Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 16

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

وَإِذَا كَانَ هَذَا فِي الْأُمَرَاءِ فَفَتِّشْ فِي نَفْسِكَ أَنْتَ.

If this holds true for leaders, you must examine yourself.

فَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ أَنَّهُمْ يَدُلُّونَكَ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ، وَيُعِينُونَكَ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِذَا نَسِيتَ ذَكَّرُوكَ، وَإِذَا جَهِلْتَ عَلَّمُوكَ، فَاسْتَمْسِكْ بِحُجُزِهِمْ، وَعَضَّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالنَّوَاجِذِ.

When you find companions who guide you toward virtue, support you in it, remind you when you forget, and instruct you when you are unaware, cling to them with all your might.

وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ مَنْ هُوَ مُهْمِلٌ، وَلَا يُبَالِي هَلَكْتَ أَمْ بَقِيتَ؛ بَلْ رُبَّمَا يَسْعَى لِهَلَاكِكَ فَاحْذَرْهُ، فَإِنَّهُ السُّمُّ النَّاقِعُ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ، لَا تَقْرَبْ هَؤُلَاءِ؛ بَلِ ابْتَعِدْ عَنْهُمْ، وَفِرَّ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارَكَ مِنَ الْأَسَدِ،

Should you encounter companions who are negligent—indifferent to whether you thrive or perish, or perhaps even actively seeking your ruin—beware of them. They are a lethal poison. Seek refuge in God; avoid them entirely and flee from them as you would from a lion.

فَالْإِنْسَانُ الْمُوَفَّقُ هُوَ الَّذِي لَا يَكُونُ بَلِيدًا كَالْحَجَرِ، بَلِ الَّذِي يَكُونُ فَطِنًا ذَكِيًّا كَالزُّجَاجَةِ صُلْبَةً لَكِنْ يُرَى مَا وَرَاءَهَا مِنْ صَفَائِهَا،

A successful person is not dull like a stone, but sharp and perceptive like glass—solid, yet clear enough to see through.

فَيَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ قُوَّةٌ وَصَلَابَةٌ لَكِنْ عِنْدَهُ رِقَّةٌ شَفَّافَةٌ بِحَيْثُ يَرَى وَيَعْرِفُ مَا يَنْفَعُهُ، وَمَا يَضُرُّهُ، فَيَحْرِصُ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُهُ، وَيَجْتَنِبُ مَا يَضُرُّهُ، وَنَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ لَنَا وَلِلْمُسْلِمِينَ التَّوْفِيقَ.

He possesses strength and resolve, balanced by a transparent sensitivity that allows him to discern what benefits and what harms him. He pursues the former and avoids the latter. We ask God to grant us and all Muslims this success.

Vocabulary · المفردات (24 verbs · 29 nouns)

• كَانَ — to be
• فَتَّشَ — to inspect
• رَأَى — to see
• دَلَّ — to guide
• أَعَانَ — to help
• نَسِيَ — to forget
• ذَكَّرَ — to remind
• جَهِلَ — to be ignorant
• عَلَّمَ — to teach
• اِسْتَمْسَكَ — to hold fast
• عَضَّ — to bite
• بَالَى — to care
• هَلَكَ — to perish
• بَقِيَ — to remain
• سَعَى — to strive
• حَذِرَ — to beware
• اِبْتَعَدَ — to move away
• فَرَّ — to flee
• عَرَفَ — to know
• نَفَعَ — to benefit
• ضَرَّ — to harm
• حَرَصَ — to be keen
• اِجْتَنَبَ — to avoid
• سَأَلَ — to ask
• أَمِيرٌ — prince
• نَفْسٌ — self
• صَاحِبٌ — companion
• خَيْرٌ — good
• حُجْزَةٌ — waistband
• نَاجِذٌ — molar tooth
• مُهْمِلٌ — negligent person
• هَلَاكٌ — destruction
• سُمٌّ — poison
• نَاقِعٌ — potent
• عِيَاذٌ — refuge
• فِرَارٌ — flight
• أَسَدٌ — lion
• إِنْسَانٌ — human
• مُوَفَّقٌ — successful person
• بَلِيدٌ — dull
• حَجَرٌ — stone
• فَطِنٌ — clever person
• ذَكِيٌّ — intelligent
• زُجَاجَةٌ — glass
• صُلْبٌ — solid
• وَرَاءٌ — behind
• صَفَاءٌ — clarity
• قُوَّةٌ — strength
• صَلَابَةٌ — hardness
• رِقَّةٌ — delicacy
• شَفَّافٌ — transparent
• مُسْلِمٌ — Muslim
• تَوْفِيقٌ — success