صُدُورُchestsأَقْدَامِهِمْtheir feetثَلَاثَةَthreeأَشْهُرٍmonths،,
The insteps of their feet for three months,
وَعَلَىand onأَعْقَابِheelsأَرْجُلِهِمْtheir legsثَلَاثَةَthreeأَشْهُرٍmonths
and on the heels of their legs for three months
حَتَّىso thatيَكُونَit isكَأَنَّهُمْas if theyلَمْnotيَلْبَسُواthey woreخِفَافَهُمْtheir khuffsإِلَّاexceptثَلَاثَةَthreeأَشْهُرٍmonths،,
so that it would be as if they had worn their khuffs for only three months,
مَخَافَةَfor fearأَنْthatتَجَرَّدَbecome bareنِعَالُsolesخِفَافِهِمْtheir khuffsأَوْorتُنْقَبَbe pierced..
for fear that the soles of their khuffs would become bare or be pierced.
حَكَىnarratedأَبُوAbuإِسْحَاقَIshaqإِبْرَاهِيمُIbrahimبْنُson ofسَيَّارٍSayyarالنَّظَّامُal-Nazzam،,عَنْfromجَارِهِhis neighborالْمَرْوَزِيِّal-Marwazi::
Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Sayyar al-Nazzam narrated from his neighbor al-Marwazi:
أَنَّهُthat heكَانَwasلَاnotيَلْبَسُwearخُفًّاa khuffوَلَاnorنَعْلًاa sandalإِلَىuntilأَنْthatيَذْهَبَgoes awayالنَّبِقُ1the nabqالْيَابِسُdry،,
that he would not wear a khuff or a sandal until the dry nabq [fruit] was gone,
لِكَثْرَةِdue to the abundanceالنَّوَىof pitsفِيinالطَّرِيقِthe roadوَالْأَسْوَاقِand the markets..
due to the abundance of pits in the roads and markets.
قَالَhe said::وَرَآنِيand he saw meمَرَّةًonce..
He said: And he saw me once.
مَصِصْتُI suckedقَصَبَcaneسُكَّرٍsugar،,فَجَمَعْتُand I collectedمَاwhatمَصِصْتُI suckedمَاءَهُits water،,لِأَرْمِيَto throwبِهِit،,
I sucked sugar cane, and I collected what I had sucked the water from, to throw it away,
فَقَالَand he said::«إِنْifكُنْتَyou areلَاnotتُنَوِّرُbakingلَكَfor you،,وَلَاnorعِيَالَdependentsعَلَيْكَupon you،,
and he said: 'If you do not bake, and you have no dependents,
فَهَبْهَاthen give itلِمَنْto one whoلَهُhasتَنُّورٌan ovenوَعَلَيْهِand upon himعِيَالٌdependents..
then give it to one who has an oven and has dependents.'
وَإِيَّاكَAnd bewareأَنْthatتُعَوِّدَyou accustomنَفْسَكَyourselfهَذِهِthisالْعَادَةَhabitفِيinأَيَّامِdaysخِفَّةِlightnessظَهْرِكَ2of your back،,
And beware of accustoming yourself to this habit in the days of the lightness of your back,
فَانْكَfor youلَاnotتَدْرِيknowمَتَىwhenتَأْتِيكَcome to youالْعِيَالُthe dependents..
for you do not know when the dependents will come to you.'
Footnotes
- 1.النَّبِقُ: ثَمَرُ السِّدْرِ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُ: نَبِقٌ، وَاحِدَتُهُ نَبِقَةٌ.
Al-nabq: the fruit of the lote tree (sidr); it is called nabq, and one piece is called nabqah.
- 2.خِفَّةُ الظَّهْرِ: كِنَايَةٌ عَنْ قِلَّةِ الْعِيَالِ وَالْمَسْؤُولِيَّاتِ.
Lightness of the back: a metaphor for having few dependents and responsibilities.