طَوِيلًاlongكَبِيرًا،big,إِلَىuntilأَنْthatيَكُونَit becomesقَدْindeedدَخَلَenteredفِيهِinto itمِنْfromعِلْمِknowledgeالْعَرَبِthe Arabsوَطَعَامِهِمْ،and their food,وَمَاand whatيَتَمَادَحُونَthey praise each otherبِهِwith itوَمَاand whatيَتَهَاجَمُونَthey attack each otherبِهِwith itشَيْءٌ،something,وَإِنْeven ifقَلَّ،little,لِيَكُونَso that it becomesالْكِتَابُthe bookطَوِيلًاlongكَبِيرًا،big,إِلَىuntilأَنْthatيَكُونَit becomesقَدْindeedدَخَلَenteredفِيهِinto itمِنْfromعِلْمِknowledgeالْعَرَبِthe Arabsوَطَعَامِهِمْ،and their food,يَتَمَادَحُونَthey praise each otherبِهِwith itوَمَاand whatيَتَهَاجُونَthey attackبِهِwith itشَيْءٌ،something,وَإِنْeven ifقَلَّ،little,لِيَكُونَso that it becomesالْكِتَابُthe bookقَدِindeedانْتَظَمَencompassedجُمَلَthe entiretyهَذَاthisالْبَابِ.chapter.
long and large, until there has entered into it from the knowledge of the Arabs and their food, and what they praise each other for and what they attack each other for, something, even if little, so that the book becomes long and large, until it has encompassed the entirety of this chapter. And were it not that it would exceed the measure of people's desire, the report about the Arabs and Bedouins would be more than all of this book.
وَلَوْلَاand were it notأَنْthatيَخْرُجَit goes outمِنْfromمِقْدَارِmeasureشَهْوَةِdesireالنَّاسِ،people,لَكَانَwould have beenالْخَبَرُthe reportعَنِaboutالْعَرَبِthe Arabsوَالْأَعْرَابِand Bedouinsأَكْثَرَmoreمِنْthanجَمِيعِallهَذَاthisالْكِتَابِ.book.
And were it not that it would exceed the measure of people's desire, the report about the Arabs and Bedouins would be more than all of this book.
الطَّعَامُfoodضُرُوبٌ.categories.وَالدَّعْوَةُAnd the invitationاسْمٌa nameجَامِعٌ،comprehensive,وَكَذَلِكَand likewiseالزَّلَّةُ1the repast
Food has categories. Invitation (da'wah) is a comprehensive term, and likewise zallah. [Footnote 1]
ثُمَّthenمِنْهُfrom itالْعُرْسُthe wedding feastوَالْخُرْسُand the birth feastوَالْإِعْذَارُand the circumcision feastوَالْوَكِيرَةُand the wakirahوَالنَّقِيعَةُ.and the naqi'ah.وَالْمَأْدُبَةُAnd the ma'dubahاسْمٌa nameلِكُلِّfor everyطَعَامٍfoodدُعِيتَinvitedإِلَيْهِto itالْجَمَاعَاتُ.the groups.
Then from it are the wedding feast, the birth feast, the circumcision feast, the wakirah, and the naqi'ah. Al-Ma'dubah is a name for every food to which groups are invited.
قَالَsaidالشَّاعِرُ:the poet:
The poet said:
نَحْنُweفِيinالْمَشْتَاةِthe winterنَدْعُوwe inviteالْجَفْلَىthe multitude......لَاnotتَرَىyou seeالْآدِبَthe hostفِينَاamong usيَنْتَقِرُ2picking out
In the winter we invite the multitude... You do not see the host among us picking out [particular guests]. [Footnote 2]
وَجَاءَand cameفِيinالْحَدِيثِ:the hadith:«الْقُرْآنُ«The Quranمَأْدُبَةُis the feastاللهِ»of God»..
And it came in the hadith: 'The Quran is the feast of God.'
وَقَدْand indeedزَعَمَclaimedنَاسٌsome peopleأَنَّthatالْعُرْسَthe wedding feastهُوَisالْوَلِيمَةُthe waleemahلِقَوْلِbecause of the sayingالنَّبِيِّof the ProphetصَلَّىmayاللهُGodعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peaceلِعَبْدِto Abdulالرَّحْمَنِ:Rahman:«أَوْلِمْ«Hold a wedding feastوَلَوْeven ifبِشَاةٍ»،with a sheep»,وَكَانَand wereابْنُIbnعَوْنٍAwnوَالْأَصْمَعِيُّand Al-Asma'iمِنْafterبَعْدِهِhimيَذُمَّانِboth blameعَمْرَوAmrبْنَbinعُبَيْدٍ3Ubaydوَيَقُولَانِ:and both say:«لَا«He does notيُجِيبُanswerالْوَلَائِمَ»the invitations»..
And some people claimed that the wedding feast (urs) is the waleemah, because of the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to Abd al-Rahman: 'Hold a wedding feast even if with a sheep.' And Ibn Awn and Al-Asma'i after him used to blame Amr bin Ubayd [Footnote 3] and say: 'He does not answer wedding invitations.'
يَجْعَلَانِboth considerطَعَامَthe foodالْإِمْلَاكِof engagementوَالْإِعْرَاسِand weddingsوَالسُّبُوعِ4and the seventh-day celebrationوَالْخِتَانِand circumcisionوَلِيمَةًwaleemah..
They both consider the food of engagement, weddings, the seventh-day celebration [Footnote 4], and circumcision as waleemah.
وَالْعُرْسُand the wedding feastمَعْرُوفٌ،known,إِلَّاexceptأَنَّthatالْمُفَضَّلَAl-Mufaddalالضَّبِّيَّ5al-Dabbiزَعَمَclaimedأَنَّthatهَذَاthisالِاسْمَnameمَأْخُوذٌtakenمِنْfromقَوْلِهِمْ:their saying:«لَا«Noعِطْرَperfumeبَعْدَafterعَرُوسٍ»a bride»..
And the wedding feast is well-known, except that Al-Mufaddal al-Dabbi [Footnote 5] claimed that this name is taken from their saying: 'No perfume after a bride.'
وَكَانَand wasالْأَصْمَعِيُّAl-Asma'iيَجْعَلُmakesالْعَرُوسَthe bride
And Al-Asma'i used to make the bride...
Footnotes
- 1.الزَّلَّةُ: اسْمٌ لِلطَّعَامِ يُصْنَعُ عِنْدَ سُرُورٍ يَحْدُثُ.
Az-Zallah: a name for food made on the occasion of a joyful event.
- 2.الْجَفْلَى: الدَّعْوَةُ الْعَامَّةُ، وَالْآدِبُ: الَّذِي يَدْعُو النَّاسَ، وَيَنْتَقِرُ: يَخْتَصُّ بِالدَّعْوَةِ.
Al-Jafali: the general invitation. Al-Adib: the one who invites people. Yantaqiru: he selects for the invitation.
- 3.عَمْرُو بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ: شَيْخُ الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ فِي زَمَانِهِ.
Amr bin Ubayd: the leader of the Mu'tazila in his time.
- 4.السُّبُوعُ: حَفْلَةٌ تُقَامُ بَعْدَ الْوِلَادَةِ بِسَبْعَةِ أَيَّامٍ.
As-Suboo': a celebration held seven days after birth.
- 5.الْمُفَضَّلُ الضَّبِّيُّ: عَالِمٌ بِاللُّغَةِ وَالشِّعْرِ وَأَيَّامِ الْعَرَبِ.
Al-Mufaddal al-Dabbi: a scholar of language, poetry, and the days of the Arabs.