قَالَsaidأَبُوfather ofكَعْبٍKa'b
Abu Ka'b said:
دَعَاinvitedمُوسَىMusaبْنُson ofجَنَاحٍJanahجَمَاعَةًa groupمِنْfromجِيرَانِهِhis neighbors
Musa ibn Janah invited a group of his neighbors
لِيُفْطِرُواto break their fastعِنْدَهُat his placeفِيinشَهْرِmonth ofرَمَضَانَRamadan
to break their fast at his place during Ramadan,
وَكُنْتُand I wasفِيهِمْamong them
and I was among them.
فَلَمَّاwhenصَلَّيْنَاwe prayedالْمَغْرِبَthe Maghrib
When we had prayed the Maghrib prayer,
وَنَجَزَ1and finishedابْنُson ofجَنَاحٍJanah
and Ibn Janah finished,
أَقْبَلَturnedعَلَيْنَاto usثُمَّthenقَالَsaid
he turned to us and said:
لَاdo notتَعْجَلُواhurry
Do not hurry,
فَإِنَّfor indeedالْعَجَلَةَhastinessمِنَfromالشَّيْطَانِthe devil
for hastiness comes from the devil.
وَكَيْفَand howلَاnotتَعْجَلُونَdo you hurry
And how would you not hurry
وَقَدْwhen indeedقَالَsaidاللهُAllahجَلَّmajesticذِكْرُهُHis mention
when Allah, whose mention is majestic, has said:
وَandكَانَwasالْإِنْسَانُmanعَجُولًاhasty
And man is ever hasty (Quran 17:11).
وَقَالَand He said
And He said:
خُلِقَwas createdالْإِنْسَانُmanمِنْfromعَجَلٍhaste
Man was created from haste (Quran 21:37).
اسْمَعُواlistenمَاwhatأَقُولُI say
Listen to what I say,
فَإِنَّfor indeedفِيمَاin whatأَقُولُI sayحُسْنَgoodness ofالْمُؤَاكَلَةِeating together
for in what I say there is the virtue of good fellowship at meals,
وَالْبُعْدَand avoidanceمِنَofالْأَثَرَةِselfishnessوَالْعَاقِبَةَand the outcomeالرَّشِيدَةَrighteousوَالسِّيرَةَand the conductالْمَحْمُودَةَpraiseworthy
avoidance of selfishness, a righteous outcome, and praiseworthy conduct.
إِذَاwhenمَدَّstretchesأَحَدُكُمْone of youيَدَهُhis handإِلَىtoالْمَاءِthe waterفَاسْتَسْقَىand seeks drink
When one of you stretches his hand to the water and asks for a drink,
وَقَدْwhile indeedأُتِيتُمْyou have been broughtبِهَبِيطَةٍ2with a soft foodأَوْorبِجَواذِبَةٍ3with a jowadhibaأَوْorبِعَصِيدَةٍwith an asida
and you have been served a soft dish, a jowadhiba, or an asida,
أَوْorبِبَعْضِwith someمَاthat whichيَجْرِيrunsفِيinالْحَلْقِthe throat
or something that goes down the throat easily,
وَلَاand notيُسَاغُit is swallowedبِالْمَاءِwith waterوَلَاand notيُحْتَاجُis neededفِيهِin itإِلَىtoمَضْغٍchewing
which is swallowed without water and needs no chewing,
وَهُوَand it isطَعَامُfood ofيَدٍone handلَاnotطَعَامُfood ofيَدَيْنِtwo hands
it is a one-hand food, not a two-hand food,
وَلَيْسَتْand notعَلَىonأَهْلِpeople ofالْيَدِthe one handمِنْهُfrom itمَئُونَةٌtrouble
and its partakers have no trouble from it,
وَهُوَand it isمِمَّاof that whichيَذْهَبُgoesسَرِيعًاquickly
and it disappears quickly.
فَأَمْسِكُواso hold backحَتَّىuntilيَفْرُغَfinishesصَاحِبُكُمْyour companion
So hold back until your companion finishes.
فَإِنَّكُمْfor youتَجْمَعُونَgatherعَلَيْهِupon himخِصَالًاqualities
For you would bring upon him several qualities,
مِنْهَاamong themإِنَّكُمْthat youتُنَغِّصُونَspoilعَلَيْهِon himتِلْكَthatالشُّرْبَةَdrink
among them, that you spoil that drink for him,
إِذَاwhenعَلِمَhe knowsأَنَّهُthat heلَاnotيَفْرُغُfinishesإِلَّاexceptمَعَwithفَرَاغِكُمْyour finishing
when he knows he will not finish except when you finish.
وَمِنْهَاand among themأَنَّكُمْthat youتُحْنِقُونَهُmake him angryوَلَاand notيَجِدُhe findsبُدًّاescapeمِنْfromمُكَافَأَتِكُمْrequiting you
And among them, that you anger him, and he cannot avoid compensating you,
فَلَعَلَّهُso perhaps heأَنْthatيَتَسَرَّعَhastensإِلَىtoلُقْمَةٍa morselحَارَّةٍhotفَيَمُوتَand dies
so he might hasten to a hot morsel and die,
وَأَنْتُمْwhile youتَرَوْنَهُsee him
while you watch him.
وَأَدْنَىand the leastذَلِكَof thatأَنْis thatتَبْعَثُوهُyou incite himعَلَىtoالْحِرْصِeagernessوَعَلَىand toعِظَمِbigness ofاللُّقَمِmorsels
And the least of that is that you incite him to greed and to taking big mouthfuls.
وَلِهَذَاand for thisمَاwhatقَالَsaidالْأَعْرَابِيُّthe Bedouinحِينَwhenقِيلَit was saidلَهُto him
And it is for this reason that the Bedouin said, when it was said to him:
لِمَwhyتَبْدَأُdo you startبِأَكْلِwith eatingاللَّحْمِthe meatالَّذِيthatفَوْقَon top ofالثَّرِيدِthe tharid
'Why do you begin by eating the meat that is on top of the tharid?'
قَالَhe said
He replied:
لِأَنَّbecauseاللَّحْمَthe meatظَاعِنٌ4departingوَالثَّرِيدُand the tharidمُقِيمٌstaying
'Because the meat is leaving and the tharid stays.'
وَأَنَاand Iوَإِنْeven thoughكَانَwasالطَّعَامُthe foodطَعَامِيmy foodفَإِنِّيthen indeed Iكَذَلِكَlikewiseأَفْعَلُdo
And even though the food is mine, I do the same,
فَإِذَاso ifرَأَيْتُمْyou seeفِعْلِيmy actionيُخَالِفُcontradictsقَوْلِيmy sayingفَلَاthen noطَاعَةَobedienceلِيto meعَلَيْكُمْupon you
So if you see my action contradicting my words, then you owe me no obedience.'
قَالَsaidأَبُوfather ofكَعْبٍKa'b
Abu Ka'b said:
فَرُبَّمَاand perhaps oftenنَسِيَforgotبَعْضُنَاsome of usفَمَدَّand stretchedيَدَهُhis handإِلَىtoالْقَصْعَةِthe bowlوَقَدْwhile indeedمَدَّstretchedيَدَهُhis handصَاحِبُهُhis companionإِلَىtoالْمَاءِthe water
Sometimes one of us would forget and stretch his hand to the bowl while his companion had stretched his hand to the water.
فَيَقُولُthen he saysلَهُto himمُوسَىMusaيَدُكَyour handيَاOنَاسِيforgetful one
Musa would say to him: 'Your hand, O forgetful one!'
وَلَوْلَاand were it not forشَيْءٌsomethingلَقُلْتُI would have saidلَكَto youيَاOمُتَغَافِلُpretender of heedlessness
And were it not for something, I would have said to you: 'O you who pretends to be heedless.'
قَالَhe said
He said:
وَأَتَانَاand he brought usبِأَرُزَّةٍa rice dishوَلَوْand ifشَاءَwishedإِنْسَانٌa personأَنْtoيَعُدَّcountحَبَّهَاits grainsلَعَدَّهُhe would have counted themلِتَفَرُّقِهِdue to their being scatteredوَلِقِلَّتِهِand due to their fewness
He brought us a rice dish, and if a person wished to count its grains, he could have counted them, for they were so few and scattered.
Footnotes
- 1.نَجَزَ: قَضَى صَلَاتَهُ وَفَرَغَ مِنْهَا.
Najaza: he finished his prayer and completed it.
- 2.هَبِيطَةُ: طَعَامٌ مِنْ تَمْرٍ وَسَمْنٍ يُخْلَطَانِ حَتَّى يَصِيرَا كَالْعَجِينِ.
Habita: a food made of dates and clarified butter mixed until they become like dough.
- 3.جَوَاذِبَةُ: نَوْعٌ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ يُتَّخَذُ مِنَ الدَّقِيقِ وَالسَّمْنِ وَالسُّكَّرِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ.
Jawadhiba: a type of food made from flour, clarified butter, sugar, and the like.
- 4.ظَاعِنٌ: مُرْتَحِلٌ وَذَاهِبٌ.
Za'in: departing and going away.