عَادَاتُcustomsالْعَرَبِof the Arabsوَتَقَالِيدُهُمْ،and their traditions,
The customs and traditions of the Arabs,
فَكَانَand among them wasمِنْهَاof itانْتِشَارُthe spread ofالْبُخْلِ،stinginess,
among which was the spread of stinginess,
وَخَاصَّةًand especiallyفِيinالْعِرَاقِIraqإِبَّانَduringالْقَرْنِthe centuryالثَّالِثِthirdالْهِجْرِيِّ.Hijri.
especially in Iraq during the third Hijri century.
وَالْحَقِيقَةُ،And the truth,فَإِنَّis thatغَايَةَthe purpose ofالْكِتَابِthe bookتَتَعَدَّىgoes beyondالضَّحِكَlaughterوَالْمَرْحَ،and mirth,
And the truth is that the purpose of the book goes beyond laughter and mirth,
لِتَغْدُوَto becomeأَعْمَقَdeeperوَأَشَدَّ،and more intense,
to become deeper and more intense,
فَإِذَاand behold, it isهِيَitأَقْرَبُcloserإِلَىtoالرَّدْعِdeterrenceوَالتَّأْنِيبِ،and reprimand,
so it is closer to deterrence and reprimand,
وَالْهُزْءِand mockeryوَالسُّخْرِيَةِ،and sarcasm,
and mockery and sarcasm,
وَذَلِكَand that isمِنْforأَجْلِthe sake ofالْمَنْفَعَةِthe general benefitالْعَامَّةِpublicوَالِاسْتِفَادَةِand benefitingمِنْfromأَعْمَالِthe actions ofالْبُخَلَاءِthe misersالشَّاذَّةِabnormalاسْتِفَادَةًa benefitتَجْعَلُهُمْthat makes themيَمِيلُونَtendإِلَىtowardsالْكَرَمِgenerosityمِنْwithoutغَيْرِother thanإِسْرَافٍ،extravagance,
for the sake of the public good and learning from the abnormal actions of the misers in a way that makes them lean towards generosity without extravagance,
وَإِلَىand towardsالْجُودِmunificenceفِيinغَيْرِother thanاقْتِصَادٍ.frugality.
and to munificence without stinginess.
وَهُنَاكَAnd there isفَرِيقٌa groupآخَرُanotherمِنَofالدَّارِسِينَscholarsرَأَىwho believedأَنَّthatكِتَابَthe book«الْبُخَلَاءِ»"Al-Bukhalaa"مَاwas notوُضِعَwrittenإِلَّاexceptلِأَنَّbecauseالْجَاحِظَAl-Jahizكَانَwasوَاحِداًoneمِنْofأُولَئِكَthoseالْبُخَلَاءِ،misers,
And there is another group of scholars who believed that the book "Al-Bukhalaa" was only written because Al-Jahiz was one of those misers,
وَلِذَلِكَand thereforeتَمَكَّنَhe was ableمِنْtoمَعْرِفَةِknowأَحْوَالِهِمْtheir conditionsبِدِقَّةٍ،accurately,
and therefore he was able to know their conditions accurately,
كَاشِفاًrevealingحَقَائِقَهُمْtheir realitiesكَمَاasهِيَthey areبِصِدْقٍwith truthوَوَاقِعِيَّةٍ.and realism.
revealing their realities as they are with truth and realism.
وَالْوَاقِعُAnd the realityأَنَّis thatكِتَابَthe book ofالْبُخَلَاءِAl-Bukhalaaيُعْتَبَرُis consideredمِنَamongالْكُتُبِthe booksالنَّفِيسَةِpreciousبِمَكَانٍ،greatly,
And the reality is that the book of Al-Bukhalaa is considered one of the most precious books,
لِأَنَّهُbecause itدِرَاسَةٌis a studyوَاقِعِيَّةٌrealisticلِرَدَّةِof a reactionفِعْلٍactionاقْتِصَادِيَّةٍ.economic.
because it is a realistic study of an economic reaction.
وَمِنْAnd forذَلِكَthatأَفْرَدَdedicatedالْجَاحِظُAl-Jahizكِتَاباًa bookخَاصّاًspecialبِالْبُخْلِto stinginessصَوَّرَthat portrayedهَذِهِthisالْحَالَةَ،condition,
And for that reason, Al-Jahiz dedicated a special book to stinginess that portrayed this condition,
وَتَغَلْغَلَand penetratedأَيْضاًalsoبَيْنَamongطَوَايَاthe folds ofالنَّفْسِthe soulالْبَشَرِيَّةِ،human,
and also penetrated the folds of the human soul,
وَتَفَهَّمَand understoodنَزَعَاتِهَا،its tendencies,
understood its tendencies,
وَحَلَّلَanalyzedأَعْمَالَهَا،its actions,
analyzed its actions,
وَدَرَسَand studiedنَفْسِيَاتِهَا،its psychologies,
and studied its psychologies.
وَقَدْAndقَالَ:he said:«وَلَكَ"And for youفِيinهَذَاthisالْكِتَابِbookثَلَاثَةُthreeأَشْيَاءَthingsتُبَيِّنُthat showحُجَّةًan argumentطَرِيفَةً،novel,
And he said: "And in this book you have three things: they show a novel argument,
أَوْorتُعَرِّفُintroduceحِيلَةًa trickلَطِيفَةً،subtle,
or introduce a subtle trick,
أَوْorاسْتِفَادَةًa benefitنَادِرَةًrareعَجِيبَةً».wonderful."
or a rare and wonderful benefit."
لَقَدْIndeedاتَّبَعَfollowedالْجَاحِظُAl-Jahizأُسْلُوباًa styleقَصَصِيّاًnarrativeإِخْبَارِيّاًinformativeيَرْبِطُthat linksالْأَخْبَارَthe reportsبَعْضَهَاto one anotherبِبَعْضٍ.some.
Al-Jahiz followed an informative narrative style that links reports to one another.
وَكَانَتْAnd wasأُقْصُوصَةُthe short story ofالْبَخِيلِthe miserقَصِيرَةً،short,
And the miser's short story was brief,
لَكِنَّهَاbut itجَمَعَتْgatheredعَنَاصِرَelementsالْقِصَّةِof the storyالْكَامِلَةِ،complete,
but it gathered the elements of a complete story,
مِنْfromمُقَدِّمَةٍan introductionوَعَرْضٍand a presentationوَعُقْدَةٍ،and a climax,
from an introduction, presentation, and climax,
إِلَىtoحَلٍّa resolutionوَخَاتِمَةٍ.and a conclusion.
to a resolution and conclusion.
وَلَمْAnd were notتَكُنْthe short stories ofأَقَاصِيصُAl-Jahizالْجَاحِظِemptyخَاوِيَةًvacant;فَارِغَةً؛rather
Al-Jahiz's short stories were not empty or vacant;
بَلْratherكَانَتْthey wereنَابِضَةًthrobbingمَلِيئَةًfullبِالْحَيَاةِof lifeتَسْتَمِدُّdrawingمَوْضُوعَاتِهَاits subjectsمِنْfromوَحْيِthe inspiration ofفَرِيقٍa groupمِنَofالْأَشْحَاءِmiserly peopleالْمَسْجِدِيِّينَfrequenting mosquesوَالْخُرَاسَانِيِّينَand Khorasanisوَغَيْرِهِمْ،and others,
rather, they were throbbing and full of life, drawing their subjects from the inspiration of a group of miserly mosque-goers, Khorasanis, and others,
اخْتَارُواwho choseأَحَادِيثَهُمْ،their conversations,
who chose their conversations,
وَانْتَقَوْاand selectedأَلْفَاظَهُمْtheir wordsبِأَنْفُسِهِمْ.themselves.
and selected their words themselves.
مِنْFromهُنَاhereنَضِجَتْmaturedأُقْصُوصَةُthe short story ofالْبَخِيلِthe miserعِنْدَwithأَبِيAbuعُثْمَانَ،Uthman,
From here, the miser's short story matured with Abu Uthman,
وَاسْتَمَرَّتْand continuedحَارَّةًwarmدَافِئَةًcozyيَقِظَةً،vigilant,
and remained warm, cozy, and vigilant,
تُدْفِئُwarmingالنَّفْسَthe soulفَتُثِيرُهَا،and stirring it,
warming the soul and stirring it,
وَتُوقِظُand awakeningالْعَقْلَthe mindفَتُحَرِّكُهُand moving itتَارَةًat timesبَيْنَbetweenالِاسْتِرْخَاءِrelaxationوَالِاسْتِمْتَاعِ،and enjoyment,
and awakening the mind, moving it sometimes between relaxation and enjoyment,
وَطَوْراًand at other timesبَيْنَbetweenالتَّصْوِيرِportrayalوَالتَّحْكِيمِ.and judgment.
and at other times between portrayal and judgment.
وَقَدْAndتَمَيَّزَdistinguishedكِتَابُthe book of«الْبُخَلَاءِ»"Al-Bukhalaa"بِخَصَائِصَwith characteristicsهَامَّةٍimportantكَانَwasمِنْهَاamong themالْمَوْضُوعِيَّةُobjectivityالَّتِيthatبَرَزَتْstood out
The book "Al-Bukhalaa" was distinguished by important characteristics, among which was objectivity that stood out