الْحَوَائِجُThe needsتَقْتَصُّ1are cut off
Needs are cut off (1),
فَمَنْso whoeverسَأَلْتُهُI asked himالْيَوْمَtodayأَنْthatيُعْطِيَكَhe gives you،,
so whoever I asked today to give you,
سَأَلَنِيhe will ask meغَدًاtomorrowأَنْthatأُعْطِيَI giveغَيْرَكَother than you..
he will ask me tomorrow to give someone else.
فَتَعْجِيلِيSo my hasteningتِلْكَthatالْعَطِيَّةَthe giftلَكَto youأَرْوَحُis more restfulلِيfor me..
So my hastening that gift to you is more restful for me.
لَيْسَnotعِنْدِيwith meدَرَاهِمُdirhams،,وَلَوْand ifكَانَthere wereعِنْدِيwith meدَرَاهِمُdirhamsلَكَانَتْthey would have beenنَوَائِبِيmy calamitiesالْقَائِمَةُthe standingالسَّاعَةَnowتَسْتَغْرِقُهَاtaking them all..
I have no dirhams, and if I had dirhams, my current calamities would consume them all.
وَلَكِنِّيBut Iأُؤَنِّبُrebukeلَكُمْfor youمَنْwhoeverشِئْتُمْyou wishعَلَيَّon my behalfلَكُمْfor youمِنَofالتَّانِيبِthe rebukeكُلَّallمَاwhatتُرِيدُونَyou want»..
But I can rebuke for you whoever you wish on my behalf, with all the rebuke you want.
قُلْتُI saidلَهُto him:«: “فَإِذَاSo ifأَنَّبْتُI rebukeرَجُلًاa manفِيinأَمْرٍa matterلَمْnotتَتَقَدَّمْyou precedeفِيهِin itبِمَسْأَلَةٍwith a request،,
I said to him: “So if I rebuke a man in a matter in which you have not previously made a request,
كَيْفَhowيَكُونُwill beجَوَابُهُhis answerلَكَto you»؟?
how will his answer to you be?”
فَضَحِكَThen he laughedحَتَّىuntilاسْتَنَدَhe leanedإِلَىagainstالْحَائِطِthe wall..
Then he laughed until he leaned against the wall.
وَجَاءَAnd cameمَرَّةًonceأَبُوAbuهَمَّامٍHammamالسِّنُّوطُal-Sinnut،,
And once Abu Hammam al-Sinnut came,
يُكَلِّمُهُspeaking to himفِيaboutمَرَمَّةِthe repairدَارِهِof his houseالَّتِيwhichتَطَوَّعَhe volunteeredبِبِنَائِهَاto build itفِيinرِبَاطِthe ribat ofعَبَّادَانَ2Abbadan،,
speaking to him about the repair of his house which he had volunteered to build in the ribat of Abbadan (2),
فَقَالَand he said:«: “ذَكَّرْتَنِيYou reminded meالطَّعْنَthe stabbingوَكُنْتُand I wasنَاسِيًاforgetful..
and he said: “You reminded me of the stabbing, and I had forgotten.
قَدْindeedكُنْتُI wasعَزَمْتُI had resolvedعَلَىonهَدْمِهَاdemolishing itحِينَwhenبَلَغَنِيit reached meأَنَّthatالْجَبْرِيَّةَ3the Jabriyyaقَدْindeedنَزَلَتْهَاhave descended upon it»،,
I had indeed resolved to demolish it when it reached me that the Jabriyya (3) had occupied it,”
قَالَhe said:«: “سُبْحَانَGlory be toاللَّهِGodتَهْدِمُyou demolishمَكْرُمَةًa noble deedوَدَارًاand a houseقَدْindeedوَقَفْتَهَاyou have endowed itلِلسَّبِيلِ4for the way (of God)»؟?
he said: “Glory be to God! Would you demolish a noble work and a house that you have endowed for the public good (4)?”
قَالَHe said:«: “فَتَعَجَّبُSo you marvelمِنْatذَاthis؟?قَدْindeedأَرَدْتُI wantedأَنْtoأَهْدِمَdemolishالْمَسْجِدَthe mosqueالَّذِيwhichكُنْتُI hadبَنَيْتُهُbuilt itلِيَزِيدَfor YazidبْنِibnهَاشِمٍHashimحِينَwhenتَرَكَhe leftأَنْtoيَبْنِيَهُbuild itفِيinالشَّارِعِthe main street،,
He said: “Do you marvel at this? I indeed wanted to demolish the mosque which I had built for Yazid ibn Hashim when he left building it on the main street,
وَبَنَاهُand built itفِيinالرَّائِغِ5the side street،,وَحِينَand whenبَلَغَنِيit reached meأَنَّهُthat heيَخْلِطُmixesفِيinالْكَلَامِhis speech،,
and built it in the side street (5), and when it reached me that he was mixing (falsehood) in his speech,
وَيُعِينُand helpsالشَّمْرِيَّةَ6the Shamriyyaعَلَىagainstالْمُعْتَزِلَةِthe Mu'tazila..
and helps the Shamriyya (6) against the Mu'tazila.
فَلَوْSo ifأَرَادَهُhe wanted itأَبُوAbuهَمَّامٍHammamوَجَدَhe would findمِنْfromثُمَامَةَThumamaمِرْبَدًاa place to throw it»
So if Abu Hammam wanted it, he would find from Thumama a place to throw it (i.e., the mosque).”
جَمِيعُallمَسَاحَةِthe area ofالْأَرْضِthe earth»..
the entire area of the earth.”
وَكَانَAnd he wasحِينَwhenيَسْتَوِيit becomes correctلَهُfor himاللَّفْظُthe wordingلَاnotيَنْظُرُhe looksفِيintoصَلَاحِthe soundnessالْمَعَانِيof the meaningsمِنْfromفَسَادِهَاtheir corruption..
And whenever the wording became correct for him, he did not look into the soundness of the meanings or their corruption.
وَتَمَشَّىAnd walkedرَجُلٌa manإِلَىtoالْغَاضِرِيِّal-Ghadiriقَالَand said:«: “إِنَّIndeedصَدِيقَكَyour friendالْقَادِمِيَّthe arriving oneقَدْindeedقُطِعَhas been cut offعَلَيْهِupon himالطَّرِيقُthe road»،,
And a man walked to al-Ghadiri and said: “Indeed your friend, the arriving one, has had the road cut off against him,”
قَالَhe said:«: “فَأَيُّSo whatشَيْءٍthingتُرِيدُdo you want»؟?
he said: “So what do you want?”
قَالَHe said:«: “أَنْthatتُخْلِفَyou compensateعَلَيْهِ8for him»،,
He said: “That you should compensate him (8),”
قَالَhe said:«: “فَإِذَاSo ifقَطَعُواthey cut offعَلَيْهِupon himالطَّرِيقَthe road،,
he said: “So if they cut off the road upon him,
فَلَاthen notأَنْتَyouوَصَلْتَarrivedوَلَاand notهُوَheوَصَلَarrived»،,
then neither you have arrived nor he has arrived,”
فَقَالَso he said:«: “لَوْifكَانَit wereالطَّرِيقُthe roadوَاحِدًاoneلَكَانَit would beهَذَاthisالْقَوْلُthe saying»..
so he said: “If the road were one, this saying would be (valid).”
Footnotes
- 1.تَقْتَصُّ: أَيْ تُقْطَعُ وَتُنْقَطِعُ.
taqtaṣṣu: i.e., it is cut off and severed.
- 2.عَبَّادَانُ: بَلْدَةٌ عَلَى سَاحِلِ الْخَلِيجِ الْعَرَبِيِّ.
Abbadan: a town on the coast of the Arabian Gulf.
- 3.الْجَبْرِيَّةُ: فِرْقَةٌ إِسْلَامِيَّةٌ تُنْكِرُ فِعْلَ الْعَبْدِ وَتُسْنِدُ الْأَفْعَالَ إِلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى.
The Jabriyya: an Islamic sect that denies human agency and attributes all actions to God.
- 4.السَّبِيلُ: الطَّرِيقُ، وَقِيلَ هُنَا الْوَقْفُ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسَافِرِينَ.
The way: the road, and here it means the endowment for Muslims and travelers.
- 5.الرَّائِغُ: الشَّارِعُ الصَّغِيرُ الْخَارِجُ عَنِ الشَّارِعِ الْأَعْظَمِ.
al-ra’igh: the small street branching off the main street.
- 6.الشَّمْرِيَّةُ: فِرْقَةٌ مُنْحَرِفَةٌ ذَكَرَهَا الْمُؤَلِّفُ.
The Shamriyya: a deviant sect mentioned by the author.
- 8.أَيْ تُعْطِيَهُ مَا قُطِعَ عَلَيْهِ.
i.e., give him what was cut off from him.