وَلَوْAnd ifكَانُواthey wereلِأَوْلَادِهِمْfor their childrenيُمَهِّدُونَpreparingوَلَهُمْand for themيَجْمَعُونَcollecting
And if they were preparing for their children and collecting for them,
لَمَاthen notجَمَعَwould have collectedالْخِصْيَانُthe eunuchsالْأَمْوَالَthe wealth
the eunuchs would not have amassed wealth,
وَلَمَاand notكَنَزَwould have hoardedالرُّهْبَانُthe monksالْكُنُوزَthe treasures
and the monks would not have stored up treasures,
وَلَاand notاسْتَرَاحَwould have restedالْعَاقِرُthe barrenمِنْfromذُلِّthe humiliationالرَّغْبَةِof desire
and the barren would not have found rest from the humiliation of longing,
وَلَسَلِمَand would have been safeالْعَقِيمُ1the sterileمِنْfromكَدِّthe toilالْحِرْصِof greed
and the sterile would have been safe from the toil of greed.
وَكَيْفَAnd howوَنَحْنُwhile weنَجِدُهُfind himبَعْدَafterأَنْthatيَمُوتَdiesابْنُهُhis son
And how (can this be) when we find him after his son dies,
الَّذِيwhoكَانَwasيَعْتَلُّhe used as an excuseبِهِby himوَالَّذِيand whichمِنْforأَجْلِهِhis sakeكَانَhe wasيَجْمَعُcollecting
whom he used as a pretext and for whose sake he was collecting,
عَلَىinحَالِهِhis stateفِيinالطَّلَبِseekingوَالْحِرْصِand greedوَعَلَىand uponمِثْلِlikeمَاwhatكَانَhe wasعَلَيْهِuponمِنَofالْجَمْعِcollectingوَالْمَنْعِand withholding
he remains in his state of seeking and greed, and in the same condition of collecting and withholding.
وَالْعَامَّةُAnd the common peopleلَمْnotتُقَصِّرْfall shortفِيinالطَّلَبِseeking
The common people have not fallen short in seeking,
وَالْحُكْرَةُ2and the monopolistsوَالْبُخَلَاءُand the misersلَمْnotيُحِدُّواthey did not limitشَيْئًاanythingمِنْofجُهْدِهِمْtheir effort
and the monopolists and the misers have not limited anything of their effort,
وَلَاand notأَعْفَوْاthey refrainedبَعْدَafterقُدْرَتِهِمْtheir ability
nor have they desisted after gaining ability,
وَلَاand notقَصَّرُواthey fell shortفِيinشَيْءٍanythingمِنَofالْحِرْصِgreedوَالْحَصَرِand stinginess
nor have they been negligent in any matter of greed and miserliness,
لِأَنَّهُمْbecause theyفِيinدَارِa houseقُلْعَةٍof transience
because they are in a transient abode,
وَبِعَرْضِand exposed toنُقْلَةٍ3a removal
and on the verge of departure.
حَتَّىEvenلَوْifكَانُواthey wereبِالْخُلُودِin immortalityمُوقِنِينَcertain
Even if they were certain of immortality,
لَأَغْفَلُواthey would have neglectedتِلْكَthoseالْفُضُولِexcesses
they would have neglected those excesses.
فَالْبَخِيلُSo the miserمُجْتَهِدٌis diligent
So the miser is diligent,
وَالْعَامِّيُّand the commonerغَيْرُnotمُقَصِّرٍnegligent
and the commoner is not negligent.
فَمَنْSo whoeverلَمْdid notيَسْتَعِنْseek helpعَلَىforمَاwhatوَصَفْنَاwe described
So whoever does not rely, for what we have described,
بِطَبِيعَةٍon a natureقَوِيَّةٍstrongوَبِشَهْوَةٍand on a desireشَدِيدَةٍintenseوَبِنَظَرٍand on a perceptionشَافٍhealing
with a strong nature, an intense desire, and a penetrating insight,
كَانَhe isإِمَّاeitherعَامِّيًّاa commonerوَإِمَّاorشَقِيًّاwretched
he is either a commoner or a wretch.
فَيُقِيمُSo they establishاعْتِلَالَهُمْtheir excuseبِأَوْلَادِهِمْby their childrenوَاحْتِجَاجَهُمْand their argumentبِخَوْفِby fearالتَّلَوُّنِof changeمِنْfromأَزْمِنَتِهِمْtheir times
So they justify themselves by their children, and argue with the fear of changing times.
قَالَSaidرَسُولُthe Messengerاللهِof Allahصَلَّىmay He blessاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peaceلِوَافِدٍto a delegateكَذَبَwho liedعِنْدَهُin his presenceكَذْبَةًa lieوَكَانَand he wasجَوَادًاgenerous
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to a delegate who told a lie in his presence and was generous:
«لَوْلَا'If notخَصْلَةٌa traitمَقَّكَmade you despicableاللهُAllahعَلَيْهَاupon itلَشَرَّدْتُI would have expelledبِكَyouمِنْfromوَافِدِthe delegationقَوْمٍof a people
"Were it not for a quality for which Allah has made you despicable, I would have expelled you from the delegation of your people."
وَقِيلَAnd it was saidلِلنَّبِيِّto the Prophetصَلَّىmay He blessاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace«هَلْ'Is thereلَكَfor youفِيinبَيْضِthe eggsالنِّسَاءِof womenوَأَدَمِand the skinsالْإِبِلِof camels
And it was said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): 'Is there for you (any desire) in the eggs of women and the skins of camels?'
قَالَHe said«وَمَنْ'And whoهُمْare they
He said: 'Who are they?'
قِيلَIt was said«بَنُو'The sonsمُدْلِجٍof Mudlij»6'
It was said: 'The Banu Mudlij.'
قَالَHe said«يَمْنَعُنِي'Prevents meمِنْfromذَاكَthatقِرَاهُمُtheir hospitalityالضَّيْفَto the guestوَصِلَتُهُمُand their connectionالرَّحِمَof kinship
He said: 'What prevents me from that is their hospitality to the guest and their maintaining of family ties.'
وَقَالَAnd he saidلَهُمْto themأَيْضًاalso
And he also said to them:
«إِذَا'Whenنَحَرُواthey slaughterثَجُّوا7they shed blood abundantlyوَإِذَاand whenلَبَّوْاthey say labbayk (here I am)عَجُّوا8they raise their voices
'When they sacrifice, they shed blood abundantly, and when they proclaim the pilgrim's cry, they raise their voices.'
وَقَالَAnd he saidلِلْأَنْصَارِto the Ansar«مَنْ'Whoسَيِّدُكُمْis your master
And he said to the Ansar: 'Who is your master?'
قَالُواThey said«جَدُّ9'JaddبْنُibnقَيْسٍQaysعَلَىalthoughأَنَّهُheيُزَنُّ10is accusedفِينَاamong usبِبُخْلٍof stinginess
They said: 'Jadd ibn Qays, although he is accused among us of stinginess.'
فَقَالَSo he said«وَأَيُّ'And whichدَاءٍdiseaseأَدْوَىmore severe
So he said: 'And which disease is more severe...'
Footnotes
- 1.العَقِيمُ: الَّذِي لَا يُولَدُ لَهُ.
Al-'aqim: the one who has no children.
- 2.الحُكْرَةُ: احْتِكَارُ الطَّعَامِ وَانْتِظَارُ الغَلَاءِ بِهِ.
Al-hukrah: hoarding food and waiting for its price to rise.
- 3.النُّقْلَةُ: الِانْتِقَالُ مِنْ دَارٍ إِلَى دَارٍ.
An-nuqlah: moving from one abode to another.
- 6.بنو مدلج: قَبِيلَةٌ مِنْ كِنَانَةَ.
Banu Mudlij: a tribe of Kinana.
- 7.الثَّجُّ: سَيْلَانُ الدَّمِ.
Ath-thajj: the flowing of blood.
- 8.العَجُّ: رَفْعُ الصَّوْتِ بِالتَّلْبِيَةِ.
Al-'ajj: raising the voice with the talbiyah.
- 9.جَدُّ بْنُ قَيْسٍ: صَحَابِيٌّ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ.
Jadd ibn Qays: a companion from the Ansar.
- 10.يُزَنُّ: يُتَّهَمُ.
Yuzannu: is accused.