهْرَةَ بْنِ حَيْدَانَ، وَهِيَ قَبِيلَةٌ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ، وَإِبِلُهَا مِنْ أَفْخَرِ الْإِبِلِ.
A Mahri camel: attributed to Mahra ibn Haydān, a tribe from Yemen, and their camels are among the finest.
- 9.هَمْلَجَ: أَيْ أَسْرَعَ فِي مَشْيِهِ وَهُوَ ضَرْبٌ مِنَ الْعَنَقِ.
Hamlaja: meaning it quickened its pace, which is a type of amble.