الْكِتَابُThe book
The book
بِسْمِIn the name ofاللَّهِAllahالرَّحْمَانِthe Most Graciousالرَّحِيمِthe Most Merciful
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
وَصَلَّىAnd may Allah send blessingsاللَّهُAllahعَلَىuponسَيِّدِنَاour masterمُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
And may Allah send blessings upon our master Muhammad
وَعَلَىand uponآلِهِhis familyوَصَحْبِهِand his companionsوَسَلَّمَand grant them peace
and upon his family and companions and grant them peace
وَبِهِand in Himتَسْتَعِينُyou seek help
and in Him you seek help
أَنْبَأَInformed usالْفَقِيهُthe juristأَبُوAbuمُوسَىMusaعِيسَىIsaبْنُson ofأَبِيAbiعِيسَىIsaالْقَابِسِيُّal-Qabisi
The jurist Abu Musa Isa bin Abi Isa al-Qabisi informed us
قَالَsayingأَنْبَأَinformed usالْقَاضِيthe judgeأَبُوAbuالْقَاسِمِal-QasimعَلِيُّAliابْنُson ofالْمُحْسِنِal-Muhsinبْنِson ofعَلِيٍّAliالتَّنُوخِيُّal-Tanukhi
saying: The judge Abu al-Qasim Ali ibn al-Muhsin ibn Ali al-Tanukhi informed us
قِرَاءَةًby way of readingعَلَيْهِto himقَالَhe saidحَدَّثَنَاnarrated to usأَبُوAbuعُمَرَUmarمُحَمَّدُMuhammadبْنُson ofالْعَبَّاسِal-Abbas
by way of reading to him, he said: Narrated to us Abu Umar Muhammad ibn al-Abbas
ابْنِson ofمُحَمَّدِMuhammadابْنِson ofزَكَرِيَّاZakariyyaابْنِson ofحَيَوَيْهِHayawayhالْخَرَّازُal-Kharraz
ibn Muhammad ibn Zakariyya ibn Hayawayh al-Kharraz,
وَلَفْظُهُand his exact wordingعَلَيْنَاto usفِيonيَوْمِthe day ofالْأَرْبِعَاءِWednesday
and his exact wording to us on the day of Wednesday
الْحَادِيthe eleventhعَشَرَeleventhمِنْofرَجَبٍRajabسَنَةَin the yearإِحْدَىoneوَثَمَانِينَand eightyوَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍand three hundred
the eleventh of Rajab in the year three hundred and eighty-one,
أَنَّthatأَبَاAbuبَكْرٍBakrمُحَمَّدَMuhammadبْنَson ofخَلَفِKhalafبْنِson ofالرَّزْبَانِal-Razban
that Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Khalaf ibn al-Razban
أَخْبَرَهُمْinformed themقَالَsayingذَكَرْتُI mentionedأَعَزَّكَmay Allah honor youاللَّهُAllah
informed them, saying: I mentioned, may Allah honor you,
زَمَانَنَاour this timeهَذَاthisوَفَسَادَand the corruption ofمَوَدَّةِaffection ofأَهْلِهِits people
this time of ours, the corruption of affection among its people,
وَخَسَّةَand the baseness ofأَخْلَاقِهِمْtheir moralsوَلُؤْمَand the meanness ofطِبَاعِهِمْtheir natures
the baseness of their morals, and the meanness of their natures,
وَأَنَّand thatأَبْعَدَthe farthestالنَّاسِof peopleسَفَرًاin journeyمَنْis he whoكَانَwasسَفَرُهُhis journeyفِيinطَلَبِseekingأَخٍbrotherصَالِحٍrighteous
and that the person who travels the farthest among people is he whose journey is in search of a righteous brother.
وَمَنْAnd whoeverحَاوَلَseeksصَاحِبًاa companionيَأْمَنُhe feels safe fromزَلَّتَهُhis slipوَيَدُومُand enduresاغْتِبَاطُهُhis delight
And whoever seeks a companion whose lapse he feels safe from and whose delight endures,
كَانَisكَصَاحِبِlike the companion ofالطَّرِيقِthe roadالْحَيْرَانِthe bewildered
is like the bewildered traveler on the road
الَّذِيwhoلَاdoes notيَزْدَادُincreaseلِنَفْسِهِfor himselfإِتْعَابًاin fatigueإِلَّاexceptازْدَادَhe increasedمِنْfromغَايَتِهِhis destinationبُعْدًاin distance
who does not increase his own fatigue except that he increases in distance from his destination.
فَالْأَمْرُSo the matter isكَمَاasوَصَفْتُyou described
So the matter is just as you described.
وَقَدْAnd indeedيُرْوَىit is narratedعَنْfromأَبِيAbuذَرٍّDharالْغِفَارِيِّal-Ghifariرَضِيَmay Allah be pleasedاللَّهُAllahعَنْهُwith him
And it is narrated from Abu Dhar al-Ghifari, may Allah be pleased with him,
أَنَّهُthat heقَالَsaidكَانَwereالنَّاسُthe peopleوَرَقًاleavesلَاnoشَوْكَthornفِيهِin it
that he said: People were like leaves without thorns,
فَصَارُواthen they becameشَوْكًاthornsلَاnoوَرَقَleavesفِيهِin it
then they became thorns without leaves.
وَقَالَAnd saidبَعْضُهُمْsome of themكُنَّاwe used toنَخَافُfearعَلَىforالْإِخْوَانِthe brethrenكَثْرَةَthe abundance ofالْمَوَاعِيدِpromisesوَشِدَّةَand the intensity ofالْاعْتِذَارِapologizingأَنْlestيَخْلِطُواthey mixمَوَاعِيدَهُمْtheir promisesبِالْكَذِبِwith falsehoodوَاعْتِذَارَهُمْand their apologies
And some of them said: We used to fear for the brethren regarding an abundance of promises and excessive apologizing, lest they mix their promises with falsehood and their apologies...