تَتَخِذُYou takeقِنْدِيلًاa lantern؛;فَإِنَّfor indeedالزُّجَاجَglassأَحْفَظُmore protectiveمِنْthanغَيْرِهِother than it،,
You take a lantern; for glass is more protective than other materials.
وَالزُّجَاجُAnd glassلَاdoes notيَعْرِفُknowالرَّشْحَseepageوَلَاnorالنَّشَفَabsorption،,وَلَاand it does notيَقْبَلُacceptالْأَوْسَاخَthe dirtالَّتِيthatلَاdoes notتَزُولُgo awayإِلَّاexceptبِالدَّلْكِby rubbingالشَّدِيدِvigorous،,أَوْorبِإِحْرَاقِby burningالنَّارِfire؛;
Glass does not know seepage or absorption, nor does it accept dirt that does not go away except by vigorous rubbing or by burning with fire.
وَأَيُّهُمَاAnd whichever of the twoمَاwhatكَانَit may be،,فَإِنَّهُthen indeed itيُعِيدُreturnsالْمِسْرَجَةَthe lampإِلَىtoالْعَطَشِthe thirstالْأَوَّلِthe first..
And whichever of the two it is, it restores the lamp to its original thirst.
وَالزُّجَاجُAnd glassأَبْقَىmore lastingعَلَىonالْمَاءِwaterوَالتُّرَابِand earthمِنَthanالذَّهَبِgoldالْإِبْرِيزِ1the pure؛;
Glass is more lasting on water and earth than pure gold;
وَهُوَand itمَعَwithذَلِكَthatمَصْنُوعٌmanufactured،,وَالذَّهَبُwhile goldمَخْلُوقٌcreated؛;
and despite that it is manufactured, while gold is created;
فَإِنْfor ifفَضَّلَهُit excels itالذَّهَبُgoldبِالصَّلَابَةِin hardness،,فَضَّلَهُit excels itالزُّجَاجُglassبِالصَّفَاءِin clarity؛;
for if gold excels it in hardness, glass excels it in clarity;
وَالزُّجَاجُand glassمُجَلٍّreflector،,وَالذَّهَبُand goldسَتَّارٌcoverer..
glass reflects, while gold covers.
وَلِأَنَّAnd becauseالْفَتِيلَةَthe wickإِنَّمَاonlyتَكُونُisفِيinوَسَطِهِits middle،,فَلَاso notتَحْمَىbecome hotجَوَانِبُهُits sidesبِوَهَجِby the glowالْمِصْبَاحِof the lamp،,كَمَاasتَحْمَىthey become hotبِمَوْضِعِby the placeالنَّارِof fireمِنَofالْمِسْرَجَةِthe lamp..
Because the wick is only in its middle, its sides do not become hot by the glow of the lamp, as they become hot by the place of fire in the lamp.
وَإِذَاAnd whenوَقَعَfallsشُعَاعُthe rayالنَّارِof fireعَلَىonجَوْهَرِthe substanceالزُّجَاجِof glass،,صَارَbecomesالْمِصْبَاحُthe lampوَالْقِنْدِيلُand the lanternمِصْبَاحًاa single lampوَاحِدًاone،,وَرَدَّand returnsالضِّيَاءُthe lightكُلُّeachوَاحِدٍoneمِنْهُمَاof the twoعَلَىtoصَاحِبِهِits companion..
And when the ray of fire falls on the substance of glass, the lamp and the lantern become one lamp, and each one returns the light to its companion.
وَاعْتَبِرْAnd considerذَلِكَthatبِالشُّعَاعِby the rayالَّذِيthatيَسْقُطُfallsعَلَىonوَجْهِthe surfaceالْمِرْآةِof the mirror،,أَوْorعَلَىonوَجْهِthe surfaceالْمَاءِof water،,أَوْorعَلَىonالزُّجَاجَةِthe glass؛;
And consider that by the ray that falls on the surface of a mirror, or on the surface of water, or on a glass;
ثُمَّthenانْظُرْseeكَيْفَhowيَتَضَاعَفُmultipliesنُورُهُits light؛;وَإِنْand ifكَانَit isسُقُوطُهُits fallعَلَىonعَيْنِthe eyeإِنْسَانٍof a personأَعْشَاهُdazzles him،,وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsأَعْمَاهُblinds him..
then see how its light multiplies; and if it falls on a person's eye, it dazzles him, and perhaps blinds him.
وَقَالَAnd saidاللهُAllahجَلَّglorifiedذِكْرُهُbe His mention::اللَّهُAllahنُورُis the lightالسَّمَاوَاتِof the heavensوَالْأَرْضِand the earth،,مَثَلُthe exampleنُورِهِof His lightكَمِشْكَاةٍ2like a nicheفِيهَاin itمِصْبَاحٌa lamp،,الْمِصْبَاحُthe lampفِيinزُجَاجَةٍa glass،,الزُّجَاجَةُthe glassكَأَنَّهَاas if itكَوْكَبٌa starدُرِّيٌّpearlyيُوقَدُlitمِنْfromشَجَرَةٍa treeمُبَارَكَةٍblessedزَيْتُونَةٍan oliveلَاneitherشَرْقِيَّةٍeasternوَلَاnorغَرْبِيَّةٍwestern،,يَكَادُalmostزَيْتُهَاits oilيُضِيءُgives lightوَلَوْeven ifلَمْnotتَمْسَسْهُtouches itنَارٌfire،,نُورٌlightعَلَىuponنُورٍlight،,يَهْدِيguidesاللهُAllahلِنُورِهِto His lightمَنْwhomيَشَاءُHe wills..
And Allah, glorified be His mention, said: 'Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly star lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills.'
وَالزَّيْتُAnd the oilفِيinالزُّجَاجَةِthe glassنُورٌlightعَلَىuponنُورٍlight،,وَضَوْءٌand brightnessعَلَىuponضَوْءٍbrightnessمُضَاعَفٍmultiplied..
And the oil in the glass is light upon light, and brightness upon multiplied brightness.
هَذَاthisمَعَwithفَضْلِthe superiorityحُسْنِof the beautyالْقِنْدِيلِof the lanternعَلَىoverحُسْنِthe beautyمَسَارِجِof the lampsالْحِجَارَةِof stoneوَالْخَزَفِand clay..
This is in addition to the superiority of the beauty of the lantern over the beauty of the lamps of stone and clay.
وَأَبُوAnd AbuعَبْدِAbdاللهِAllahهَذَاthisكَانَwasمِنْamongأَطْيَبِthe most pleasantالْخَلْقِpeople،,وَأَمْلَحِهِمْand the most amusingبُخْلًاin miserliness،,وَأَشَدِّهِمْand the most severeرِيَاءًin showing off،,
And this Abu Abdullah was among the most pleasant people, the most amusing in miserliness, and the most severe in showing off.
أُدْخِلَHe was brought inعَلَىtoذِيthe one withالْيَمِينَيْنِtwo right hands،,طَاهِرِTahirبْنِson ofالْحُسَيْنِal-Husain،,وَقَدْand indeedكَانَhe wasيَعْرِفُهُknowing himبِخُرَاسَانَin Khurasanبِسَبَبِbecause ofالْكَلَامِspeech،,
He was brought in to the one with two right hands, Tahir ibn al-Husain, who had known him in Khurasan because of his speech.
فَقَالَand he saidلَهُto him::مُنْذُsinceكَمْhow longأَنْتَare youمُقِيمٌresidentبِالْعِرَاقِin Iraq،,يَاOأَبَاAbuعَبْدِAbdاللهِAllah؟?
He said to him: 'How long have you been residing in Iraq, O Abu Abdullah?'
فَقَالَand he said::أَنَاIبِالْعِرَاقِin Iraqمُنْذُsinceعِشْرِينَtwentyسَنَةًyears،,وَأَنَاand Iأَصُومُfastالدَّهْرَalwaysمُنْذُsinceأَرْبَعِينَfortyسَنَةًyears..
He said: 'I have been in Iraq for twenty years, and I have been fasting perpetually for forty years.'
قَالَhe said::فَضَحِكَthen laughedطَاهِرٌTahir،,وَقَالَand said::سَأَلْنَاكَwe asked youيَاOأَبَاAbuعَبْدِAbdاللهِAllahعَنْabout
He said: 'Then Tahir laughed and said: 'We asked you, O Abu Abdullah, about...'