عَلَيْهِمْupon them
upon them.
حَتَّىuntilإِذَاwhenاسْتَوْثَقَhe securedمِنْهُمْ1from them
Until when he had secured himself against them (1),
أَعْجَلَهُمْhe hurried themوَحَزَّقَand pressedبِهِمْon them
he hurried and pressed on them,
حَتَّىuntilيَتَّقُوهُthey ward him offبِبَيْعِby sellingبَعْضِsome ofالدَّارِthe house
until they fend him off by selling part of the house,
أَوْorبِاسْتِرْهَانِby mortgagingالْجَمِيعِall
or by mortgaging everything,
لِيَرْبَحَto profitمَعَalong withالذَّهَابِthe taking awayبِالْأَصْلِof the principal
to profit, along with taking away the principal,
السَّلَامَةَsafetyمَعَwithطُولِlengthمَقَامِهِof his stayمِنَfromالْكِرَاءِthe rent
and safety from the rent during his long stay.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsجَعَلَهُhe made itبَيْعًاa saleفِيinالظَّاهِرِthe outward
And perhaps he made it a sale in appearance,
وَرَهْنًاand a mortgageفِيinالْبَاطِنِthe inner
and a mortgage in reality,
فَحِينَئِذٍthen at that timeيَقْتَضِيهِمْhe demands from themدُونَwithoutالْمُهْلَةِthe grace period
then he demands payment from them immediately,
وَيَدَّعِيهَاand claims itقَبْلَbeforeالْوَقْتِthe time
and claims it before the due time.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsبَلَغَit reachedمِنْfromاسْتِضْعَافِهِhis deeming weak
And perhaps it reached the point that he deemed them weak
وَاسْتِثْقَالِهِand his deeming burdensomeلِأَدَاءِthe payment ofالْكِرَاءِthe rent
and burdensome to pay the rent,
أَنْthatيَدَّعِيَhe claimsأَنَّthatلَهُfor himشَقِيصًا3a share
that he claims to have a share (3),
وَأَنَّand thatلَهُfor himيَدًاa handلِيَصِيرَto becomeخَصْمًاan opponentمِنَofالْخُصُومِthe opponents
and that he has a hand (claim) to become an adversary among adversaries,
وَمُنَازِعًاand a contenderغَيْرَnotغَاصِبٍa usurper
and a contender, not a usurper.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsأَخَذَهُمْhe took themوَمَعَهُand with himامْرَأَةٌa womanيَفْجُرُhe commits adulteryبِهَاwith her
And perhaps he took them, having with him a woman with whom he fornicates,
فَيَجْعَلُand makesاسْتِئْجَارَrentingالْبُيُوتِthe housesوَتَصَفُّحَand inspectingالْمَنَازِلِthe dwellings
and makes renting houses and inspecting dwellings
عِلَّةًa pretextلِدُخُولِهَاfor his entering themوَالْمُقَامِand stayingسَاعَةًan hourفِيهَاin them
a pretext for entering them and staying a while.
فَإِذَاand whenاسْتَقَرَّhe settledفِيinالْمَنْزِلِthe dwelling
And when he settled in the dwelling,
قَضَىhe fulfilledحَاجَتَهُhis needمِنْهَاfrom her
he fulfilled his need from her,
وَرَدَّand returnedالْمُفْتَاحَthe key
and returned the key.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsاكْتَرَىhe rentedالْمَنْزِلَthe dwellingوَفِيهِand in itمَرَمَّةٌrepair needed
And perhaps he rented a dwelling that needed repair,
فَاشْتَرَىand boughtبَعْضَsomeمَاof whatيُصْلِحُهَاwould repair it
so he bought some materials to repair it,
ثُمَّthenيَتَوَخَّىhe seeksعَامِلًاa craftsmanجَيِّدَgoodالْكِسْوَةِof clothing
then he seeks out a well-dressed craftsman,
وَجِيرَانًاand neighborsأَصْحَابَowners ofآنِيَةٍvesselsوَآلَةٍand tools
and neighbors who own vessels and tools,
فَإِذَاand whenشُغِلَwas occupiedالْعَامِلُthe craftsmanوَغَفَلَand was negligent
and when the craftsman was busy and heedless,
اشْتَمَلَhe tookعَلَىonكُلِّallمَاthatقَدَرَhe couldعَلَيْهِon it
he seized everything he could lay his hands on,
وَتَرَكَهُمْand left themيَتَسَكَّعُونَwandering aimlessly
and left them wandering aimlessly.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsاسْتَأْجَرَhe rentedإِلَىnext toجَنْبِside ofسِجْنٍa prison
And perhaps he rented next to a prison
لِيَنْقُبَto dig throughأَهْلُهُits inmatesإِلَيْهِto him
to let its inmates tunnel out to him,
وَإِلَىand next toجَنْبِside ofصَرَّافٍa money-changerلِيَنْقُبَto dig throughعَلَيْهِagainst him
and next to a money-changer to tunnel into his shop,
طَلَبًاseekingلِطُولِfor lengthالْمُهْلَةِof graceوَالسَّتْرِand concealment
seeking ample time and concealment,
وَلِطُولِand for lengthالْمُدَّةِof durationوَالْأَمْنِand security
and long duration and safety.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsجَنَىhe committedالسَّاكِنُthe residentمَاwhatيَدْعُوcallsإِلَىforهَدْمِdestructionدَارِhouse ofالْمَسْكَنِthe residence
And perhaps the resident committed a crime that led to the demolition of the dwelling house,
بِأَنْby thatيَقْتُلَhe killsقَتِيلًاa killed personأَوْorيَجْرَحَhe woundsشَرِيفًاa noble person
such as killing someone or wounding a noble,
فَيَأْتِيso comesالسُّلْطَانَthe sultanالدَّارَthe house
so the sultan comes to the house,
وَأَرْبَابُهَاand its ownersإِمَّاeitherغُيَّبٌabsentوَإِمَّاorأَيْتَامٌorphansوَإِمَّاorضُعَفَاءُweak
and its owners are either absent, orphans, or weak,
فَلَاand he does notيَصْنَعُdoدُونَwithoutأَنْthatيُسَوِّيَهَاhe levels itبِالْأَرْضِwith the ground
and he does not stop until he razes it to the ground.
وَبَعْدُand afterwardفَالدُّورُso the housesمُلْقَاةٌ4are thrown down
And afterward, the houses are ruined (4),
وَأَرْبَابُهَاand their ownersمَنْكُوبُونَare afflictedوَمُلَقَّوْنَand cast down
and their owners are afflicted and cast down.
وَهُمْand they areأَشَدُّthe mostالنَّاسِof peopleاغْتِرَارًاin being deceivedبِالنَّاسِby people
And they are the most deceived by people,
وَأَبْعَدُهُمْand their most farغَايَةًin aimمِنْfromسَلَامَةِsafety ofالصُّدُورِthe chests (hearts)
and the furthest from having sound hearts.
وَذَلِكَand thatأَنَّbecauseمَنْwhoeverدَفَعَhanded overدَارَهُhis houseوَنَقْضَهَاand its demolitionوَسَاجَهَا5and its woodwork
That is because whoever hands over his house, its demolition, and its timber (5),
وَأَبْوَابَهَاand its doorsمَعَwithحَدِيدِهَاits ironوَذَهَبِand goldسُقُوفِهَاof its ceilingsإِلَىtoمَجْهُولٍan unknown person
and its doors, with its iron and the gold of its ceilings, to an unknown person...
Footnotes
- 1.أَيْ: اسْتَوْثَقَ مِنْهُمْ بِأَخْذِ الرَّهَائِنِ وَالْكُفَلَاءِ.
i.e., he secured himself against them by taking pledges and guarantors.
- 2.حَزَّقَ بِهِمْ: ضَيَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَشَدَّدَ.
He pressed on them: he made things difficult and stringent for them.
- 3.الشَّقِيصُ: النَّصِيبُ مِنَ الدَّارِ أَوِ الْأَرْضِ.
The share: a portion of a house or land.
- 4.مُلْقَاةٌ: مُهْدَمَةٌ أَوْ مَتْرُوكَةٌ.
Thrown down: demolished or abandoned.
- 5.السَّاجُ: الْخَشَبُ، وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ أَخْشَابُ الْبِنَاءِ.
Timber: wood, meaning the construction wood.