فِيInكِتَابِthe book«الْحَيَوَانِ»"Al-Hayawan"
In the book "Al-Hayawan",
وَعَالِمًاand a criticنَقْدِيًّاscholarفِيin«الْبَيَانِ"Al-Bayanوَالتَّبْيِينِ»wa-Al-Tabyin"
and a critical scholar in "Al-Bayan wa-Al-Tabyin",
وَهَاand hereهُوَhe isعَالِمٌa sociologistإِجْتِمَاعِيٌّand criticوَنَاقِدٌinفِيthe bookكِتَابِAl-Bukhalaالْبُخَلَاءِstudying
and here he is a sociologist and critic in the book Al-Bukhala, studying
يَدْرُسُthe conditionsأَحْوَالَof peopleالنَّاسِthroughمِنْtheir behaviorخِلَالِandسُلُوكِهِمْlivelihood,وَمَعَاشِهِمْhe analyzes
the conditions of people through their behavior and livelihood, analyzing
يُحَلِّلُthe situationsأَوْضَاعَof a classطَبَقَةٍof Abbasidمِنْsocietyالْمُجْتَمَعِaffectedالْعَبَّاسِيِّby newتَأَثَّرَتْemergencyبِعَوَامِلَfactors.طَارِئَةٍnewجَدِيدَةٍfactors
the situations of a class of Abbasid society affected by new emergency factors.
إِسْتَهَلَّHe beganكِتَابَهُhis bookبِرَدٍّwith a responseعَلَىto a friendصَدِيقٍwho askedطَلَبَhim toإِلَيْهِtell himأَنْabout stinginessيُحَدِّثَهُand itsعَنِrareالْبُخْلِanecdotes.وَنَوَادِرِهِAnd he
He began his book with a response to a friend who asked him to tell him about stinginess and its rare anecdotes.
وَقَدْprefacedصَدَّرَهُit withبِمُقَدِّمَةٍa longطَوِيلَةٍintroduction,حَاوَلَin whichفِيهَاhe triedأَنْto arouseيُثِيرَthe interestاهْتِمَامَof readersالْقُرَّاءِand makeوَأَنْthem feelيُشْعِرَهُمْa senseبِشَيْءٍof desireمِنَandالرَّغْبَةِsuspense.وَالتَّشْوِيقِAnd from
And he prefaced it with a long introduction, in which he tried to arouse the interest of readers and make them feel a sense of desire and suspense.
وَمِنَthe introductionالْمُقَدِّمَةِhe movedانْتَقَلَto establishingإِلَىthe epistleإِثْبَاتِof Sahlرِسَالَةِbin Harunسَهْلِwhichبْنِhe sentهَارُونَto someالَّتِيof his relativesبَعَثَwho accusedبِهَاhim ofإِلَىstinginess.بَعْضِAnd Al-Jahizأَقْرِبَائِهِalso
And from the introduction he moved to establishing the epistle of Sahl bin Harun which he sent to some of his relatives who accused him of stinginess.
الَّذِينَwhoاتَّهَمُوهُaccused himبِالْبُخْلِof stinginess.وَعَمَدَAnd Al-Jahizالْجَاحِظُalso proceededأَيْضًاto mentioningإِلَىthe anecdotesذِكْرِof misersنَوَادِرِand narratingالْبُخَلَاءِtheir stories,وَسَرْدِstartingقَصَصِهِمْwith the peopleبَادِئًاof Mervبِأَهْلِand the peopleمَرْوٍof Khorasan,وَأَهْلِstoppingخُرَاسَانَat the peopleمُتَوَقِّفًاof Basraعِنْدَfrom the mosque-goersأَهْلِthose whomالْبَصْرَةِhe callsمِنَ"the companionsالْمَسْجِدِيِّينَof gatheringمِمَّنْand withholding",يُسَمِّيهِمْmoving«أَصْحَابَto the misersالْجَمْعِamong hisوَالْمَنْعِ»companionsمُنْتَقِلًاand contemporariesإِلَىsuch asالْأَشَحَّاءِZubaida binمِنْHumaid,أَصْحَابِهِand Ahmadوَمُعَاصِرِيهِbin KhalafكَزُبَيْدَةَAl-Yazidi,بْنِand Khalidحُمَيْدٍbin Yazid,وَأَحْمَدَand AbuبْنِMuhammadخَلَفٍAl-Khuzami,الْيَزِيدِيِّand Al-Harithi,وَخَالِدِand Al-Kindi,بْنِand IbnيَزِيدَAbi Burda,وَأَبِيand Ismailمُحَمَّدٍbin Ghazwan,الْخُزَامِيِّand Musaوَالْحَارِثِيِّbin Imran,وَالْكِنْدِيِّand Al-Asma'i,وَابْنِand Al-Madaini,أَبِيand variousبُرْدَةَother anecdotes,وَإِسْمَاعِيلَthroughبْنِwhich heغَزْوَانَwas ableوَمُوسَىto give usبْنِtruthfulعِمْرَانَsamplesوَالْأَصْمَعِيِّof every trickوَالْمَدَائِنِيِّand everyوَطَرَائِفَanecdote inشَتَّىan entertainingاسْتَطَاعَstorytelling styleمِنْand withخِلَالِهِwonderfulأَنْartisticيُعْطِيَنَاbrilliance.عَيَّنَاتٍAnd afterصَادِقَةًmentioningعَنْtheir anecdotes,كُلِّAl-Jahizحِيلَةٍfindsوَكُلِّthat stinginessنَادِرَةٍamong themبِأُسْلُوبٍis artisticقَصَصِيٍّeconomy,طَرِيفٍand they haveوَبَرَاعَةٍviews onفَنِّيَّةٍthat whichرَائِعَةٍrarely occursوَبَعْدَto the mindذِكْرِof any human.نَوَادِرِهِAnd theيَجِدُmisers haveالْجَاحِظُmany sayingsأَنَّaccordingالْبُخْلَto Al-Jahizعِنْدَهُمْabout puttingاقْتِصَادٌeverythingفَنِّيٌّin its properوَلَهُمْplace,فِيin showingذَلِكَthe benefitsآرَاءٌand harmsقَلَّمَاof foods;تَخْطُرُso dateبِبَالِpits thickenإِنْسَانٍfat in the belly,وَلِلْبُخَلَاءِand beanعِنْدَpeels containالْجَاحِظِnourishmentأَقْوَالٌ"The beanكَثِيرَةٌsays:فِيWhoeverوَضْعِeats meكُلِّwith my peelsشَيْءٍhas eaten me,مَوْضِعَهُand whoeverفِيeats meإِظْهَارِwithoutمَنَافِعِpeels, I amالْمَأْكُولَاتِthe oneوَأَضْرَارِهَاwho eats him".فَنَوَىAnd asالثَّمَرِfor the purposeيَعْقِدُof thisالشَّحْمَbook, weفِيfind thatالْبَطْنِa groupوَقُشُورُof scholarsالْبَاقِلَّاءِwent toتَحْتَوِيthe viewالْغِذَاءَthat Al-Jahiz«إِنَّintendedالْبَاقِلَّاءَby it toيَقُولُrecreateمَنْthe soulأَكَلَنِيand makeبِقُشُورِيthe readerفَقَدْlaugh.أَكَلَنِيHoweverوَمَنْthat mayأَكَلَنِيbe, AbuبِغَيْرِUthmanقُشُورٍwas notفَأَنَاsatisfyingالَّذِيhimselfآكُلُهُ»that this
who eats him". And as for the purpose of this book, we find that a group of scholars went to the view that Al-Jahiz intended by it to recreate the soul and make the reader laugh. However that may be, Abu Uthman was not satisfying himself that this
وَأَمَّاbook ofغَايَةُhis wasالْكِتَابِcomposedهَذَاfor the sakeفَإِنَّنَاof jestنَجِدُand amusement,أَنَّratherفَرِيقًاhe alsoمِنَhad a nobleالدُّرَاسِينَpurpose inذَهَبَit; whichإِلَىis portrayingأَنَّa specificالْجَاحِظَclass thatأَرَادَappearedمِنْهُin Abbasidالتَّرْوِيحَsociety,عَنِwhich wantedالنَّفْسِto followوَإِضْحَاكَa new pathالْقَارِئِof habitsوَلَكِنَّand moralsمَهْمَاthat the Arabيَكُنْhad notمِنْbeen familiarأَمْرٍwith previously.فَإِنَّAnd thatأَبَاforeignعُثْمَانَinfluencesلَمْcreatedيَكُنْwide gapsيُقْنِعُinنَفْسَهُtheبِأَنَّtextمُؤَلِّفَهُcontinuedهَذَاhere.قَدْbookوُضِعَofمِنْhisأَجْلِwasالْهَزْلِproducedوَالتَّسْلِيَةِfor the purposeإِنَّمَاof jestلَهُand entertainmentفِيهِratherأَيْضًاhe hadغَايَةٌa nobleجَلِيلَةٌpurposeوَهِيَin itتَصْوِيرُas wellطَبَقَةٍwhichمُحَدَّدَةٍis depictingظَهَرَتْa specificفِيclass thatالْمُجْتَمَعِappearedالْعَبَّاسِيِّin Abbasidأَرَادَتْsocietyأَنْthat wantedتَسْلُكَto treadطَرِيقًاa new pathجَدِيدَةًof habitsمِنَand moralsالْعَادَاتِwhichوَالْأَخْلَاقِthe Arabالَّتِيhad notلَمْknownيَأْلَفْهَاpreviouslyالْعَرَبِيُّand thatسَابِقًاintrudingوَإِنَّinfluencesمُؤَثِّرَاتٍcreatedدَخِيلَةًwide gapsأَحْدَثَتْinفَجَوَاتٍsocietyوَاسِعَةًand values.فِيin
book of his was composed for the sake of jest and amusement, rather he also had a noble purpose in it; which is portraying a specific class that appeared in Abbasid society, which wanted to follow a new path of habits and morals that the Arab had not been familiar with previously. And that foreign influences created wide gaps in society and values.