دَرَّHe poured forthالْحَارِثُthe Harithإِبْنُson ofكِلْدَةَ1Kildaحِينَwhenزَعَمَhe claimedأَنَّthatالدَّوَاءَthe remedyهُوَit isالْأَزْمُ2abstinenceوَأَنَّand thatالدَّاءَthe diseaseهُوَit isإِدْخَالُintroducingالطَّعَامِfoodفِيinإِثْرِaftermath ofالطَّعَامِfood
Al-Harith ibn Kalda said when he claimed that the remedy is abstention and that the disease is introducing food on top of food.
أَيْOبُنَيَّ!my son!لِمَWhyصَفَتْbecame pureأَذْهَانُminds ofالْعَرَبِ،the Arabs,وَلِمَand whyصَدُقَتْbecame truthfulإِحْسَاسُfeeling ofالْأَعْرَابِ،the Bedouins,وَلِمَand whyصَحَّتْbecame soundأَبْدَانُbodies ofالرُّهْبَانِ،the monks,مَعَwithطُولِlongالْإِقَامَةِstayفِيinالصَّوَامِعِ،the hermitages,وَحَتَّىand evenلَمْnotيَعْرِفُواthey knowالنِّقْرِسَ3goutوَلَاnorوَجَعَpain ofالْمَفَاصِلِthe jointsوَلَاnorالْأَوْرَامَ،tumors,إِلَّاexceptلِقِلَّةِdue to paucityالرُّزْءِ4of intakeمِنَfromالطَّعَامِ،food,وَخِفَّةِand lightness ofالزَّادِprovisionوَالتَّبَلُّغِand reachingبِالْيَسِيرِ؟with little?
O my son! Why did the minds of the Arabs become pure, and the feelings of the Bedouins become truthful, and the bodies of the monks become sound, despite their long stay in hermitages, and they did not know gout, joint pain, or tumors, except because of the small intake of food and the lightness of provisions and being content with little?
أَيْOبُنَيَّ!my son!إِنَّIndeedنَسِيمَthe breeze ofالدُّنْيَاthe worldوَرُوحَand the spirit ofالْحَيَاةِ،life,أَفْضَلُbetterمِنْthanأَنْthatتَبِيتَyou spend the nightكَظِيظًاstuffedوَأَنْand thatتَكُونَyou beبِقَصْرِwith the shortness ofالْعُمُرِlifeخَلِيقًا.worthy.وَكَيْفَAnd howلَاnotتَرْغَبُyou desireفِيinتَدْبِيرٍa regimenيَجْمَعُthat gathersلَكَfor youصِحَّةَhealth ofالْبَدَنِ،the body,وَذَكَاءَand sharpness ofالذِّهْنِ،the mind,وَصَلَاحَand righteousness ofالْمَعَادِ،the final abode,وَكَثْرَةَand abundance ofالْمَالِ،wealth,وَالْقُرْبَand proximityمِنْtoعَيْشِthe life ofالْمَلَائِكَةِ.the angels.
O my son! Indeed, the breeze of the world and the spirit of life are better than that you spend the night stuffed and be worthy of a shortened life. And how could you not desire a regimen that combines for you bodily health, sharpness of mind, righteousness of the final abode, abundance of wealth, and closeness to the life of angels.
أَيْOبُنَيَّ!my son!لِمَWhyصَارَbecameالضَّبُّ5the dabb lizardأَطْوَلَlongestشَيْءٍthingعُمُرًا،in life,إِلَّاexceptلِأَنَّهُbecause itإِنَّمَاonlyيَعِيشُlivesبِالنَّسِيمِ؟on air?وَلِمَAnd whyزَعَمَclaimedالرَّسُولُthe Messengerصَلَّىhe prayedاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand he delivered peaceأَنَّthatالصَّوْمَfastingوِجَاءٌ6a shieldإِلَّاexceptلِيَجْعَلَto makeالْجُوعَhungerحِجَازًاa barrierدُونَagainstالشَّهَوَاتِ؟desires?افْهَمْUnderstandتَأْدِيبَthe discipline ofاللَّهِAllahفَإِنَّهُfor indeed HeلَمْnotيَقْصِدْHe intendedبِهِwith itإِلَّاexceptإِلَىtowardمِثْلِكَ.someone like you.
O my son! Why is the dabb lizard the longest-lived thing, except because it lives only on air? And why did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) claim that fasting is a shield, except to make hunger a barrier against desires? Understand the discipline of Allah, for He intended it only for someone like you.
أَيْOبُنَيَّ!my son!قَدْalreadyبَلَغْتُI have reachedتِسْعِينَninetyعَامًاyearsمَاnotنَغَضَbecame looseلِيfor meسِنٌّ،a tooth,وَلَاnorتَحَرَّكَmovedلِيfor meعَظْمٌ،a bone,وَلَاnorانْتَشَرَspreadلِيfor meعَصَبٌ،a nerve,وَلَاnorعَرَفْتُhave I knownدَنِينُringing ofأُذُنٍan earوَلَاnorسَيَلَانَflowing ofعَيْنٍ،an eye,وَلَاnorسَلَسَincontinence ofبَوْلٍ،urine,مَاnotلِذَلِكَfor thatعِلَّةٌa causeإِلَّاexceptالتَّخْفِيفُthe reductionمِنَfromالزَّادِ.provisions.فَإِنْSo ifكُنْتُyou areتُحِبُّyou love
O my son! I have reached ninety years, no tooth of mine became loose, no bone of mine moved, no nerve of mine spread, and I have not known ringing in the ear, nor running of the eye, nor incontinence of urine; there is no cause for that except the reduction of provisions. So if you love...
Footnotes
- 1.كِلْدَةُ: اسْمُ أُمِّهِ.
Kilda: the name of his mother.
- 2.الْأَزْمُ: الْإِمْسَاكُ عَنِ الطَّعَامِ.
Al-azm: refraining from food.
- 3.النِّقْرِسُ: دَاءٌ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Gout: a well-known disease.
- 4.الرُّزْءُ: هُنَا التَّنَاوُلُ.
Ar-riz’: here means eating.
- 5.الضَّبُّ: حَيَوَانٌ مِنَ الزَّوَاحِفِ.
The dabb: a reptile animal.
- 6.الْوِجَاءُ: مَا يُقْطَعُ بِهِ الذَّكَرُ مِنَ الْأُنْثَى وَهُوَ الْخِصَاءُ.
Al-wijā’: what the male is cut off from the female, i.e., castration.