عَلَىonسَائِرِthe rest ofالنَّاسِpeople،,وَفَضْلِand the superiority ofأَهْلِpeople ofمَرْوَMervعَلَىoverسَائِرِthe rest ofأَهْلِpeople ofخُرَاسَانَKhurasan»"..
over all people, and the superiority of the people of Merv over all the people of Khurasan.
قَالَsaidمُثَنَّىMuthannaبْنُibnبَشِيرٍ1Bashir::
Muthanna ibn Bashir said:
دَخَلَenteredأَبُوAbuعَبْدِAbdاللهِAllahالْمَرْوَزِيُّal-Marwaziعَلَىuponشَيْخٍan old manمِنْfromأَهْلِpeople ofخُرَاسَانَKhurasan،,وَإِذَاand whenهُوَheقَدِalreadyاسْتَصْبَحَhad lit the lampفِيinمَسْرَجَةِa lampخَزَفٍof pottery،,مِنْofهَذِهِtheseالْخَزَفِيَّةِthe potteryالْخُضْرِgreen..
Abu Abdullah al-Marwazi came upon an old man from Khurasan, and lo, he had lit his lamp in a pottery lamp-holder, of these green pottery ones.
فَقَالَso saidلَهُto himالشَّيْخُthe old man::لَاnotيَجِيءُwill comeوَاللهِby Allahمِنْكَfrom you،,مِنْofصَالِحٍgoodأَبَدًاever..
The old man said to him: "By Allah, no good will ever come from you."
عَاتَبْتُكَI reproached youفِيaboutمَسَارِجِthe lampsالْحِجَارَةِof stone،,فَأَعْتَبْتَنِيso you have displeased meبِالْخَزَفِwith pottery..
I reproached you about stone lamps, and you have displeased me with pottery.
أَوَorمَاnotعَلِمْتَdid you knowأَنَّthatالْخَزَفَpotteryوَالْحِجَارَةَand stoneيَحْسُوَانِ2they sipالدُّهْنَthe oilحَسْوًاa sipping؟?
Or did you not know that pottery and stone sip the oil by sipping?
قَالَhe said::جُعِلْتُmay I be madeفِدَاكَa ransom for you!!دَفَعْتُهَاI gave itإِلَىtoحَرِيفٍ3a craftsmanلِيof mine،,دَهَّانٍan oil-seller،,فَأَلْقَاهَاso he threw itفِيinالْمُصْفَاةِthe strainerشَهْرًاfor a monthحَتَّىuntilرَوِيَتْit was saturated،,مِنَwithالدُّهْنِoil،,رَيًّاa saturationلَاnotتَحْتَاجُit needsمَعَهُwith itأَبَدًاeverإِلَىtoشَيْءٍanything..
He said: "May I be your ransom! I gave it to a craftsman of mine, an oil-seller, and he put it in the strainer for a month until it became saturated with oil, a saturation such that it never needs anything with it ever again."
قَالَhe said::لَيْسَnotهَذَاthisأُرِيدُI want؛;هَذَاthisدَوَاؤُهُits remedyيَسِيرٌeasy،,وَقَدْand alreadyوَقَعْتُI have hitعَلَيْهِupon it..
He said: "This is not what I want; this is easy to remedy, and I have already hit upon it.
وَلَكِنْbutمَاwhatعَلِمْتَdid you knowأَنَّthatمَوْضِعَthe placeالنَّارِof fireمِنَinالْمَسْرَجَةِthe lamp،,فِيatطَرَفِthe tipالْفَتِيلَةِof the wick،,لَاnotيَنْفَكُّis freeمِنْfromإِحْرَاقِburningالنَّارِof fire،,وَتَجْفِيفِهِand its drying،,وَنَشْفِand absorbingمَاwhatفِيهِis in it؛;
But did you not know that the place of fire in the lamp, at the tip of the wick, is never free from the burning of the fire, and its drying, and absorbing what is in it?
وَمَتَىand whenابْتَلَّit becomes wetبِالدُّهْنِwith oilوَتَسَقَّاهُand drinks it،,عَادَتْreturnedالنَّارُthe fireعَلَيْهِupon itفَأَكَلَتْهُand ate it؟?هَذَاthisدَأْبُهُمَاtheir habit..
And when it becomes wet with oil and drinks it, the fire returns upon it and eats it? This is their constant habit.
فَلَوْso ifقَسَمْتَyou dividedمَاwhatيَتَشَرَّبُis absorbedذَلِكَthatالْمَكَانُplace،,مِنَfromالدُّهْنِthe oil،,بِمَاby whatيَسْتَمِدُّهُit drawsطَرَفُthe tipالْفَتِيلَةِof the wickمِنْهُfrom it،,لَعَلِمْتَyou would knowأَنَّthatذَلِكَthatأَكْثَرُmore..
So if you divided what that place absorbs from the oil, by what the tip of the wick draws from it, you would know that that is more.
وَبَعْدَand afterهَذَاthis،,فَإِنَّthen indeedذَلِكَthatالْمَوْضِعَthe placeمِنَofالْفَتِيلَةِthe wickوَالْمَسْرَجَةِand the lamp،,لَاnotيَزَالُceasesسَائِلًاflowingجَارِيًاrunning؛;
And after this, that place of the wick and the lamp is continually flowing and running.
وَيُقَالُand it is saidإِنَّكَthat youمَتَىwhenوَضَعْتَyou placeمَسْرَجَةًa lamp،,فِيهَاin itمِصْبَاحٌa lamp،,وَأُخْرَىand anotherلَاnotمِصْبَاحَlampفِيهَاin it،,لَمْnotتَلْبَثْyou will stayإِلَّاexceptلَيْلَةًa nightأَوْorلَيْلَتَيْنِtwo nightsحَتَّىuntilتَرَىyou seeالسُّفْلَىthe lowerمَلْآنَةًfullدَهْنًاof oil..
And it is said that if you place a lamp in which there is a flame, and another in which there is no flame, you will not stay but a night or two until you see the lower one full of oil.
وَاعْتَبِرْand considerأَيْضًاalsoذَلِكَthatبِالْمِلْحِby the saltالَّذِيwhichيُوضَعُis placedتَحْتَunderالْمَسْرَجَةِthe lamp،,وَالنُّخَالَةِand the branالَّتِيwhichتُوضَعُis placedهُنَاكَthereلِتَسْوِيَتِهَاto level itوَتَصْوِيبِهَاand make it upright،,كَيْفَhowتَجِدُهُمَاyou find themيَنْعَصِرَانِthey are squeezedدَهْنًاas oil..
And consider also that by the salt which is placed under the lamp, and the bran which is placed there to level it and make it upright, how you find them squeezed out as oil.
وَهَذَاand thisكُلُّهُall of itخُسْرَانٌlossوَغَبْنٌand fraud،,لَاnotيَتَهَاوَنُtreats lightlyبِهِwith itإِلَّاexceptأَصْحَابُthe people ofالْفَسَادِcorruption..
And this all is loss and fraud, which none treat lightly except the people of corruption.
عَلَىalthoughأَنَّthatالْمُفْسِدِينَthe corruptersإِنَّمَاonlyيُطْعِمُونَthey feedالنَّاسَpeople،,وَيَسْقُونَand give drinkنَاسًاpeople،,وَهُمْwhile theyعَلَىin a stateحَالٍconditionيَسْتَخْلِفُونَ4they leave behindشَيْئًاsomething،,وَإِنْeven ifكَانَit isدُونًاinferior..
Although the corrupters only feed people and give drink to people, while they are in a state where they leave something behind, even if it is inferior.
وَأَنْتَand youإِنَّمَاonlyتُطْعِمُyou feedالنَّارَthe fire،,وَتَسْقِيand give drinkالنَّارَthe fire،,وَمَنْand whoeverأَطْعَمَfeedsالنَّارَthe fire،,جَعَلَهُmakes himاللهُAllahيَوْمَon the Dayالْقِيَامَةِof Judgmentطَعَامًاfoodلِلنَّارِfor the fire..
And you only feed the fire and give drink to the fire, and whoever feeds the fire, Allah will make him on the Day of Judgment food for the fire.
قَالَsaidالشَّيْخُthe old man::فَكَيْفَso howأَصْنَعُshall I doجُعِلْتُmay I be madeفِدَاكَyour ransom؟?قَالَhe said::
The old man said: "So what shall I do, may I be your ransom?" He said:
Footnotes
- 1.مُثَنَّى بْنُ بَشِيرٍ: هُوَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ، مُحَدِّثٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ مَرْوَ.
Muthanna ibn Bashir: he is Abu Sa'id, a hadith narrator from Merv.
- 2.يَحْسُوَانِ: يَبْتَلِعَانِ الدُّهْنَ وَيَمُصَّانِهِ.
They sip: they swallow the oil and absorb it.
- 3.حَرِيفٍ: صَدِيقٍ أَوْ شَرِيكٍ فِي الصَّنْعَةِ.
Craftsman: a friend or partner in trade.
- 4.يَسْتَخْلِفُونَ: يُبْقُونَ خَلَفًا.
They leave behind: they leave a successor or something remaining.