قِصَّةُStory ofأَهْلِpeople ofالْبَصْرَةِBasraمِنَfromالْمَسْجِدِيِّينَthe mosque-goers
Story of the people of Basra from the mosque-goers.
قَالَsaidأَصْحَابُنَاour companionsمِنَfromالْمَسْجِدِيِّينَ1the mosque-goers
Our companions from the mosque-goers said:
اجْتَمَعَgatheredنَاسٌpeopleفِيinالْمَسْجِدِthe mosqueمِمَّنْamong those whoيَنْتَحِلُprofessesالِاقْتِصَادَfrugalityفِيinالنَّفَقَةِspendingوَالتَّثْمِيرَand multiplicationلِلْمَالِof wealthمِنْfromأَصْحَابِthe people ofالْجَمْعِcollectingوَالْمَنْعِ2and withholding
People gathered in the mosque, among those who profess frugality in spending and multiplication of wealth, from the people of collecting and withholding.
وَقَدْand indeedكَانَwasهَذَاthisالْمَذْهَبُthe doctrineعِنْدَهُمْwith themكَالنَّسَبِlike lineageالَّذِيwhichيَجْمَعُgathersعَلَىuponالتَّحَابِّmutual loveوَكَالْحِلْفِand like an allianceالَّذِيwhichيَجْمَعُgathersعَلَىuponالتَّنَاصُرِmutual support
And this doctrine among them was like a lineage that gathers for mutual love, and like an alliance that gathers for mutual support.
وَكَانُواand they wereإِذَاwhenالْتَقَوْاthey metفِيinحَلَقِهِمْtheir circlesتَذَاكَرُواthey discussedهَذَاthisالْبَابَtopicوَتَطَارَحُوهُand exchanged itوَتَدَارَسُوهُand studied itالْتِمَاسًاseekingلِلْفَائِدَةِbenefitوَاسْتِمْتَاعًاand enjoymentبِذِكْرِهِin mentioning it
And they, when they met in their circles, discussed this topic, exchanged it, and studied it, seeking benefit and enjoyment in mentioning it.
[الْحِمَارُThe donkeyوَالْمَاءُand the waterالْأُجَاجُ:]the bitter:
The donkey and the bitter water:
فَقَالَthen saidشَيْخٌan elderمِنْهُمْamong themمَاءُwater ofبِئْرِنَاour wellكَمَاasقَدْindeedعَلِمْتُمْyou knowمَالِحٌsaltyأُجَاجٌ3bitter
Then an elder among them said: The water of our well, as you know, is salty and bitter.
لَاnotيَقْرَبُهُapproach itالْحِمَارُthe donkeyوَلَاand notتُسِيغُهُswallow itالْإِبِلُ4the camels
The donkey does not approach it, and the camels cannot swallow it.
وَتَمُوتُand dieعَلَيْهِbecause of itالنَّخْلُthe palm treesوَالنَّهْرُand the riverمِنَّاfrom usبَعِيدٌfarوَفِيand inتَكَلُّفِthe burden
And the palm trees die from it, and the river is far from us, and in undertaking [the effort]...
Footnotes
- 1.هُمْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ كَانُوا يَلْزَمُونَ الْمَسْجِدَ وَيَجْتَمِعُونَ فِيهِ لِلْحَدِيثِ وَالتَّذَاكُرِ.
They are a people from Basra who used to frequent the mosque and gather there for conversation and discussion.
- 2.يَعْنِي الَّذِينَ يَجْمَعُونَ الْمَالَ وَيَمْنَعُونَهُ عَنِ النَّفَقَةِ فِي وُجُوهِهِ، وَهُمْ كَالْبُخَلَاءِ الْمُقْتَصِدِينَ.
Meaning those who accumulate wealth and withhold it from spending in its proper channels, and they are like miserly economizers.
- 3.الْأُجَاجُ هُوَ الْمَاءُ الشَّدِيدُ الْمُلُوحَةِ الَّذِي لَا يُسْتَطَاعُ شُرْبُهُ.
Al-ujaj is water that is extremely salty, which cannot be drunk.
- 4.يُقَالُ أَسَاغَ الشَّرَابَ إِذَا ابْتَلَعَهُ بِسُهُولَةٍ، فَالْإِبِلُ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ ابْتِلَاعَ هَذَا الْمَاءِ لِمُلُوحَتِهِ.
One says 'asagha ash-sharab' if he swallowed it easily; the camels cannot swallow this water due to its saltiness.