فَاسْتَحْسَنَتِand considered goodالْفُقَهَاءُthe jurists
The jurists considered it good.
وَتَمَنَّىand wishedالصَّالِحُونَthe righteousأَنْthatنُغِصَّwe decreaseمِنَfromالثُّلُثِthe thirdشَيْئًاsomething
And the righteous wished that we would decrease from the third something.
لِاسْتِكْثَارِbecause of considering muchرَسُولِthe Messengerاللَّهِof Allahصَلَّىmay blessاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant peaceالثُّلُثَthe third
Because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, considered the third much.
وَلِقَوْلِهِand for his saying
And for his saying:
«إِنَّكَ'Verily youإِنْifتَدَعْyou leaveعِيَالَكَyour dependentsأَغْنِيَاءَrichخَيْرٌbetterمِنْthanأَنْthatتَدَعَهُمْyou leave themعَالَةًpoorيَتَكَفَّفُونَthey begالنَّاسَ1the people
'Verily, if you leave your dependents rich, that is better than leaving them poor, begging from people.'
وَرَسُولُand the Messengerاللَّهِof Allahصَلَّىmay blessاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant peaceلَمْnotيَرْحَمْdid he have mercyعِيَالَنَاon our dependentsإِلَّاexceptبِفَضْلِby virtue ofرَحْمَتِهِhis mercyلَنَاfor us
And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, only had mercy on our dependents by virtue of his mercy for us.
فَكَيْفَSo howتَأْمُرُونَنِيdo you command meأَنْtoأُؤْثِرَ2preferأَنْفُسَكُمْyour own selvesعَلَىoverنَفْسِيmyself
So how do you command me to prefer yourselves over myself?
وَأُقَدِّمَand to give precedenceعِيَالَكُمْto your dependentsعَلَىoverعِيَالِيmy dependents
And to give precedence to your dependents over my dependents?
وَأَنْand toأَعْتَقِدَI holdالثَّنَاءَpraiseبَدَلًاinstead ofمِنَofالْغِنَىwealth
And to hold praise instead of wealth?
وَأَنْand toأَكْنِزَI treasureالرِّيحَthe windوَأَصْطَنِعَand I produceالسَّرَابَ3the mirageبَدَلًاinstead ofمِنَofالذَّهَبِgoldوَالْفِضَّةِand silver
And to treasure the wind and produce the mirage, instead of gold and silver?
»
End quote.
قَالَsaidإِسْمَاعِيلُIsmail
Ismail said:
وَسَمِعْتُهُand I heard himيَقُولُsayلِعِيَالِهِto his dependentsوَأَصْحَابِهِand his companions
And I heard him say to his dependents and his companions:
«اصْبِرُوا'Be patientعَنِaway fromالرُّطَبِripe datesعِنْدَatابْتِدَائِهِits beginningوَأَوَائِلِهِand its early stages
'Be patient in abstaining from ripe dates at their beginning and early stages.'
وَعَنْand away fromبَاكُورَاتِfirst fruitsالْفَاكِهَةِof fruit
And away from the first fruits of fruit.
فَإِنَّfor indeedلِلنَّفْسِfor the soulعِنْدَatكُلِّeveryطَارِفٍ4new thingنَزْوَةًa leap
For indeed the soul has a leap at every new thing.
وَعِنْدَand atكُلِّeveryهَاجِمٍsudden thingبَدْوَةً5an inclination
And at every sudden thing, an inclination.
وَلِلْقَادِمِand for the newcomerحَلَاوَةٌsweetnessوَفَرْحَةٌand joy
And for the newcomer, there is sweetness and joy.
وَلِلْجَدِيدِand for the newبَشَاشَةٌcheerfulnessوَغُرَّةٌand brilliance
And for the new, there is cheerfulness and brilliance.
فَإِنَّكَfor if youمَتَىwheneverرَدَدْتَهَاyou repel it (the soul)ارْتَدَّتْit retreats
For if you repel it, it retreats.
وَمَتَىand wheneverرَدَعْتَهَاyou restrain itارْتَدَعَتْit is restrained
And whenever you restrain it, it is restrained.
وَالنَّفْسُand the soulعَزُوفٌ6is averse
And the soul is averse.
وَنَفُورٌand fleeingأَلُوفٌbut affectionate
Fleeing but affectionate.
وَمَاand whateverحَمَّلْتَهَاyou burden it withاحْتَمَلَتْit bears
And whatever you burden it with, it bears.
وَإِنْand ifأَهْمَلْتَهَاyou neglect itفَسَدَتْit becomes corrupt
And if you neglect it, it becomes corrupt.
فَإِنْfor ifلَمْnotتَكْفُفْyou stopجَمِيعَallدَوَاعِيهَاits inclinationsوَتَحْسِمْand cut offجَمِيعَallخَوَاطِرِهَاits thoughts
For if you do not stop all its inclinations and cut off all its thoughts...
فِيatأَوَّلِthe firstرَدَّةٍrepulseصَارَتْit becomesأَقَلَّlessعَدَدًاin numberوَأَضْعَفَand weakerقُوَّةًin strength
At the first repulse, it becomes less in number and weaker in strength.
فَإِذَاthen whenأَثَّرَit has an effectذَلِكَthatفِيهَاin itفَعِظْهَاthen admonish itفِيconcerningتِلْكَthatالْبَاكُورَةِfirst fruitبِالْغَلَاءِwith high priceوَالْقِلَّةِand scarcity
Then when that has an effect in it, then admonish it concerning that first fruit with high price and scarcity.
فَإِنَّfor indeedذِكْرَthe mentionالْغَلَاءِof high priceوَالْقِلَّةِand scarcityحُجَّةٌis an argumentصَحِيحَةٌvalidوَعِلَّةٌand a causeعَامِلَةٌeffectiveفِيinالطَّبِيعَةِnature
For indeed mentioning high price and scarcity is a valid argument and an effective cause in nature.
فَإِذَاthen whenأَجَابَتْكَit responds to youفِيconcerningالْبَاكُورَةِthe first fruitفَسَمِّهَاthen name itمِثْلَlikeذَلِكَthatفِيatأَوَائِلِthe beginningsكَثْرَتِهَاof its abundance
Then when it responds to you concerning the first fruit, then name it like that at the beginnings of its abundance.
وَاضْرِبْand setنُقْصَانَthe decreaseالشَّهْوَةِof appetiteوَنُقْصَانَand the decreaseقُوَّةِof the powerالْغَلَبَةِof overcoming
And set the decrease of appetite and the decrease of the power of overcoming...
بِمِقْدَارِin proportion toمَاwhatحَدَثَhas occurredلَهَاto itمِنَofالرُّخْصِlow priceوَالْكَثْرَةِand abundance
In proportion to what has occurred to it of low price and abundance.
فَلَسْتَfor you will notتَلْقَىmeetعَلَىonهَذَاthisالْحِسَابِcalculationمِنْofمُعَالَجَةِdealing withالشَّهْوَةِappetiteفِيinغَدِكَyour tomorrow
For you will not meet, on this calculation, from dealing with appetite in your tomorrow...
إِلَّاexceptمِثْلَlikeمَاwhatلَقِيتَyou metمِنْهَاfrom itفِيinيَوْمِكَyour day
Except like what you met from it in your day.
حَتَّىuntil
Until...
Footnotes
- 1.أَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ
Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
- 2.أُوثِرَ: فُضِّلَ
Is preferred: given precedence.
- 3.السَّرَابُ: مَا يَلْمَعُ فِي الْفَيْفَاةِ نِصْفَ النَّهَارِ
The mirage: that which glimmers in the desert at midday.
- 4.الطَّارِفُ: الْحَدِيثُ مِنَ الْمَالِ
New thing: newly acquired wealth.
- 5.الْبَدْوَةُ هَاهُنَا: النُّزُوعُ
Inclination here: tendency.
- 6.الْعَزُوفُ: الْإِعْرَاضُ عَنِ الشَّيْءِ
Averse: turning away from something.