The Healer's Oath | قَسَمُ الطَّبِيبِ
"A renowned healer must choose between saving his enemy or keeping his honor"
قَسَمُ الطَّبِيبِ
The Healer's Oath
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: الطَّبِيبُ الحَكِيمُ
Chapter One: The Wise Healer
كانَ سُلَيْمانُ بنُ عَلِيٍّ أَشْهَرَ طَبِيبٍ فِي نِزْوَى. تَعَلَّمَ الطِّبَّ فِي بَغْدادَ وَعادَ لِيَخْدُمَ قَوْمَهُ. كانَ يُعالِجُ الفَقِيرَ وَالغَنِيَّ بِالتَّساوِي.
Sulayman bin Ali was the most famous healer in Nizwa. He learned medicine in Baghdad and returned to serve his people. He treated poor and rich equally.
كانَ يَقُولُ لِتَلامِيذِهِ: «الطَّبِيبُ لا يَسْأَلُ مَنْ أَنْتَ. يَسْأَلُ فَقَطْ: ما الَّذِي يُؤْلِمُكَ؟»
He would say to his students: "A healer does not ask who you are. He only asks: what is hurting you?"
لَكِنَّ القَدَرَ كانَ يُخَبِّئُ لَهُ امْتِحانًا صَعْبًا.
But fate was hiding a difficult test for him.
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: المَرِيضُ المَكْرُوهُ
Chapter Two: The Hated Patient
ذاتَ لَيْلَةٍ، أَحْضَرُوا إِلَيْهِ رَجُلاً مَجْرُوحًا عَلى وَشْكِ المَوْتِ. نَظَرَ سُلَيْمانُ فَتَجَمَّدَ: كانَ الرَّجُلُ هُوَ قاتِلُ ابْنِهِ!
One night, they brought him a wounded man on the verge of death. Sulayman looked and froze: the man was his son's murderer!
قَبْلَ عامٍ، قَتَلَ هَذا الرَّجُلُ ابْنَ سُلَيْمانَ الوَحِيدَ فِي نِزاعٍ عَلى أَرْضٍ، ثُمَّ هَرَبَ.
A year ago, this man had killed Sulayman's only son in a land dispute, then fled.
هَمَسَ أَحَدُ الحاضِرِينَ: «دَعْهُ يَمُوتُ يا سُلَيْمانُ! هَذا قِصاصٌ عادِلٌ!»
One of those present whispered: "Let him die, O Sulayman! This is just retribution!"
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: الاخْتِيارُ المُسْتَحِيلُ
Chapter Three: The Impossible Choice
نَظَرَ سُلَيْمانُ إِلى الرَّجُلِ المُحْتَضَرِ. تَذَكَّرَ ابْنَهُ، تَذَكَّرَ ضَحِكَتَهُ، تَذَكَّرَ يَوْمَ دَفْنِهِ.
Sulayman looked at the dying man. He remembered his son, remembered his laughter, remembered the day of his burial.
ثُمَّ تَذَكَّرَ قَسَمَهُ يَوْمَ أَصْبَحَ طَبِيبًا: «سَأُعالِجُ كُلَّ مَرِيضٍ مَهْما كانَ، وَلَنْ أُؤْذِيَ أَحَدًا.»
Then he remembered his oath the day he became a healer: "I shall treat every patient no matter who, and I shall harm no one."
تَنَفَّسَ عَمِيقًا وَقالَ: «أَعْطُونِي الأَدَواتِ. سَأُعالِجُهُ.»
He breathed deeply and said: "Give me my tools. I shall treat him."
الفصلُ الرَّابِعُ: الشِّفاءُ الأَعْظَمُ
Chapter Four: The Greater Healing
عَمِلَ سُلَيْمانُ طُولَ اللَّيْلِ لِيُنْقِذَ حَياةَ قاتِلِ ابْنِهِ. وَحِينَ أَفاقَ الرَّجُلُ، نَظَرَ إِلى سُلَيْمانَ بِرُعْبٍ.
Sulayman worked all night to save the life of his son's killer. When the man awoke, he looked at Sulayman in terror.
قالَ سُلَيْمانُ: «لَقَدْ عالَجْتُكَ لِأَنَّنِي طَبِيبٌ. لَكِنَّ اللهَ سَيُحاسِبُكَ عَلى ما فَعَلْتَ.»
Sulayman said: "I have treated you because I am a healer. But God will hold you accountable for what you did."
بَكَى الرَّجُلُ وَقالَ: «لَقَدْ عَلَّمْتَنِي مَعْنَى الإِنْسانِيَّةِ. سَأُسَلِّمُ نَفْسِي لِلْقَضاءِ.»
The man wept and said: "You have taught me the meaning of humanity. I shall surrender myself to justice."
وَسَلَّمَ نَفْسَهُ، وَصارَتْ قِصَّةُ سُلَيْمانَ مَثَلاً يُضْرَبُ فِي الشَّرَفِ الطِّبِّيِّ.
He surrendered himself, and Sulayman's story became a proverb of medical honor.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End