مَاWhatالْخَبَرُis the news
What is the news, O our master and lord? He said to them, Do you know that Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, created a creation that is worse than me?
يَاOسَيِّدَهُمْour masterوَمَوْلَاهُمْand our lord
O our master and our lord?
فَقَالَSo he saidلَهُمْto themهَلْDoتَعْلَمُونَyou know
So he said to them: Do you know that Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, created a creation that is worse than me?
أَنَّthatاللَّهَAllahعَزَّMightyوَجَلَّand Majestic is He
that Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, created a creation that is worse than me.
خَلَقَcreatedخَلْقاًa creationهُوَwhich isشَرٌّworseمِنِّيthan me
created a creation that is worse than me.
وَلَوْAnd ifفَتَّشْتَyou searchedفِيinدَهْرِنَاour timeهَذَاthis
And if you were to search in this time of ours, you would find many like the author of the book among those you associate with.
لَوَجَدْتَyou would findمِثْلَlikeصَاحِبِthe authorالْكِتَابِof the bookكَثِيراًmany
you would find many like the author of the book
مِمَّنْamong thoseتُعَاشِرُهُyou associate withإِذْwhenلَقِيَكَhe meets you
among those you associate with: when he meets you, he welcomes you,
رَحَّبَhe welcomesبِكَyouوَإِذْand whenرَغِبْتَyou turnعَنْهُaway from him
and when you turn away from him, he goes to extremes in backbiting,
أَسْرَفَhe exceedsفِيinالْغِيبَةِbackbitingوَتَلَقَّاكَand he meets you
he goes to extremes in backbiting and meets you with the face of love
بِوَجْهِwith the faceالْمَحَبَّةِof loveوَيُضْمِرُwhile he concealsلَكَfor you
while he conceals for you deceit and abuse.
الْغِشَّdeceitوَالْمَسَبَّةَand abuseوَقَدْAndعَلِمْتَyou have known
And you have known what has come regarding backbiting.
مَاwhatجَاءَhas comeفِيinالْغِيبَةِbackbitingقَالَHe saidصَلَّىmay Allah bestow blessingsاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace
He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
مَنْWhoeverكَانَisلَهُhavingوَجْهَانِtwo faces
"Whoever has two faces in the world will have two tongues of fire on the Day of Resurrection."
فِيinالدُّنْيَاthe worldكَانَwill beلَهُfor himيَوْمَon the dayالْقِيَامَةِof Resurrection
will have on the Day of Resurrection two tongues of fire.
لِسَانَانِtwo tonguesمِنْofنَارٍfireوَقَالَAnd he said
And he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
صَلَّىmay Allah bestow blessingsاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peaceإِيَّاكُمْBewareوَالْغِيبَةَof backbiting
"Beware of backbiting, for it is worse than fornication. Indeed, a man may fornicate and repent, and Allah will accept his repentance, but the backbiter will not be forgiven by Allah until his companion forgives him."
فَإِنَّهَاfor itشَرٌّis worseمِنَthanالزِّنَاfornication
for it is worse than fornication.
إِنَّIndeedالرَّجُلَthe manلَيَزْنِيmay commit fornicationوَيَتُوبُand repent
Indeed, a man may commit fornication and repent,
فَيَتُوبُand Allah will accept repentanceاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِtowards him
and Allah will accept his repentance,
وَصَاحِبُwhile the companionالْغِيبَةِof backbitingلَاwill notيَغْفِرُهَاforgive itاللَّهُAllahلَهُfor him
but the backbiter will not be forgiven by Allah
حَتَّىuntilيَغْفِرَهَاforgives itصَاحِبُهَاhis companion
until his companion forgives him.
وَعَنْAnd on the authority ofبِشْرِBishrبْنِson ofالْحَارِثِal-Harith
And on the authority of Bishr ibn al-Harith, he said: Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad said: A man is not among the pious until his enemy feels secure from him and his friend does not fear him.
قَالَhe saidقَالَHe saidالْفُضَيْلُAl-Fudaylابْنُson ofعِيَاضٍ'Iyad
Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad said:
لَاnotيَكُونُisالرَّجُلُthe manمِنَamongالْمُتَّقِينَthe pious
A man is not among the pious
حَتَّىuntilيَأْمَنَهُhe is secured byعَدُوُّهُhis enemy
until his enemy feels secure from him
وَلَاand notيَخَافُهُhe is feared byصَدِيقُهُhis friend
and his friend does not fear him.
فَقَالَSo saidبَعْضُهُمْsome of themذَهَبَhas goneزَمَنُthe timeالْأُنْسِof familiarity
So some of them said: The time of familiarity has gone, and whoever objects, then guard yourself against your friend as you guard yourself against your enemy,
وَمَنْand whoeverكَانَisيُعَارِضُobjecting
and whoever objects,
فَاحْتَفِظْthen guardمِنْfromصَدِيقِكَyour friendكَمَاjust asتَحْتَفِظُyou guardمِنْfromعَدُوِّكَyour enemy
then guard yourself against your friend as you guard yourself against your enemy,
وَقَدِّمِand put forwardالْحَزْمَfirmness/prudenceفِيinكُلِّallالْأُمُورِmatters
and put forward prudence in all matters,
وَإِيَّاكَand bewareأَنْthatتُكَاشِفَهُyou reveal to himسِرَّكَyour secret
and beware of revealing your secret to him lest he uses it openly against you at a time of malice.
فَيُجَاهِرَكَso he confronts you openlyبِهِwith itفِيinوَقْتِtimeالشَّرِّof evil
lest he confronts you openly with it at a time of evil.
أَنْشَدَنِيRecited to meزَيْدُZaydبْنُson ofعَلِيٍّAliكَامِلٌKamil
Zayd ibn Ali Kamil recited to me:
احْذَرْBeware ofمَوَدَّةَaffection ofمَأْزَقٍa tight spot
Beware of the affection of a tight spot, mixing bitterness with sweetness.
خَلَطَmixingالْمَرَارَةَthe bitternessبِالْحَلَاوَةْwith the sweetness
mixing bitterness with sweetness.