المَاءُthe waterوَandأَشَدُّmore severeمِنْthanهٰذَاthisكُلِّهِallأَنْthatتَعَلَّقَhe becomes attachedفَتَحْتَاجَand then he needsإِلَىtoظِئْرٍ1a wet nurseفَنَقَعَso we fallفِيinمَاwhatلَاnoغَايَةَendلَهُfor it
The water. And more severe than all this is that he becomes attached, so he needs a wet nurse, and we fall into something that has no end.
مَعَwithأُمُورٍmattersكَثِيرَةٍmanyنَسِيَforgotبَعْضَهَاsome of themأَحْمَدُAhmadوَandبَعْضَهَاsome of themأَنَاI
Along with many matters, some of which Ahmad forgot, and some of which I forgot.
وَandكَانَwasأَبُوAbuسَعِيدٍSa'idهٰذَاthisمَعَdespiteبُخْلِهِhis miserlinessأَشَدَّthe most severeالنَّاسِof peopleنَفْسًاin soulوَandأَحْمَاهُمْthe most protectiveأَنْفًا2in honor
And this Abu Sa'id, despite his miserliness, was the most severe of people in soul and the most protective of honor.
بَلَغَreachedمِنْfromأَمْرِهِhis affairذٰلِكَthatوَandمِنْfromبُلُوغِهِhis reachingفِيهِin itأَنَّهُthat heأَتَىcame toرَجُلًاa manمِنْfromثَقِيفٍThaqifيَقْتَضِيهِdemanding payment from himأَلْفَthousandدِينَارٍdinarsوَandقَدْindeedحَلَّbecame dueعَلَيْهِon himالمَالُthe money
So great was his matter and his reaching therein, that he came to a man from Thaqif demanding a thousand dinars, and the money had become due.
فَكَانَand he wouldرُبَّمَاsometimesأَطَالَprolongعِنْدَهُat his placeالجُلُوسَthe sittingوَandيَحْضُرُwould be presentعِنْدَهُat his placeالغِذَاءُthe mealفَيَتَغَدَّىso he would eat lunchمَعَهُwith himوَandهُوَheفِيinذٰلِكَthatيَقْتَضِيهِdemanding payment from him
He would sometimes prolong his sitting with him, and the meal would be served, and he would eat lunch with him, all the while demanding payment.
فَلَمَّاand whenطَالَbecame longعَلَيْهِon himالمَطْلُthe postponementقَالَhe saidلَهُto himيَوْمًاone dayوَwhileهُوَheعَلَىonخِوَانِهِhis dining tableإِنَّindeedلِهٰذَاfor thisالمَالِmoneyزَكَاةًzakatمُؤَدَّاةًto be paid
And when the postponement became long for him, he said to him one day while at his dining table: 'Indeed, this money has a zakat to be paid.'
وَandقَدْindeedعَلِمْنَاwe knewأَنَّاthat weحِينَwhenأَخْرَجْنَاwe took outهٰذَاthisالمَالَmoneyمِنْfromأَيْدِينَاour handsأَنَّهُthat itمُعَرَّضٌexposedلِلذَّهَابِto lossوَandلِلْمُنَازَعَةِto disputeالطَّوِيلَةِthe longوَandلِأَنْto thatيَقَعَit fallsفِيinالمِيرَاثِinheritance
And we knew that when we took this money out of our hands, that it was exposed to loss, to long dispute, and to falling into inheritance.
ثُمَّthenرَضِينَاwe were satisfiedمِنْكَfrom youبِالرِّبْحِwith the profitاليَسِيرِthe smallبِالَّذِيwith that whichظَنَنَّاهُwe thoughtبِكَof youمِنْofحُسْنِgoodnessالقَضَاءِrepaymentوَandلَوْلَاif notذٰلِكَthatلَمْnotنَرْضَwe would not be satisfiedبِهٰذَاwith thisالمَالِ3money
Then we were satisfied from you with the small profit, because of what we thought of you regarding good repayment, and were it not for that, we would not have been satisfied with this money.
وَandهٰذَاthisالمَالُmoneyإِذَاifكَانَwasشَرْطُهُits conditionأَنْthatيَرْجِعَit returnsبَعْدَafterسَنَةٍa yearفَرَفَّهْتُso I gave easeعَنْكَfrom youبِحُسْنِby goodالمُطَالَبَةِdemandingشَهْرًاa monthأَوْorشَهْرَيْنِtwo months
And this money, if its condition was that it would return after a year, then I gave you ease by good demanding for a month or two months.
ثُمَّthenمَكَثَit remainedعِنْدِيwith meإِلَىuntilأَنْthatأَصَبْتُI foundلَهُfor itمِثْلَكَsomeone like youشَهْرًاa monthأَوْorشَهْرَيْنِtwo monthsمَحَقَerasedفَضْلَهُits surplusوَandخَرَجَwent outعَلَيْنَاagainst usفَضْلٌsurplus
Then it remained with me until I found for it someone like you, for a month or two, erasing its surplus, and a surplus came out against us.
وَandمِثْلُكَsomeone like youيَكْتَفِيis contentبِالقَلِيلِwith the littleوَandقَدْindeedطَالَbecame longاقْتِضَائِيmy demandingوَandطَالَbecame longتَغَافُلُكَyour feigning negligence
And someone like you is content with little, and indeed my demanding has become long and your negligence has become long.'
يَقُولُhe saysهٰذَاthisالكَلَامَspeechوَandهُوَheفِيinذٰلِكَthatلَاnotيَقْطَعُhe cuts offالأَكْلَthe eating
He says this speech, and all the while he does not stop eating.
فَأَقْبَلَso turnedعَلَيْهِto himرَجُلٌa manمِنْfromثَقِيفٍThaqifفَعَرَّضَand hintedلَهُto himبِأَنَّهُthat heلَوْifأَرَادَhe wantedالتَّقَاضِيَthe demandingمَحْضًاpurelyلَكَانَwould beذٰلِكَthatفِيinالمَسْجِدِthe mosqueوَandلَمْnotيَكُنْwould not beفِيinالمَوْضِعِthe placeالَّذِيwhichيَحْضُرُis attendedفِيهِin itالغِذَاءُthe meal
So a man from Thaqif turned to him and hinted to him that if he wanted pure demanding, it would be in the mosque, and not in the place where the meal is served.
فَقَطَعَso he cut offالأَكْلَthe eatingثُمَّthenنَزَا4rushedفِيinوَجْهِهِhis faceالدَّمُthe bloodوَandنَظَرَhe lookedإِلَيْهِat himنَظَرَa lookالجَمَلِof the camelالصَّؤُولِ5the aggressive
So he stopped eating, then blood rushed to his face, and he looked at him with the look of an aggressive camel.
ثُمَّthenكَادَhe almostيَطِيرُ6fliesثُمَّthenأَقْبَلَhe turnedعَلَيْهِto himفَقَالَand saidلَاnoأُمَّmotherلَكَfor youأَنَاIإِنَّمَاonly
Then he almost flew, then he turned to him and said: 'May you have no mother! I only...'
Footnotes
- 1.الظِّئْرُ: المُرْضِعَةُ.
The wet nurse: the nursing woman.
- 2.أَحْمَى أَنْفًا: أَشَدُّهُمْ حَمِيَّةً وَإِبَاءً.
Most protective of honor: the most fervent in zeal and pride.
- 3.يَعْنِي أَنَّهُ لَوْلَا حُسْنُ ظَنِّهِ بِهِ لَمَا رَضِيَ بِأَنْ يُعْطِيَهُ المَالَ بِرِبْحٍ يَسِيرٍ.
He means that were it not for his good opinion of him, he would not have agreed to give him the money for a small profit.
- 4.نَزَا الدَّمُ: اِرْتَفَعَ وَغَلَى.
The blood rushed: it rose and boiled.
- 5.الصَّؤُولُ: الشَّدِيدُ الوَثْبَةِ.
The aggressive: the one with a fierce attack.
- 6.كَادَ يَطِيرُ: أَيْ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الغَضَبِ.
He almost flew: meaning from the intensity of his anger.