Wealth and Knowledge on Trial

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فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا عِنْدَهُ جَالِسٌ إِذْ دَقَّ دَاقُ الْبَابِ

While I was sitting with him, there came a knock at the door.

فَقَالَ يَا أَصْبِيَّةُ اُخْرُجِي اُنْظُرِي مِنْ هَذَا

He said, "O maid, come out and see who this is."

فَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانِ قَوْلِي لَهُ يَدْخُلُ وَحْدَهُ

So Muhammad ibn Sulayman said, "Tell him to enter alone."

فَسُلِمَ ثُمَّ جَلَسَ بَيِّنٌ يَدَيْهِ

He greeted him, then sat down before him.

فَقَالَ مَالِي اذا نَظَرْتُ اليك اِمْتَلَأْتُ رُعْبًا

He said, "What is the matter with me? When I looked at you, I was filled with terror."

فَقَالَ حَمَّادُ سَمِعْتُ ثَابِتًا يَعْنِي الْبَنَّانِي

Hammad said, "I heard Thabit, meaning al-Bannani."

يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسًا بْنَ مَالِكِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَىٰ عَنْهُ

He says, "I heard Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him."

يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ

He says, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say."

العَالِمُ اذا اراد بِعِلْمِهِ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى هَابَهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ

When a scholar seeks, by his knowledge, the Face of Allah Most High, everything fears him.

واذا اراد يَكْثُرَ بِهِ الْكُنُوزُ هَابَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ

And if he intended to increase his treasures by it, he feared everything.

فَقَالَ مَا تَقُولُ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ فِي رَجُلٍ لَهُ ابْنَانِ

He said, "What do you say, may God have mercy on you, about a man who has two sons?"

وَهُوَ عَنْ أَحَدْهِمَا ارضى فاراد ان يَجْعَلَ لَهُ فِي حَيَّاتْهِ ثُلْثَيَ مَالِهِ

And he favored one of them, so he intended to give him two-thirds of his wealth during his lifetime.

فَقَالَ لَا وَيَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ ثَابِتَ الْبُنَّانِيَّ

He said, "No. May God have mercy on you, for I heard Thabit al-Bunnani."

يَقُولُ أُنْسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ

Anas ibn Malik says, "I heard the Messenger of God say."

إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُعَذِّبَ عَبْدًا بِمَالِهِ وَفِقِهِ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ لِوَصِيَّةٍ جَائِرَةٍ

Indeed, when God intends to punish a servant because of his wealth and his understanding, He causes him, at his death, to make an unjust will.

قَالَ فَحَاجَةٌ قَالَ هَاتِ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ رََزِيَّةً فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ

He said, then Hajja said, "Bring what would not be a calamity for the religion of God."

قَالَ أَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفًا دِرْهَمًا تَسْتَعِينُ بِهَا عَلَى مَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ

He said, "Forty thousand dirhams to help you with your present condition."

قَالَ أَرُدُّهَا عَلَى مَنْ ظَلَمْتُهُ بِهَا

He said, "I will return it to the person whom I wronged with it."

قَالَ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَعْطَيْتُكَ إِلَّا مَا وَرَثْتُهُ

He said, "By God, I gave you nothing except what I inherited."

قَالَ لَا حَاجَةُ لِيَّ فِيهَا

He said, "I have no need for it."

قَالَ أَرِهَا عَنِّي رُوِيَ اللَّهُ عَنكَ أَوْزَارُكَ

He said, "Tell her from me: may God remove your burdens from you."

قَالَ فَغَيْرُ هَذَا

He said, "Then change this."

قَالَ هَاتْ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ رَزِيَّةً فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ

He said, "Bring what would not be a calamity in the religion of God."

قَالَ تَأْخُذُهَا فَتَقَسُّمُهَا

He said, "Take it and divide it."

قَالَ فَلَعَلِّي إِنْ عَدَلَتْ فِي قِسْمَتِهَا أَنْ يَقُولَ بَعْضٌ مِمَّنْ لَمْ يُرْزَقْ مِنْهَا أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْدِلْ فِي قِسْمَتِهَا فَيَأْثَمُ أَرُوْهَا عَنِّي رَوَى اللَّهُ عَنكَ أَوْزَارُكَ

He said, "So perhaps if she were just in dividing it, some of those who were not provided from it might say that he did not act fairly in dividing it, and so he sins. Keep it away from me. May God relieve you of your burdens."

أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْدِلْ فِي قِسْمَتِهَا فَيَأْثَمُ

that he did not act fairly in dividing it, and so he commits a sin

أَرُوْهَا عَنِّي رَوَى اللَّهُ عَنكَ أَوْزَارُكَ

Keep it away from me; may God relieve you of your burdens.