ما هذا فقال هذا وقار لك في الدنيا ونور لك في الآخرة فقال يا ربّ زدني من هذا الوقار فأصبح وقد ابيضّت لحيته كلّها وفي الحديث إنّ الله يستحي أن يعذّب شيبة شابت في الإسلام وللشيب فضائل كثيرة منها أنّه وقار للشخص كمّا تقدّم وهيبة له ويذكّره قرب حِمامه لأنّه نذير الموت قال بعضهم [طويل]
| إِذا اِسْوَدَّ جِلْدُ المَرْءِ واِبْيَضَّ شَعْرُهُ | وَطالَ عَلَيْهِ ثَوْبُهُ مِنْ أمامهِ |
| وَقارَبَ عِنْدَ المَشْيِ في خَطَواتِهِ | هُنالِكَ بَشِّرْهُ بِقُرْبِ حِمامِهِ |
وقال آخر وأجاد [سريع]
| تَبَسُّمُ الشَّيْبِ بِوَجْهِ الفَتَى | أَوْجَبَ سَحَّ الدَّمْعِ مِنْ جَفْنِهِ |
| وكَيْفَ لا يَبْكي عَلَى نَفْسِهِ | مَنْ ضَحِكَ الشَّيْبُ عَلَى دَقْنِهِ |
shābat ʿawāriḍī (“my side whiskers have turned white”): because of my inability to face the Inspectors and my having nothing for them to take from my house such as dung cakes for the kitchen or anything else. Consequently, my limbs tremble, my heart flutters, and white hairs sprout before their time. White hairs are a sign of the Almighty’s favor, with which He honors one of His slaves. The first to grow white hairs was Ibrāhīm the Beloved,218 blessings and peace be upon him. Half his beard turned white, and he said, “Lord, what is this?” The Lord said, “It is a token of your venerability in this world, and a light for you in the next.” So Ibrāhīm said, “Lord, give me more of this venerability!” and he awoke the next morning and the whole of his beard had turned white. In the Tradition it says, “Verily, God would feel ashamed to treat harshly hairs that had turned white in Islam.” White hair has many virtues, among which are that it is a sign of venerability in a person, as already mentioned, and a sign of dignity for him, and that it reminds him of his approaching end, for it is the harbinger of death. A poet says:
When a man’s skin turns black and his hair turns white,
And his robe’s too long in front,
And he takes short steps as he walks along,
Tell him then that he’s close to defunct.
And another, putting it excellently, said:219
The smile of white hairs on the young man’s cheeks
Forced tears from his eyelids to race.
And who would not weep for himself
When white hairs laugh in his face?
٥،٥،١١
وفي هذين البيتين الطباق اللفظيّ كما لا يخفى والشيب مذموم عند النساء قال هارون الرشيد لزوجته ما تحبّون من الرجال فقالت من خدّه كخدّي * وأيره كزندي * قال فإذا التحا قالت يُطْرِق الحَدَقَة * ويَعْجَل بالنَفَقَة * قال فإذا شاب قالت يصبر على الخناق * أو يبادر بالطلاق * فهو عندهم مذموم * وصاحبه من أنس الغانيات محروم * خصوصًا إذا قل ماله * وساء حاله * قال بعضهم [طويل]
| سَلُوني عَن ٱحوالِ النِّساءِ فَإِنَّني | خَبْيرٌ بِأَحْوالِ النِّساءِ طَبْيبُ |
| إِذا ابْيَضَّ شَعْرُ المَرْءِ أَو قَلَّ مالُهُ | فَلَيْسَ لَهُ في وُدِّهِنَّ نَصِيبُ |
The lines contain “antithesis” in the wording,220 as you will have noticed. Women, however, dislike white hair. Hārūn al-Rashīd asked his wife, “What kind of men do you women find attractive?” She replied, “One whose cheek is like my cheek and whose member is like my forearm.” “And if his beard grows?” he asked. “He should keep his eyes to himself, and be ready with his wealth!” she said. “And if his hair turns white?” he said. “He must either put up with strife, or offer to divorce his wife!” she said—for this is something they condemn and the company of pretty women is denied to such men, especially if their money’s tight, in which case their outlook’s not bright. As the poet221 said:
Ask me how women are, for I’m
Well versed in women’s ways, a physician.
When a man’s hair turns white or his money runs out,
Let him abandon all hope of their affection.
٦،٥،١١
فكيف بمن فيه النوعين الشيب والفقر فهو عندهنّ وجوده كالعدم وقال القاضي الفاضل رحمه الله [بسيط]
| تَعَجَّبَتْ حينَ راحَ سَعْدي | مِن بَعْدِ نَضْوِ الخِضابِ حالي |
| قالَتْ أَهذا الَّذي أَراهُ | غُبارُ طاحُونَةٍ بَدا لي |
| فَقُلْتُ لا تُعْجِبي فَهذا | غُبارُ طاحُونَةِ اللَّيالي |
أي إنّها تكدّرت لمّا رأت هذا الشيب المشبّه بغبار الطاحونة قد لاح على وجهه وغيّر لحيته وتعجّبت من حدوثه بسرعة وتعجّبها منه يقتضي تكدّر صدرها وطيّ بساط أنسها فأجابها بقوله لا تعجّبي من إسراع ظهوره فإنّ عجائب الليالي واستنتاجها
