وَيُرَبِّيand he raisesالصَّدَقَاتِthe charities
And he raises the charities.
وَقَالَand he saidلَاdo notتَرُدُّوهُreject himوَلَوْeven ifبِصِلَةِwith a ropeحَبْلٍ1of a rope
And he said: 'Do not reject him, even if with a rope.'
وَقَالَتِand saidالْعَرَبُthe Arabs
And the Arabs said:
أَتَاكُمْhe came to youأَخُوكُمْyour brotherيَسْتَتِمُّكُمْ2seeking you to complete (help)
Your brother has come to you seeking your help, so complete (help) him.
فَأَتِمُّواso complete (help)لَهُfor him
So complete (help) him.
وَقَالُواand they saidمَانِعُthe one who preventsالْإِتْمَامِcompletionأَلْأَمُ3the most despicable
And they said: 'The one who prevents completion is the most despicable.'
وَقَالُواand they saidالْبَخِيلُthe miserإِنْifسَأَلَhe asksأَلْحَفَ4he is importunate
And they said: 'When the miser asks, he is importunate.'
وَإِنْand ifسُئِلَhe is askedسَوَّفَ5he procrastinates
And if he is asked, he procrastinates.
وَقَالُواand they saidإِنْifسُئِلَhe is askedجَحَدَhe denies
And they said: 'If he is asked, he denies.'
وَإِنْand ifأَعْطَىhe givesحَقَدَhe bears grudge
And if he gives, he bears grudge.
وَقَالُواand they saidيَرُدُّhe rejectsقَبْلَbeforeأَنْthatيَسْمَعَhe hears
And they said: 'He rejects before he hears.'
وَيَغْضَبُand he gets angryقَبْلَbeforeأَنْthatيَفْهَمَhe understands
And he gets angry before he understands.
وَقَالُواand they saidالْبَخِيلُthe miserإِذَاwhenسُئِلَhe is askedارْتَزَّ6he trembles
And they said: 'The miser trembles when he is asked.'
وَإِذَاand whenسُئِلَhe is askedالْجَوَادُthe generousاهْتَزَّhe stirs
And when the generous is asked, he stirs.
وَقَالَand he saidالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetصَلَّىmay he prayاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peace
And the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
يُنَادِيcallsكُلَّeveryيَوْمٍdayمُنَادِيَانِtwo callersمِنَfromالسَّمَاءِthe sky
Two callers from the sky call every day.
يَقُولُsaysأَحَدُهُمَاone of themاللَّهُمَّO Allahعَجِّلْhastenلِمُنْفِقٍfor a spenderخَلَفًاa replacement
One of them says: 'O Allah, hasten a replacement for a spender.'
وَيَقُولُand saysالْآخَرُthe otherاللَّهُمَّO Allahعَجِّلْhastenلِمُمْسِكٍfor a withholderتَلَفًاdestruction
And the other says: 'O Allah, hasten destruction for a withholder.'
وَقَالُواand they saidشَرُّthe worstالثَّلَاثَةِof the threeالْمُلِيمُthe blamerيَمْنَعُhe withholdsدَرَّهُhis milkوَدَرَّand milkغَيْرِهِ7of others
And they said: 'The worst of the three is the blamer, he withholds his milk and the milk of others.'
وَقَالَand saidاللَّهُAllahجَلَّgloriousذِكْرُهُhis mention
And Allah, glorious is His mention, said:
الَّذِينَthose whoيَبْخَلُونَare miserlyوَيَأْمُرُونَand enjoinالنَّاسَthe peopleبِالْبُخْلِwith miserliness
Those who are miserly and enjoin people with miserliness.
وَقَالُواand they saidفِيinالْمَثَلِthe proverbإِذَاwhenأَلْجَأَهُforced himالدَّهْرُfateإِلَىtoبَخِيلٍa miser
And they said in the proverb, when fate forces a person to a miser:
شَرُّthe worstمَاwhatأَلْجَأَكَforced youإِلَىtoمُخَّةِthe marrow ofعُرْقُوبٍ8a hock tendon
The worst of what forces you is to the marrow of a hock tendon.
وَقَالَand saidالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetصَلَّىmay he prayاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peace
And the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
قُلْsayالْعَدْلَthe justوَأَعْطِand giveالْفَضْلَthe extra
Say the just, and give the extra.
وَقَالَand saidصَلَّىmay he prayاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peace
And he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
أَنْهَاكُمْI forbid youعَنْfromعُقُوقِdisobedienceالْأُمَّهَاتِto mothersوَوَأْدِand burying aliveالْبَنَاتِdaughtersوَمَنْعِand withholdingوَهَاتِ9and demanding
I forbid you from disobedience to mothers, burying daughters alive, and withholding and demanding.
وَقَالَand saidاللَّهُAllahعَزَّmightyوَجَلَّand majestic
And Allah, mighty and majestic, said:
وَيُطْعِمُونَand they feedالطَّعَامَthe foodعَلَىdespiteحُبِّهِlove of itمِسْكِينًاa poor personوَيَتِيمًاand an orphanوَأَسِيرًاand a captive
And they feed food despite love of it, to a poor person, an orphan, and a captive.
وَقَالَand He saidلَنْneverتَنَالُواyou will attainالْبِرَّrighteousnessحَتَّىuntilتُنْفِقُواyou spendمِمَّاof whatتُحِبُّونَyou love
And He said: 'You will never attain righteousness until you spend of what you love.'
وَقَالَand He saidوَيُؤْثِرُونَand they preferعَلَىoverأَنْفُسِهِمْthemselvesوَلَوْeven ifكَانَthere isبِهِمْin themخَصَاصَةٌ10need
And He said: 'And they prefer others over themselves, even if they themselves are in need.'
وَمَنْand whoeverيُوقَis protectedشُحَّgreedنَفْسِهِof his soulفَأُولَئِكَthoseهُمُtheyالْمُفْلِحُونَthe successful
And whoever is protected from the greed of his soul, those are the successful.
وَقَالُواand they saidفِيinالصَّبْرِpatienceعَلَىuponالنَّائِبَةِcalamityوَفِيand inعَاقِبَةِthe consequence ofالصَّبْرِpatience
And they said regarding patience upon calamity and the result of patience:
عِنْدَatالصَّبَاحِmorningيُحْمَدُis praisedالْقَوْمُthe peopleالسُّرَى11the night journey
At morning, the people are praised for the night journey.
Footnotes
- 1.يُقَالُ: صِلَةُ الْحَبْلِ مَا يُوصَلُ بِهِ، وَالْمَعْنَى: لَا تَرُدُّوهُ وَإِنْ قَلَّ مَا تُعْطُونَهُ.
It is said: 'Silat al-habl' is what is used to connect, and the meaning is: do not reject him even if what you give is little.
- 2.أَيْ: يَطْلُبُ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ تُتِمُّوا لَهُ مَا نَقَصَ مِنْ حَاجَتِهِ.
That is, he asks you to complete what is lacking in his need.
- 3.مَانِعُ الْإِتْمَامِ أَيْ: الَّذِي يَمْنَعُ الْخَيْرَ وَالْإِحْسَانَ، أَلْأَمُ أَيْ: أَشَدُّ لُؤْمًا وَدَنَاءَةً.
The one who prevents completion, meaning the one who withholds goodness and kindness, is the most despicable, meaning the most base and vile.
- 4.أَلْحَفَ فِي السُّؤَالِ أَيْ: أَلَحَّ وَأَخَذَ يُكَرِّرُ الطَّلَبَ بِإِلْحَاحٍ.
Alhafa fi al-su'al means he persisted and kept repeating the request insistently.
- 5.سَوَّفَ أَيْ: مَاطَلَ وَأَخَّرَ الْعَطَاءَ.
Sawwafa means he delayed and postponed giving.
- 6.ارْتَزَّ أَيْ: اضْطَرَبَ وَارْتَعَدَ مِنَ الْبُخْلِ وَالْكَرَاهَةِ لِلْإِعْطَاءِ.
Irtazza means he trembled and shook due to miserliness and dislike of giving.
- 7.الْمَلِيمُ هُوَ الَّذِي يَسْتَحِقُّ اللَّوْمَ، وَالْمَعْنَى: شَرُّ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَمْنَعُ النَّفْعَ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَعَنْ غَيْرِهِ.
Al-mulim is the one who deserves blame, and the meaning is: the worst of people is the one who withholds benefit from himself and others.
- 8.مُخَّةُ عُرْقُوبٍ مَثَلٌ لِشَيْءٍ لَا خَيْرَ فِيهِ، فَالْعُرْقُوبُ عَصَبٌ غَلِيظٌ، وَالْمُخَّةُ دَاخِلَهُ لَا تُنْتَفَعُ بِهَا.
'Mukhat urqub' is a proverb for something with no goodness, for the hock is a thick tendon, and the marrow inside it is not beneficial.
- 9.مَنْعَ وَهَاتِ أَيْ: مَنْعُ الْعَطَاءِ وَطَلَبُ الْعَطَاءِ، وَهُوَ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الْبُخْلِ.
'Man' wa hat' means withholding giving and demanding giving, and it is from the qualities of miserliness.
- 10.الْخَصَاصَةُ هِيَ الْحَاجَةُ وَالْفَقْرُ، وَالْمَعْنَى: يُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانُوا مُحْتَاجِينَ.
Khasasa is need and poverty, and the meaning is: they prefer others over themselves even if they are in need.
- 11.السُّرَى هُوَ السَّيْرُ فِي اللَّيْلِ، وَالْمَعْنَى: يُحْمَدُ الْمُسَافِرُونَ إِذَا وَصَلُوا فِي الصَّبَاحِ، فَكَذَلِكَ الصَّابِرُ يُحْمَدُ عَاقِبَتُهُ.
Sura is traveling at night, and the meaning is: travelers are praised when they arrive in the morning, and likewise the patient person is praised for his outcome.