fadl al kilab ibn al marzuban

Page 11

وَٱسْتَوَىAnd became equalٱلنَّاسُthe peopleفِيinٱلْخَدِيعَةِdeceptionوَٱلْمَكْرِand cunning

And people became equal in deception and cunning, so every person has two tongues.

فَكُلٌّso everyoneلِسَانُهُhis tongueاثْنَانِis two

So everyone has two tongues.

وَٱعْلَمْAnd knowأَعَزَّكَmay Allah strengthen youٱللَّهُAllah

And know, may Allah strengthen you, that the dog is more compassionate to the one who adopts it than the father to his child and the full brother to his brother.

أَنَّthatٱلْكَلْبَthe dogلِمَنْto the one whoيَقْتَنِيهِkeeps itأَشْفَقُis more compassionateمِنَthanٱلْوَالِدِthe fatherعَلَىtoوَلَدِهِhis child

That the dog to the one who keeps it is more compassionate than the father to his child and the full brother to his brother.

وَٱلْأَخِand the brotherٱلشَّقِيقِthe fullعَلَىtoأَخِيهِhis brother

And the full brother to his brother.

وَذَلِكَAnd that isأَنَّهُbecause itيَحْرُسُguardsرَبَّهُits master

And that is because it guards its master and protects his sanctuary, whether present or absent, asleep or awake.

وَيَحْمِيand protectsحَرِيمَهُhis sanctuaryشَاهِدًاpresentوَغَائِبًاand absentوَنَائِمًاand sleepingوَيَقِظَانًاand awake

And protects his sanctuary, present or absent, sleeping or awake.

لَاit doesيُقَصِّرُnot fall shortعَنْinذَلِكَthat

It does not fall short in that even if they are harsh to it, and it does not forsake them even if they forsake it.

وَإِنْeven ifجَفَوْهُthey are harsh to it

Even if they are harsh to it.

وَلَاand it does notيَخْذُلُهُمْforsake themوَإِنْeven ifخَذَلُوهُthey forsake it

And it does not forsake them even if they forsake it.

وُرُوِيَAnd it was narratedلَنَاto usأَنَّthatرَجُلًاa manقَالَsaidلِبَعْضِto someٱلْحُكَمَاءِof the wise men

And it was narrated to us that a man said to some of the wise men: Counsel me. He said: Be ascetic in the world and do not contend for it with its people, and be sincere to Allah the Exalted like the sincerity of a dog to its people.

أَوْصِنِيCounsel me

Counsel me.

قَالَHe saidٱزْهَدْBe asceticفِيinٱلدُّنْيَاthe world

Be ascetic in the world and do not contend for it with its people.

وَلَاand do notتُنَازِعْcontendفِيهَاin itأَهْلَهَاits people

And do not contend for it with its people.

وَانْصَحْAnd be sincereلِلَّهِto Allahتَعَالَىthe Exaltedكُنُصْحِlike the sincerityٱلْكَلْبِof the dogلِأَهْلِهِto its people

And be sincere to Allah the Exalted like the sincerity of a dog to its people, for they starve it and beat it, yet it refuses except to surround them with sincerity.

فَإِنَّهُمْfor theyيُجِيعُونَهُstarve itوَيَضْرِبُونَهُand beat it

For they starve it and beat it.

وَيَأْبَىand it refusesإِلَّاexceptأَنْthatيَحُوطَهُمْit surrounds themنُصْحًاwith sincerity

Yet it refuses except to surround them with sincerity.

وَرَوَىAnd narratedعَمْرُوAmrبْنُson ofشُعَيْبٍShu'aybعَنْfromأَبِيهِhis fatherعَنْfromجَدِّهِhis grandfatherقَالَwho said

And Amr ibn Shu'ayb narrated from his father from his grandfather, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saw a slain man and said: "What is the matter with this slain man?"

رَأَىsawرَسُولُMessengerٱللَّهِof Allahصَلَّىpeaceٱللَّهُand blessingsعَلَيْهِbe upon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saw a slain man.

رَجُلًاa manقَتِيلًاslain

A slain man.

فَقَالَSo he saidمَاWhatشَأْنُis the matterهَٰذَاwith thisٱلرَّجُلِmanقَتِيلًاslain

He said: "What is the matter with this slain man?"

فَقَالُواThey saidيَاOرَسُولَMessengerٱللَّهِof Allah

They said: "O Messenger of Allah, he leaped upon the sheep of Abu Zuhrah and took a sheep, so the watch-dog of the livestock leaped upon him and killed him."

وَثَبَhe leapedعَلَىuponغَنَمِsheepأَبِيof AbuزُهْرَةَZuhrah

He leaped upon the sheep of Abu Zuhrah.

فَأَخَذَand tookشَاةًa sheep

And took a sheep.

فَوَثَبَso leapedعَلَيْهِupon himكَلْبُdogٱلْمَاشِيَةِof the livestockفَقَتَلَهُand killed him

So the watch-dog of the livestock leaped upon him and killed him.

فَقَالَSo he saidصَلَّىpeaceٱللَّهُand blessingsعَلَيْهِbe upon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace

He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "He killed himself, wasted his religion, disobeyed his Lord the Exalted and Majestic, betrayed his brother, and the dog was better than this treacherous one."

قَتَلَHe killedنَفْسَهُhimselfوَأَضَاعَand wastedدِينَهُhis religion

He killed himself and wasted his religion.

وَعَصَىand disobeyedرَبَّهُhis Lordعَزَّthe Exaltedوَجَلَّand Majestic

And disobeyed his Lord the Exalted and Majestic.

وَخَانَand betrayedأَخَاهُhis brother

And betrayed his brother.

وَكَانَand wasٱلْكَلْبُthe dogخَيْرًاbetterمِنْthanهَٰذَاthisٱلْغَادِرِtreacherous one

And the dog was better than this treacherous one.

ثُمَّThenقَالَsaidصَلَّىpeaceٱللَّهُand blessingsعَلَيْهِbe upon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace

Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Does any of you fail to guard his Muslim brother in his person and his family, like this dog guards the livestock of its masters?"

أَيَعْجِزُDoes failأَحَدُكُمْany of youأَنْtoيَحْفَظَguardأَخَاهُhis brotherٱلْمُسْلِمَthe Muslim

Does any of you fail to guard his Muslim brother in his person and his family.

فِيinنَفْسِهِhis personوَأَهْلِهِand his family

In his person and his family.

كَحِفْظِlike the guardingهَٰذَاof thisٱلْكَلْبِdogمَاشِيَةَthe livestockأَرْبَابِهِof its masters

Like this dog guards the livestock of its masters?

وَرَأَىAnd sawعُمَرُUmarبْنُson ofٱلْخَطَّابِal-Khattabأَعْرَابِيًّاa Bedouinيَسُوقُdrivingكَلْبًاa dog

And Umar ibn al-Khattab saw a Bedouin driving a dog and said: What is this with you? He said: O Commander of the Faithful, an excellent companion.

فَقَالَSo he saidمَاWhatهَٰذَاis thisمَعَكَwith you

What is this with you?

فَقَالَSo he saidيَاOأَمِيرَCommanderٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithfulنِعْمَan excellentٱلصَّاحِبُcompanion

He said: O Commander of the Faithful, an excellent companion.