الْخُبْزُthe breadوَكَثْرَتُهُand its abundanceكَثِيرُmuchرِبْحٍprofit
Bread and its abundance are great profit.
وَالنَّاسُand the peopleيَبْخَلُونَare miserlyمِنْfromقِلَّةِscarcityعَدَدِnumberخُبْزِهِof his bread،,
People are stingy when the amount of bread is small.
وَرَأَوْاand they sawأَرْضَlandخَوَّانِهِof his betrayer
And they regarded the land of his betrayer (i.e., they blamed him for his stinginess).
وَعَلَىand uponأَنِّيthat Iأَرَىseeجَمَاجِمَskullsمَنْthose whoيَأْكُلُeatمَعَكَwith youأَكْثَرَmoreمِنْthanعَدَدِnumberخُبْزِكَof your bread
And indeed I see that the heads of those who eat with you are more than the number of your loaves.
وَأَنْتَand youلَوْifلَمْnotتَتَكَلَّفْtake trouble،,وَلَمْand notتَحْمِلْburdenعَلَىuponمَالِكَyour wealthبِإِجَادَتِهِwith improving itوَالتَّكْثِيرِand increasingمِنْهُof it،,
And if you did not exhaust yourself and did not burden your wealth to improve it and increase it,
ثُمَّthenأَكَلْتَyou ateوَحْدَكَalone،,لَمْnotيَلُمْكَblame youالنَّاسُthe people،,وَلَمْand notيَكْتَرِثُواthey would careلِذَلِكَfor thatمِنْكَfrom you،,
Then ate alone, people would not blame you, and they would not care about that from you,
وَلَمْand notيَقْضُواthey would judgeعَلَيْكَagainst youبِالْبُخْلِwith miserlinessوَلَاnorبِالسَّخَاءِwith generosity،,وَعِشْتَand you would liveسَلِيمًاsafeمَوْفُورًاabundantly (prosperous)،,
And they would not judge you as miserly or generous, and you would live safe and prosperous.
وَكُنْتَand you would beكَوَاحِدٍlike oneمِنْofعُرْضِcommonالنَّاسِ1the people
And you would be like one of the common people.
وَأَنْتَand youلَوْifلَمْnotتُنْفِقِspendالْحَرَائِبَ2the precious things (treasures)وَتَبْذُلِand giveالْمَصُونَ3the protected (cherished)،,إِلَّاexceptوَأَنْتَwhile youرَاغِبٌdesirousفِيofالذِّكْرِremembranceوَالشُّكْرِand gratitude،,وَإِلَّاand if notلِتَحْرِزِto earnالْأَجْرَthe reward،,
And if you were not to spend precious things and give what is treasured, except while you are desirous of remembrance and gratitude, or to earn reward,
فَقَدْindeedصِرْنَاwe have becomeلِقِلَّةِbecause of the scarcityعَدَدِnumberخُبْزِكَof your breadمِنْamongبَيْنِbetweenالْأَشْيَاءِthings،,نَرْضَىwe are contentلَكَfor youالْغَنِيمَةَthe booty/benefitبِالْإِيَابِwith returning (safe)،,وَمِنْand fromغَنِمَgainedالْحَمْدَpraiseوَالشُّكْرَand thanks،,بِالسَّلَامَةِwith safetyمِنَfromالذَّمِّblameوَاللَّوْمِand reproach،,
Due to the small number of your loaves, we have come to accept for you the gain of returning safely, and whoever gains praise and thanks through safety from blame and reproach.
فَزِدْso increaseفِيinعَدَدِnumberخُبْزِكَof your breadشَيْئًاsomething،,فَإِنَّfor indeedبِتِلْكَby thatالزِّيَادَةِincreaseالْقَلِيلَةِlittleيَنْقَلِبُturnsذَلِكَthatاللَّوْمُblameشُكْرًاinto gratitudeوَذَلِكَand thatالذَّمُّdispraiseحَمْدًاinto praise،,
So increase the number of your loaves a little, for by that small increase, that blame turns into thanks and that dispraise into praise.
أَعْلِمْتَdo you knowأَنَّكَthat youلَسْتَare notتَخْرُجُcome outمِنْfromهَذَاthisالْأَمْرِaffairبَعْدَafterالْكُلْفَةِthe expense/troubleالْعَظِيمَةِgreatسَالِمًاsafe،,لَاnotلَكَfor youوَلَاnorعَلَيْكَagainst you؟?
Do you know that you will not come out of this matter after the great expense safe, neither for you nor against you?
فَانْظُرْso lookفِيintoالْأَمْرِthe matterرَحِمَكَmay have mercy on youاللهُGod!!
So consider the matter, may God have mercy on you!
قَالَhe said::يَاOأَبَاAbuعُثْمَانَUthman،,أَنْتَyouتُخْطِئُare mistaken،,وَخَطَأُand the mistakeالْعَاقِلِof the wiseأَبَدًاalwaysيَكُونُisعَظِيمًاgreat،,وَإِنْeven ifكَانَit isفِيinالْعُذْرِthe excuseقَلِيلًاlittle،,
He said: O Abu Uthman, you are mistaken. And the mistake of the wise is always great, even if it is small in excuse.
لِأَنَّهُbecause heإِذَاwhenأَخْطَأَmistakesأَخْطَأَhe mistakesبِنِيقَةٍwith precisionوَإِحْكَامٍ4and perfection،,
Because when he errs, he errs with precision and firmness.
فَعَلَىso according toقَدْرِmeasureالتَّفَكُّرِthe reflectionوَالتَّكَلُّفِand the effortيَبْعُدُhe distancesمِنَfromالرَّشَادِ5right guidanceوَيَذْهَبُand goesعَنْaway fromسَبِيلِthe pathالصَّوَابِof correctness،,
So according to the degree of thought and effort, he strays far from right guidance and leaves the path of correctness.
وَمَاand notأَشُكُّI doubtأَنَّكَthat youقَدْindeedنَصَحْتَgave sincere adviceبِمَبْلَغِto the extentالرَّأْيِof opinionمِنْكَfrom you،,وَلَكِنْbutخُفْfearمَاwhatخَوَّفْتُكَyou warned me of،,فَإِنَّهُfor it isمَخُوفٌfrightening،,
And I do not doubt that you have given sincere advice to the extent of your opinion. But fear what you have warned me of, for it is indeed frightening.
بَلِnayالَّذِيthat whichأَصْنَعُI doأَدَلُّis more indicativeعَلَىofسَخَاءِgenerosityالنَّفْسِof the soulبِالْمَأْكُولِwith food،,وَأَدَلُّand more indicativeعَلَىofالِاحْتِيَالِthe effortلِيُبَالِغُواthat they may exceed؛;لِأَنَّbecauseالْخُبْزَthe breadإِذَاwhenكَثُرَaboundsعَلَىonالْمَوَائِدِthe tables،,وَرَّثَbequeathsذَلِكَthatالنَّفْسَthe soulصُدُودًا6aversion،,
Rather, what I do is more indicative of the soul's generosity with food, and more indicative of the effort to make them exceed (in eating), because when bread abounds on tables, that causes the soul aversion.
وَكُلُّand everyشَيْءٍthingمِنَofالْمَأْكُولِthe foodوَغَيْرِand other thanالْمَأْكُولِfood،,إِذَاwhenمَلَأَfillsالْعَيْنَthe eyeمَلَأَit fills
And everything, whether food or not, when it fills the eye, it fills (the stomach).
Footnotes
- 1.يَعْنِي مِنْ عَامَّةِ النَّاسِ.
Meaning from the common people.
- 2.الْحَرَائِبُ: جَمْعُ حَرِيبَةٍ، وَهِيَ النَّفِيسُ مِنَ الْمَالِ.
Al-hara'ib: plural of haribah, meaning precious wealth.
- 3.الْمَصُونُ: الشَّيْءُ الَّذِي يُصَانُ وَيُحْفَظُ.
Al-masun: the thing that is protected and preserved.
- 4.النِّيقَةُ: إِحْكَامُ الْأَمْرِ وَإِتْقَانُهُ.
An-niqah: firmness and perfection of a matter.
- 5.الرَّشَادُ: الصَّوَابُ وَالْهُدَى.
Ar-rashad: correctness and guidance.
- 6.الصُّدُودُ: الْإِعْرَاضُ وَالنُّفُورُ.
As-sudud: turning away and aversion.