قَالَsaidالْخَلِيلُal-Khalilجَلَسَsatالثَّوْرِيُّal-Thawriإِلَىtoحَلْقَةِcircle ofالْمُصْلِحِينَthe reformersفِيinالْمَسْجِدِthe mosque
Al-Khalil said: Al-Thawri sat in the circle of reformers in the mosque.
فَسَمِعَand he heardرَجُلًاa manمِنْfromمَيَاسِيرِهِمْtheir wealthy onesيَقُولُsaying
And he heard a man from their wealthy ones saying:
بَطِّنُواline (with fabric)كُلَّeveryشَيْءٍthingلَكُمْfor youفَإِنَّهُfor itأَبْقَىmore lasting
Line everything you have, for it is more lasting.
وَلِأَمْرٍand for a reasonجَعَلَmadeاللَّهُGodدَارَthe abodeالْآخِرَةِof the Hereafterبَاقِيَةًeverlastingوَدَارَand the abodeالدُّنْيَاof this worldفَانِيَةًperishing
And for a reason God made the abode of the Hereafter everlasting, and the abode of this world perishing.
ثُمَّthenقَالَhe saidرُبَّمَاperhapsرَأَيْتُI sawالْمُبَطَّنَةَthe lined (garment)الْوَاحِدَةَthe oneتَقْطَعُcutsأَرْبَعَةَfourأَقْمِصَةٍshirtsوَالْعِمَامَةُand the turbanالْوَاحِدَةُthe oneتَقْطَعُcutsأَرْبَعَةَfourأُزُرٍloincloths
Then he said: Perhaps I saw one lined garment cut into four shirts, and the one turban cut into four loincloths.
لَيْسَnotذَلِكَthatإِلَّاexceptلِتَعَاوُنِfor the cooperationالطَّيِّof foldingوَتَرَافُدِand the mutual supportالْأَثْنَاءِof the folds
That is only because of the cooperation of folding and the mutual support of the folds.
فَبَطِّنُواso lineالْبَوَارِيَّthe mats (made of reeds)وَبَطِّنُواand lineالْحُصُرَthe reed matsوَبَطِّنُواand lineالْبُسُطَthe carpetsوَبَطِّنُواand lineالْغَدَاءَthe lunchبِشَرْبَةٍwith a drinkبَارِدَةٍcold
So line the reed mats, line the mats, line the carpets, and line the lunch with a cold drink.
قَالَhe saidفَقَالَand saidلَهُto himالثَّوْرِيُّal-ThawriلَمْnotأَفْهَمْI understoodمِمَّاfrom whatقُلْتَyou saidإِلَّاexceptهَذَاthisالْحَرْفَthe wordوَحْدَهُalone
He said: Then al-Thawri said to him: I did not understand from what you said except this word alone.
قَالَhe saidالْخَلِيلُal-Khalilحُمَّgot feverالثَّوْرِيُّal-Thawriوَحُمَّand got feverعِيَالُهُhis householdوَخَادِمُهُand his servant
Al-Khalil said: Al-Thawri got fever, and his family and his servant got fever.
فَلَمْso notيَقْدِرُواthey were ableمَعَwithشِدَّةِseverity ofالْحُمَّىthe feverعَلَىtoأَكْلِeatingالْخُبْزِbread
So they could not, due to the severity of the fever, eat bread.
فَرَبِحَso he profitedكَيْلَةَthe measure (of)تِلْكَthoseالْأَيَّامِdaysمِنَofالدَّقِيقِthe flour
So he profited the measure of those days from flour.
فَفَرِحَso he rejoicedبِذَلِكَat thatوَقَالَand said
So he rejoiced at that and said:
لَوْifكَانَwasمَنْزِلِيmy houseسُوقَmarket ofالْأَهْوَازِal-AhwazأَوْorنَطَاةَNataa (a place in Khaybar)خَيْبَرَKhaybarأَوْorوَادِيَvalley ofالْجُحْفَةِal-Juhfa
If my house were the market of al-Ahwaz or Nataa of Khaybar or the valley of al-Juhfa,
لَرَجَوْتُI would hopeأَنْthatأَسْتَفْضِلَI would gain extraكُلَّeveryسَنَةٍyearمِائَةَhundredدِينَارٍdinars
I would hope to gain extra every year a hundred dinars.
فَكَانَso he wasلَاnotيُبَالِيhe caredأَنْthatيَحُمَّgets feverهُوَheوَأَهْلُهُand his familyأَبَدًاever
So he did not care if he and his family got fever ever,
بَعْدَafterأَنْthatيَسْتَفْضِلَhe gains extraكِفَايَتَهُمْtheir sufficiencyمِنَofالدَّقِيقِthe flour
after he gains extra their sufficiency of flour.
وَكَانَand he used toيَقُولُsayإِذَاwhenرَأَيْتُI sawالرَّجُلَthe manيَشْتَرِيbuyingالْجَدْيَthe goat kidرَحِمْتُهُI had mercy on him
And he used to say: When I saw a man buying a goat kid, I had mercy on him.
فَإِنْbut ifرَأَيْتُهُI saw himيَشْتَرِيbuyingالدَّجَاجَthe chickenحَقَرْتُهُI despised him
But if I saw him buying chicken, I despised him.
فَإِنْbut ifرَأَيْتُهُI saw himيَشْتَرِيbuyingالدُّرَّاجَthe pheasantلَمْnotأُبَايِعْهُI did not deal with himوَلَمْand notأُكَلِّمْهُI did not speak to him
But if I saw him buying pheasant, I neither dealt with him nor spoke to him.
Footnotes
- 1.المُبَطَّنَةُ هُنَا مَعْنَاهَا الثَّوْبُ الْمُبَطَّنُ أَوِ الْقَمِيصُ الَّذِي لَهُ بِطَانَةٌ.
Al-mubattana here means the lined garment or shirt that has a lining.
- 2.الإِزَارُ: ثَوْبٌ يُلْتَحَفُ بِهِ، وَالْجَمْعُ أُزُرٌ.
Al-izar is a loincloth, and the plural is ujur.
- 3.تَرَافُدُ الأَثْنَاءِ: تَعَاوُنُ الطَّيَّاتِ وَدَعْمُ بَعْضِهَا بَعْضًا.
Tarafud al-athna means the cooperation of folds and their supporting each other.
- 4.البَوَارِيُّ: جَمْعُ بَارِيَّةٍ، وَهِيَ الْحَصِيرَةُ الْمَنْسُوجَةُ مِنَ الْقَصَبِ أَوِ البَرْدِيِّ.
Al-bawari is the plural of bariyyah, which is a mat woven from reeds or papyrus.
- 5.نَطَاةُ خَيْبَرَ: مَوْضِعٌ بِخَيْبَرَ، وَكَانَ سُوقًا مِنْ أَسْوَاقِ الْعَرَبِ.
Nataa Khaybar is a place in Khaybar, and it was one of the markets of the Arabs.
- 6.وَادِي الْجُحْفَةِ: مَوْضِعٌ قُرْبَ مَكَّةَ عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْمَدِينَةِ.
Wadi al-Juhfa is a place near Mecca on the road to Medina.
- 7.الدُّرَّاجُ: طَائِرٌ مِنْ فَصِيلَةِ الدَّجَاجِ، يَشْبِهُ الْحُبَارَى وَأَغْلَى ثَمَنًا مِنَ الدَّجَاجِ.
Al-durraj is a bird of the chicken family, similar to the bustard and more expensive than chicken.
- 8.لَمْ أُبَايِعْهُ: لَمْ أُعَامِلْهُ بِالْبَيْعِ وَالشِّرَاءِ.
Lam ubayi'hu means I did not deal with him in selling and buying.