فِيinالْبَدْوِthe desert،,وَأَسْقَطَand droppedالدُّفَّthe frameالْمُرَبَّعَsquareمِنْfromبَيْنِamongالدُّفَافِthe sides،,وَمَاand notكَانَwasالنِّقَابُthe veilإِلَّاbutهِدَامًاa destruction،,حَتَّىuntilنَشَأْتُI grew up،,وَمَاand notكَانَwasالِاسْتِقْفَاءُthe pursuit of wealthإِلَّاbutاسْتِلَابًا1a plunderingحَتَّىuntilبَلَغْتُI reached..
In the desert, I dropped the square frame from among the sides, and the veil was nothing but destruction, until I grew up, and the pursuit of wealth was nothing but plundering, until I reached maturity.
وَأَنْتَand youغُلَامٌa boy،,لِسَانُكَyour tongueفَوْقَaboveعَقْلِكَyour mind،,وَذَكَاؤُكَand your intelligenceفَوْقَaboveحَزْمِكَyour prudence،,لَمْnotتَعْجُمْكَhas tested youالضَّرَّاءُadversity،,وَلَمْand notتَزَلْyou have continuedفِيinالسَّرَّاءِprosperityوَالْمَالُand wealthوَاسِعٌabundant،,وَذَرْعُكَand your capacityضَيِّقٌnarrow..
And while you were a boy, your tongue was above your mind, and your intelligence above your prudence; adversity had not tested you, and you have continued in prosperity, with abundant wealth and narrow capacity.
وَلَيْسَand notشَيْءٌanythingأَخْوَفَmore frighteningعَلَيْكَfor youعِنْدِيin my viewمِنْthanحُسْنِgoodالظَّنِّopinionبِالنَّاسِof people،,فَاتَّهِمْso suspectشِمَالَكَyour leftعَلَىagainstيَمِينِكَyour right،,وَسَمْعَكَand your hearingعَلَىagainstبَصَرِكَyour sight،,وَخَفْand fearعِبَادَservantsاللهِof Allahعَلَىaccording toحَسَبِthe measureمَاwhatتَرْجُوyou hopeاللهَfrom Allah..
And nothing is more frightening for you in my view than having a good opinion of people; so suspect your left against your right, and your hearing against your sight, and fear Allah's servants according to what you hope from Allah.
فَأَوَّلُand the firstمَاthing thatأَوْقَعَmade fallفِيinرُوعِيmy mindأَنَّthatمَالِيmy wealthمَحْفُوظٌpreservedعَلَيَّfor me،,وَأَنَّand thatالنَّمَاءَgrowthلَازِمٌinevitableلِيfor me،,وَأَنَّand thatاللهَAllahسَيَحْفَظُwill protectعُقْبِيmy offspringمِنْfromبَعْدِيafter me،,أَنِّيthat Iلَمَّاwhenغَلَبَتْنِيovercame meيَوْمًاone dayشَهْوَتِيmy desire،,وَأَخْرَجْتُand I took outيَوْمًاone dayدِرْهَمًاa dirhamلِقَضَاءِto fulfillوَطَرِي2my need،,وَوَقَعَتْand fellعَيْنِيmy eyeعَلَىonسِكَّتِهِits inscription،,وَعَلَىand onاسْمِthe nameاللهِof Allahالْمَكْتُوبِwrittenعَلَيْهِon it،,قُلْتُI saidفِيinنَفْسِيmyself::إِنِّيindeed Iإِذًاthenلَمِنَamongالْخَاسِرِينَthe losersالضَّالِّينَthe misguided،,لَئِنْifأَنَاIخَرَجَwent outمِنْfromيَدِيmy hand،,وَمِنْand fromبَيْتِيmy houseشَيْءٌsomethingعَلَيْهِon it::«"لَاnoإِلَهَgodإِلَّاbutاللهُAllah»"،,وَأَخَذْتُand I tookبَدَلَهُits substituteشَيْئًاsomethingلَيْسَnotعَلَيْهِon itشَيْءٌanything..
And the first thing that planted in my mind that my wealth was preserved for me, and that growth was inevitable for me, and that Allah would protect my offspring after me, was that when one day my desire overcame me, and I took out a dirham to fulfill my need, and my eye fell on its inscription and on the name of Allah written on it, I said to myself: 'Indeed, I would then be among the losers and the misguided, if I let go from my hand and from my house something on which is written: 'There is no god but Allah,' and I took in its place something on which there is nothing.'
وَاللهِby Allahإِنَّindeedالْمُؤْمِنَthe believerلَيَنْزِعُremovesخَاتَمَهُhis ringلِلْأَمْرِfor the matterيُرِيدُهُhe wants،,وَعَلَيْهِand on it::«"حَسْبِيsufficient for meاللهُis Allah»"أَوْor::«"تَوَكَّلْتُI relyعَلَىonاللهِAllah»"،,فَيَظُنُّand he thinksأَنَّهُthat heقَدْindeedخَرَجَhas come outمِنْfromكَنَفِthe protectionاللهِof Allah،,جَلَّglorifiedذِكْرُهُbe His mention،,حَتَّىuntilيَرُدَّhe returnsالْخَاتَمَthe ringفِيinمَوْضِعِهِits place..
By Allah, the believer removes his ring for a matter he wants, even though on it is written 'Allah is sufficient for me' or 'I rely on Allah,' and he thinks that he has come out of Allah's protection, glorified be His mention, until he returns the ring to its place.
وَإِنَّمَاand onlyهُوَit isخَاتَمٌa ringوَاحِدٌone،,وَأَنَاand Iأُرِيدُwantأَنْtoأُخْرِجَtake outفِيinكُلِّeveryيَوْمٍdayدِرْهَمًاa dirhamعَلَيْهِon itالْإِسْلَامُthe shahadaكَمَاasهُوَit is؟?إِنَّindeedهَذَاthisلَعَظِيمٌis great»"..
And it is only one ring, and I want to take out every day a dirham on which is the declaration of faith as it is? Indeed, this is great.'
وَمَاتَand diedمِنْfromسَاعَتِهِhis hour،,وَكَفَّنَهُand shrouded himابْنُهُhis sonبِبَعْضِwith some ofخُلْقَانِهِhis old clothes،,وَغَسَّلَهُand washed himبِمَاءِwith the waterالْبِئْرِof the well..
And he died on the spot, and his son shrouded him in some of his old clothes, and washed him with the water of the well.
وَدَفَنَهُand buried himمِنْwithoutغَيْرِnotأَنْthatيُضَرِّحَhe makes a raised graveلَهُfor him،,أَوْorيُلْحِدَmake a side nicheلَهُ3for him،,وَرَجَعَand returned..
And he buried him without making a raised grave for him or a side niche, and returned.
فَلَمَّاand whenصَارَhe arrivedفِيinالْمَنْزِلِthe houseنَظَرَhe lookedإِلَىatجَرَّةٍa jarخَضْرَاءَgreenمُعَلَّقَةٍhanging..قَالَhe said::أَيُّwhatشَيْءٍthingفِيinهَذِهِthisالْجَرَّةِjar؟?قَالُواthey said::لَيْسَnotالْيَوْمَtodayفِيهَاin itشَيْءٌanything..قَالَhe said::فَأَيُّthen whatشَيْءٍthingكَانَwasفِيهَاin itقَبْلُbefore،,؟?
And when he arrived at the house, he looked at a green hanging jar. He said, 'What is in this jar?' They said, 'There is nothing in it today.' He said, 'Then what was in it before?'
Footnotes
- 1.يُشِيرُ إِلَى أَنَّ الِاسْتِقْفَاءَ كَانَ اسْتِلَابًا لِأَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ.
It indicates that the pursuit of wealth was a plundering of people's wealth unjustly.
- 2.الْوَطَرُ: الْحَاجَةُ.
Al-watar means need.
- 3.الضَّرِيحُ: الْقَبْرُ الَّذِي لَا يُلْحَدُ لَهُ، وَاللَّحْدُ: الشَّقُّ فِي جَانِبِ الْقَبْرِ.
Ad-darīh is a grave that is not made with a side niche, and al-lahd is the slit in the side of the grave.