قِصَّةُStoryالْكِنْدِيِّ:of al-Kindi:
The story of al-Kindi:
حَدَّثَنِيHe told meعَمْرُوAmrبْنُibnنَهْيَوِي،Nahyawi,قَالَ:he said:
Amr ibn Nahyawi told me, saying:
كَانَHe used toالْكِنْدِيُّal-Kindiلَاnotيَزَالُceaseيَقُولُsayingلِلسَّاكِنِ،to the resident,وَرُبَّمَاand sometimesقَالَhe saidلِلْجَارِ:to the neighbor:
Al-Kindi would repeatedly say to the resident and sometimes to the neighbor:
إِنَّIndeedفِيinالدَّارِthe houseاِمْرَأَةًa womanبِهَاwith herحَمْلٌ،pregnancy,
There is a woman in the house who is pregnant,
وَالْوَحْمَى1and the craving (of pregnancy)رُبَّمَاmaybeأَسْقَطَتْshe causes to miscarryمِنْfromرِيحِthe smellالطَّيِّبَةِof a pleasant (thing)
and pregnancy craving (footnote 1) might cause miscarriage from the smell of a pleasant scent.
فَإِذَاSo whenطَبَخْتُمْ،you cook,فَرُدُّواthen returnشَهْوَتَهَا،her craving,وَلَوْeven ifبِغُرْفَةٍwith a spoonfulأَوْorلَعْقَةٍ،a lick,
So when you cook, satisfy her craving, even with a spoonful or a lick,
فَإِنَّforالنَّفْسَthe soulيَرُدُّهَاit returns itالْيَسِيرُthe little
for a little satisfies the soul.
فَإِنْIfلَمْnotتَفْعَلُواyou doذَلِكَ،that,بَعْدَafterإِعْلَامِيmy informingإِيَّاكَ،you,
If you do not do that, after I have informed you,
فَكَفَّارَتُكَ2then your atonementأَنْis thatأَسْقَطَتْshe miscarriedغُرَّةً:a full compensation:
your atonement (footnote 2) if she miscarries is a full compensation:
عَبْدٌa slaveأَوْorأَمَةٌ3a slave girl،,أَلْزَمْتُI have imposedذَلِكَthatنَفْسَكَupon yourselfأَمْwhetherأَبَيْتَyou refuse
A male slave or a female slave (footnote 3) — I have imposed that upon yourself whether you like it or not.
قَالَ:He said:فَكَانَAnd he wouldرُبَّمَاsometimesيُوَافِيarriveإِلَىatمَنْزِلِهِhis homeمِنْfromقِصَاعِthe bowls (of food)السُّكَّانِ4of the residents
He said: He would sometimes receive at his home from the bowls of the residents (footnote 4)
وَالْجِيرَانِand the neighborsمَاwhatيَكْفِيهِsufficed himالْأَيَّامَ،for days,وَكَانَand he wasأَكْثَرُهُمْmost of themيَفْطُنُperceivesوَيَتَغَافَلُand pretends not to notice
and the neighbors enough food for days; most of them were aware but pretended not to notice.
وَكَانَAnd he used toالْكِنْدِيُّal-Kindiيَقُولُsayلِعِيَالِهِ:to his family:
And al-Kindi used to say to his family:
أَنْتُمْYou areأَحْسَنُbetterحَالًاconditionمِنْthanأَرْبَابِthe ownersهَذِهِtheseالضِّيَاعِestates
You are in a better situation than the owners of these estates.
إِنَّمَاOnlyلِكُلِّfor eachبَيْتٍhouseholdمِنْهُمْof themلَوْنٌone kind (of food)وَاحِدٌ،one,وَعِنْدَكُمْwhile with youأَلْوَانٌmany kinds
Each household among them has only one kind of food, while you have various kinds.
قَالَ:He said:وَكُنْتُAnd I wasأَتَغَدَّىhaving lunchعِنْدَهُat his placeيَوْمًا،one day,إِذْwhenدَخَلَenteredعَلَيْهِupon himجَارٌa neighborلَهُof his
He said: I was having lunch at his place one day when one of his neighbors entered upon him.
وَكَانَAnd he wasالْجَارُthe neighborلِيto meصَدِيقًاa friend
And the neighbor was a friend of mine.
فَلَمْAnd he did notيَعْرِضْofferعَلَيْهِto himالْغَدَاءَthe lunch
But he did not offer him the lunch.
فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُAnd I felt embarrassedأَنَاIمِنْهُfor himفَقُلْتُ:and I said:
I felt embarrassed for him and said:
لَوْIf onlyأَصَبْتَyou would haveمَعَنَاwith usمِمَّاfrom whatنَأْكُلُwe eat
Would you not share with us some of what we are eating?
قَالَ:He said:قَدْ،Indeed,وَاللهِ،by God,فَعَلْتُI did
He said: By God, I already ate.
قَالَHe saidالْكِنْدِيُّ:al-Kindi:مَاNothingبَعْدَafterاللهِGodشَيْءٌis there
Al-Kindi said: Nothing exists besides God.
قَالَ:He said:فَكَتَفَهُAnd he tied his handsوَاللهِ،by God,يَاOأَبَاAbuعُثْمَانَ،Uthman,
He said: He tied his hands, by God, O Abu Uthman,
كَتَفًاso tightlyلَاnotيَسْتَطِيعُhe couldمَعَهُwith itقَبْضًاclosing (his hand)وَلَاnorبَسْطًا،opening (his hand),
tying so tightly that he could not close or open his hand.
وَتَرَكَهُAnd he left himوَلَوْand ifأَكَلَhe had eatenلَشَهِدَhe would have testifiedعَلَيْهِagainst himبِالْكُفْرِ،of disbelief,
And he left him; had he eaten, he would have testified that he was an unbeliever,
وَلَكَانَand he would haveعِنْدَهُin his viewقَدْindeedجَعَلَmadeمَعَwithاللهِGodشَيْئًاsomething
and he would have regarded him as associating something with God.
قَالَSaidعَمْرٌو:Amr:
Amr said:
بَيْنَاWhileأَنَا،Iذَاتَoneيَوْمٍ،day,عِنْدَهُat his placeإِذْwhenسَمِعَhe heardصَوْتَthe soundانْقِلَابِof overturningجَرَّةٍa jarمِنَfromالدَّارِthe houseالْأُخْرَى،the other,
While I was at his place one day, he heard the sound of a jar overturning in the other house.
فَصَاحَ:He shouted:أَيْOقَصَّافُ!Qassaf!
He shouted: O Qassaf!
فَقَالَتْ،She said,مُجِيبَةًansweringلَهُ:him:
She answered him:
بِئْرٌA wellوَحَيَاتِكَ!and your life!
A well, by your life!
فَكَانَتِAnd she wasالْجَارِيَةُthe slave girlفِيinالذَّكَاءِ،intelligence,
And the slave girl was, in intelligence,
أَكْثَرَmoreمِنْهُthan himفِيinالِاسْتِقْصَاءِthoroughness
more than him in thoroughness.