أَمْوَالَهُمْtheir wealthمِنْfromمَوَاضِعِplaces ofالسَّرَفِextravagance،,وَيُجَنِّبُونَهَاand they keep it awayوُجُوهَaspects ofالتَّبْذِيرِwastefulness
They keep their wealth away from places of extravagance and avoid aspects of wastefulness.
وَدَعْنِيAnd leave meمِمَّاfrom whatلَاnotنَرَاهُwe see itإِلَّاexceptفِيinالْأَشْعَارِpoemsالْمُتَكَلِّفَةِaffectedوَالْأَخْبَارِand reportsالْمُوَلَّدَةِfabricatedوَالْكُتُبِand booksالْمَوْضُوعَةِforged
And leave me alone regarding what we only see in affected poems, fabricated reports, and forged books.
،,فَقَدْfor indeedقَالَsaidبَعْضُsome ofأَهْلِpeople ofزَمَانِنَاour time::
For some of our contemporaries have said:
«"ذَهَبَتْwentالْمَكَارِمُnoble deedsإِلَّاexceptمِنَfromالْكُتُبِbooks»"
"Noble deeds have gone except from books."
فَخُذْSo takeفِيمَاin whatتَعْلَمُyou know،,وَدَعْand leaveنَفْسَكَyourselfمِمَّاfrom whatلَاnotتَعْلَمُyou know
So take what you know and leave yourself from what you do not know.
هَلْDidرَأَيْتَyou seeأَحَدًاanyoneقَطُّeverأَنْفَقَspentمَالَهُhis wealthعَلَىonقَوْمٍpeopleكَانَwasغِنَاهُمْtheir enrichmentسَبَبَcause ofفَقْرِهِhis poverty
Did you ever see anyone who spent his wealth on people, and their enrichment was the cause of his poverty?
أَنَّهُthat heسَلَّمَgreetedعَلَيْهِمْthemحِينَwhenافْتَقَرَhe became poorفَرَدُّواand they returnedعَلَيْهِto himفَضْلًاa favorعَلَىbeyondغَيْرِother thanذَلِكَthat؟?
That when he became poor and greeted them, they returned to him more than a favor beyond that?
أَوَلَسْتَHave you notقَدْindeedرَأَيْتَهُمْseen themبَيْنَbetweenمُحَمَّقٍ1one called foolishوَمُحْتَجَبٍand one veiledعَنْهُfrom him،,وَبَيْنَand betweenمَنْone whoيَقُولُsays::
Have you not indeed seen them between one called foolish and one veiled from him, and between one who says:
«"فَهَلَّاWhy notأَنْزَلَhe placedحَاجَتَهُhis needبِفُلَانٍwith so-and-soالَّذِيwhoكَانَwasيُفَضِّلُهُhe prefers himوَيُقَدِّمُهُand advances himوَيُؤْثِرُهُand favors himوَيَخُصُّهُand distinguishes him؟?
"Why did he not place his need with so-and-so, whom he used to prefer, advance, favor, and distinguish?"
ثُمَّThenلَعَلَّperhapsبَعْضَهُمْsome of themأَنْthatيَتَجَنَّىhe falsely accusesعَلَيْهِagainst himذُنُوبًاsinsلِيَجْعَلَهَاto make themعُذْرًاan excuseفِيinمَنْعِهِpreventing himوَسَبَبًاand a reasonإِلَىtoحِرْمَانِهِdepriving him
Then perhaps some of them falsely accuse him of sins to make them an excuse for preventing him and a reason for depriving him.
قَالَSaidاللهُAllahجَلَّglorifiedذِكْرُهُbe His mention::
Allah, glorified be His mention, said:
«"يَوْمَOn the dayيُكْشَفُis uncoveredعَنْaboutسَاقٍa shinوَيُدْعَوْنَand they are calledإِلَىtoالسُّجُودِprostrationفَلَاbut notيَسْتَطِيعُونَthey are ableخَاشِعَةًhumbledأَبْصَارُهُمْtheir eyesتَرْهَقُهُمْcovers themذِلَّةٌhumiliationوَقَدْwhile indeedكَانُواthey wereيُدْعَوْنَcalledإِلَىtoالسُّجُودِprostrationوَهُمْwhile theyسَالِمُونَhealthy»2"
"On the day when the shin is uncovered, and they are called to prostrate, but they cannot. Their eyes humbled, humiliation covers them, and they used to be called to prostrate while they were healthy."
فَأَنَاSo I amالْقَائِمُthe one standingعَلَيْكَover youبِالْمَوْعِظَةِwith admonitionوَالزَّجْرِand deterrenceوَالْأَمْرِand commandوَالنَّهْيِand prohibition،,وَأَنْتَwhile you areسَالِمُsafe inالْعَقْلِintellectوَالْعِرْضِand honor،,وَافِرُabundant inالْمَالِwealthحَسَنُgood inالْحَالِcondition
So I am the one standing over you with admonition, deterrence, command, and prohibition, while you are safe in intellect and honor, abundant in wealth, and good in condition.
فَاتَّقِSo fearأَنْthatأَقُومَI standغَدًاtomorrowعَلَىoverرَأْسِكَyour headبِالتَّقْرِيعِwith rebukeوَالتَّعْبِيرِand reprimandوَبِالتَّوْبِيخِand with reproachوَالتَّأْنِيبِand chiding،,وَأَنْتَwhile you areعَلِيلُsick inالْقَلْبِheartمُخْتَلُّimpaired inالْعِرْضِ3honor،,عَدِيمٌdestituteمِنَofالْمَالِwealthسَيِّءُbad inالْحَالِcondition
So fear that I stand over your head tomorrow with rebuke and reprimand, and with reproach and chiding, while you are sick in heart, impaired in honor, destitute of wealth, and bad in condition.
لَيْسَNotجَهْدُthe utmostالْبَلَاءِ4afflictionمَدَّstretchingالْأَعْنَاقِnecksوَانْتِظَارَand waiting forوَقْعِfalling ofالسُّيُوفِswords،,لِأَنَّbecauseالْوَقْتَthe timeقَصِيرٌshortوَالْحِسَّand sensationمَغْمُورٌ5overwhelmed
The utmost affliction is not stretching necks and waiting for the fall of swords, because the time is short and sensation is overwhelmed.
وَلَكِنَّButجَهْدَthe utmostالْبَلَاءِafflictionأَنْis thatتَظْهَرَappearsالْخَلَّةُ6povertyوَتَطُولَand lengthensالْمُدَّةُthe periodوَتَعْجِزَand failsالْحِيلَةُthe stratagem،,ثُمَّthenلَاnotتَعْدَمُyou lackصَدِيقًاa friendمُؤَنِّبًاblamingوَابْنَand a cousinعَمٍّpaternal uncleشَامِتًاgloating،,وَجَارًاand a neighborحَاسِدًاenvious،,وَوَلِيًّاand a patronقَدْalready
But the utmost affliction is that poverty appears, the period lengthens, and stratagem fails, then you do not lack a blaming friend, a gloating cousin, an envious neighbor, and a patron who has already...
Footnotes
- 1.المُحَمَّقُ: الَّذِي يُنْسَبُ إِلَى الْحُمْقِ.
Al-muḥammaq: the one attributed to foolishness.
- 2.سُورَةُ الْقَلَمِ، الْآيَةُ ٤٢.
Surah Al-Qalam, verse 42.
- 3.الْعِرْضُ: مَا يَمْدَحُهُ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ وَحَسَبِهِ.
Al-ʿirḍ: what a person praises of himself and his lineage.
- 4.جَهْدُ الْبَلَاءِ: أَشَدُّهُ.
Jahd al-balāʾ: its severest.
- 5.الْحِسُّ: الْإِحْسَاسُ بِالْأَلَمِ.
Al-ḥiss: the sensation of pain.
- 6.الْخَلَّةُ: الْفَاقَةُ وَالْحَاجَةُ.
Al-khalla: poverty and need.