قالَ سَتَجِدُني إِن شاءَ اللَّهُ صابِرًا وَلا أَعصي لَكَ أَمرًا
He responded, “If God wills, you’ll find me patient, and I won’t disobey any of your instructions.”
قالَ فَإِنِ اتَّبَعتَني فَلا تَسأَلني عَن شَيءٍ حَتّىٰ أُحدِثَ لَكَ مِنهُ ذِكرًا
He said, “If you follow me, then don’t question me about anything until I choose to explain it to you.”
فَانطَلَقا حَتّىٰ إِذا رَكِبا فِي السَّفينَةِ خَرَقَها ۖ قالَ أَخَرَقتَها لِتُغرِقَ أَهلَها لَقَد جِئتَ شَيئًا إِمرًا
They set out, until, when they boarded the boat, he made a hole in it. He exclaimed, “Did you make a hole in it to drown its passengers? You did a strange thing!”
قالَ أَلَم أَقُل إِنَّكَ لَن تَستَطيعَ مَعِيَ صَبرًا
He replied, “Didn’t I tell you that you couldn’t be patient with me?”
قالَ لا تُؤاخِذني بِما نَسيتُ وَلا تُرهِقني مِن أَمري عُسرًا
He responded, “Don’t reprimand me for forgetting, and don’t be harsh with me.”
فَانطَلَقا حَتّىٰ إِذا لَقِيا غُلامًا فَقَتَلَهُ قالَ أَقَتَلتَ نَفسًا زَكِيَّةً بِغَيرِ نَفسٍ لَقَد جِئتَ شَيئًا نُكرًا
They journeyed on. Upon encountering a boy, he killed him. He questioned, “Did you kill an innocent soul who hadn’t taken another’s life? You did a terrible thing!”
قالَ أَلَم أَقُل لَكَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَستَطيعَ مَعِيَ صَبرًا
He replied, “Didn’t I tell you that you couldn’t be patient with me?”
قالَ إِن سَأَلتُكَ عَن شَيءٍ بَعدَها فَلا تُصاحِبني ۖ قَد بَلَغتَ مِن لَدُنّي عُذرًا
He said, “If I ask you about anything after this, don’t keep me in your company. You’ve already received enough excuses from me.”
فَانطَلَقا حَتّىٰ إِذا أَتَيا أَهلَ قَريَةٍ استَطعَما أَهلَها فَأَبَوا أَن يُضَيِّفوهُما فَوَجَدا فيها جِدارًا يُريدُ أَن يَنقَضَّ فَأَقامَهُ ۖ قالَ لَو شِئتَ لَاتَّخَذتَ عَلَيهِ أَجرًا
They journeyed on. Upon reaching a town, they asked its residents for food, but they denied them hospitality. There, they found a wall that was about to collapse, and he repaired it. He commented, “If you had wished, you could’ve demanded a wage for it.”
قالَ هـٰذا فِراقُ بَيني وَبَينِكَ ۚ سَأُنَبِّئُكَ بِتَأويلِ ما لَم تَستَطِع عَلَيهِ صَبرًا
He said, “This is where we part ways. I am going to make known to you the interpretation of those things over which you couldn’t hold patience.
أَمَّا السَّفينَةُ فَكانَت لِمَساكينَ يَعمَلونَ فِي البَحرِ فَأَرَدتُ أَن أَعيبَها وَكانَ وَراءَهُم مَلِكٌ يَأخُذُ كُلَّ سَفينَةٍ غَصبًا
As for the boat, it belonged to poor people who worked at sea. I intended to damage it because a king was approaching who was seizing every boat by force.