حَدِيثُThe narration ofإِسْمَاعِيلَIsmailبْنِson ofغَزْوَانَGhazwan
The narration of Ismail ibn Ghazwan
قَالَHe saidاِسْمَاعِيلُIsmailبْنُson ofغَزْوَانَGhazwan::
Ismail ibn Ghazwan said:
لِلَّهِTo Allahدَرُّthe excellenceالْكِنْدِيِّof al-Kindi!!
How excellent is al-Kindi!
مَاWhatكَانَwasأَحْكَمَهُhow wise he wasوَأَحْضَرَand how readyحُجَّتَهُhis argument!!
How wise he was and how ready his argument!
وَأَنْصَحَAnd how sincereجَيْبِهِhis heartوَأَدْوَمَand how enduringطَرِيقَتَهُhis way!!
And how sincere his heart and how enduring his way!
رَأَيْتُهُI saw himوَقَدْwhenأَقْبَلَhe turnedعَلَىtoجَمَاعَةٍa groupمَاnotفِيهَاin itإِلَّاexceptمُفْسِدٌa corruptor،,
I saw him when he turned to a group in which there was none but a corruptor,
أَوْorمَنْone whoيُزَيِّنُbeautifiesالْفَسَادَcorruptionلِأَهْلِهِfor its people،,
or one who beautifies corruption for its people,
مِنْofشَاعِرٍa poetبُودِّهِwhose wishأَنَّthatالنَّاسَthe peopleكُلَّهُمْall of themقَدْhaveجَاوَزُواcrossedحَدَّthe limitالْمُسْرِفِينَof the wastefulإِلَىtoحُدُودِthe limitsالْمَجَانِينِof madmen،,
of a poet who wished that all the people had crossed the limit of the wasteful to the limits of madmen,
وَمِنْand ofصَاحِبِan owner ofتَفْقِيعٍ1flatteryوَاسْتِئْكَالٍand exploitation،,
and of an owner of flattery and exploitation,
وَمِنْand ofمَلَّاقٍa flattererمُتَقَرِّبٍseeking closeness،,
and of a flatterer seeking closeness.
فَقَالَThen he said::
Then he said:
«“تُسَمُّونَYou callمَنْone whoمَنَعَpreventedالْمَالَwealthمِنْfromوُجُوهِavenuesالْخَطَأِof error،,
“You call the one who prevents wealth from erroneous avenues,
وَحَصَّنَهُand safeguards itخَوْفًاout of fearمِنَofالْغِيلَةِ2treachery،,
and safeguards it out of fear of treachery,
وَحَفِظَهُand preserves itإِشْفَاقًاout of compassionمِنَfromالذِّلَّةِhumiliationبَخِيلًاa miser،,
and preserves it out of compassion from humiliation—a miser,
تُرِيدُونَyou intendبِذَٰلِكَby thatذَمَّهُto censure himوَشَيْنَهُ3and defame him،,
you intend by that to censure him and defame him.
وَتُسَمُّونَAnd you callمَنْone whoجَهِلَignoredفَضْلَthe virtueالْغِنَىof wealth،,
And you call the one who ignored the virtue of wealth,
وَلَمْand did notيَعْرِفْknowذِلَّةَthe humiliationالْفَقْرِof poverty،,
and did not know the humiliation of poverty,
وَأَعْطَىٰand gaveفِيinالسَّرَفِextravagance،,
and gave in extravagance,
وَتَهَاوَنَand was negligentبِالْخَطَأِregarding error،,
and was negligent regarding error,
وَابْتَذَلَand squanderedالنِّعْمَةَ4the blessings،,
and squandered the blessings,
وَأَهَانَand humiliatedنَفْسَهُhimselfبِإِكْرَامِby honoringغَيْرِهِothersجَوَادًاgenerous،,
and humiliated himself by honoring others—generous,
تُرِيدُونَyou intendبِذَٰلِكَby thatحَمْدَهُto praise himوَمَدْحَهُand commend him؟?
you intend by that to praise him and commend him?
فَاتَّهِمُواThen suspectعَلَىٰagainstأَنْفُسِكُمْyourselvesمَنْthose whoقَدَّمَكُمْpreferred youعَلَىٰoverنَفْسِهِhimself،,
Then suspect those who preferred you over themselves.
فَإِنَّForمَنْone whoأَخْطَأَerredعَلَىٰagainstنَفْسِهِhimself،,
For the one who erred against himself,
فَهُوَthen he isأَجْدَرُmore deservingأَنْtoيُخْطِئَerrعَلَىٰagainstغَيْرِهِothers،,
then he is more deserving to err against others,
وَمَنْand one whoأَخْطَأَerredفِيinظَاهِرِthe outwardدُنْيَاهُof his world،,
and the one who erred in the outward of his world,
وَفِيمَاand in whatيُوجَدُis perceivedفِيbyالْعَيْنِthe eye،,
and in what is perceived by the eye,
كَانَwasأَجْدَرَmore deservingأَنْtoيُخْطِئَerrفِيinبَاطِنِthe inwardدِينِهِof his religion،,
was more deserving to err in the inward of his religion,
وَفِيمَاand in whatيُوجَدُis perceivedبِالْعَقْلِby the intellect،,
and in what is perceived by the intellect.
فَمَدَحْتُمْSo you praisedمَنْthose whoمَدَحَpraisedصُنُوفَkindsالْخَطَأِof error،,
So you praised those who praised kinds of error,
وَذَمَمْتُمْand you censuredمَنْthose whoجَمَعَgatheredصُنُوفَkindsالصَّوَابِof correctness،,
and you censured those who gathered kinds of correctness.
فَاحْذَرُوهُمْSo beware of themكُلَّallالْحَذَرِthe wariness،,
So beware of them with all wariness,
وَلَاand do notتَأْمَنُوهُمْtrust themعَلَىٰinحَالٍany situation»”
and do not trust them in any situation.”
قَالَHe saidاِسْمَاعِيلُIsmail::
Ismail said:
وَسَمِعْتُAnd I heardالْكِنْدِيَّal-Kindiيَقُولُsaying::
And I heard al-Kindi saying:
«“إِنَّمَاIndeed,الْمَالُwealthلِمَنْbelongs to the one whoحَفِظَهُpreserved it،,
“Indeed, wealth belongs to the one who preserves it,
وَإِنَّمَاand indeed,الْغِنَىwealthلِمَنْfor the one whoتَمَسَّكَclingsبِهِ5to it،,
and indeed, wealth is for the one who clings to it.
وَلِحِفْظِAnd for preservingالْمَالِwealthبُنِيَتِwere builtالْحِيطَانُthe walls،,
And for preserving wealth, walls were built,
وَعُلِّقَتِand were hungالْأَبْوَابُthe doorsوَاتُّخِذَتِand were madeالصَّنَادِيقُthe chests،,
and doors were hung, and chests were made,
وَعُمِلَتِand were madeالْأَقْفَالُthe locks،,
and locks were made,
Footnotes
- 1.التَّفْقِيعُ: مُدَاهَنَةٌ وَتَزَلُّفٌ وَتَحْسِينُ الْقَوْلِ لِلْإِنْسَانِ بِمَا يُرْضِيهِ، وَالِاسْتِئْكَالُ: الْأَخْذُ فِي الْأَكْلِ وَالْتِهَامُ بِالْمَالِ.
Al-tafqi': flattery and sycophancy and embellishing speech for a person to please him, and al-isti'kal: taking in eating and consuming wealth.
- 2.الْغِيلَةُ: الْخِيَانَةُ وَالْغَدْرُ.
Al-ghilah: betrayal and treachery.
- 3.الشَّيْنُ: الْعَيْبُ وَالنَّقْصُ.
Al-shayn: defect and deficiency.
- 4.النِّعْمَةُ هُنَا: الْمَالُ وَالْخَيْرُ.
Al-ni'mah here: wealth and goodness.
- 5.الْغِنَى أَيْ: الِاسْتِغْنَاءُ وَالِاكْتِفَاءُ بِالْمَالِ.
Al-ghina, i.e., self-sufficiency and being content with wealth.