بِأَدَبِBy the disciplineاللهِof Allahأَنَّكَthat youتَتَقَلَّبُare turningفِيinالْخَيْرَةِgoodnessمُجْزًى1rewardedبِذَلِكَfor thatإِمَّاeitherعَاجِلًاimmediatelyوَإِمَّاorآجِلًاlater
By the discipline of Allah, you are turning in goodness, rewarded for that either immediately or later.
ثُمَّThenقَالَhe saidفَلِمْwhyتَجُرُّdo you tradeأَبُوAbuبَكْرٍBakrوَلِمْand whyتَجُرُّdoes tradeعُمَرُUmarوَلِمْand whyتَجُرُّdoes tradeعُثْمَانُUthmanوَلِمْand whyتَجُرُّdoes tradeالزُّبَيْرُ2az-Zubayrوَلِمْand whyتَجُرُّdoes tradeعَبْدُAbdالرَّحْمَنِar-Rahman
Then he said: 'Why did Abu Bakr trade? And why did Umar trade? And why did Uthman trade? And why did az-Zubayr trade? And why did Abd ar-Rahman trade?'
وَلِمَAnd whyعَلَّمَdid he teachالنَّاسَpeopleيَتَّجِرُونَto tradeوَكَيْفَand howيَشْتَرُونَdo they buyوَيَبِيعُونَand sell
And why did he teach people to trade, and how do they buy and sell?
وَلِمَAnd whyقَالَsaidعُمَرُUmarإِذَاwhenاشْتَرَيْتَyou buyحَمِلًاa young camelفَاجْعَلْهُmake itضَخْمًاlargeفَإِنَّfor indeedلَمْnotيَبِعْهُdoes not sell itالْخَبَرُ3the news (reputation)بَاعَهُsells itالْمَنْظَرُthe appearance
And why did Umar say: 'When you buy a young camel, make it large, for if its reputation does not sell it, its appearance will sell it'?
وَلِمَAnd whyقَالَsaidعُمَرُUmarفَرِّقُواseparateبَيْنَbetweenالْمَنَايَاdeaths (fates)وَاجْعَلُواand makeالرَّأْسَthe headرَأْسَيْنِtwo heads
And why did Umar say: 'Separate between deaths, and make the head two heads'?
وَلِمَAnd whyقَالَsaidعُثْمَانُUthmanحِينَwhenسُئِلَhe was askedعَنْaboutكَثْرَةِthe abundanceأَرْبَاحِهِof his profitsقَالَhe saidلَمْnotأَرُدَّI ever returnedمِنْfromرِبْحٍa profitقَطُّever
And why did Uthman say, when asked about the abundance of his profits, 'I never returned any profit ever'?
وَلِمَAnd whyقِيلَwas it saidلَاDo notتَشْتَرِbuyعَيْبًاa defectوَلَاnorشَيْبًاold age
And why was it said: 'Do not buy a defect nor old age'?
وَهَلْAnd didحَجَرَplace a restrictionعَلِيٌّAliعَلَىuponابْنِsonأَخِيهِof his brotherعَبْدِAbdاللهِAllahبْنِibnجَعْفَرٍ4Ja'farإِلَّاexceptفِيinإِخْرَاجِspendingالْمَالِmoneyفِيinغَيْرِother thanحَقِّهِits rightوَإِعْطَائِهِand giving itفِيinهَوَاهُhis whim
And did Ali place a restriction on his brother's son, Abdullah ibn Ja'far, except in spending money improperly and giving it according to his whims?
وَهَلْAnd wasكَانَthatذَلِكَthatإِلَّاexceptفِيinطَلَبِseekingالذِّكْرِfameوَالْتِمَاسِand seekingالشُّكْرِgratitude
And was that not only in seeking fame and seeking gratitude?
وَهَلْAnd didقَالَsayأَحَدٌanyoneإِنَّthatإِنْفَاقَهُhis spendingكَانَwasفِيinالْخُمُورِintoxicantsوَالْقِمَارِand gamblingوَفِيand inالْفُسُولَةِ5immoralityوَالْفُجُورِand debauchery
And did anyone say that his spending was on intoxicants, gambling, immorality, and debauchery?
وَهَلْAnd wasكَانَitإِلَّاexceptفِيمَاin whatتُسَمُّونَهُyou call itجُودًاgenerosityوَتَعُدُّونَهُand count itكَرَمًاnobility
And was it not only in what you call generosity and count as nobility?
وَمَنْAnd whoeverرَأَىseesأَنْthatيَحْجُرَhe should restrictعَلَىuponالْكِرَامِthe nobleلِكَرَمِهِمْfor their nobilityرَأَىseesأَنْthatيَحْجُرَhe should restrictعَلَىuponالْحُلَمَاءِthe forbearingلِحِلْمِهِمْfor their forbearance
And whoever sees that he should restrict the noble for their nobility, sees that he should restrict the forbearing for their forbearance.
وَأَيُّAnd whichإِمَامٍImamبَعْدَafterأَبِيAbuبَكْرٍBakrتُرِيدُونَdo you wantوَبِأَيِّand by whichسَلَفٍpredecessorبَعْدَafterعَلِيٍّAliتَقْتَدُونَdo you take as an example
And which Imam after Abu Bakr do you want? And by which predecessor after Ali do you take as an example?
وَكَيْفَAnd howنَرْجُوdo we hope forالْوَفَاءَloyaltyوَالْقِيَامَand standingبِالْحَقِّfor truthوَالصَّبْرَand patienceعَلَىuponالنَّائِبَةِcalamityمِنْfromعِنْدَoneلَعْمُوظٍservileمُسْتَأْكِلٍself-seeking eater،مُلَّاقٍa flattererمُخَادِعٍdeceptiveوَمَنْهُومٍand gluttonousبِالطَّعَامِfor foodشَرِهٍgreedy
And how can we hope for loyalty, standing for truth, and patience upon calamity from one who is servile, self-seeking eater, a deceptive flatterer, and gluttonous for food, greedy?
لَاHe does notيُبَالِيcareبِأَيِّby whichشَيْءٍthingأَخَذَhe tookالدِّرْهَمَthe dirhamوَمِنْand fromأَيِّwhichوَجْهٍsourceأَصَابَhe obtainedالدِّينَارَthe dinar
He does not care by what means he took the dirham, nor from which source he obtained the dinar.
وَلَاAnd he does notيَكْتَرِثُworryلِلْمِنَّةِabout the favorوَلَاnorيُبَالِيdoes he careأَنْthatيَكُونَhe isأَبَدًاalwaysمَنْهُومًاgluttonousمُنْقَمًاblamedعَلَيْهِupon him
He does not worry about the favor, nor does he care that he is always gluttonous and blamed.
وَلَيْسَAnd he does notيُبَالِيcareإِذَاwhenأَكَلَhe eatsكَيْفَhowكَانَwasذَلِكَthatالطَّعَامُfoodوَكَيْفَand howكَانَwasسَبَبُهُits meansوَمَاand whatحُكْمُهُits ruling
And he does not care when he eats how that food was, how it was obtained, and what its ruling is.
فَإِنْFor ifكَانَisمَالُكَyour wealthقَلِيلًاlittleفَإِنَّمَاthen onlyهُوَit isقِوَامُthe sustenanceعِيَالِكَof your dependentsوَإِنْand ifكَانَisكَثِيرًاmuchفَاجْعَلِthen makeالْفَاضِلَthe surplusعُدَّةًa provisionلِنَوَائِبِكَfor your calamities
So if your wealth is little, it is only the sustenance of your dependents; and if it is much, then make the surplus a provision for your calamities.
وَلَاAnd notيَأْمَنُis safe fromالْأَيَّامَthe days (time)إِلَّاexceptالْمُضَلِّلُthe deludedوَلَاnorيَغْتَرُّis deceivedبِالسَّلَامَةِby safetyإِلَّاexceptالْمُغَفَّلُthe heedless
No one is safe from time except the deluded, and no one is deceived by safety except the heedless.
فَاحْذَرْSo beware ofطَوَارِقَthe strikingالْبَلَاءِcalamitiesوَخُدَعَand the deceptionsرِجَالِof menالدَّهَاءِof cunning
So beware of the striking calamities and the deceptions of cunning men.
سِمَنُكَYour fatnessفِيinأَدِيمِكَyour skin
Your fatness is in your skin (meaning: your worth is within yourself).
Footnotes
- 1.مُجْزًى: أَيْ مُثَابٌ.
Rewarded: i.e., recompensed.
- 2.الزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ الْعَوَّامِ، صَحَابِيٌّ جَلِيلٌ.
Az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, a noble companion.
- 3.الْخَبَرُ: الْمَعْرِفَةُ بِالشَّيْءِ.
Al-khabar: knowledge of the thing.
- 4.عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ: ابْنُ أَخِي عَلِيٍّ، وَكَانَ جَوَادًا.
Abdullah ibn Ja'far: Ali's nephew, and he was generous.
- 5.الْفُسُولَةُ: الْفَسَادُ وَالْخِسَّةُ.
Al-fusulah: corruption and baseness.
- 6.اللَّعْمُوظُ: الْخَادِمُ الذَّلِيلُ.
Al-la'muz: the abject servant.