رَجُلٌa manسَرَّنَاpleased usبِكَلَامٍwith speech،,وَسَرَرْنَاهُand we pleased himبِكَلَامٍwith speech
A man pleased us with speech, and we pleased him with speech.
هُوَheحِينَwhenزَعَمَclaimedأَنِّيthat Iأَحْسَنُbetterمِنَthanالْقَمَرِthe moon،,وَأَشَدُّand strongerمِنَthanالْأَسَدِthe lion،,وَأَنَّand thatلِسَانِيmy tongueأَقْطَعُsharperمِنَthanالسَّيْفِthe sword،,وَأَنَّand thatأَمْرِيmy commandأَنْفَذُmore effectiveمِنَthanالسِّنَانِthe spearhead
He, when he claimed that I am better than the moon, stronger than the lion, that my tongue is sharper than the sword, and that my command is more effective than the spearhead...
هَلْDidجَعَلَhe putفِيinيَدِيmy handمِنْofهَذَاthisشَيْئًاanythingأَرْجِعُI returnبِهِwith itإِلَىtoبَيْتِيmy house؟?
Did he put in my hand anything of this that I could return to my house with?
أَلَسْنَاDo we notنَعْلَمُknowأَنَّهُthat heقَدْindeedكَذَبَlied؟?
Do we not know that he lied?
وَلَكِنَّهُBut heقَدْindeedسَرَّنَاpleased usحِينَwhenكَذَبَhe liedلَنَاto us،,فَنَحْنُso weأَيْضًاalsoنَسُرُّهُplease himبِالْقَوْلِwith speechوَنَأْمُرُand we orderلَهُfor himبِالْجَوَائِزِwith rewards،,وَإِنْeven ifكَانَit wasكَذِبًاa lie،,فَيَكُونُso it becomesكَذِبٌa lieبِكَذِبٍwith a lieوَقَوْلٌand speechبِقَوْلٍwith speech
But he indeed pleased us when he lied to us, so we also please him with speech and order rewards for him, even if it was a lie, so it becomes a lie with a lie and speech with speech.
فَأَمَّاBut as forأَنْthatيَكُونَit isكَذِبٌa lieبِصِدْقٍwith truthوَقَوْلٌand speechبِفِعْلٍwith action،,فَهَذَاthen thisهُوَisالْخُسْرَانُthe lossالْمُبِينُclearالَّذِيwhichسَمِعْتُI heardبِهِof»»
But as for it being a lie with truth and speech with action, then this is the clear loss that I heard of.
وَيُقَالُAnd it is said: : إِنَّthatهَذَاthisالْمَثَلَthe proverbالَّذِيwhichقَدْindeedجَرَىhas circulatedعَلَىonأَلْسِنَةِthe tonguesالْعَوَامِّof the common peopleمِنْofقَوْلِهِمْtheir saying::
And it is said that this proverb which has circulated on the tongues of the common people from their saying:
««يَنْظُرُhe looksإِلَيَّat meشَزْرًاwith aversionكَأَنِّيas if Iأَكَلْتُhad eatenاِثْنَيْنِtwo،,وَأَطْعَمْتُهُand fed himوَاحِدًاone»»
He looks at me with aversion as if I had eaten two and fed him one.
إِنَّمَاonlyهُوَit isلِأَهْلِfor the peopleمَرْوَof Marv
It is only for the people of Marv.
قَالَHe said::وَقَالَand saidالْمَرْوَزِيُّal-Marwazi::لَوْلَاwere it notإِنَّنِيthat Iأَبْنِيbuildمَدِينَةًa cityلَبَيَّنْتُI would have builtآرِيًّاa stableلِدَابَّتِيfor my beast
He said: And al-Marwazi said: Were it not that I am building a city, I would have built a stable for my beast.
قَالَHe said::وَقُلْتُand I saidلِأَحْمَدَto AhmadبْنِibnهِشَامٍHisham««١1»»،,وَهُوَwhile heيَبْنِيwas buildingدَارَهُhis houseبِبَغْدَادَin Baghdad::
He said: And I said to Ahmad ibn Hisham, while he was building his house in Baghdad:
««إِذَاwhenأَرَادَwantsاللهُAllahذَهَابَthe goingمَالِof wealthرَجُلٍof a manسَلَّطَHe empowersعَلَيْهِagainst himالطِّينَthe clayوَالْمَاءَand the water»»
When Allah wants the going of a man's wealth, He empowers against him the clay and the water.
قَالَHe said::««وَمَاand whatيَصْنَعُdoes he doبِذِكْرِwith the mentionالطِّينِof clayوَالْمَاءِand water؟?إِنَّمَاonlyإِذَاwhenأَرَادَwantsاللهُAllahذَهَابَthe goingمَالِof wealthرَجُلٍof a manجَعَلَهُHe makes himيَرْجُوhope forالْخَلَفَthe replacement««٢2»»
He said: What does he do with the mention of clay and water? Only when Allah wants the going of a man's wealth, He makes him hope for the replacement.
لَاNo،,وَاللهِby Allah،,أَنْthatأَهْلَكَHe destroysالنَّاسَthe people،,وَلَاnorأَقْفَرَHe made emptyبُيُوتَهُمْtheir houses،,وَلَاnorتَرَكَHe leftدُورَهُمْtheir homesبَلَاقِعَwaste««٣3»»
No, by Allah, that He destroys the people, nor makes their houses empty, nor leaves their homes waste...
إِلَّاexceptالْإِيمَانَthe beliefبِالْخَلَفِin the replacement،,وَمَاand notرَأَيْتُI have seenجُنَّةًa protection««٤4»»قَطُّeverأَوْقَىmore protectiveمِنَthanالْيَأْسِdespair»»
Except the belief in the replacement, and I have never seen a protection more protective than despair.
Footnotes
- 1.أَحْمَدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ: رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَعْيَانِ بَغْدَادَ، وَيُقَالُ إِنَّهُ أَخُو الْخَلِيفَةِ الْمَهْدِيِّ مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ.
Ahmad ibn Hisham: a notable man from Baghdad, and it is said he was the foster brother of Caliph al-Mahdi.
- 2.يَرْجُو الْخَلَفَ: يَأْمَلُ أَنْ يُعَوِّضَهُ اللهُ عَمَّا أَنْفَقَ.
Hope for the replacement: he hopes that Allah will compensate him for what he spent.
- 3.بَلَاقِعُ: جَمْعُ بَلْقَعٍ، وَهُوَ الْمَكَانُ الْخَالِي لَا شَيْءَ فِيهِ.
Balāqi‘: plural of balqa‘, meaning an empty place with nothing in it.
- 4.جُنَّةٌ: وِقَايَةٌ وَسِتْرٌ وَحِرْزٌ.
Junnah: a protection, a covering, and a safeguard.