Luqman's Response to Injustice

Each Arabic line is a button. Press it to go through its words, then press a word for its meaning.

فَمِنَ الْمَنْقُولِ عَنْ لُقْمَانَ

So, it is narrated from Luqman

حَدَّثَنَا مَكْحُولٌ أَنَّ

Makhul narrated that

لُقْمَانُ الحَكِيمُ كَانَ عَبْدًا نُوبِيًّا أَسْوَدَ

Luqman the Wise was a black Nubian slave

وَكَانَ قَدْ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الحِكْمَةَ

And Allah, the Exalted, had given him wisdom

وَكَانَ لرجل من بني إِسْرَائِيل اشْتَرَاهُ بِثَلَاثِينَ مِثْقَالا ونش يعْنى نصف مِثْقَال

And he was bought by a man from the Children of Israel for thirty mithqals and a half mithqal.

وَكَانَ يَعْمَلُ لَهُ

And he worked for him

وَكَانَ مَوْلَاهُ يَلْعَبُ بِالنَّرْدِ يُقَامِرُ عَلَيْهِ

And his master played dice, gambling on it

وَكَانَ عَلَى بَابِهِ نَهْرٌ جَارٍ

And there was a flowing river by his door

فَلَعِبَ يَوْمًا بِالنَّرْدِ عَلَى أَنْ مَنْ قَمَرَ صَاحِبَهُ شَرِبَ المَاءَ الَّذِي فِي النَّهْرِ كُلَّهُ أَوِ افْتَدَى مِنْهُ

One day, he played dice on the condition that whoever lost to his companion would drink all the water in the river or ransom themselves from it.

وَإِنْ هُوَ قَمَرَ صَاحِبَهُ فَعَلَ بِهِ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ

And if he won against his companion, he would do the same to him.

قَالَ فَقَمَرَ سَيِّدُ لُقْمَانَ

He said: Then Luqman's master lost the game.

فَقَالَ لَهُ القَامِرُ اشْرَبْ مَا فِي النَّهْرِ وَإِلَّا فَافْتَدِ مِنْهُ

So the winner said to him, 'Drink what is in the river, or ransom yourself from it.'

قَالَ فَسَلْنِي الْفِدَاءَ

He said, 'Ask me for the ransom.'

قَالَ عَيْنَيْك أفقؤهما أَو جَمِيع مَا تملك

He said, 'Your eyes, gouge them out, or everything you own.'

قَالَ أَمْهِلْنِي يَوْمِي هَذَا

He said, 'Give me this day.'

قَالَ لَكَ ذَلِكَ

He said, 'You have that.'

قَالَ فَأَمْسَى كَئِيبًا حَزِينًا

So he became sad and sorrowful.

إِذْ جَاءَهُ لُقْمَان وَقَدْ حَمَلَ حُزْمَةً عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ

Then Luqman came to him, carrying a bundle on his back.

فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى سَيِّدِهِ

Then he greeted his master.

ثُمَّ وَضَعَ مَا مَعَهُ

Then he put down what he had with him.

وَرَجَعَ إِلَى سَيِّدِهِ

And he returned to his master.

وَكَانَ سَيّده إِذا رَآهُ عَبث بِهِ وَيسمع مِنْهُ الْكَلِمَة الحكيمة فيعجب مِنْهُ

And his master, when he saw him, would ridicule him and hear the wise word from him, and be amazed by it.

فَلَمَّا جَلَسَ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ لِسَيِّدِهِ مَا لِي أَرَاكَ كَئِيبًا حَزِينًا فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ

So when he sat down with him, he said to his master, 'Why do I see you sad and sorrowful?' But he turned away from him.

فَقَالَ لَهُ الثَّانِيَةَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ

So he said to him a second time the same thing, but he turned away from him.

ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ الثَّالِثَةَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ

Then he said to him a third time the same thing, but he turned away from him.

فَقَالَ لَهُ أَخْبِرْنِي فَلَعَلَّ لَكَ عِنْدِي فَرَجًا

So he said to him, 'Tell me, perhaps I have relief for you.'

فَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقِصَّةَ

So he told him the story.

فَقَالَ لَهُ لُقْمَانُ لَا تَغْتَمَّ فَإِنَّ لَكَ عِنْدِي فَرَجًا

So Luqman said to him, 'Do not grieve, for I have a relief for you.'

قَالَ وَمَا هُوَ

He said, 'And what is it?'

قَالَ إِذَا أَتَاكَ الرَّجُلُ فَقَالَ لَكَ اشْرَبْ مَا فِي النَّهْرِ

He said, 'When the man comes to you and says, "Drink what is in the river,"'

فَقُلْ لَهُ اشْرَبْ مَا بَيْنَ ضِفَّتَيْ النَّهْرِ أَوِ الْمَدِّ

Then say to him, 'Drink what is between the banks of the river or the tide.'

فَإِنَّهُ سَيَقُولُ لَكَ اشْرَبْ مَا بَيْنَ الضِّفَّتَيْنِ

For he will say to you, 'Drink what is between the riverbanks.'

فَإِذَا قَالَ لَكَ ذَلِكَ فَقُلْ لَهُ احْبِسْ عَنِّي الْمَدَّ حَتَّى أَشْرَبَ مَا بَيْنَ الضِّفَّتَيْنِ

Then if he says that to you, say to him: 'Hold back the tide from me until I drink what is between the riverbanks.'

فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَحْبِسَ عَنكَ الْمَدَّ

For he will not be able to hold back the tide from you.