وَقَدْand indeedأَكْثَرُواthey have spoken muchفِيaboutذِكْرِmentioningالْكَرَمِgenerosity..
And they have spoken much about generosity.
وَمَاand notالْكَرَمُgenerosityإِلَّاexceptكَlikeبَعْضِsomeالْخِصَالِof the traitsالْمَحْمُودَةِpraiseworthyالَّتِيthatلَمْnotيَعْدَمْهَاit is devoid ofبَعْضُsomeالذَّمِّblame,,
And generosity is but like some praiseworthy traits that are not devoid of some blame.
وَلَيْسَand notشَيْءٌanythingيَخْلُوis freeمِنْfromبَعْضِsomeالنَّقْصِdeficiencyوَالْوَهَنِand weakness..
And nothing is free from some deficiency and weakness.
وَقَدْand indeedزَعَمَclaimedالْأَوَّلُونَthe ancientsأَنَّthatالْكَرَمَgenerosityبِسَبَبِis because ofالْغِنَى1wealth,,
And the ancients claimed that generosity is due to wealth, ⟦1⟧
وَأَنَّand thatالْغِنَىwealthيُسَبِّبُcausesالْبَلَهَ2folly,,
and that wealth causes folly ⟦2⟧
وَأَنَّهُand thatلَيْسَnotوَرَاءَbeyondالْأَبْلَهِthe foolإِلَّاexceptالْمَعْتُوهِthe madman..
and that beyond the fool there is nothing but the madman.
وَقَدْand indeedحَكَوْاthey have narratedعَنْfromكِسْرَىKisraأَنَّهُthat heقَالَsaid::
And they have narrated from Kisra that he said:
«"احْذَرُواBeware ofصَوْلَةَthe assault ofالْكَرِيمِthe generousإِذَاwhenجَاعَhe is hungry,,وَاللَّئِيمِand the meanإِذَاwhenشَبِعَhe is full»",,
"Beware of the assault of the generous when he is hungry, and the mean when he is full,"
وَسَوَاءٌand it is equalجَاعَif he hungersفَظَلَمَthen oppressesوَأَحْفَظَand enragesوَعَسَفَand tyrannizes,,أَمْorجَاعَif he hungersفَكَذَبَthen liesوَضَرَعَand humbles himselfوَأَسَفَّ3and debases himself,,
And it is the same whether he hungers and oppresses, enrages, and tyrannizes, or hungers and lies, humbles himself, and debases himself ⟦3⟧
وَسَوَاءٌand it is equalجَاعَif he hungersفَظَلَمَthen oppressesغَيْرَهُsomeone else,,أَمْorجَاعَif he hungersفَظَلَمَthen oppressesنَفْسَهُhimself,,
And it is the same whether he hungers and oppresses someone else, or hungers and oppresses himself,
وَالظُّلْمُand oppressionلُؤْمٌis meanness..
and oppression is meanness.
وَإِنْand ifكَانَwasالظُّلْمُoppressionلَيْسَnotبِلُؤْمٍmeannessفَالْإِنْصَافُthen fairnessلَيْسَis notبِكَرَمٍgenerosity..
And if oppression is not meanness, then fairness is not generosity.
وَإِنْand ifكَانَwasالْجُودُgenerosityعَلَىtowardsمَنْwhoلَاnotيَسْتَحِقُّdeserveالْجُودَgenerosityكَرَمًاas generosity,,
And if generosity towards those who do not deserve it is (considered) generosity,
فَالْجُودُthen generosityلِمَنْfor whomوَجَبَit is obligatoryلَهُfor himذَلِكَthatلَيْسَis notبِكَرَمٍgenerosity..
then generosity towards those for whom it is obligatory is not (true) generosity.
فَالْجُودُso generosityإِذَاwhenكَانَisلِلَّهِfor Godفَكَانَthen it isشُكْرًاgratitudeلَهُto Him,,وَالشُّكْرُand gratitudeكَرَمٌis generosity..
So generosity, when it is for God, is gratitude to Him, and gratitude is generosity.
فَكَيْفَso howيَكُونُcan beالْجُودُgenerosityإِذَاifكَانَwasمَعْصِيَةًdisobedienceكَرَمًاgenerosity,,
So how can generosity be (considered) generosity if it is disobedience?
وَكَيْفَand howيَتَكَرَّمُcan be generousمَنْwhoيَتَوَصَّلُseeks accessبِأَيَادِيكَthrough your favorsإِلَىtoمَعْصِيَتِكَyour disobedience,,وَبِنِعَمِكَand through your blessingsإِلَىtoسَخَطِكَyour wrath؟?
And how can one be generous who uses your favors to disobey you, and your blessings to incur your wrath?
فَلَيْسَso notالْكَرَمُgenerosityإِلَّاexceptالطَّاعَةُobedience,,وَلَيْسَand notاللُّؤْمُmeannessإِلَّاexceptالْمَعْصِيَةُdisobedience,,
So generosity is nothing but obedience, and meanness is nothing but disobedience,
وَلَيْسَand notبِجُودٍgenerosityمَاwhatجَاوَزَexceedsالْحَقَّthe right,,وَلَيْسَand notبِكَرَمٍgenerosityمَاwhatخَالَفَcontradictsالشُّكْرَgratitude..
and not generosity is what exceeds the right, and not generosity is what contradicts gratitude.
وَلَئِنْand ifكَانَwasمُجَاوِزُthe one exceedingالْحَقِّthe rightكَرِيمًاgenerous,,لَيَكُونَنَّsurely would beالْمُقَصِّرُthe one falling shortدُونَهُbelow itكَرِيمًاgenerous..
And if the one who exceeds the right is generous, then the one who falls short of it would surely be generous too.
فَإِنْso ifقَضَيْتُمْyou judgeبِقَوْلِby the saying ofالْعَامَّةِthe common people,,فَالْعَامَّةُthen the common peopleلَيْسَتْare notبِقُدْوَةٍa model to follow..
So if you judge by the saying of the common people, then the common people are not a model to follow.
وَكَيْفَand howيَكُونُcan beقُدْوَةًa modelمَنْwhoلَاnotيَنْظُرُseesوَلَاand notيُحَصِّلُcomprehendsوَلَاand notيُفَكِّرُthinksوَلَاand notيُمَثِّلُ4visualizes؟?
And how can one be a model who does not see, comprehend, think, or visualize? ⟦4⟧
وَإِنْand ifقَضَيْتُمْyou judgeبِأَقَاوِيلِby the sayings ofالشُّعَرَاءِthe poets,,وَمَاand whatكَانَwasعَلَيْهِupon itأَهْلُthe people ofالْجَاهِلِيَّةِthe pre-Islamic eraالْجَهْلَاءِthe ignorant,,
And if you judge by the sayings of the poets, and what the people of the ignorant pre-Islamic era were upon,
فَمَاthen whatقَبَّحُوهُthey deemed uglyمِمَّاof that whichلَاnotيُشَكُّis doubtedفِيinحُسْنِهِits goodnessأَكْثَرُis moreمِنْthanأَنْthatنَقِفَwe stopعَلَيْهِat it,,أَوْorنَتَشَاغَلَwe occupy ourselvesبِاسْتِقْصَائِهِwith exhaustively covering it..
then what they deemed ugly, of that which is undoubtedly good, is more than we can fully cover or exhaustively pursue.
عَلَىonأَنَّهُthat itلَيْسَis notبِجُودٍgenerosityإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatأَوْجَبَobligatesالشُّكْرَgratitude,,كَمَاjust asأَنَّهُit isلَيْسَnotبِبُخْلٍstinginessإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatأَوْجَبَobligatesاللَّوْمَblame..
On the basis that nothing is generosity except what obligates gratitude, just as nothing is stinginess except what obligates blame.
وَلَنْand neverتَكُونَwill beالْعَطِيَّةُthe giftنِعْمَةًa blessingعَلَىuponالْمُعْطَىthe recipientحَتَّىuntilيُرَادَis intendedبِهَاby itنَفْسُthe very selfذَلِكَthatالْمُعْطَى5recipient..
And the gift will never be a blessing for the recipient until it is intended for the very self of that recipient ⟦5⟧.
وَلَنْand neverيَجِبَis incumbentعَلَيْهِupon himالشُّكْرُgratitudeإِلَّاexceptمَعَwithشَرِيطَةِthe condition ofالْقَصْدِintention..
And gratitude will never be incumbent upon him except with the condition of intention.
وَكُلُّand everyمَنْone whoكَانَwasجُودُهُhis generosityيَرْجِعُreturnsإِلَيْهِto him,,وَلَوْلَاand were it notرُجُوعُهُits returnإِلَيْهِto himلَمَاwould notجَادَhe be generousعَلَيْكَto you,,وَلَوْand even ifتَهَيَّأَit was possibleلَهُfor himذَلِكَthat..
And everyone whose generosity returns to him, and were it not for its return to him, he would not be generous to you, even if that were possible for him.
Footnotes
- 1.أَيْ: بِسَبَبِ الْغِنَى وَالْمَالِ وَالسَّعَةِ.
That is, due to wealth, money, and abundance.
- 2.الْبَلَهُ: قِلَّةُ الْفِطْنَةِ وَالْغَفْلَةُ عَنِ الْأُمُورِ.
Folly: lack of discernment and heedlessness of matters.
- 3.أَسَفَّ: تَنَاوَلَ مَا لَا يَنْبَغِي، أَوْ تَعَرَّضَ لِلْهَوَانِ.
Debased himself: he partook of what is not appropriate, or exposed himself to humiliation.
- 4.يُمَثِّلُ: يَتَصَوَّرُ الْأُمُورَ وَيَصُورُهَا فِي ذِهْنِهِ.
Visualizes: he conceives things and forms them in his mind.
- 5.أَيْ حَتَّى يُقْصَدَ بِهَا ذَاتُهُ وَيُعْطَى لِأَجْلِهِ لَا لِغَرَضٍ آخَرَ.
That is, until the gift is intended for his very self, and he is given for his own sake, not for another purpose.