وَمَرَّةًAnd onceفِيinاكْتِسَابِacquiringعَدَاوَاتِهِمْtheir enmities..
And once in acquiring their enmities.
أَخْرِجْGet outمِنْofهَذَاthisالْأَمْرِmatterعَلَىonحِسَابِaccount ofمَاwhatدَخَلْتَyou enteredفِيهِin it..
Get out of this matter on account of what you entered into.
وَتَسَلَّمْAnd you will be safeتَسْلَمْ1you will be safe»..
And you will be safe, you will be safe.⟦1⟧»
[أَبُوAbuالْهُذَيْلِal-Hudhayl]
[Abu al-Hudhayl]
كَانَWasأَبُوAbuالْهُذَيْلِ2al-Hudhaylأَهْدَىhe presentedإِلَىtoمُوَيْسٍ3Muwaysدَجَاجَةًa chicken..
Abu al-Hudhayl had presented a chicken to Muways.
وَكَانَتْAnd it wasدَجَاجَتُهُhis chickenالَّتِيthatأَهْدَاهَاhe had presentedدُونَless thanمَاwhatكَانَhe used toيَتَّخِذُprepareلِمُوَيْسٍfor Muways,,
And his chicken that he had presented was less than what he used to prepare for Muways.
وَلَكِنَّهُBut heبِكَرَمِهِwith his generosityوَبِحُسْنِand with goodnessخُلُقِهِof his characterأَظْهَرَshowedالتَّعَجُّبَthe wonderمِنْfromسِمَنِهَاits fatnessوَطِيبِand goodnessلَحْمِهَاof its meat,,
But he, with his generosity and good character, showed wonder at its fatness and the goodness of its meat.
وَكَانَAnd he wasيَعْرِفُهُknowing himبِالْإِمْسَاكِwith the withholdingالشَّدِيدِsevere..
And he knew him to be extremely stingy.
فَقَالَSo he said::
So he said:
«وَكَيْفَAnd howرَأَيْتَdid you seeيَاOأَبَاfather ofعِمْرَانَImranتِلْكَthatالدَّجَاجَةَchicken»؟?
And how did you find that chicken, O Abu Imran?
قَالَHe said::«كَانَتْIt wasعَجَبًاa wonderمِنْofالْعَجَبِwonders»,,
He said: "It was a wonder of wonders,"
فَيَقُولُThen he says::«وَتَدْرِيAnd do you knowمَاwhatجِنْسُهَاits breed؟?وَتَدْرِيAnd do you knowمَاwhatسِنُّهَاits age؟?
Then he says: "And do you know what its breed is? And do you know what its age is?
فَإِنَّVerilyالدَّجَاجَةَthe chickenإِنَّمَاonlyتَطِيبُbecomes goodبِالْجِنْسِby breedوَالسِّنِّand age..وَتَدْرِيAnd do you knowبِأَيِّwith whatشَيْءٍthingكُنَّاwe wereنُسَمِّنُهَاfattening itوَفِيand inأَيِّwhichمَكَانٍplaceكُنَّاwe wereنَعْلِفُهَاfeeding it؟?»
Verily, the chicken only becomes good by breed and age. And do you know with what thing we were fattening it, and in which place we were feeding it?"
فَلَاAnd notيَزَالُhe ceasesفِيinهَذَاthis,,وَالْآخَرُand the otherيَضْحَكُlaughingضِحْكًاlaughterنَعْرِفُهُwe know itنَحْنُwe,,وَلَاand notيَعْرِفُهُknows itأَبُوAbuالْهُذَيْلِal-Hudhayl..
So he continues in this, and the other laughs a laughter that we know, but Abu al-Hudhayl does not know it.
وَكَانَAnd wasأَبُوAbuالْهُذَيْلِal-Hudhaylأَسْلَمَsafestالنَّاسِof peopleصَدْرًاin chest (heart),,وَأَوْسَعَهُمْand widest of themخُلُقًاin character,,وَأَسْهَلَهُمْand easiest of themسُهُولَةًin ease..
And Abu al-Hudhayl was the safest of people in heart, the widest of them in character, and the easiest of them in ease.
فَإِنْFor ifذَكَرُواthey mentionedدَجَاجَةًa chickenقَالَhe said::«أَيْنَWhereكَانَتْwasيَاOأَبَاfather ofعِمْرَانَImranمِنْcompared toتِلْكَthatالدَّجَاجَةِchicken؟?»
For if they mentioned a chicken, he would say: "Where was it, O Abu Imran, compared to that chicken?"
فَإِنْFor ifذَكَرُواthey mentionedبَطَّةًa duckأَوْorعَنَاقًا4a young goatأَوْorجَزُورًا5a camelأَوْorبَقَرَةًa cowقَالَhe said::
For if they mentioned a duck, or a young goat, or a camel, or a cow, he said:
«فَأَيْنَSo whereكَانَتْwasهَذِهِthisالْجَزُورُcamelفِيinالْجَزْرِthe camels,,مِنْcompared toتِلْكَthatالدَّجَاجَةِchickenفِيinالدَّجَاجِthe chickens؟?»
"So where was this camel among camels, compared to that chicken among chickens?"
وَإِنِAnd ifاسْتَسْمَنَhe deemed fatأَبُوAbuالْهُذَيْلِal-Hudhaylشَيْئًاsomethingمِنَofالطَّيْرِthe birdsوَالْبَهَائِمِand the beastsقَالَhe said::«لَاNoوَاللهِby Godوَلَاand notتِلْكَthatالدَّجَاجَةُchicken»,,
And if Abu al-Hudhayl deemed something of the birds and beasts fat, he said: "No, by God, not even that chicken,"
وَإِنْAnd ifذَكَرُواthey mentionedعُذُوبَةَsweetnessالشَّحْمِof the fatقَالَhe said::«عُذُوبَةُSweetnessالشَّحْمِof the fatفِيinالْبَقَرِcowsوَالْبَطِّand ducksوَبُطُونِand belliesالسَّمَكِof fishوَالدَّجَاجِand chickens,,وَلَاand notسِيَّمَاespeciallyذَلِكَthatالْجِنْسُbreedمِنَofالدَّجَاجِthe chickens»,,
And if they mentioned the sweetness of fat, he said: "The sweetness of fat is in cows, ducks, bellies of fish, and chickens, especially that breed of chickens,"
Footnotes
- 1.تَسَلَّمْ تَسْلَمْ: أَيْ سَلَامَتُكَ فِي الِاقْتِصَادِ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ.
You will be safe, you will be safe: meaning your safety is in being moderate in this matter.
- 2.أَبُو الْهُذَيْلِ: هُوَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْهُذَيْلِ الْعَلَّافُ، مِنْ أَكَابِرِ الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ.
Abu al-Hudhayl: He is Muhammad ibn al-Hudhayl al-Allaf, one of the great Mu'tazilites.
- 3.مُوَيْسٌ: اسْمُ رَجُلٍ، وَيُقَالُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ جَارًا لِأَبِي الْهُذَيْلِ.
Muways: The name of a man, and it is said that he was a neighbor of Abu al-Hudhayl.
- 4.الْعَنَاقُ: الْأُنْثَى مِنْ أَوْلَادِ الْمَعْزِ.
Al-Anaq: The female of the young goats.
- 5.الْجَزُورُ: النَّاقَةُ تُنْحَرُ، أَوْ الْبَعِيرُ أَيًّا كَانَ.
Al-Jazur: The she-camel that is slaughtered, or any camel.