وَسَرَفُAnd excessالْبِطْنَةِof eating
And excess of eating.
وَقَدْAnd indeedقَالَsaidبَعْضُsomeالْحُكَمَاءِof the wise
And some of the wise have said:
«إِذَاIfكُنْتَyou areبَطِينًاfullفَعُدَّthen countنَفْسَكَyourselfفِيamongالزَّمْنَى1the chronically ill
If you are full, then count yourself among the chronically ill.
وَقَالَAnd saidالْأَعْشَىAl-A'sha
And Al-A'sha said:
«وَالْبِطْنَةُAnd fullnessمِمَّاis among whatتُسَفِّهُmakes foolishالْأَحْلَامَا»the minds
And fullness is among what makes minds foolish.
وَاعْلَمْAnd knowأَنَّthatالشِّبَعَsatietyدَاعِيَةُis a callerالْبَشَمِof indigestion
And know that satiety leads to indigestion.
وَأَنَّand thatالْبَشَمَindigestionدَاعِيَةُis a callerالسَّقَمِof sickness
And that indigestion leads to sickness.
وَأَنَّand thatالسَّقَمَsicknessدَاعِيَةُis a callerالْمَوْتِof death
And that sickness leads to death.
وَمَنْAnd whoeverمَاتَdiesهَذِهِthisالْمِيتَةَdeath
And whoever dies this death.
فَقَدْhasمَاتَdiedمِيتَةًa deathلَئِيمَةًignoble
has died an ignoble death.
وَهُوَAnd heقَاتِلُis a killerنَفْسِهِof himself
And he is a killer of himself.
وَقَاتِلُAnd a killerنَفْسِهِof himselfأَلْوَمُis more blameworthyمِنْthanقَاتِلِa killerغَيْرِهِof another
And a killer of himself is more blameworthy than a killer of another.
وَأَعْجَبْAnd be amazedإِنْifأَرَدْتَyou wantالْعَجَبَwonder
And be amazed if you want wonder.
وَقَدْAnd indeedقَالَsaidاللهُAllahجَلَّglorifiedذِكْرُهُHis mention
And indeed Allah, glorified be His mention, has said:
وَلَاAnd do notتَقْتُلُواkillأَنْفُسَكُمْyourselves
And do not kill yourselves.
وَسَوَاءٌAnd it is equal
And it is equal.
قَتَلْنَاWe killedأَنْفُسَنَاourselvesأَوْorقَتَلَkilledبَعْضُنَاsome of usبَعْضًاothers
Whether we kill ourselves or some of us kill others.
كَانَIt isذَلِكَthatلِلْآيَةِfor the verseتَأْوِيلًاan interpretation
That is an interpretation of the verse.
أَيْOبُنَيَّ!my son
O my son!
إِنَّIndeedالْقَاتِلَthe killerوَالْمَقْتُولَand the killedفِيinالنَّارِthe Fire
Indeed the killer and the killed are in the Fire.
لَوْIfسَأَلْتَyou askedحُذَّاقَthe expertsالْأَطِبَّاءِof physicians
If you asked the experts of physicians.
لَأَخْبَرُوكَthey would tell youأَنَّthatعَامَّةَmostأَهْلِpeopleالْقُبُورِof graves
they would tell you that most of the people of graves.
إِنَّمَاonlyمَاتُواdiedبِالتُّخَمِfrom overeating
died only from overeating.
وَاعْرِفْAnd knowخَطَأَthe errorمَنْof one whoقَالَsaid
And know the error of one who said:
«أَكْلَةٌA mealوَمَوْتَةٌ»and a death
A meal and a death.
وَخُذْAnd takeبِقَوْلِwith the sayingمَنْof one whoقَالَsaid
And take the saying of one who said:
«رُبَّManyأَكْلَةٍa mealتَمْنَعُpreventsأَكَلَاتٍ»many meals
Many a meal prevents many meals.
وَقَدْAnd indeedقَالَsaidالْحَسَنُAl-Hasan
And indeed Al-Hasan said:
«يَاOابْنَsonآدَمَof Adamكُلْeatفِيinثُلُثِa thirdبَطْنِكَof your stomach
O son of Adam! Eat in a third of your stomach.
وَدَعِAnd leaveالثُّلُثَthe thirdلِلتَّفَكُّرِfor thinkingوَالْتَّنَفُّسِand breathing
And leave the third for thinking and breathing.
وَقَالَAnd saidبَكْرُBakrبْنُibnعَبْدِAbdاللهِAllahالْمُزَنِيُّal-Muzani
And Bakr ibn Abdullah al-Muzani said:
«مَاNotوَجَدْتُI foundطَعْمَthe tasteالْعَيْشِof life
I never found the taste of life.
حَتَّىuntilاسْتَبْدَلْتُI exchangedالْخَمَصَhungerبِالْكَظَّةِfor fullness
until I exchanged hunger for fullness.
وَحَتَّىAnd untilلَمْnotأَلْبَسْI woreمِنْofثِيَابِيmy clothesمَاthat whichيَسْتَخْدِمُنِيenslaves me
And until I never wore of my clothes that which enslaves me.
وَحَتَّىAnd untilلَمْnotآكُلْI ateإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatلَاnotأَغْسِلُI washيَدَيَّmy handsمِنْهُfrom it
And until I ate nothing but what I do not wash my hands from.
يَاOبُنَيَّ!my son
O my son!
وَاللهِBy AllahمَاnotأَدْرِيI know
By Allah, I do not know.
حَقَّthe rightالرُّكُوعِof bowingوَلَاnorوَظِيفَةَthe dueالسُّجُودِof prostration
the right of bowing nor the due of prostration.
ذُوa possessorكَظَّةٍof fullness
a possessor of fullness.
وَلَاNorخَشَعَhumbled himselfلِلَّهِto Allahذُوa possessorبِطْنَةٍof satiety
Nor does a person with satiety humble himself to Allah.
وَالصَّوْمُAnd fastingمَصَحَّةٌis health
And fasting is health.
وَالْوَجَبَاتُAnd frequent mealsعَيْشُthe lifeالطَّالِحِينَof the wicked
And frequent meals are the life of the wicked.
ثُمَّThenقَالَhe said
Then he said:
لِأَمْرٍFor a reasonمَاindeedطَالَتْwere longأَعْمَارُthe livesالْهُنُودِof the Indians
For a reason indeed the lives of the Indians were long.
وَصَحَّتْAnd were soundأَبْدَانُthe bodiesالْأَعْرَابِof the Bedouins
And the bodies of the Bedouins were sound.
فَلِلَّهِSo to Allahالدَّرْءُthe merit
So to Allah is the merit.
Footnotes
- 1.الزَّمْنَى: جَمْعُ زَمِنٍ، وَهُوَ الْمُبْتَلَى بِالزَّمَانَةِ وَهُوَ الْمَرَضُ الْمُزْمِنُ.
Az-zamnā: plural of zaman, meaning one afflicted with chronic illness.
- 2.الْبَشَمُ: هُوَ التُّخَمَةُ وَعُسْرُ الْهَضْمِ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ الْأَكْلِ.
Al-basham: is overeating and difficulty in digestion from eating too much.
- 3.الْحَسَنُ: هُوَ الْحَسَنُ الْبَصْرِيُّ، تَابِعِيٌّ جَلِيلٌ.
Al-Hasan: he is Al-Hasan al-Basri, a venerable follower (of the Companions).
- 4.بَكْرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْمُزَنِيُّ: تَابِعِيٌّ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Bakr ibn Abdullah al-Muzani: a well-known follower (of the Companions).
- 5.الْخَمَصُ: الْجُوعُ وَخُلُوُّ الْبَطْنِ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ.
Al-khamas: hunger and emptiness of the stomach from food.