فَدَخَلَThen enteredعَلَيْهِupon himرَجُلٌa manكَانَwho wasلَهُto himجَارًاa neighbor،,وَكَانَand he wasلِيto meصَدِيقًاa friend،,
Then a man entered upon him who was a neighbor of his and a friend of mine.
فَلَمْand did notيَعْرِضْofferعَلَيْهِto himالطَّعَامَthe foodوَنَحْنُwhile weنَأْكُلُwere eating((وَكَانَand he wasأَبْخَلَthe most miserlyمِنْofخَلْقِcreationاللهِof Allah))،,
He did not offer food to him while we were eating, and he was the most miserly of Allah's creation.
قَالَHe said::«فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُSo I felt shyمِنْهُof him»،,
He said: 'So I felt shy of him.'
فَقُلْتُSo I said::«سُبْحَانَGlory be toاللهِAllah!!لَوْIf onlyدَنَوْتَyou came nearفَأَصَبْتَand ateمَعَنَاwith usمِمَّاof whatنَأْكُلُwe eat»..
So I said: 'Glory be to Allah! If only you came near and ate with us of what we are eating.'
قَالَHe said::«قَدْIndeedوَاللهِby AllahفَعَلْتُI did»..
He said: 'Indeed, by Allah, I did.'
فَقَالَThen saidالْكِنْدِيُّal-Kindi::«مَاWhatبَعْدَafterاللهِAllahشَيْءٌis anything»..
Then al-Kindi said: 'There is nothing after Allah.' (i.e., there is no deity other than Allah)
قَالَSaidعَمْرٌوAmr::«فَكَتَفَهُSo he bound him،,وَاللهِby Allahكَتَفًاa bindingلَاnotيَسْتَطِيعُhe canمَعَهُwith itقَبْضًاclosing (the hand)وَلَاnorبَسْطًاopening،,وَتَرَكَهُand he left him،,
Amr said: 'So he bound him, by Allah, a binding such that he could not close or open (his hand), and he left him.'
وَلَوْand ifمَدَّhe stretchedيَدَهُhis handلَكَانَhe would have beenكَافِرًاan infidel،,أَوْorلَكَانَhe would have beenقَدْindeedجَعَلَhe madeمَعَwithاللهِAllah،,جَلَّglorifiedذِكْرُهُis His mention،,شَيْئًاa thing»..
And if he had stretched out his hand, he would have become an infidel, or he would have associated with Allah, glorified be His mention, something (as partner).
وَلَيْسَAnd notهَذَاthisالْحَدِيثُtraditionلِأَهْلِfor the peopleمَرْوَof Marvوَلَكِنَّهُbut it isمِنْofشَكْلِthe typeالْحَدِيثِof the traditionالْأَوَّلِthe first..
And this tradition is not specific to the people of Marv, but it is of the same type as the first tradition.
وَقَالَAnd saidثُمَامَةُ1Thumama::«لَمْnotأَرَI sawالدِّيكَthe roosterفِيinبَلْدَةٍa townقَطُّeverإِلَّاexceptوَهُوَand he isلَاnotقِطْa word meaning 'pecking' (he pecks)،,يَأْخُذُhe takesالْحَبَّةَthe grainبِمِنْقَارِهِwith his beak،,ثُمَّthenيَلْفِظُهَاhe spits it outقُدَّامَin front ofالدَّجَاجَةِthe hen،,إِلَّاexceptدِيكَةَthe roostersمَرْوَof Marv،,
And Thumama said: 'I have never seen a rooster in any town but that it pecks, takes the grain with its beak, then spits it out in front of the hen, except the roosters of Marv.'
فَإِنِّيfor indeed Iرَأَيْتُsawدِيكَةَroostersمَرْوَof Marvتَسْلُبُthey snatch awayالدَّجَاجَthe hensمَاwhatفِيinمَنَاقِيرِهَاtheir beaksمِنْofالْحَبِّgrain»..
For I saw the roosters of Marv snatching away from the hens what was in their beaks of grain.'
قَالَHe said::«فَعَلِمْتُSo I knewإِنَّthatبُخْلَهُمْtheir miserlinessشَيْءٌis somethingفِيinطَبْعِthe natureالْبِلَادِof the lands،,وَفِيand inجَوَاهِرِthe essencesالْمَاءِof the water،,فَمِنْand fromثَمَّthenعَمَّit encompassedجَمِيعَallحَيَوَانِهِمْtheir animals»..
He said: 'So I knew that their miserliness is something in the nature of the lands and in the essence of the water, and therefore it encompasses all their living beings.'
فَحَدَّثْتُThen I narratedبِهَذَاthisالْحَدِيثِtraditionأَحْمَدَto AhmadبْنَibnرَشِيدٍRashid،,فَقَالَand he said::«كُنْتُI wasعِنْدَatشَيْخٍan old manمِنْfromأَهْلِpeopleمَرْوَof Marv،,وَصَبِيٍّand a boyلَهُhisصَغِيرٌyoungيَلْعَبُplayingبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis hands،,
Then I narrated this tradition to Ahmad ibn Rashid, and he said: 'I was with an old man from the people of Marv, and he had a young boy playing before him.'
فَقُلْتُSo I saidلَهُto him،,إِمَّاwhetherعَابِثًاjestingوَإِمَّاorمُمْتَحِنًاtesting::«أَطْعِمْنِيFeed meمِنْofخُبْزِكُمْyour bread»..
So I said to him, whether jesting or testing: 'Feed me some of your bread.'
قَالَHe said::«لَاDo notتُرِيدُهُwant it،,هُوَit isمُرٌّbitter»..
He said: 'Do not want it, it is bitter.'
فَقُلْتُSo I said::«فَاسْقِنِيThen give me to drinkمِنْofمَائِكُمْyour water»،,قَالَhe said::«لَاDo notتُرِيدُهُwant it،,هُوَit isمَالِحٌsalty»..
So I said: 'Then give me to drink of your water.' He said: 'Do not want it, it is salty.'
قُلْتُI said::«هَاتِGiveلِيmeمِنْofكَذَاsuch and suchوَكَذَاand such»،,قَالَhe said::«لَاDo notتُرِيدُهُwant it،,هُوَit isكَذَاsuch and suchوَكَذَاand such»..
I said: 'Give me some of such-and-such.' He said: 'Do not want it, it is such-and-such.'
إِلَىuntilأَنْthatعَدَدْتُI countedأَصْنَافًاkindsكَثِيرَةًmany،,كُلُّallذَلِكَthatيُمَنِّعُنِيهِhe withholds it from meوَيُبَغِّضُهُand makes it hatefulإِلَيَّto me..
Until I enumerated many kinds, all of which he withheld from me and made hateful to me.
فَضَحِكَThen laughedأَبُوهُhis fatherوَقَالَand said::«مَاWhatذَنْبُنَاis our fault؟?هَذَاthisمِنْfromعَلَّمَهُthe one who taught himمَاwhatتَسْمَعُyou hear»؟?
Then his father laughed and said: 'What is our fault? This is from the one who taught him what you hear?'
يَعْنِيmeaningأَنَّthatالْبُخْلَmiserlinessطَبْعٌis a natural dispositionفِيهِمْin them،,وَفِيand inإِعْرَاقِهِمْtheir roots،,وَطِينَتِهِمْand their clay (origin)..
Meaning that miserliness is a natural disposition in them, and in their roots and their clay (origin).
وَزَعَمَAnd claimedأَصْحَابُنَاour companionsأَنَّthatخُرَاسَانِيَّةًa Khurasanian womanتَرَافَقُواthey traveled togetherفِيinمَنْزِلٍa house،,وَصَبَرُواand they were patientعَنْabout......
And our companions claimed that a Khurasanian woman (?) traveled together in a house, and they refrained from...
Footnotes
- 1.ثُمَامَةُ: اِسْمُ عَلَمٍ لِرَجُلٍ، وَيُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثُمَامَةَ بْنَ أَشْرَسَ أَوْ غَيْرَهُ.
Thumama: a proper name of a man, possibly Thumama ibn Ashras or another.