On Foolishness and Wisdom

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عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ

On the authority of Abu Ishaq, he said:

إِذَا بُلِغَتِكَ أَنَّ غَنِيًّا اِفْتَقَرَ فَصَدِّقْ

If it is reported to you that a wealthy man has become poor, then believe it.

وَإِذَا بلغك أَنْ فقيرًا اِسْتَغْنَى فَصَدَقَ

And if it reaches you that a poor man has become wealthy, then believe it.

وَإِذَا بَلَغَكَ أَنَّ حيًا مَاتَ فصدق

And if it reaches you that a living person has died, then believe it.

وَإِذَا بُلِغَتْكَ أَنَّ أَحْمَقَ اِسْتَفَادَ عُقُولًا فَلا تُصَدِّقْ

And if it is conveyed to you that a fool has gained sense, then do not believe it.

عَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفِ الْقَاضِيِ قَالَ

On the authority of Abu Yusuf, the judge, who said:

ثَلاثٌ صَدِّقْ بِاِثْنَتَيْنِ وَلا تُصَدِّقْ بِوَاحِدَةٍ

Three: believe two and do not believe one.

إِنْ قِيلَ لَكَ إِنَّ رَجُلًا كَانَ مَعَكَ فَتَوَارَى خَلْفَ حَائِطٍ فَمَاتَ فَصَدَّقَ

If it is said to you that a man was with you, withdrew behind a wall, and died, then believe.

وَإِنْ قِيلَ لَكَ إِنَّ رجلًا فقيرًا خَرَجَ إِلَى بلد فَاسْتَفَادَ مالًا فَصَدَقَ

And if it is said to you that a poor man went to a land and gained money, then believe it.

وَإِنْ قِيلَ لَكَ إِنَّ أَحْمَقَ خَرَجَ إِلَى بَلَدٍ فَاسْتَفَادَ عَقْلًا فَلَا تُصَدِّقْ

And if it is said to you that a fool went to a town and gained sense, then do not believe it.

عَنْ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ أَنَّهُ يَقُولُ

From al-Awza'i, who says:

بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ قِيلَ لِعِيسَى اِبْنِ مَرْيَمِ عَلَيْهِ السلامُ

I was informed that it was said to Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him:

يَا رُوْحُ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى

O Spirit of God, do you bring the dead back to life?

قَالَ نَعَمْ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

He said: "Yes, by the permission of Allah."

قِيلَ وَتَبْرَئُ الأَكْمَهُ

They asked, "And do you heal the blind?"

قَالَ نعم بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

He said: "Yes, by the permission of Allah."

قِيلَ فَمَا دَوْاءُ ٱلْحَمْقِ

They asked: Then what is the remedy for madness?

قَالَ هَذَا الَّذِي أَعْيَانِي

He said: This is what troubles me.

قَالَ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ

Ja'far ibn Muhammad said:

الْأَدَبُ عِنْدَ الْأَحْمَقِ كَالْمَاءِ فِي أُصُولِ الْحَنَظَلِ

Good manners in a fool are like water in the roots of the colocynth.

كُلَّمَا ازْدَادَ رَيًّا ازْدَادَ مَرَارَةً

The more moisture increases, the more bitter it becomes.

قَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ

Al-Ma'mun said:

تَدْرُونَ مَا جَرَى بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ هَارُونِ الرَّشِيدِ

Do you know what happened between me and the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid?

كَانَ لِي إِلَيْهِ ذَنْبٌ فَدَخَلْتُ مُسْلِمًا عَلَيْهِ

I had an offense to him, so I entered submitting myself to him.

فَقَالَ اِغْرِبْ يَا أَحْمَقَ

He said, "Get out, you fool."

فَإِنْصَرَفْتُ مُغْضَبًا وَلَمْ أَدْخُلْ إِلَيْهِ أَيَّامًا

So I left angrily and did not go to him for days.

فَكُتُبٍ إِلَى رُقْعَةٍ يَقُولُ

Then he wrote me a note saying:

لَيْتَ شَعْرِيَ وَقَدْ تَمَادَى بِكَ الْهَجْرُ أُمُّ منك التَّفْرِيطُ أُمُّ كَانَ مني

I wish I knew: now that estrangement toward you has gone so far, was the negligence yours, or was it mine?

إِنْ تَكُنْ خُنْتَنَا فَعَنْكَ عَفَا اللَّهُ وَإِنْ كُنْتُ خُنْتُكُمْ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

If you betrayed us, may God forgive you; and if I betrayed you, forgive me.

فَسِرْتُ إِلَيْهِ

I went to him,

فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ الذَّنْبُ لَنَا فَقَدْ اِسْتَغْفَرْنَاكَ

He said, "If the sin is ours, then indeed we sought your forgiveness."

وَإِنْ كَانَ لَكَ فَقَدْ غَفَرْنَاهُ

And if it was yours, then indeed we have forgiven it.

فَقُلْتُ لَهُ

So I said to him:

قُلْتَ لِي يَا أَحْمَقُ وَلَوْ قُلْتَ لِي يَا أَرْعَنُ كَانَ أَسْهَلُ عَلَيَّ

You said to me, "You fool." If you had said to me, "You oaf," it would have been easier for me.

فَقَالَ مَا الْفَرْقُ بَيْنَهُمَا

He said, "What is the difference between the two of them?"

قُلْتُ لَهُ

I said to him:

الرُعُونَةُ تَتَوَلَّدُ عَنْ النِّسَاءِ فَتَلْحَقُ الرَّجُلَ مِنْ طُولِ صَحْبَتِهِنَّ

Rashness arises from women and clings to a man through prolonged companionship with them.

فَإِذَا فَارَقَهُنَّ وَصَاحَبَ فُحُولَ الرِّجَالِ زَالَتْ عَنْهُ

So when he left them and kept company with virile men, it ceased from him.

وَأُمًّا الْحُمْقَ فَإِنَّهُ غَرِيزَةٌ

As for folly, it is an instinct.

وَأَنْشَدَ بَعْضُ الْحُكَمَاءِ

And some of the wise recited:

وَعِلَاجُ الأَبْدَانِ أَيْسَرُ خَطَبًا حِينَ تَعْتَلُ مِنْ عِلَاجِ الْعُقُولِ

And the treatment of bodies is an easier matter when they fall ill than the treatment of minds.

وَقَدْ ذَكَرْنَا أَنَّ الحُمْقَ فَسَادٌ فِي الْعَقْلَيْنِ أَوْ فِي الذِّهْنِ

We have mentioned that folly is a corruption in the two intellects or in the mind,

وما كان مَوْضُوعًا في أَصْلِ الْجَوْهَرِ

and whatever is rooted in the very essence,

فَهُوَ غَرِيزَةً لَا يَنْفَعُهَا التَّأْدِيبُ

So it is an instinct that discipline does not benefit it.

وَإِنَّمَا يَنْتَفِعُ بِالرِّياضَةِ وَالتَّأْدِيبِ مَنْ أَصْلُ جَوْهَرِهِ سَلِيمٌ

And only benefits by exercise and discipline who his essential nature is sound,

فَتَدْفَعُ الرِّياضَةُ العَوَارِضَ الْمُفْسِدَةَ

So training wards off the corrupting occurrences.

وَبَعْدُ فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ يَتَفَاوَتُونَ فِي الْعَقْلَيْنِ وَجَوْهَرِهِ وَمِقْدَارِ مَا أَعْطَوْا مِنْهُ،

Furthermore, people differ in the two intellects, in its very essence, and in the amount of it that they were given.

فَلِهَذَا يَتَفَاوَتُ الْحَمَقُ

Therefore, foolishness varies in degree.

قِيلَ لإِبْرَاهِيمِ النِّظَامِ

They said to Ibrahim al-Nizam:

مَا حَدُّ الْحَمْقِ

What is the limit of folly?

فَقَالَ سَأَلْتَنِي عَمًّا لَيْسَ لَهُ حَدًّا

He said: You asked me about something that has no limit.

وَقَالَ عَلِيُّ

And Ali said:

لَيْسَ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا وَفِيهِ حَمْقَةٌ فِيهَا يَعِيشُ

There is no one except that in him is a folly in which he lives.

وَقَالَ وَهْبُ بْنُ مُنَبِّهِ

And Wahb ibn Munabbih said:

خَلَقَ اللَّهُ آدَمَ أَحْمَقَ

God created Adam a fool.

وَلَوْلَا ذُلُّكَ مَا هناه الْعَيْشُ

And were it not for that, life would not be pleasant for him.

وَعَنْ مُطْرِفِ قال

And from Mutrif, he said:

لَوْ حَلَفْتُ لَرَجَوْتُ أَنْ أَبَرَّ

If I had sworn, I would have hoped to keep it.

أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِلَّا وَهُوَ أَحْمَقُ فِيمَا بَيَّنَهُ وَبَيَّنَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

There is no one among people who is not foolish about what lies between him and God, the Exalted and Majestic.

وَكَانَ يَقُولُ

And he used to say:

مَا أَحَدٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِلَّا وَهُوَ أَحْمَقُ فِيمَا بَيَّنَهُ وَبَيِّنٌ رَبُّهُ عَزَّ وجل

There is no one among people who is not foolish regarding what lies between him and his Lord, the Exalted and Majestic.

غَيْرُ أَنَّ بَعْضَ الْحُمْقِ أَهْوَنُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ

However, some foolishness is less harmful than others.

وَقَالَ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ

And Sufyan al-Thawri said:

خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ أَحْمَقَ لِكَيْ يَنْتَفِعَ بِالْعَيْشِ

He created the person foolish so that he might benefit from life.

وَأَنْشَدَ بَعْضُهُمْ

And some of them recited:

لَعُمْرُكَ مَا شَيْءٌ يَفُوْتُكَ نَيْلُهُ بِغَبْنٍ وَلَكِنَّ فِي الْعُقُولِ التغابن

By your life, nothing you fail to obtain is lost through injustice; rather, minds are mutually deluded.