طَاعَةٌObedience..
Obedience.
وَإِذَاAnd ifلَمْnotتَكُنِbeالْعَطِيَّةُthe giftمِنَfromاللَّهِGodوَلَاnorلِلَّهِfor God،,فَلَيْسَthen notيَجُوزُpermissibleهَذَاthisفِيمَاin whatسَمَّوْهُthey called itجُودًاgenerosity،,
And if the gift is not from God nor for God, then this is not permissible in what they call generosity.
فَمَاthen whatظَنُّكَyour opinionبِمَاabout whatسَمَّوْهُthey called itسَرَفًاextravagance؟?
So what do you think of what they call extravagance?
أَفْهَمْUnderstandمَاwhatأَنَاIمُورِدُهُbringing itعَلَيْكَto youوَandوَاصِفُهُdescribing itلَكَto you::
Understand what I am bringing to you and describing to you:
إِنَّIndeedالتَّرَبُّحَ1profit-seeking،,وَandالتَّكَسُّبَearning،,وَandالِاسْتِئْكَالَ2devouringبِالْخَدِيعَةِby deception،,وَandالطُّعْمِthe mealالْخَبِيثَةِthe vile،,فَاشِيَةٌwidespreadغَالِبَةٌprevailing،,وَandمُسْتَفِيضَةٌprevalentظَاهِرَةٌapparent..
Indeed, profit-seeking, earning, devouring through deception, and vile meals are widespread, prevailing, and prevalent and apparent.
عَلَىOnأَنَّthatكَثِيرًاmanyمِّمَّنْof those whoيُضَافُare attributedالْيَوْمَtodayإِلَىtoالنَّزَاهَةِintegrityوَandالتَّكَرُّمِnobility،,وَandإِلَىtoالصِّيَانَةِpurityوَandالتَّوَقِّيcaution،,لَindeedيَأْخُذُhe takesمِنْfromذَلِكَthatبِنَصِيبٍa shareوَافِرٍample،,وَandبِمَدٍّan extentوَافٍsufficient..
Indeed, many of those who are today attributed to integrity, nobility, purity, and caution take from that an ample share and a sufficient extent.
فَمَاSo whatظَنُّكَyour opinionبِدَهْمَاءِ3of the massesالنَّاسِof the peopleوَandجُمْهُورِهِمْtheir majority؟?
So what do you think of the masses of the people and their majority?
بَلْRatherمَاwhatظَنُّكَyour opinionبِالشُّعَرَاءِof the poetsوَandالْخُطَبَاءِthe oratorsالَّذِينَwhoإِنَّمَاonlyتَعَلَّمُواlearnedالْمَنْطِقَspeechلِصِنَاعَةِfor the craftالتَّكَسُّبِof earning؟?
Rather, what do you think of the poets and orators who learned speech only for the craft of earning?
وَAndهَؤُلَاءِtheseقَوْمٌpeopleبِوُدِّهِمْwishأَنَّthatأَرْبَابَownersالْأَمْوَالِof wealthقَدْhaveجَاوَزُواexceededحَدَّlimitالسَّلَامَةِof safetyإِلَىtoالْغَفْلَةِheedlessness،,حَتَّىso thatلَاnotيَكُونَbeلِلْأَمْوَالِfor the wealthحَارِسٌa guardوَandلَاnotدُونَهَاbefore itمَانِعٌa preventer..
And these people wish that the owners of wealth have exceeded the limit of safety to heedlessness, so that there is no guard for the wealth nor any preventer before it.
فَاحْذَرْهُمْSo beware of them،,وَandلَاdo notتَنْظُرْlookإِلَىatبَزَّةِ4the fineryأَحَدِهِمْof one of them،,فَإِنَّfor indeedالْمِسْكِينَthe poorأَقْنَعُmore contentمِنْهُthan him،,وَandلَاdo notتَنْظُرْlookإِلَىatمَرْكَبِهِhis mountفَإِنَّfor indeedالسَّائِلَthe beggarأَعَفُّmore chasteمِنْهُ5than him..
So beware of them, and do not look at the finery of one of them, for indeed the poor is more content than him, and do not look at his mount, for indeed the beggar is more chaste than him.
وَAndأَعْلَمْknowأَنَّهُthat heفِيinمَسْكِthe skinمِسْكِينٍof a poor person،,إِنْifكَانَhe wasفِيinثِيَابٍclothesجِيَادٍgood،,وَandرُوحُهُhis spiritرُوحُthe spiritنَذْلٍof a base person،,وَإِنْand ifكَانَhe wasفِيinجِرْمِthe bodyمَلِكٍ6of a king..
And know that he is in the skin of a poor person, if he was in good clothes, and his spirit is the spirit of a base person, and if he was in the body of a king.
وَAndكُلُّهُمْall of themوَإِنِeven ifاخْتَلَفَتْdifferوُجُوهُfacesمَسْأَلَتِهِمْof their askingوَandاخْتَلَفَتْdifferأَقْدَارُamountsمَطَالِبِهِمْof their requests،,فَهُوَthen he isمِسْكِينٌa poor person..
And all of them, even if the faces of their asking differ and the amounts of their requests differ, then he is a poor person.
إِلَّاExceptأَنَّthatوَاحِدًاoneيَطْلُبُseeksالْعَلَقَ7the precious thing،,وَandآخَرُanotherيَطْلُبُseeksالْخَرَقَ8the rag،,وَandآخَرُanotherيَطْلُبُseeksالدَّوَانِيقَ9the small coins،,وَandآخَرُanotherيَطْلُبُseeksالْأُلُوفَthousands..
Except that one seeks the precious thing, another seeks the rag, another seeks small coins, and another seeks thousands.
فَجِهَةُSo the directionهَذَاof thisهِيَisجِهَةُthe directionهَذَاof this،,وَandطُعْمَةُthe mealهَذَاof thisهِيَisطُعْمَةُthe mealهَذَاof this..
So the direction of this one is the direction of that one, and the meal of this one is the meal of that one.
وَAndإِنَّمَاonlyيَخْتَلِفُونَthey differفِيinأَقْدَارِamountsمَاwhatيَطْلُبُونَthey seek،,عَلَىaccording toقَدْرِthe extentالْحَذْقِof skillوَandالسَّبَبِthe means..
And they only differ in the amounts of what they seek, according to the extent of skill and means.
فَاحْذَرْSo bewareرُقَاهُمْ10of their charms،,وَandمَاwhatنَصَبُواthey set upلَكَfor youمِنَofالشَّرَكِthe snare،,وَandاحْرُسْguard
So beware of their charms and the snare they set up for you, and guard
Footnotes
- 1.التَّرَبُّحُ: طَلَبُ الرِّبْحِ.
Profit-seeking: seeking profit.
- 2.الِاسْتِئْكَالُ: أَكْلُ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ.
Devouring: consuming people's wealth unjustly.
- 3.الدَّهْمَاءُ: الْعَامَّةُ وَالْجُمْهُورُ.
The masses: the common people and the majority.
- 4.الْبَزَّةُ: الْهَيْئَةُ وَالزِّيُّ.
Finery: appearance and attire.
- 5.السَّائِلُ أَعَفُّ مِنْهُ: أَيْ أَكْثَرُ تَعَفُّفًا عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ.
The beggar is more chaste than him: meaning more abstinent from asking.
- 6.الْجِرْمُ: الْجَسَدُ وَالْهَيْئَةُ.
Body: the physique and appearance.
- 7.الْعَلَقُ: الشَّيْءُ النَّفِيسُ.
Precious thing: valuable item.
- 8.الْخَرَقُ: الْقِطْعَةُ مِنَ الثَّوْبِ أَوِ الْخِرْقَةُ.
Rag: a piece of cloth or tatter.
- 9.الدَّوَانِيقُ: جَمْعُ دَانَقٍ، وَهُوَ سُدُسُ الدِّرْهَمِ.
Small coins: plural of daniq, which is a sixth of a dirham.
- 10.الرُّقَى: جَمْعُ رُقْيَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْعُوذَةُ وَالتَّمِيمَةُ.
Charms: plural of ruqya, meaning incantation or amulet.