تَكُونُto beفِيinالدَّارِthe house،,إِنِifاحْتِيجَneededإِلَيْهَاto itاسْتُعْمِلَتْused،,وَإِنِand ifاسْتُغْنِيَdispensedعَنْهَاfrom itكَانَتْit wasعُدَّةًa provision»،.”
It is kept in the house; if needed, it is used, and if dispensed with, it is a provision.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالْحُضَيْنُAl-Hudaynبْنُson ofالْمُنْذِرِ1Al-Mundhir::«وَدِدْتُ“I wishأَنَّthatلِيfor meمِثْلَlikeأُحُدٍUhudذَهَبًاgoldلَاnotأَنْتَفِعُI benefitمِنْهُfrom itبِشَيْءٍwith anything»”..
And indeed Al-Hudayn ibn al-Mundhir said: “I wish I had gold like Uhud from which I would not benefit at all.”
قِيلَIt was said::«فَمَا“What thenيَنْفَعُكَbenefits youمِنْofذَلِكَthat»”؟?
It was said: “Then what benefits you from that?”
قَالَHe said::«لِكَثْرَةِ“For the manyمَنْwhoيَخْدِمُنِيserve meعَلَيْهِupon it»”..
He said: “Because of the many who would serve me upon it.”
وَقَالَAnd he saidأَيْضًاalso::«عَلَيْكَ“Upon youبِطَلَبِto seekالْغِنَىwealth،,فَلَوْfor ifلَمْnotيَكُنْthere wasلَكَfor youفِيهِin itإِلَّاexceptأَنَّهُthat itعِزٌّhonorفِيinقَلْبِكَyour heart،,وَشُبْهَةٌand doubtفِيinقَلْبِheartغَيْرِكَof another،,لَكَانَit would have beenالْحَظُّthe fortuneفِيهِin itجَسِيمًاimmense،,وَالنَّفْعُand the benefitفِيهِin itعَظِيمًاgreat»”..
And he also said: “You must seek wealth, for if you had nothing in it except that it brings honor to your heart and doubt in the heart of another, the fortune in it would be immense and the benefit great.”
وَلَسْنَاAnd we are notنَدَعُleavingسِيرَةَthe conductالْأَنْبِيَاءِof the prophets،,وَتَعْلِيمَand the teachingالْخُلَفَاءِof the caliphs،,وَتَأْدِيبَand the disciplineالْحُكَمَاءِof the wise،,لِأَصْحَابِfor the followersالْأَهْوَاءِof whims..
And we do not forgo the conduct of the prophets, the teaching of the caliphs, and the discipline of the wise for the followers of whims.
كَانَWasرَسُولُMessengerاللهِof Allahصَلَّىmay He blessاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peaceيَأْمُرُcommandingالْأَغْنِيَاءَthe richبِاتِّخَاذِto keepالْغَنَمِsheep،,وَالْفُقَرَاءَand the poorبِاتِّخَاذِto keepالدَّجَاجِchickens..
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to command the rich to keep sheep and the poor to keep chickens.
وَقَالُواAnd they said::«دِرْهَمُكَ“Your dirhamلِمَعَاشِكَfor your livelihood،,وَدِينُكَand your religionلِمَعَادِكَfor your hereafter»”..
And they said: “Your dirham is for your livelihood, and your religion is for your hereafter.”
فَقَسَّمُواSo they dividedالْأُمُورَthe mattersكُلَّهَاall of themعَلَىintoالدِّينِreligionوَالدُّنْيَاand world،,ثُمَّthenجَعَلُواthey madeأَحَدَoneقِسْمَيِof the two divisionsالْجَمِيعِof the whole،,الدِّرْهَمَthe dirham..
So they divided all matters into religion and world, then they made one of the two divisions of everything the dirham.
وَقَالَAnd saidأَبُوAbuبَكْرٍBakrالصِّدِّيقُal-Siddiqرَحْمَةُmercyاللهِof Allahعَلَيْهِupon himوَرِضْوَانُهُand His pleasure::«إِنِّي“Indeed Iلَأُبْغِضُdo hateأَهْلَthe peopleالْبَيْتِof the houseيُنْفِقُونَwho spendرِزْقَthe provisionالْأَيَّامِof the daysفِيinالْيَوْمِthe day»”،,وَكَانُواand they wereيُبْغِضُونَhatingأَهْلَthe peopleالْبَيْتِof the houseاللَّحْمِيِّينَ2the meat-eating..
And Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah have mercy upon him and be pleased with him, said: “Indeed I hate the people of the house who spend the provision of the days in one day.” And they used to hate the meat-eating people of the house.
وَكَانَAnd wasهِشَامٌHishamيَقُولُsaying::«ضَعِ“Placeالدِّرْهَمَthe dirhamعَلَىuponالدِّرْهَمِthe dirham،,يَكُونُit becomesمَالًاwealth..وَنَهَىAnd forbadeأَبُوAbuالْأَسْوَدِal-Aswadالدُّؤَلِيُّ3al-Du'ali،,وَكَانَand wasحَكِيمًاwiseأَدِيبًاliterary،,وَدَاهِيًاand shrewdأَرِيبًاintelligent،,عَنْagainstوُجُودِكُمْyour wealthهَذَاthisالْمُوَلَّدِnewly acquired،,وَعَنْand againstكَرَمِكُمْyour generosityهَذَاthisالْمُسْتَحْدَثِnewly initiated،,فَقَالَand he saidلِابْنِهِto his son::«إِذَا“WhenبَسَطَspreadsاللهُAllahلَكَfor youفِيinالرِّزْقِprovisionفَابْسُطْthen spread،,وَإِذَاand whenقَبَضَHe restrictsفَاقْبِضْ4then restrict،,وَلَاand do notتُجَاوِدْ5vie in generosityاللهَAllah،,فَإِنَّfor indeedاللهَAllahأَجْوَدُmore generousمِنْكَthan you»”..
And Hisham used to say: “Place dirham upon dirham, and it becomes wealth.” And Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali — who was wise, literary, shrewd, and intelligent — forbade this newly acquired wealth of yours and this newly initiated generosity of yours, saying to his son: “When Allah expands provision for you, expand; and when He restricts, restrict, and do not vie in generosity with Allah, for Allah is more generous than you.”
وَقَالَAnd he said::«دِرْهَمٌ“A dirhamمِنْfromحِلٍّlawfulيَخْرُجُspentفِيinحَقٍّright،,خَيْرٌbetterمِنْthanعَشَرَةِtenآلَافٍthousandsقَبْضًاwithheld»”..
And he said: “A dirham from lawful means spent in a rightful cause is better than ten thousand withheld.”
وَAndتَلَقَّطَhe picked upعَرْجَدًا6a piece of dry twigمِنْfromبَرَمٍa ropeفَقَالَand he said::«تُضَيِّعُونَ“You wasteمِثْلَlikeهَذَاthis،,وَهُوَand it isقُوتُthe foodامْرِئٍof a manمُسْلِمٍMuslimيَوْمًاa dayإِلَىuntilاللَّيْلِnight»”؟?
And he picked up a dry twig from a rope and said: “Do you waste like this, when it is the food of a Muslim man for a day until night?”
وَAndتَلَقَّطَpicked upأَبُوAbuالدَّرْدَاءِal-Dardaحَبَّاتِgrainsحِنْطَةٍof wheat،,فَنَهَاهُso forbade himبَعْضُsomeالْمُسْرِفِينَof the wasteful،,فَقَالَso he said::«إِيْهًا“Enough،,ابْنَson ofالْعَبْسِيَّةِal-'Absiyyah،,إِنَّindeedفِقْهَthe understandingالْمَرْءِof a manرِفْقُهُis his gentlenessفِيinمَعِيشَتِهِhis livelihood»”..
And Abu al-Darda picked up grains of wheat, and some wasteful person forbade him, so he said: “Enough, O son of al-'Absiyyah! Indeed the understanding of a man is his gentleness in his livelihood.”
Footnotes
- 1.الْحُضَيْنُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ: أَحَدُ الْأَشْرَافِ وَلِيَ إِمَارَةَ الْبَصْرَةِ، وَكَانَ يُضْرَبُ بِالْمَثَلِ فِي الْحَزْمِ وَالْفِطْنَةِ.
Al-Hudayn ibn al-Mundhir: one of the nobles who governed Basra, and he was cited as an example in prudence and intelligence.
- 2.اللَّحْمِيِّينَ: أَيْ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ اللَّحْمَ كَثِيرًا، وَيُصْرَفُونَ فِي الْمَطْعَمِ وَأُلِّفُوا عَلَى الْإِسْرَافِ فِي الطَّعَامِ.
Al-Lahmiyyin: meaning those who eat meat a lot and are excessive in consumption, inclined to extravagance in food.
- 3.أَبُو الْأَسْوَدِ الدُّؤَلِيُّ: تَابِعِيٌّ جَلِيلٌ، وَهُوَ إِمَامُ النَّحْوِ فِي الْبَصْرَةِ، وَكَانَ كَرِيمًا حَكِيمًا.
Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali: a great follower of the companions, and he was the founder of Arabic grammar in Basra, known for his wisdom and generosity.
- 4.إِذَا بَسَطَ اللهُ لَكَ فِي الرِّزْقِ فَابْسُطْ، وَإِذَا قَبَضَ فَاقْبِضْ: يَعْنِي إِذَا أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ بِالرِّزْقِ فَتَوَسَّعْ فِي النَّفَقَةِ، وَإِذَا ضَيَّقَ عَلَيْكَ فَاقْتَصِدْ وَامْسِكْ.
If Allah expands your provision, then expand your spending; if He restricts it, then be frugal and withhold.
- 5.لَا تُجَاوِدِ اللهَ: لَا تُكَاثِرْهُ فِي الْجُودِ وَالْعَطَاءِ، وَلَا تَسْتَكْثِرْ عَطَاءَكَ عَلَى مَا أَعْطَاهُ اللهُ لَكَ.
Do not vie with Allah in generosity: do not compete with Him in giving, nor consider your giving greater than what Allah has given you.
- 6.الْعَرْجَدُ: الْغَلِيظُ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ، وَهُوَ شَجَرُ الرِّمْثِ أَوِ الْعَرْفَجِ، يُشَبَّهُ بِهِ لِلْيُبْسِ وَالصَّلَابَةِ.
Al-'Arjad: the thick part of a tree, referring to the rimth or arfaj tree, used as a simile for dryness and hardness.