السُّؤَالُThe question
The question.
قَالَ:He said:
He said:
«أَجَلْYesعَامَّةُmostمَنْof those whoتَرَىyou seeمِنْهُمْamong themأَيْسَرُwealthierمِنِّي»than me
"Yes, most of those you see among them are wealthier than me."
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قَالَ:He said:فَقُلْتُ:And I said:
He said: And I said:
«مَاNotأَظُنُّكَI think youأَبْغَضْتَهُمْhated themإِلَّاexceptلِهَذَا»for this
"I think you only hated them for this."
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قَالَ:He said:
He said:
«كُلُّEveryهَؤُلَاءِtheseلَوْifقَدَرُواthey were ableعَلَىtoدَارِيmy houseهَدَمُوهَاthey would demolish it،,وَعَلَىand onحَيَاتِيmy lifeلَنَزَعُوهَاthey would take it away..
"All these people, if they could, would demolish my house, and if they could, they would take my life."
أَنَاIلَوْifطَاوَعْتُهُمْI obeyed themفَأَعْطَيْتُهُمْand gave themكُلَّمَاwhateverسَأَلُونِيthey asked me،,كُنْتُI would have becomeقَدْalreadyصِرْتُbecameمِثْلَهُمْlike themمُنْذُsinceزَمَانٍa time..
If I had obeyed them and given them everything they asked, I would have become like them long ago.
فَكَيْفَSo howتَظُنُّdo you thinkبُغْضِيmy hatredيَكُونُwould beلِمَنْfor the one whoأَرَادَنِيwanted meعَلَىtoهَذَا»this
So how do you think my hatred would be for someone who wanted me to do this?
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وَكَانَAnd he hadأَخُوهُhis brotherشَرِيكَهُas his partnerفِيinكُلِّeverythingشَيْءٍthing،,وَكَانَand he wasفِيinالْبُخْلِmiserlinessمِثْلَهُlike him،,
And his brother was his partner in everything, and he was like him in miserliness.
فَوَضَعَSo he placedأَخُوهُhis brotherفِيinيَوْمِthe dayجُمُعَةٍFridayبَيْنَbeforeأَيْدِينَاus،,وَنَحْنُand weعَلَىatبَابِهِhis door،,طَبَقَa plateرُطَبٍof ripe datesيُسَاوِيworthبِالْبَصْرَةِin Basraدَانِقَيْنِtwo daniqs،,
So on a Friday, his brother placed before us, while we were at his door, a plate of ripe dates worth two daniqs in Basra.
فَبَيْنَمَاAnd whileنَحْنُweنَأْكُلُeatingإِذْwhenجَاءَcameأَخُوهُhis brother،,فَلَمْand he did notيُسَلِّمْgreetوَلَمْand did notيَتَكَلَّمْspeakحَتَّىuntilدَخَلَhe enteredالدَّارَthe house..
And while we were eating, his brother came, and he did not greet or speak until he entered the house.
فَأَنْكَرْنَاSo we found it strangeذَلِكَthat،,وَكَانَand he wasيُفْرِطُexcessiveفِيinإِظْهَارِshowingالْبُشْرِcheerfulness،,وَيَجْعَلُand he would makeالْبُشْرَcheerfulnessوِقَايَةًa shieldدُونَto protectمَالِهِhis wealth..
So we found that strange, because he used to be excessive in showing cheerfulness, and he would make cheerfulness a shield to protect his wealth.
وَكَانَAnd he knewيَعْلَمُhe knewأَنَّهُthat heإِنْifجَمَعَhe combinedبَيْنَbetweenالْمَنْعِrefusingوَالْكِبْرِand arroganceقُتِلَhe would be killed..
And he knew that if he combined refusal with arrogance, he would be killed.
قَالَ:He said:وَلَمْAnd we did notنَعْرِفْknowعِلَّتَهُthe reason for that،,وَلَمْand he did notيَعْرِفْهَاknow itأَخُوهُhis brother..
He said: And we did not know the reason for that, and his brother did not know it either.
فَلَمَّاWhenكَانَwasالْجُمُعَةَFridayالْأُخْرَىthe next،,دَعَاhe invitedأَيْضًاalsoأَخُوهُhis brotherبِطَبَقِwith a plateرُطَبٍof ripe dates،,فَبَيْنَاand whileنَحْنُweنَأْكُلُeating،,إِذْwhenخَرَجَhe went outمِنَfromالدَّارِthe houseوَلَمْand did notيُسَلِّمْgreetوَلَمْand did notيَقِفْstop،,فَأَنْكَرْنَاso we found it strangeذَلِكَthat،,وَلَمْand we did notنَدْرِknowأَيْضًاalsoمَاwhatقِصَّتُهُhis story..
When the next Friday came, his brother also invited us with a plate of ripe dates, and while we were eating, he went out of the house without greeting or stopping, and we found that strange, and we also did not know what his story was.
فَلَمَّاWhenأَنْthatكَانَwasفِيinالْجُمُعَةِthe Friday،,وَرَأَىand he sawمِثْلَthe likeذَلِكَof that،,كَتَبَhe wroteإِلَىtoأَخِيهِhis brother::
When it was Friday, and he saw the like of that, he wrote to his brother:
«يَاOأَخِيmy brotherكَانَتِwasالشَّرِكَةُthe partnershipبَيْنِيbetween meوَبَيْنَكَand between youحِينَwhenلَمْnotيَكْثُرِmultiplyالْوَلَدُthe children،,وَمَعَand withالْكَثْرَةِthe multiplicityيَقَعُoccursالِاخْتِلَافُdisagreement..
"O my brother, the partnership between me and you was when the children were not many, and with multiplicity, disagreement occurs."
وَلَسْتُAnd I am notآمِنٌsafeأَنْthatيَخْرُجَwould go outوَلَدِيmy childrenوَوَلَدُكَand your childrenإِلَىtoمَكْرُوهٍsomething disliked..
And I am not safe from my children and your children falling into something disliked.
وَAndهَاhereهُنَاhereأَمْوَالٌwealthبِاسْمِيin my nameوَلَكَand for youشَطْرُهَاhalf of it،,وَأَمْوَالٌand wealthبِاسْمِكَin your nameوَلِيَand for meشَطْرُهَاhalf of it،,وَصَامِتٌand silent propertyفِيinمَنْزِلِيmy houseوَصَامِتٌand silent propertyفِيinمَنْزِلِكَyour house،,لَاnotنَعْرِفُwe knowفَضْلَpreferenceبَعْضِof someذَلِكَof thatعَلَىoverبَعْضٍsome..
And here is wealth in my name with half for you, and wealth in your name with half for me, and silent property in my house and silent property in your house; we cannot tell which of it is more.
وَإِنْAnd ifطَرَقَنَاtouches usأَمْرُmatter ofاللهِGod،,رَكَدَتِwould settleالْحَرْبُthe warبَيْنَbetweenهَؤُلَاءِtheseالْفِتْيَةِyoung men،,وَطَالَand would last longالصَّخَبُthe clamorبَيْنَbetweenهَؤُلَاءِtheseالنِّسْوَةِwomen..
And if God's decree comes to us, the war would settle among these young men, and the clamor would be long among these women.
فَالرَّأْيُSo the opinionأَنْis thatنَتَقَدَّمَwe proceedالْيَوْمَtodayفِيمَاin whatيَحْسُمُsettlesعَنْهُمْfrom themهَذَاthisالسَّبَبُcause»"
So the opinion is that we proceed today in what would settle this cause for them.
فَلَمَّاWhenقَرَأَreadأَخُوهُhis brotherكِتَابَهُhis letter،,تَعَاظَمَهُit seemed great to himذَلِكَthatوَandهَالَهُterrified him..
When his brother read his letter, it seemed great to him and terrified him.
وَقَلَبَAnd he turned overالرَّأْيَthe opinionظَهْرًاbackلِبَطْنٍand forth،,فَلَمْand notيَزِدْهُincrease himالتَّقْلِيبُthe turningإِلَّاexceptجَهْلًاignorance..
And he turned the opinion over and over, but the turning only increased his confusion.
فَجَمَعَSo he gatheredوَلَدَهُhis childrenوَandغَلَّظَwas harshعَلَيْهِمْwith them،,وَقَالَ:and said:«عَسَى"Perhaps
So he gathered his children and was harsh with them, and said: "Perhaps
Footnotes
- 1.صَامِتٌ
Silent property (i.e., property that does not speak, meaning inanimate property like land, buildings, etc.)