أَرْضُfloorالدَّارِof the house
The floor of the house.
وَيَدُقُّand he poundsعَلَىonالْأَجْذَاعِthe beamsوَالْحَوَاضِنِand the bracketsوَالرَّوَاشِنِ1and the projecting windows
He pounds on the beams, brackets, and projecting windows [1].
وَإِنْand ifكَانَتِwasالدَّارُthe houseمُقَرْمَدَةًpaved with baked bricksأَوْorبِالْآجُرِّwith bricksمَفْرُوشَةًcovered
Even if the house was paved with baked bricks or covered with bricks.
وَقَدْand indeedكَانَwasصَاحِبُهَاits ownerجَعَلَplacedفِيinنَاحِيَةٍa cornerمِنْهَاof itصَخْرَةًa rockلِيَكُونَso that it would beالدَّقُّthe poundingعَلَيْهَاon itوَلِتَكُونَand so that it would beوَاقِيَةًa protectionدُونَهَاfor it
Indeed its owner had placed a rock in a corner of it, so that pounding would be done on it and it would act as protection for it.
دَعَاهُمُcalled themالتَّهَاوُنُcarelessnessوَالْقَسْوَةُand crueltyوَالْغِشُّand deceitوَالْفُسُولَةُand sluggishnessإِلَىtoأَنْthatيَدُقُّواthey poundحَيْثُwhereجَلَسُواthey satوَإِلَىand toأَلَّاnotيَحْفِلُواthey careبِمَاabout whatأَفْسَدُواthey spoiled
Carelessness, cruelty, deceit, and sluggishness led them to pound wherever they sat and to care not about what they spoiled.
لَمْnotيُعْطَwas givenقَطُّeverلِذَلِكَfor thatأَرْشًا2compensation
No compensation was ever paid for that [2].
وَلَاnorاسْتَحَلَّdid he consider lawfulصَاحِبَthe ownerالدَّارِof the houseوَلَاnorاسْتَغْفَرَdid he ask forgivenessاللَّهَAllahمِنْهُfor itفِيinالسِّرِّsecret
Nor did he consider it lawful to the owner of the house, nor did he ask Allah's forgiveness for it in private.
ثُمَّthenيَسْتَكْثِرُhe considers too muchمِنْfromنَفْسِهِhimselfفِيinالسَّنَةِthe yearإِخْرَاجَthe spendingعَشَرَةِtenدَرَاهِمَdirhams
Then he considers spending ten dirhams a year as too much from himself.
وَلَاand notيَسْتَكْثِرُdoes he consider too muchمِنْfromرَبِّthe lordالدَّارِof the houseأَلْفَa thousandدِينَارٍdinarsفِيinالشَّهْرِthe month
And he does not consider a thousand dinars a month too much for the lord of the house.
أَيَذْكُرُDoes he rememberمَاwhatيَصِيرُgoesإِلَيْنَاto usمَعَwithقِلَّتِهِits smallnessوَلَاand notيَذْكُرُdoes he rememberمَاwhatيَصِيرُgoesإِلَيْهِto himمَعَwithكَثْرَتِهِits abundance
Does he mention what comes to us despite its smallness, and does he not mention what comes to him despite its abundance?
هَذَاThisوَالْأَيَّامُand the daysالَّتِيthatتَنْقُضُundoالْمُبْرَمَthe firmly tiedوَتُبْلِيand wear outالْجَدَّةَthe newnessوَتُفَرِّقُand disperseالْجَمِيعَthe gatheredالْمُجْتَمَعَthe assembled
This—and the days that unravel the firmly tied, wear out the new, and disperse the gathered assembly—
عَامِلَةٌare workingفِيinالدُّورِthe housesكَمَاjust asتَعْمَلُthey workفِيinالصُّخُورِthe rocksوَتَأْخُذُand they takeمِنَfromالْمَنَازِلِthe dwellingsكَمَاjust asتَأْخُذُthey takeمِنْfromكُلِّeveryرَطْبٍmoistوَيَابِسٍand dry
Are working in houses as they work in rocks, and they take from dwellings as they take from every moist and dry thing.
كَمَاjust asتَجْعَلُthey makeالرَّطْبَthe moistيَابِسًاdryوَالْيَابِسَand the dryهَشِيمًاbrittleوَالْهَشِيمَand the brittleمُضَمْجَلًا3crumbled
Just as they make the moist dry, the dry brittle, and the brittle crumbled [3].
وَلَانْهِدَامُand the collapseالْمَنَازِلِof dwellingsغَايَةٌan endقَرِيبَةٌnearوَمُدَّةٌand a periodقَصِيرَةٌshort
The collapse of dwellings is a near end and a short period.
وَالسَّاكِنُand the dwellerفِيهَاin itهُوَhe isالْمُتَمَتِّعُthe enjoyerبِهَا4of it
The dweller in it is the one who enjoys it [4].
وَالْمُنْتَفِعُand the beneficiaryبِمَرَافِقِهَاof its facilities
And the one who benefits from its amenities.
وَهُوَand heالَّذِيthe one whoأَبْلَىwore outجِدَّتَهَاits newnessوَذَهَبَand took awayبِحَلَاهَاits adornmentوَبِهِand by himهَرِمَتْit agedوَذَهَبَand wentعُمْرُهَاits lifespanلِسُوءِdue to badتَدْبِيرِهِhis management
He is the one who wore out its newness, stripped its adornment, and by him it aged and its lifespan went, due to his poor management.
فَإِذَاand whenقِسْنَاwe measureالْغُرْمَthe lossعِنْدَatانْهِدَامِهَاits collapseبِإِعَادَتِهَاby rebuilding itوَبُعْدِand distance ofابْتِدَائِهَاits origin
And when we measure the loss at its collapse by rebuilding it and the remoteness of its beginning.
وَغُرْمِand the cost ofمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenذَلِكَthatمِنْofمَرَمَّتِهَاits repairوَإِصْلَاحِهَاand its restoration
And the cost of what is between that in terms of its repair and restoration.
ثُمَّthenقَابَلْنَاwe compareبِذَلِكَwith thatمَاwhatأَخَذْنَاwe tookمِنْfromغَلَّاتِهَاits revenuesوَارْتَفَقْنَاand we benefitedبِهِfrom itمِنْfromإِكْرَائِهَاits rental
Then we compare with that what we took from its revenues and the benefit we derived from renting it out.
خَرَجَresultsعَلَىonالْمُسْكِنِthe landlordمِنَofالْخُسْرَانِlossبِقَدْرِaccording to the amountمَاwhatحَصَلَaccruedلِلسَّاكِنِto the tenantمِنَofالرِّبْحِprofit
The landlord incurs a loss equivalent to the profit the tenant gains.
إِلَّاhoweverأَنَّthatالدَّرَاهِمَthe dirhamsالَّتِيthatأَخْرَجْنَاهَاwe spentمِنَofالنَّفَقَةِthe expenditureكَانَتْwereجُمْلَةًa lump sumوَالَّتِيand those thatأَخَذْنَاهَاwe tookعَلَىasجِهَةِway ofالْغَلَّةِrevenueجَاءَتْcameمُقَطَّعَةًin installments
However, the dirhams we spent as expenditure were in a lump sum, while those we took as revenue came in installments.
وَهَذَاand thisمَعَalong withسُوءِbadالْقَضَاءِthe judgmentوَالْأَحْوَجُand the most needy
This is along with bad judgment, and the most needy...
Footnotes
- 1.أَجْذَاعٌ: جَمْعُ جِذْعٍ، وَهُوَ الْخَشَبَةُ الَّتِي تُوضَعُ عَلَى الْحَائِطِ لِحَمْلِ السَّقْفِ. حَوَاضِنُ: جَمْعُ حَاضِنَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْخَشَبَةُ الَّتِي تُوضَعُ عَلَى الْجِذْعِ. رَوَاشِنُ: جَمْعُ رَوْشَنٍ، وَهِيَ النَّافِذَةُ الْبَارِزَةُ.
Ajza': plural of jidh', which is the wooden beam placed on the wall to support the ceiling. Hawadin: plural of hadinah, which is the wooden piece placed on the beam. Rawashin: plural of rawshan, which is the projecting window.
- 2.أَرْشٌ: نُقْصَانٌ أَوْ عَيْبٌ يُدْفَعُ مَالُهُ كَتَعْوِيضٍ عَنِ الضَّرَرِ.
Arsh: a defect or damage for which compensation is paid.
- 3.هَشِيمٌ: يَابِسٌ مُتَكَسِّرٌ. مُضَمْجَلٌ: مُتَفَتِّتٌ.
Hashim: dry and broken. Mudamjal: crumbled.
- 4.أَيْ: السَّاكِنُ فِي الدَّارِ هُوَ الْمُسْتَمْتِعُ بِهَا وَالْمُنْتَفِعُ بِمَرَافِقِهَا، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَتَسَبَّبُ فِي خَرَابِهَا بِسُوءِ اسْتِعْمَالِهِ.
That is, the dweller in the house is the one who enjoys it and benefits from its amenities, and he is the one who causes its ruin through his misuse.