رِسَالَةُLetterسَهْلِof SahlبْنِbinهَارُونَHarunإِلَىtoمُحَمَّدِMuhammadبْنِbinزِيَادٍZiyadوَالِيgovernorبَنِيof the sonsعَمِّهِof his paternal uncleمِنْfromآلِthe familyزِيَادٍof Ziyad
Letter of Sahl bin Harun to Muhammad bin Ziyad, governor of the sons of his paternal uncle from the family of Ziyad
حِينَWhenذَمُّواthey blamedمَذْهَبَهُhis doctrineفِيconcerningالْبُخْلِstinginessوَتَتَبَّعُواand trackedكَلاَمَهُhis speechفِيinالْكُتُبِthe books
When they blamed his doctrine concerning stinginess and tracked his speech in the books
بِسْمِIn the nameاللَّهِof Godالرَّحْمَنِthe Most Graciousالرَّحِيمِthe Most Merciful
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
أَصْلَحَMay He set rightاللَّهُGodأَمْرَكُمْyour affair
May God set right your affair
وَجَمَعَand uniteشَمْلَكُمْyour unity
and unite your unity
وَعَلَّمَكُمُand teach youالْخَيْرَgood
and teach you what is good
وَجَعَلَكُمْand make youمِنْamongأَهْلِهِits people
and make you among its people
قَالَSaidالْأَحْنَفُAl-Ahnafبْنُbinقَيْسٍ1Qais
Al-Ahnaf bin Qais said:
يَاOمَعْشَرَcompanyبَنِيof the sonsتَمِيمٍof Tamim
O company of Banu Tamim
لَاdo notتُسْرِعُواhastenإِلَىtoالْفِتْنَةِdiscord
do not hasten to discord
فَإِنَّfor indeedأَسْرَعَthe swiftestالنَّاسِof peopleإِلَىtoالْقِتَالِfighting
for indeed the swiftest of people to fighting
أَقَلُّهُمْare the least of themحَيَاءًin shameمِنَfromالْفِرَارِfleeing
are the least of them in shame from fleeing
وَقَدْAndكَانُواthey used toيَقُولُونَsay
And they used to say
إِذَاIfأَرَدْتَyou wantedأَنْtoتَرَىseeالْعُيُوبَfaultsجَمَّةًnumerous
If you wanted to see faults numerous
فَتَأَمَّلْthen contemplateعَيَّابًاa fault-finder
then contemplate a fault-finder
فَإِنَّهُfor indeed heإِنَّمَاonlyيَعِيبُfinds fault
for indeed he only finds fault
بِفَضْلِby virtue ofمَاwhatفِيهِin himمِنَofالْعَيْبِfault
by virtue of what is in him of fault
وَأَوَّلُAnd the firstالْعَيْبِof faultأَنْis thatتَعِيبَyou find fault withمَاwhatلَيْسَis notبِعَيْبٍa fault
And the first of fault is that you find fault with what is not a fault
وَقَبِيحٌand it is uglyأَنْtoتَنْهَىforbidعَنْfromمُرْشِدٍa guide
and it is ugly to forbid from a guide
أَوْorتُغْرِيَincitedبِمُشْفِقٍagainst one who is sympathetic
or incite against one who is sympathetic
وَمَاAnd weأَرَدْنَاdid not intendبِمَاby whatقُلْنَاwe said
And we did not intend by what we said
إِلَّاexceptهِدَايَتَكُمْyour guidanceوَتَقْوِيمَكُمْand your correction
except your guidance and your correction
وَإِلَّاand exceptإِصْلَاحَthe rectification ofفَسَادِكُمْyour corruption
and except the rectification of your corruption
وَإِبْقَاءَand the preservation ofالنِّعْمَةِthe blessingعَلَيْكُمْupon you
and the preservation of the blessing upon you
وَلَئِنْAnd ifأَخْطَأْنَاwe erredسَبِيلَthe path ofإِرْشَادِكُمْguiding you
And if we erred in the path of guiding you
فَمَاthen we did notأَخْطَأْنَاerr inسَبِيلَthe path ofحُسْنِgoodness ofالنِّيَّةِintention
then we did not err in the path of goodness of intention
فِيمَاin whatبَيْنَنَاis between usوَبَيْنَكُمْand between you
in what is between us and between you
ثُمَّThenقَدْindeedتَعْلَمُونَyou know
Then indeed you know
أَنَّاthat weمَاdid notأَوْصَيْنَاكُمْadvise you
that we did not advise you
إِلَّاexceptبِمَاwith whatقَدْalreadyاخْتَرْنَاهُwe chose itلِأَنْفُسِنَاfor ourselvesقَبْلَكُمْbefore you
except with what we already chose for ourselves before you
وَشَهَرْنَاand made well-knownبِهِwith itفِيinالْآفَاقِthe horizonsدُونَكُمْto the exclusion of you
and made it well-known in the horizons to the exclusion of you
فَمَاso howكَانَis itأَحَقَّكُمْmore rightful of you
so how is it more rightful of you
فِيinتَقْدِيمِprioritizingحُرْمَتِنَاour sanctityبِكُمْto youفِيinأَنْthatتَرْعَوْاyou observeحَقَّthe right ofقَصْدِنَاour intentionبِذَلِكَby thatإِلَيْكُمْtoward you
in prioritizing our sanctity to you, that you observe the right of our intention by that toward you
وَتَنْبِيهِنَاand our alertingعَلَىtoمَاwhatأَغْفَلْنَاwe neglectedمِنْofوَاجِبِthe obligation ofحَقِّكُمْyour right
and our alerting to what we neglected of the obligation of your right
فَلَاso do not
so do not
Footnotes
- 1.الأحنف بن قيس: سيد بني تميم وحكيم من حكماء العرب.
Al-Ahnaf bin Qais: Leader of Banu Tamim and a sage among the sages of the Arabs.