أَخَذَhe tookيَمْنَةًto the rightوَأَخَذَand he tookمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْhandsمَنْwhoكَانَwasبَيْنَهُbetween himوَبَيْنَand betweenثُمَامَةَThumamaحَتَّىuntilلَمْnotيَدَعْhe leftإِلَّاexceptعَرْقًاa bone with meatقُدَّامَin front ofثُمَامَةَThumama
He took to the right, and took what was in front of those between him and Thumama, until he left nothing but a piece of meat in front of Thumama.
ثُمَّthenمَالَhe leanedعَلَىonجَانِبِهِhis sideالْأَيْسَرِthe leftفَصَنَعَand he didمِثْلَlikeذَلِكَthatالصَّنِيعِthe deed
Then he leaned on his left side and did the same thing.
وَعَارَضَهُand he imitated himابْنُهُhis sonوَحَكَاهُand he copied him
His son imitated him and copied him.
فَلَمَّاand whenنَظَرَlookedثُمَامَةُThumamaإِلَىatالثَّرِيدَةِthe tharid (bread soaked in broth)مَكْشُوفَةَuncoveredالْقِنَاعِthe coverمَسْلُوبَةًstrippedعَارِيَةًbareوَاللَّحْمُand the meatكُلُّهُall of itبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis handsوَبَيْنَand betweenيَدَيْhandsابْنِهِhis sonإِلَّاexceptقِطْعَةًa pieceوَاحِدَةًoneبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis hands
When Thumama saw the tharid uncovered, stripped bare, and all the meat was between his hands and his son's, except one piece in front of him,
تَنَاوَلَهَاhe took itفَوَضَعَهَاand he placed itقُدَّامَin front ofإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimابْنِهِhis son
He took it and placed it in front of his son Ibrahim.
فَلَمْand notيَدْفَعْهَاhe did not push it awayوَاحْتَسَبَand he consideredبِهَاitفِيinالْكَرَامَةِhonorوَالْبِرِّand kindness
He did not push it away and considered it a matter of honor and kindness.
فَقَالَand he saidقَاسِمٌQasimلَمَّاwhenفَرَغَhe finishedمِنْfromغَدَائِهِhis lunch
Qasim said when he finished his lunch:
«أَمَا"Did notرَأَيْتُمْyou seeإِكْرَامَthe honoringثُمَامَةَThumamaلِابْنِيfor my sonوَكَيْفَand howخَصَّهُhe singled him out»"
"Did you not see Thumama's honoring of my son, and how he singled him out?"
فَلَمَّاand whenحُكِيَwas narratedهَذَاthisلِيto me
When this was narrated to me,
قُلْتُI said
I said:
«وَيْلَكَ"Woe to youأَظُنُّI thinkأَنَّthatفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earthعَرْقًاa bone with meatأَشْأَمَmore ominousعَلَىuponعِيَالِكَyour familyمِنْهُthan it
"Woe to you! I think there is no bone on earth more ominous for your family than it.
هَذَاthisأَخْرَجَهُbrought it outالْغَيْظُthe rageوَهَذَاand thisالْغَيْظُthe rageلَاnotيَتْرُكُهُwill leave himحَتَّىuntilيَتَشَفَّىhe takes revengeمِنْكَon you
This was brought about by rage, and this rage will not leave him until he takes revenge on you.
فَإِنْfor ifقَدَرَhe is ableلَكَagainst youعَلَىofذَنْبٍa sinفَقَدْthen indeedوَاللَّهِby Allahهَلَكْتَyou are destroyedوَإِنْand ifلَمْnotيَقْدِرْhe is ableعَلَيْهِon itأَقْدَرَهُwill enable himلَكَfor youالْغَيْظُthe rage
If he is able to find a sin against you, then by Allah you are destroyed, and if he cannot find one, the rage will enable him to find one.
وَأَبْوَابُand the doorsالتَّجَنِّيof finding faultsكَثِيرَةٌmanyوَلَيْسَand notأَحَدٌanyoneإِلَّاexceptوَفِيهِand in himمَاthat whichإِنْifشِئْتَyou wishتَجْعَلْهُyou make itذَنْبًاa sinجَعَلْتَهُyou would make it
The ways to find faults are many, and there is no one in whom there is not something that, if you wanted, you could make a sin.
فَكَيْفَso howذُنُوبُthe sinsمَنْof one whoقَرْنِكَyour horn (from head)إِلَىtoقَدَمِكَyour foot»"
So how about the sins of one from your head to your foot?"
وَكَانَand wasثُمَامَةُThumamaيُفْطِرُused to give iftar (break fast)أَيَّامَduring the daysكَانَhe wasفِيinأَصْحَابِthe companionsالْفَسَاطِيطِthe tents
Thumama used to give iftar to people during the days he was among the companions of the tents.
نَاسًاpeopleفَكَثُرُواand they became manyعَلَيْهِupon him
They became many upon him,
وَأَتَوْهُand they came to himبِالرِّقَاعِwith papers (requests)وَالشَّفَاعَاتِand intercessions
and they came to him with written requests and intercessions.
وَفِيand inحَشْوَةِthe companyالْمُتَكَلِّمِينَthe theologiansأَخْلَاقٌmoralsقَبِيحَةٌugly
And in the company of the theologians there were ugly morals,
وَفِيهِمْand among themعَلَىagainstأَهْلِthe peopleالْكَلَامِof theologyوَعَلَىand againstأَرْبَابِthe mastersالصِّنَاعَاتِof craftsمِحْنَةٌafflictionعَظِيمَةٌgreat
and among them was a great affliction upon the people of theology and the masters of crafts.
فَلَمَّاand whenرَأَىsawثُمَامَةُThumamaمَاwhatقَدْindeedدَهَمَهُoverwhelmed him
When Thumama saw what had overwhelmed him,
أَقْبَلَhe turnedعَلَيْهِمْto themوَهُمْwhile theyيَتَعَشَّوْنَwere having dinner
he turned to them while they were having dinner and said:
فَقَالَand he said
and he said:
«إِنَّ"IndeedاللَّهَAllahعَزَّthe Almightyوَجَلَّand Majesticلَاnotيَسْتَحِيis ashamedمِنَofالْحَقِّthe truth
"Indeed, Allah, the Almighty, is not ashamed of the truth.
كُلُّكُمْall of youوَاجِبُobligatoryالْحَقِّof right
All of you have a right.
وَمَنْand whoeverلَمْnotتَجِئْنَاcame to usشَفَاعَتُهُhis intercessionفَالْحُرْمَةُthen the sanctityكَمَنْlike one whoتَقَدَّمَتْcame beforeشَفَاعَتُهُhis intercession
Whoever's intercession has not come to us, his sanctity is like one whose intercession has come before.
كَمَاjust asأَنَاIلَوْifاسْتَطَعْنَاwe couldأَنْtoنُعَمِّكُمْbenefit you allبِالْبِرِّwith kindnessلَمْnotيَكُنْwould beبَعْضُكُمْsome of youأَحَقَّmore deservingبِذَلِكَof thatمِنْthanبَعْضٍothers
Just as if we could benefit you all with kindness, some of you would not be more deserving of it than others,
فَكَذَلِكَso likewiseأَنْتُمْyouإِذَاifعَجَزْنَاwe are unableأَوْorبَدَاit seemsلَنَاto usفَلَيْسَthen notبَعْضُكُمْsome of youبِالْحِرْمَانِwith deprivationمِنْthanبَعْضٍothers
so likewise, if we are unable or it seems to us, then some of you are not more deprived than others.
أَوْorبِالْحَمْلِwith forcingعَلَيْهِupon itأَوْorبِالْإِعْتِذَارِwith apologizingإِلَيْهِto himمِنْfromبَعْضٍsome
or with forcing upon it, or with apologizing to him, more than others.
وَمَتَىand wheneverقَرَّبْتُكُمْI bring you nearوَفَتَحْتُand I openبَابِيmy doorلَكُمْfor youوَبَاعَدْتُand I distance
And whenever I bring you near and open my door for you, and I distance...
Footnotes
- 1.الْفَسَاطِيطُ: جَمْعُ فُسْطَاطٍ، وَهُوَ الْخَيْمَةُ، وَكَانُوا أَصْحَابَ الْفَسَاطِيطِ فِي الْجُيُوشِ.
Al-Fasateet: plural of Fustat, meaning tent; they were the people of the tents in the armies.
- 2.الرِّقَاعُ: جَمْعُ رُقْعَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْكِتَابُ الصَّغِيرُ أَوِ الْوَرَقَةُ الَّتِي تُكْتَبُ فِيهَا الْحَاجَةُ.
Ar-Riqa': plural of Ruq'a, meaning small letter or paper on which a request is written.
- 3.حَشْوَةُ الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ: أَيْ جَمَاعَتُهُمْ وَعَامَّتُهُمْ، وَالْحَشْوَةُ بِالْفَتْحِ هِيَ الْجَمَاعَةُ مِنَ النَّاسِ.
Hashwa al-Mutakallimin: meaning their group and common people; Al-Hashwa (with fatha) means a group of people.
- 4.أَيِ الْحَمْلِ عَلَى الْحَرَجِ أَوِ التَّكْلِيفِ بِمَا لَا يُطَاقُ.
Meaning forcing into hardship or burdening with what cannot be borne.