حمدا لمالكنا لفظا ومستطرا — Abn Razakh

حَمداً لِمالِكِنا لَفظاً وَمُستَطَراً

مِن كاتِبٍ سائِلٍ لِمَن هُنا حَضَرا

Praise to our Master, spoken and written,

From a questioning writer to those present here.

إِنّي أُسائِلُكُم يا أَهلَ زاوِيَةٍ

إِلّا الوَلِيَّ الوَجيهَ نَسل مَن نَصَرا

I question you, O people of a religious lodge,

Except the honored saint, descendant of one who gave aid.

ما بَينَ حَمدٍ وَمَدحٍ فَرَقوا لَهُما

أَيُّهُما عَمَّمَ مِن آخِر كَثرا

What distinction have they drawn between praise and commendation?

Which of the two is broader and more encompassing than the other?

إِعادَةِ الجِسمِ وَالأَعراضِ مَع زَمَنٍ

فَهَل تُعادُ كَما كانَت وَلا غِيرا

Regarding the restoration of the body and its accidents, together with time:

Are they restored as they were, without alteration?

وَمَن تَيَمَّمَ عِندَ بابِ مَسجِدِهِ

نَوى بِهِ النَّفلَ وَالدُخول مُختَصِرا

And one who performs dry ablution at his mosque's door,

Intending by it only voluntary prayer and entry:

فَهَل يُصَلّي بِهِ فيهِ تَحِيَّتُهُ

مَعَ النَوافِلِ يا كَنزَ الَّذي اِفتَقَرا

May he use it there to perform the mosque-greeting prayer,

Along with other voluntary prayers, O treasure of the needy?

وَمُدرِكٍ بِإِمامِهِ تَشَهُّدَهُ

أَعني الأَخيرَةَ ثُمَّ قامَ مِنهُ قَرا

And one who joins his imam during the testimony of faith—

I mean the final sitting—then rises from it and recites:

فَهَل يُصَلّي بِهِ وَراءَهُ أَحَدٌ

أَو لا يُصَلّي بِهِ أَصلاً وَلا فَكَرا

May anyone pray with him, following behind him,

Or may none follow him at all, nor even consider it?

ما حُكمُ مَن فاتَهُ بَعض الصَلاةِ إِذا

قامَ لِيَقضي مِن تَشَهُّدٍ وَدَرى

What is the ruling for someone who missed part of the prayer, if

He rises from the testimony of faith to make it up, knowingly,

قَبلَ سَلامِ الإِمامِ كَيفَ تَأمُرُهُ

يا ذا الَّذي كانَ لِلعُلومِ مُنتَثِرا

Before the imam's final salutation? How do you instruct him,

O you who have ranged widely through the sciences?

وَمَن يُصَلّي صَلاتَهُ بِمُسمِعِهِ

لَم يُسمِعَن سَلامَهُ وَإِن جَهَرا

And one who performs his prayer through his prayer-call relayer,

Who did not make his salutation heard, though he spoke aloud:

فَهَل يُعيدُ صَلاتَهُ إِذاً أَبَداً

أَو يَتَحَرّا ما لَدَيكُمُ شَهُرا

Must he then always repeat his prayer,

Or follow what is well known among you?

وَقاتِلٌ في الصَلاةِ قَملَةً عَبَثاً

فَهَل يُعيدُ وَما المَشهورُ يا نُظَرا

And someone who idly kills a louse during prayer:

Must he repeat it? What is the established view, O discerning scholars?

وَراكِبٌ مَحمَلاً صَلّى فَرائِضَهُ

وَمَع كَمالِ شُروطِها الَّذي ذَكَرا

And someone riding in a litter who performs his obligatory prayers,

With all their conditions fulfilled, as stated?

كَذا مُعَلِّمُ قُرآنٍ بِبادِيَةٍ

وَهوَ بِهِ جُنُبٌ وَلَيسَ مُطَهَّرا

Likewise, a teacher of the Quran in the desert,

Who is there in a state of major ritual impurity, not purified,

لَم يَجِدِ الماءَ ما يَفعَلُ ساعَتَهُ

يَمَسُّ لَوحَ كِتابِ اللَهِ أَو هَجَرا

And finds no water: what should he do at that moment?

Should he touch the tablet of God's Book, or leave it aside?

وَمَن يُرِد حَجَّ بَيتِ اللَهِ ذا حَرَمٍ

وَعِندَهُ زَوجَةٌ فَما بِهِ أَمَرا

And someone intending pilgrimage to God's House with its sacred precinct,

Who has a wife: what has he been instructed to do?

فَهَل يُخَيِّرُها أَو لا يُخَيِّرُها

هَل يوجِبُ الحَجَّ يا أَخي لَها الخِيَرا

Must he give her a choice, or not give her a choice?

Does pilgrimage, my brother, entitle her to that choice?

وَمَن يُريدُ نِكاحَ مَرأَةٍ رَغَباً

وَعِندَهُ زَوجَةٌ جَمعُهُما نَظَرا

And someone desiring to marry a woman,

Who already has a wife and considers keeping both:

وَذي الَّتي خُطِبَت قالَت لَهُ هُوَ لا

حَتّى تُطَلِّقَها طَلَّقَها جَبَرا

The woman he has proposed to says to him, 'No,

Not until you divorce her'; so he divorces her under constraint.

ثُمَّ تَزَوَّجَها أَعنى الَّتي خُطِبَت

فَراجَعَ الزّوجَة الّتي لَها بَتَرا

Then he marries her—I mean the woman he proposed to—

And takes back the wife whose marriage bond he severed:

طَلاقُها بائِنٌ أَو هِيَ رِجعِيَّةٌ

بَيَّنَ لَنا الحكم في هَذا الَّذي غَبَرا

Is her divorce irrevocable, or is it revocable?

Explain to us the ruling on what has just been set out.

وَمَرأَتانِ لِزَوجٍ عائِشٍ مَثَلاً

طَلَّقَ إِحداهُما فَطُلِّقَت أُخَرى

And suppose two women have a living husband:

He divorces one, and the other becomes divorced.

فَلا طَلاقَ لَها إِذ لَيسَ طَلَّقَها

فَأَظلَمَ اللَيلُ فيها كُن لَها قَمَرا

Yet no divorce applies to her, since he did not divorce her:

Night has darkened over this matter; be its moon.

وَحالِفٌ بِطَلاقِ مَرأَةٍ رَغَباً

لَيَفعَلَنَّ عبادَةً بِها نَذَرا

And someone who willingly swears upon divorcing his wife

That he will surely perform an act of worship he has vowed,

وَلا يُشارِكُهُ فيها لَهُ أَحَدٌ

وَكَيفَ يَفعَلُ غَيرَ الشَرعِ مُبتَدَرا

And no one may share that act with him:

How can he hasten to act outside sacred law?

وَمَن لَهُ زَوجَةٌ أَيضاً فَطَلَّقَها

وَالحالُ أَن صَداقَها الَّذي مَهَرا

And someone who has a wife and then divorces her,

While the dower he pledged to her

فَمِنهُ نَقدٌ وَبَعضُهُ إِلى أَجَلٍ

فَهَل يُعَجِّلُ بِالبَعضِ الَّذي أَخَّرا

Is partly paid immediately and partly deferred to a fixed date:

Must he hasten payment of the portion he deferred?

هَدِيَّةُ الزَوجِ مِن مالٍ لِزَوجَتِهِ

هَل هُوَ يَحسِبُها مِنَ الصَداقِ تُرا

A husband's gift of property to his wife:

Does he count it toward the dower, I wonder?

وَمَن لَهُ أَمَةٌ زَوَّجَها رَجُلاً

فَهَل لَهُ وَطئُها أَو هَل لَهُ حَظُرا

And someone who marries his female slave to a man:

May he have intercourse with her, or is it forbidden to him?

أُمُّ اليَتيمِ إِذا كانَ لَها وَلَدٌ

وَعِندَها المالُ إِن رَأَت بِهِ ضَرَرا

The mother of an orphan, if she has a child

And has wealth in hand, if she sees harm involved:

هَل تُنفقَنَّ عَلَيهِ مَعَ كِسوَتِهِ

أَم لا وَما حُكم حَقِّها بِما عَسُرا

Must she spend on him and provide his clothing,

Or not? What is the ruling on her right in hardship?

مَنِ اِشتَرى الجَمَلَ الهَزيلَ عَلَّفَهُ

حَتّى بَدا سَمنُهُ لَدَيهِ فَاِنجَبَرا

Someone buys a lean camel and feeds it

Until it visibly fattens in his keeping and recovers;

ثُمَّ اِستَحَقَّ مِنَ المُبتاعِ في يَدِهِ

ما حُكمُ آخِذِهِ بِالشَرعِ فَاِفتَخَرا

Then rightful ownership is claimed while it is in the buyer's hands:

What is the legal ruling for its taker? Then take pride.

مَنِ اِشتَرى فَرَساً عَيباً رَآهُ بِهِ

أَعارَهُ لِفَتىً غَزا بِهِ الفُجَرا

Someone buys a horse and sees a defect in it,

Then lends it to a young man who campaigns against the wicked on it,

وَقامَ بِالعَيبِ بَعدَ الشَهرِ مُدَّعِياً

إِنّي ظَنَنتُ بِغَيرِ العَيبِ إِن ظَهَرا

And after a month brings a claim over the defect, saying,

'I thought what appeared was something other than a defect;

أَرجو لَها بُرءَها هَل القِيامُ لَهُ

أَو لا قِيامَ لَهُ أَفتوا بِما شَهُرا

I hoped it would recover.' May he bring the claim,

Or has he no claim? Give a ruling according to the established view.

وَبائِعٌ فَرَساً وَآخِذٌ غَنَماً

فَبَعضُها ماتَ وَالعَيبُ القَديمُ يُرى

And someone sells a horse and receives sheep:

Some of them die, and an old defect becomes apparent.

وَكَيفَ يَصنَعُ في مَوتِ البَهائِمِ ذي

وَحُكمُ عِلَّتِها الَّتي مَضَت غَبَرا

How should he proceed concerning the death of these animals,

And what is the ruling on their earlier ailment?

مَنِ اِكتَرى جَمَلاً أَيضاً إِلى بَلَدٍ

إِذا بِهِ اللِصُّ وَالمَتاعَ قَد ظَفَرا

Someone also hires a camel to travel to a town,

When a thief seizes it and obtains the goods:

هَل ساقِطٌ لَهُما قَدرُ مَسافَتِهِ

عَن مُكتَريهِ أَيا مَن حَلَّ مُختَصَرا

Is the charge for that stretch of the journey waived for both,

For its hirer, O expounder of an abridged text?

هَل يقتَضي حَيَوانٌ عِندَ ذي نَظَرٍ

بِاللَّحمِ وَالعَكسِ وَالرِبا حَوى شَرَرا

May an animal be received in settlement, in a discerning jurist's view,

For meat, or vice versa? Usury harbors sparks.

هَل ثَمَنُ الأَرضِ بِالطَعامِ مُمتَنِعٌ

أَم لا أَمن هُوَ في العُلومِ قَد مَهَرا

Is paying the price of land with food forbidden,

Or not, O you who have mastered the sciences?

إِقالَةٌ في الطَعامِ أَو مُرابَحَةٌ

أَو شُفعَةٌ هِيَ بَيعٌ لازِمٌ بَتَرا

A rescission in food dealings, or a cost-plus sale,

Or preemption: is it a binding sale, decisively so,

أَو لا وَلَيسَت بِبَيعٍ لازِمٍ لَكُم

أَمِ الإِقالَةُ بَيعٌ جاءَنا سَطَرا

Or not—is it not a binding sale in your view?

Or is rescission a sale, as has come to us in writing?

وَالغائِبُ الغَيبَةَ الطَويلَ في سَفَرٍ

زَوجَتُهُ قَد دَعَت لِوَطئِهِ ضَرَرا

And someone absent on a long journey:

His wife claims harm from deprivation of intercourse with him.

ذا بِمُجَرَّدِهِ غَيرُ مَعيشَتِها

هَلِ الطَلاقُ لَها أَم لا وَلا خَيَرا

For that alone, apart from her maintenance,

Is she entitled to divorce, or not, nor any choice?

وَمَن وَكَّلتَ عَلى قَبضِ مَتاعِكَ أَي

مِن ثَمَنٍ لِطَعامِكَ الَّذي اِتَّجَرا

And someone you appoint to collect your goods—that is,

The proceeds of the food you traded—

قَد أَكَلَ الطَعامَ المَقبوضَ أَجمَعَهُ

هَل تَأخُذَن لِطَعامٍ مِثلِهِ ثَمَرا

Has eaten all the food he received:

May you take fruit in place of equivalent food?

وَما ضَمير يَصِلونَ لِآخِرِهِ

يَعصِهِما في الحَديثِ بَينَ ما ذُكِرا

And what of the pronoun they attach to the end

Of 'disobeys them both' in the hadith, among the reported words:

قَولُ الخَطيبِ فَالاِعتِراضُ يَصحَبُهُ

أَو لا وَأَوضِح لَنا هَذا الَّذي سُتِرا

The preacher's utterance—does an objection attend it,

Or not? Make clear to us what is hidden.

فَأَنتِ يا هِندُ لا تَرضَي بِفاحِشَةٍ

فَالضادُ مَفتوحَةٌ أَو عِندَكُم كُسِرا

'You, Hind, do not consent to an indecency':

Does the letter ḍād take a fatḥa, or, in your view, a kasra?

وَاِسمٌ يُثنى وَمُفرَدٌ وَتَجمَعُهُ

مُذَكَّرٌ وَمُؤَنَّثٌ بِذا اِعتَبَرا

And a noun made dual, singular, and pluralized by you,

Masculine and feminine: consider it in these forms.

وَالقَلبُ وَالبَدَلُ الصرفانِ عِندَكُمُ

ما الفَرقُ بَينَهُما أَيضاً لِمَن فَكَرا

And transposition and substitution, the two morphological processes in your view:

What is the difference between them for one who reflects?

ما ضَبطُ هَينٍ وَلَينٍ في الحَديثِ أَتى

عَنِ النَبِيِّ الرَسولِ جاءَنا خَبَرا

How are 'hayyin' ('gentle') and 'layyin' ('mild') vocalized in the hadith that came

From the Prophet, the Messenger, reaching us as a report:

مُشَدَّدانِ لَدى أَهلِ البَراعَةِ أَو

مُخَفَّفانِ وَلَحن عالِمٍ قَذُرا

With doubled consonants according to masters of the art, or

Without doubling? A scholar's faulty speech is repugnant.

ما الفَرقُ بَينَ لا كَذا وَبَلى

حالُ الجَوابِ أَيا مَن أَمعَنَ النَظَرا

Likewise, how do 'lā' ('no') and 'balā' ('yes indeed') differ

When answering, O you who scrutinize deeply?

ما بَينَ شَرطٍ وَواجِبٍ لَمُلتَبِسٍ

وَالقِسط وَالقَسطِ لا تَغلَط وَكُن حَذِرا

What distinguishes a condition from an obligation for someone confused?

And 'qisṭ' from 'qasṭ'? Do not err, but be cautious.

كَذا الحَديثانِ إِن تَعارَضا لَكُمُ

أَمراً وَنَهياً فَما الَّذي بِهِ أَمَرا

Likewise, if two hadiths conflict in your view,

One commanding and one prohibiting, what is enjoined thereby?

أَيُّهُما عِندَكُمُ يَصحَبُهُ عَمَل

لا زالَ بَحرُكُمُ يُلقي لَنا دُرَرا

Which of the two should be acted upon in your view?

May your sea never cease casting pearls to us.

كَذا المُحَرَّمُ وَالواجِبُ أَن أَتَيا

أَيُّهُما عِندَكُم قَدَّمَهُ الأُمَرا

Likewise, when the forbidden and the obligatory arise together,

Which of the two do the authorities give precedence in your view?

كَذاكَ أَحَدَيهما مَعَ جائِزٍ لَكُم

أَينَ المُقَدَّمُ مِنهُما وَما غَبَرا

Likewise, either of them alongside something permissible:

Which takes precedence, and what of the foregoing?

كَذا المُبيحُ وَمانِعٌ فَأَيُّهُما

مُقَدَّمٌ عَلى الآخَرِ الَّذي اِستَطَرا

Likewise, a permitting text and a prohibiting one—which

Takes precedence over the other that has been written down?

وَالأَصلُ وَالعُرفُ أَن تَعارَضا لَكُمُ

فَما المُقَدَّمُ مِنهُما لَدا الكُبَرا

And if the basic presumption and custom conflict in your view,

Which takes precedence among the foremost authorities?

وَالأَصلُ وَالظاهِرُ الجَلِيُّ يا فَطِنٌ

ما الفَرقُ بَينَهُما فَاِقضوا لَنا وَطَرا

And the basic presumption and clear outward evidence, O discerning one:

What is the difference between them? Fulfill our wish.

وَفي حَديثِ رَسولِ اللَهِ مُستَنَداً

هَذا التَعارُضُ أَيضاً جاءَنا أَثَرا

And in a hadith of God's Messenger, as supporting evidence,

This conflict has also reached us in a report:

خَيرُ الشُهودِ الَّذي أَدّى شَهادَتَهُ

قَبلَ السُؤالِ لِحاكِمٍ وَقَد خَسرا

'The best witness is one who gives his testimony

Before being asked by a judge'—yet he has lost.

وَكُلُّ جاهِل عِلم لا يَحُلُّ لَهُ

أَن يَفعَلَ الفِعلَ حَتّى يَعلَمَ الخَبَرا

And anyone ignorant of the relevant teaching is not permitted

To perform an act until he knows what has been reported.

إِن كانَ فاعِلُهُ مِن غَيرِ مَسأَلِةٍ

قَد وافَقَ الحَقَّ هَل ياثِمُ أَو أُجِرا

If someone performs it without asking

And happens to conform to the truth, does he sin or receive reward?

فَأَخبِروني عَن مَرأَةٍ وَرَثَت

إِرثاً لِمَيِّتِهم مِن بَعدِ ما قُبِرا

Tell me about a woman who inherited

An inheritance belonging to their deceased, after he was buried:

وَواحِدٌ نِصفُهُ وَآخَرٌ سُدُسا

وَآخَرٌ ثُلُثاً نَصيبُهُم نَقَرا

From one, half of his estate; from another, a sixth,

And from another, a third: examine their shares.

وَاِمرَأَةٌ وَرِثَت إِرثاً مِن اِربَعَةٍ

فَكُلُّهُم زَوجُها نِصفَ الجَميعِ تَرى

And a woman who inherited from four:

Each is her husband; she receives half of the whole, you see.

إِن تَستَزيدوا أَزِد لَكُم عَلى عَجَلٍ

سَيفِيَ ذا يُبدي مِن غمدِهِ ظَهَرا

If you ask for more, I shall quickly add more for you.

This sword of mine bares its back from its sheath.

هَل مِن شَجيعٍ وَماهِرٍ يُبارِزُني

كَأَنَّهُ أَسَدٌ أَقرانَهُ بَهَرا

Is there a brave and skilled man to duel with me,

Like a lion who has surpassed his rivals?

عادَةُ ثَورَينِ دائِماً إِذا اِلتَقَيا

يَنتَطِحانِ إِلى هُروب مَن نَفَرا

The constant habit of two bulls, whenever they meet,

Is to lock horns until one turns and flees.

يَحتاجُ لَيثٌ لَإِخراجِ مَخالِبِهِ

في ذا السُؤالِ إِلى الجَوابِ مُفتَقِرا

A lion needs to bare his claws,

Standing in need of an answer to this inquiry.

فَكُلُّكُم بِجَوابِهِ إِن أَمكَنَكُم

نَظماً وَنَثراً كَما إِلَيكُمُ سُطِرا

All of you, then, respond to it, if you can,

In verse or prose, just as it has been written to you.

سَماءُ عِلمِكُمُ بِالرَعدِ بارِقَةٌ

عَسى مِنَ المُزنِ أَن تُمطِر لَنا مَطَرا

The sky of your knowledge flashes with thunder;

May it shower rain upon us from the clouds.

وَمَن يَشُقّ عَلَيهِ النَظم يا فَطِناً

وَلَم يَكُن شاعِراً يَأتي بِما نُثِرا

And whoever finds versification difficult, O discerning one,

And is not a poet, may bring an answer in prose.

فَحُسّنوا الظَّنَّ في هذا مذاكرةً

بَيني وَبَينَكُم وَلَستُ مُختَخِرا

Think well of this: it is a scholarly discussion

Between me and you, and I am not boasting.

فَحُسنُهُ واجِبٌ مِن خُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ

وَذَروَةُ المَجدِ حسنُهُ كَما أُمِرا

For a favorable view of it is a duty of good character,

And its goodness is the summit of honor, as commanded.

لَو طُلِبَ العِلمُ بِالفَخرِ بِهِ لأَبى

إِلّا لِرَبِّ السَمَواتِ الَّذي فَطَرا

Were knowledge sought for boasting of it, it would refuse,

Except for the Lord of the heavens, who created them.

فَمَن يُجِب فَليُجِب بِالنَصِّ لا بِهَوىً

جَوابُكُم مِنكُمُ إِلى مُنتَظَرا

Whoever answers, let him answer by the text, not by whim.

Your answer, coming from you to me, is awaited.

عَجِّل عَلَيَّ جَواباً شافِياً غُلَلاً

لِمِثلِ هَذا الجَوابِ كُنتَ مُدَّخرا

Send me quickly an answer that quenches burning thirst;

For an answer such as this you have been held in reserve.

فَمَن رَأى مِنكُمُ في نَظمِها خَلَلاً

يُصلِحهُ إِنَّني مُلازِمٌ سَفَرا

Whoever among you sees a flaw in its versification,

Let him correct it: I am continually traveling,

مَشغولُ بالٍ وَصَدري شابَهُ قَلَقٌ

مِثلِيَّ أَيضاً لِذا يُعَدُّ مُعتَذِرا

Distracted in mind, my breast troubled by anxiety.

Someone like me is therefore considered excused.

يا رَبِّ صَلِّ عَلى سَيِّدِنا أَبَداً

أَفضَلُ مَن حَجَّ بَيتَ اللَهِ وَاِعتَمَرا

O Lord, bless our master forever,

The finest of those who made pilgrimage to God's House and performed ʿumrah.