اِعْلَمُواKnowأَنِّيthat Iلَمْnotأَلْتَمِسْseekبِهَذِهِby theseالْأَحَادِيثِsayingsعَنْهُabout himإِلَّاexceptمُوَافَقَتَهُhis agreement
Know that I did not seek these sayings about him except his agreement and to seek his pleasure and love.
وَطَلَبَand to seekرِضَاهُhis pleasureوَمَحَبَّتَهُand his love
and to seek his pleasure and his love.
وَلَقَدْAnd indeedخِفْتُI fearedأَنْthatأَكُونَI might beعِنْدَwithكَثِيرٍmanyمِنَofالنَّاسِpeopleدَسِيسًاan undercover agentمِنْfromقِبَلِهِhis side
And indeed I feared that I might be considered by many people as a spy from him and one of his hidden agents.
وَكَمِينًاand a hidden agentمِنْofكَمَائِنِهِhis hidden agents
and one of his hidden agents.
وَذَلِكَThatأَنَّbecauseأَحَبَّthe most belovedالْأَصْحَابِof companionsإِلَيْهِto himأَبْلَغُهُمْthe most eloquent of themقَوْلًاstatementفِيinإِيْأَسِmaking despairالنَّاسِpeopleمِمَّاfrom whatقِبَلَهُwith him
That is because the most beloved companions to him are those most eloquent in making people despair of what he has, and the best in cutting off all causes of hope for his wealth.
وَأَجْوَدُهُمْand the best of themحَسْمًاcutting offلِأَسْبَابِfor causesالطَّمَعِhopeفِيinمَالِهِhis wealth
and the most thorough in cutting off all causes of hope for his wealth.
عَلَىuponأَنِّيthat Iأَحْسَنْتُdid wellبِجُهْدِيwith my effortفَسَيَجْعَلُfor he will makeشُكْرِيmy gratitudeمَوْقُوفًاstopped
Although I did my best, he will place my gratitude on hold.
فَإِنْfor ifجَاوَزَpasses beyondكِتَابِيmy bookهَذَاthisحُدُودَthe bordersالْعِرَاقِof Iraqشُكْرَthanksوَإِلَّاand if notأَمْسَكَhe withholds
If this book of mine passes beyond the borders of Iraq, he will thank me; otherwise, he will refrain (from thanking).
لِأَنَّBecauseشُهْرَتَهُhis fameبِالْقَبِيحِfor misernessعِنْدَamongنَفْسِهِhimselfفِيinهَذَاthisالْإِقْلِيمِregion
Because his reputation for miserliness among the people of this region has made him independent of any need to proclaim or publicize his doctrine.
وَقَدْand indeedأَغْنَاهُmade him independentعَنِofالتَّنْوِيهِthe proclaimingوَالتَّنْبِيهِand the alertingعَلَىtoمَذْهَبِهِhis doctrine
And indeed his reputation has made him independent of any need to proclaim or point out his path.
وَكَيْفَAnd howوَهُوَwhile heيَرَىseesأَنَّthatسَهْلَSahlبْنَibnهَارُونَHarunوَإِسْمَاعِيلَand IsmailبْنَibnغَزْوَانَGhazwanكَانَاwereمِنَofالْمُسْرِفِينَthe extravagant
And how (can it be otherwise) when he considers Sahl ibn Harun and Ismail ibn Ghazwan to be among the wasteful?
وَأَنَّand thatالثَّوْرِيَّal-Thawriوَالْكِنْدِيَّand al-Kindiيَسْتَوْجِبَانِdeserveالْحَجْرَthe legal restriction
and that al-Thawri and al-Kindi deserve to be legally restricted (from managing their property).
وَبَلَغَنِيAnd it reached meأَنَّهُthat heقَالَsaid
And it reached me that he said:
لَوْifلَمْnotتَعْرِفُواyou knowمِنْofكَرَامَةِthe honorالْمَلَائِكَةِof the angelsعَلَىuponاللهِGodإِلَّاexceptأَنَّهُthat Heلَمْnotيَبْتَلِهِمْ1He tested themبِالنَّفَقَةِwith spendingوَلَاnorبِقَوْلِwith the sayingالْعِيَالِof dependentsهَاتِgiveهَاتِgive
If you did not know the honor of the angels upon God except that He did not test them (1) with spending, nor with the saying of dependents: 'Give, give,' then you would know their state and their rank.
لَعَرَفْتُمْthen you would knowحَالَهُمْtheir stateوَمَنْزِلَتَهُمْand their rank
then you would know their state and rank.
[[أَجْهِزْFinish offعَلَىonالْجَرْحَىthe wounded:]:]
[Finish off the wounded:]
وَحَدَّثَنِيAnd told meصَاحِبٌa companionلِيof mineقَالَhe said
A companion of mine told me, saying:
دَخَلْتُI enteredعَلَىuponفُلَانِSo-and-soبْنِibnفُلَانٍSo-and-soوَإِذَاand beholdالْمَائِدَةُthe tableمَوْضُوعَةٌsetبَعْدُstillوَإِذَاand beholdالْقَوْمُthe peopleقَدْalreadyأَكَلُواhad eatenوَرَفَعُواand had raisedأَيْدِيَهُمْtheir hands
I entered upon So-and-so, and the table was still set while the people had already eaten and raised their hands.
فَمَدَدْتُSo I extendedيَدِيmy handلِآكُلَto eatفَقَالَand he saidأَجْهِزْFinish offعَلَىonالْجَرْحَىthe woundedوَلَاand do notتَعَرَّضْapproachلِلْأَصِحَّاءِthe healthy
So I extended my hand to eat, and he said: 'Finish off the wounded, and do not approach the healthy.'
يَقُولُHe meansأَعْرِضْaim forلِلدَّجَاجَةِthe chickenالَّتِيthatقَدْalreadyنِيلَwas takenمِنْهَاfrom itوَلِلْفَرْخِand the chickالْمَنْزُوعِthe removedالْفَخِذِthigh
He means: aim for the chicken that has already been eaten from, and the chick whose thigh has been removed.
فَأَمَّاbut as forالصَّحِيحُthe intactفَلَاso do notتَعَرَّضْapproachلَهُit
As for the intact one, do not approach it.
وَكَذَلِكَAnd similarlyالرَّغِيفُthe loafالَّذِيthatقَدْalreadyنِيلَwas takenمِنْهُfrom itوَأَصَابَهُand hit itبَعْضُsomeالْمَرَقِof the broth
And similarly the loaf that has been eaten from and some broth has touched it.
وَقَالَAnd saidلِيto meهَذَاthisالرَّجُلُman
And this man said to me:
أَكَلْنَاWe ateعِنْدَهُat his placeيَوْمًاone dayوَأَبُوهُand his fatherحَاضِرٌpresentوَبُنَيٌّand a little sonلَهُof hisيَجِيءُcomesوَيَذْهَبُand goes
We ate at his place one day while his father was present, and a small son of his was coming and going.
فَاخْتَلَفَAnd he moved back and forthمِرَارًاmany timesكُلُّallذَلِكَthatيَرَانَاseeing usنَأْكُلُeating
He moved back and forth many times, all the while seeing us eating.
فَقَالَSo saidالصَّبِيُّthe boy
So the boy said:
كَمْHow muchتَأْكُلُونَdo you eatلَاnotأَطْعَمَmay feedاللهُGodبُطُونَكُمْyour bellies
How much do you eat? May God not feed your bellies!
فَقَالَSo saidأَبُوهُhis fatherوَهُوَwhile heجَدُّis the grandfatherالصَّبِيِّof the boy
So his father said—while he was the boy's grandfather:
إِبْنِيMy sonوَرَبِّby the Lordالْكَعْبَةِof the Kaaba
My son, by the Lord of the Kaaba.
Footnotes
- 1.يَبْتَلِهِمْ بِالنَّفَقَةِ
test them with spending