وَandإِلَىtoمَالِwealthالْاِلْتِقَاطِof picking up،وَحِبَاءِ1and giftsالْمُلُوكِof kings،أَسْرَعُis faster،
And to picking up wealth, and to the gifts of kings, is faster,
وَأَنَّand thatالْحِفْظَpreservationإِلَىtoالْمَالِwealthالْمُكْتَسَبِacquiredوَالْغِنَىand richesالْمُجْتَلَبِsought،وَإِلَىand toمَاwhatيَعْرِضُappearsفِيهِthereinلِذَهَابِfor lossالدِّينِreligion،وَاهْتِضَامِand violationالْعِرْضِhonor،وَنَصَبِ2and fatigueالْبَدَنِbody،وَاهْتِمَامِand concernالْقَلْبِof heartأَسْرَعُis faster،
and that preservation is quicker to acquired wealth and sought riches, and to what occurs therein of loss of religion, violation of honor, fatigue of body, and concern of heart, is faster.
وَأَنَّand thatمَنْwhoeverلَمْnotيَحْسِبْcountsذَهَابَgoingنَفَقَتِهِof his expenditure،لَمْnotيَحْسِبْcountالدَّخْلَincome،فَقَدْindeedأَضَاعَlostالْأَصْلَthe capital،وَأَنَّand thatمَنْwhoeverلَمْnotيَعْرِفْknowsقَدْرَهُhis worth،فَقَدْindeedأَذِنَpermittedبِالْفَقْرِpovertyوَطَابَand became contentنَفْسًاhimselfبِالذُّلِّhumiliation.
And that whoever does not count the going of his expenditure, does not count the income, so he has indeed lost the capital; and that whoever does not know his worth, has indeed permitted poverty and became content with humiliation.
وَزَعَمْتُمْand you claimedأَنَّthatكَسْبَearningالْحَلَالِlawfulمُضَمَّنٌguaranteedبِالْإِنْفَاقِwith spendingفِيinالْحَلَالِlawful؛
And you claimed that lawful earning is guaranteed with spending in lawful ways;
وَأَنَّand thatالْخَبِيثَthe impureيَنْزِعُtendsإِلَىtoالْخَبِيثِthe impure؛
and that the impure tends to the impure;
وَأَنَّand thatالطَّيِّبَthe goodيَدْعُوcallsإِلَىtoالطَّيِّبِthe good؛
and that the good calls to the good;
وَأَنَّand thatالْإِنْفَاقَspendingفِيinالْهَوَىdesire،حِجَابٌa veilدُونَbeforeالْحُقُوقِrights؛
and that spending in desire is a veil before rights;
وَأَنَّand thatالْإِنْفَاقَspendingفِيinالْحُقُوقِrights،حِجَابٌa veilدُونَbeforeالْهَوَىdesire.
and that spending in rights is a veil before desire.
فَعِبْتُمْand you faultedعَلَيَّon meهَذَاthisالْقَوْلَsaying؛
And you faulted me for this saying;
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidمُعَاوِيَةُMuawiya:لَمْnotأَرَI sawتَبْذِيرًاwastefulnessقَطُّeverإِلَّاexceptوَandإِلَىatجَانِبِهِits sideحَقٌّa rightمُضَيَّعٌwasted.
And indeed Muawiya said: 'I have never seen wastefulness except that at its side there is a wasted right.'
وَقَالَand saidالْحَسَنُAl-Hasan:إِذَاwhenأَرَدْتُمْyou wishأَنْtoتَعْرِفُواknowمِنْfromأَيْنَwhereأَصَابَhe acquiredمَالَهُhis wealth،فَانْظُرُواso lookفِيatأَيِّwhatشَيْءٍthingيُنْفِقُهُhe spends it،فَإِنَّfor indeedالْخَبِيثَthe impureيُنْفِقُspendsفِيinالسَّرَفِextravagance.
And Al-Hasan said: 'If you wish to know from where he acquired his wealth, then look at what he spends it on, for indeed the impure spends in extravagance.'
وَقُلْتُand I saidلَكُمْto you،بِالشَّفَقَةِwith compassionمِنِّيfrom meعَلَيْكُمْon you،وَبِحُسْنِand with goodnessالنَّظَرِof viewلَكُمْfor you،وَبِحِفْظِكُمْand with your careلِآبَائِكُمْfor your fathers،وَلِمَاand for whatيُحِبُّhe lovesفِيinجِوَارِكُمْyour neighborhood،وَفِيand inمُمَالَحَتِكُمْyour friendship،وَمُلَابَسَتِكُمْand your mixing:
And I said to you, with compassion from me on you, and with good view for you, and with your care for your fathers, and for what one loves in your neighborhood, and in your friendship, and your mixing:
«أَنْتُمْ'You areفِيinدَارِa placeالْآفَاتِof calamities،وَالْجَوَائِحِ3and disastersغَيْرُnotمَأْمُونَةٍsecure؛فَإِنْfor ifأَحَاطَتْsurroundsبِمَالِwith wealthأَحَدِكُمْof one of youآفَةٌa calamity،لَمْnotيَرْجِعْreturnsإِلَىtoبَقِيَّةٍremaining؛فَأَحْرِزُواso secureالنِّعْمَةَblessingبِاخْتِلَافِby varyingالْأَمْكِنَةِplaces،فَإِنَّfor indeedالْبَلِيَّةَcalamityلَاnotتَجْرِيrunsفِيinالْجَمِيعِallإِلَّاexceptمَعَwithمَوْتِdeathالْجَمِيعِof all،
'You are in a place of calamities, and disasters are not secure; if a calamity surrounds the wealth of one of you, he does not return to what remains; so secure the blessing by varying the places, for indeed calamity does not run in all except with the death of all.'
وَقَالَand saidعُمَرُUmarرَضِيَmay be pleasedاللهُAllahعَنْهُwith him،فِيconcerningالْعَبْدِthe slaveوَالْأَمَةِand the slave woman،وَفِيand concerningمِلْكِownershipالشَّاةِsheepوَالْبَعِيرِand camel،وَفِيand concerningالشَّيْءِthe thingالْحَقِيرِcontemptibleالْيَسِيرِlittle:«فَرِّقُوا'Separateبَيْنَbetweenالْمَنَايَاdeaths».
And Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, concerning the slave and slave woman, and concerning ownership of sheep and camel, and concerning the contemptible little thing: 'Separate between deaths.'
وَقَالَand saidابْنُson ofسِيرِينَSireenلِبَعْضِto someالْبَحْرِيِّينَseafarers:«كَيْفَ'Howتَصْنَعُونَdo you doبِأَمْوَالِكُمْwith your wealth»؟?
And Ibn Sireen said to some of the seafarers: 'How do you do with your wealth?'
قَالَhe said:«نُفَرِّقُهَا'We distribute itفِيinالسُّفُنِships،فَإِنْfor ifعَطِبَfounderedبَعْضٌsomeسَلِمَsurvivedبَعْضٌsome،وَلَوْلَاand were it notأَنَّthatالسَّلَامَةَsafetyأَكْثَرُmoreلَمَاnotحَمَلْنَاwe would carryخَزَائِنَنَاour treasuresفِيinالْبَحْرِthe sea».
He said: 'We distribute it in ships, for if some finders, some survives; and were it not that safety is more, we would not carry our treasures in the sea.'
Footnotes
- 1.حِبَاءُ الْمُلُوكِ: عَطَايَاهُمْ وَهَدَايَاهُمْ.
The gift of kings: their grants and gifts.
- 2.نَصَبُ الْبَدَنِ: تَعَبُهُ وَمَشَقَّتُهُ.
Fatigue of the body: its tiredness and hardship.
- 3.الْجَوَائِحُ: الْآفَاتُ الَّتِي تُهْلِكُ الْمَالَ كَالْحَرِيقِ وَالْغَرَقِ وَالنَّهْبِ.
Disasters: calamities that destroy wealth such as fire, drowning, and plunder.
- 4.الْخَرْقَاءُ: الَّتِي لَا تُحْسِنُ الْعَمَلَ.
The clumsy: one who does not do well the work.
- 5.الصَّنَاعُ: الْحَاذِقَةُ فِي عَمَلِهَا.
The skillful: the proficient in her work.