The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 10 · Aphorisms 90–105

   ¶ 90⋯
   جَلَّis too exaltedرَبُّنَاour Lordأَنْthat, for (to)يُعَامِلَهُdeal with Him (trade)الْعَبْدُthe servantنَقْدًاin cash, ready paymentفَيُجَازِيَهُand He repays himنَسِيئَةًon deferred credit

   Our Lord is too exalted for the servant to deal with Him in ready payment while He repays him on deferred credit.

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2. ¶ 91⋯
   كَفَىsuffices, is enoughمِنْby way of, asجَزَائِهِHis recompense, rewardاِيَّاكَ(to) youعَلَىfor, in return forالطَّاعَةِobedienceأَنْthatرَضِيَكَHe was pleased with youلَهَاfor itأَهْلًاworthy, fit

   It is reward enough for your obedience that He has been pleased to deem you worthy of it.

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3. ¶ 92⋯
   كَفَىit sufficesالْعَامِلِينَthose who work (deeds)جَزَاءًas recompenseمَاthat whichهُوَHeفَاتِحُهُopens it (upon)عَلَىuponقُلُوبِهِمْtheir heartsفِىinطَاعَتِهِobedience to Himوَمَاand that whichهُوَHeمُورِدُهُbrings it downعَلَيْهِمْupon themمِنْof, namelyوُجُودِfinding, experiencingمُؤَانَسَتِهِHis intimate companionship

   It suffices as a recompense for those who work what He opens upon their hearts in their obedience to Him, and the finding of His intimate companionship that He brings down upon them.

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4. ¶ 93⋯
   مَنْwhoeverعَبَدَهُworships Himلِشَئٍfor somethingيَرْجُوهُhe hopes forمِنْهُfrom Himأَوْorلِيَدْفَعَin order to ward offبِطَاعَتِهِby his obedienceوُرُودَthe arrival, onsetالْعُقُوبَةِthe punishmentعَنْهُfrom himselfفَمَاthen notقَامَhas fulfilled, upheldبِحَقِّthe due ofأَوْصَافِهِHis attributes

   Whoever worships Him for the sake of something he hopes for from Him, or in order to ward off from himself, by his obedience, the onset of punishment, has not fulfilled what is due to His attributes.

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5. ¶ 94⋯
   مَتَىwheneverأَعْطَاكَHe gives youأَشْهَدَكَHe makes you witnessبِرَّهُHis goodness, beneficenceوَمَتَىand wheneverمَنَعَكَHe withholds from youأَشْهَدَكَHe makes you witnessقَهْرَهُHis overpoweringفَهُوَso Heفِىinكُلِّallذَلِكَthat, thisمُتَعَرِّفٌmaking Himself knownاِلَيْكَto youوَمُقْبِلٌand turning towardبِوُجُودِwith the presence ofلُطْفِهِHis gentle kindnessعَلَيْكَtoward you, upon you

   Whenever He gives to you, He makes you witness His goodness; and whenever He withholds from you, He makes you witness His overpowering. In all of this He is making Himself known to you, and turning toward you with the very presence of His gentle kindness.

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6. ¶ 95⋯
   اِنَّمَاonly, it is onlyيُؤْلِمُكَpains youالْمَنْعُthe withholding, denialلِعَدَمِbecause of lackفَهْمِكَyour understandingعَنِfrom (understanding) GodاللَّهِGodفِيهِin it (the withholding)

   Withholding pains you only because you do not understand God's purpose in it.

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7. ¶ 96⋯
   رُبَّمَاit may be thatفَتَحَHe opensلَكَto youبَابَdoorالطَّاعَةِobedienceوَمَاyet notفَتَحَHe opensلَكَto youبَابَdoorالْقَبُولِacceptance (of deeds)وَرُبَّمَاand it may beقَضَىHe decreesعَلَيْكَupon youبِالذَّنْبِa sinفَكَانَand it becameسَبَبًاa means, causeفِىtoward, inالْوُصُولِarrival (to God)

   It may be that He opens to you the door of obedience, yet does not open to you the door of acceptance; and it may be that He decrees a sin for you, and it becomes a means to arrival.

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8. ¶ 97⋯
   مَعْصِيَةٌa sin, act of disobedienceأَوْرَثَتْleft behind, bequeathedذُلًّاabasement, lowlinessوَافْتِقَارًاand a sense of needخَيْرٌbetterمِنْthanطَاعَةٍan act of obedienceأَوْرَثَتْleft behind, producedعِزًّاmight, sense of honourوَاسْتِكْبَارًاand arrogance, haughtiness

   A sin that leaves behind it abasement and a sense of need is better than an act of obedience that leaves behind it a feeling of might and arrogance.

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9. ¶ 98⋯
   نِعْمَتَانِtwo gracesمَاخَرَجَhas not gone outمَوْجُودٌexistent thingعَنْهُمَاfrom (the) twoوَلَابُدَّand must needsلِكُلِّfor everyمُكَوَّنٍcreated beingمِنْهُمَاof the twoنِعْمَةُgrace ofالاِيجَادِbringing into existenceوَنِعْمَةُand grace ofالاِمْدَادِcontinual sustenance, supply

   Two graces there are from which no existent thing is ever outside, and which every created being must needs have: the grace of bringing into existence, and the grace of continual sustenance.

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10. ¶ 99⋯
    أَنْعَمَHe bestowed blessingعَلَيْكَupon youأَوَّلًاfirst, firstlyبِالْاِيجَادِby bringing into existenceوَثَانِيًاand second, secondlyبِتَوَالِىby the continuous successionالْاِمْدَادِof sustaining supply

    He bestowed His blessing upon you first by bringing you into existence, and second by the unbroken succession of His sustaining supply.

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11. ¶ 100⋯
    فَاقَتُكَyour destitutionلَكَbelongs to youذَاتِيَّةٌessential, intrinsicوَوُرُودُand the arrivalالْأَسْبَابِof secondary causesمُذَكِّرَاتٌare remindersلَكَto youبِمَاof whatخَفِىَwas hiddenعَلَيْكَfrom youمِنْهَاof it (destitution)وَالْفَاقَةُand destitutionالذَّاتِيَّةُthe essential (kind)لَاnotتَرْفَعُهَاlifts it, removes itالْعَوَارِضُpassing accidents, contingencies

    Your destitution is intrinsic to you, belonging to your very essence. The arrival of secondary causes only reminds you of what had been hidden from you of it. And essential destitution is not lifted by passing accidents.

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12. ¶ 101⋯
    خَيْرُbestاَوْقَاتِكَyour momentsوَقْتٌa momentتَشْهَدُyou witnessفِيهِin itوُجُودَthe reality, existenceفَاقَتِكَyour destitutionوَتُرَدُّyou are brought backفِيهِin itاِلَىtoوُجُودِthe reality, existenceذِلَّتِكَyour lowliness

    The best of your moments is a moment in which you witness the reality of your destitution and are brought back to the reality of your lowliness.

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13. ¶ 102⋯
    مَتَىwheneverاَوْحَشَكَHe makes you feel estrangedمِنْfromخَلْقِهِHis creaturesفَاعْلَمْthen knowاَنَّهُthat Heيُرِيدُwishes, willsاَنْtoيَفْتَحَopenلَكَfor youبَابَdoorالْأُنْسِintimacyبِهِwith Him

    Whenever He makes you feel estranged from His creatures, know that He wishes to open for you the door of intimacy with Him.

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14. ¶ 103⋯
    مَتَىwheneverأَطْلَقَHe has loosened, set freeلِسَانَكَyour tongueبِالطَّلَبِin asking, petitionفَاعْلَمْthen knowأَنَّهُthat Heيُرِيدُwills, wantsأَنْto (subjunctive particle)يُعْطِيَكَgive you

    Whenever He sets your tongue free to ask, know that He wills to give to you.

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15. ¶ 104⋯
    اَلْعَارِفُthe knower (gnostic)لَاnotيَزُولُpasses away, ceasesاضْطِرَارُهُhis urgent needوَلَاand notيَكُونُisمَعَwithغَيْرِother thanاللهِGodقَرَارُهُhis resting place

    The knower's urgent need [of God] never passes away, and his resting place is never with anything other than God.

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16. ¶ 105⋯
    أَنَارَHe illuminedالظَّوَاهِرَoutward formsبِأَنْوَارِwith the lightsآثَارِهِof His tracesوَآنَارَand He illuminedالسَّرَائِرَinmost heartsبِأَنْوَارِwith the lightsأَوْصَافِهِof His attributesلِاَجْلِbecause ofذَلِكَthatأَفَلَتْhave setأَنْوَارُthe lightsالظَّوَاهِرِof outward formsوَلَمْand notتَأْفُلْhave setأَنْوَارُthe lightsالْقُلُوبِof the heartsوَالسَّرَائِرِand inmost heartsوَلِذَلِكَand thereforeقِيلَit has been saidاِنَّindeedشَمْسَthe sunالنَّهَارِof the dayتَغْرُبُsetsبِاللَّيْلِat nightوَشَمْسَbut the sunالْقُلُوبِof the heartsلَيْسَتْdoes notتَغِيبُgo down, vanish

    He illumined outward forms with the lights of His traces, and He illumined the innermost selves with the lights of His attributes. For this reason the lights of outward forms have set, while the lights of hearts and innermost selves have not set. And so it has been said: "The sun of the day sets at night, but the sun of hearts never goes down."

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Translations, word glosses and term notes are AI-generated (Claude) and marked as such; no published translation is reproduced.Word analysis is automatic (CAMeL Tools), guided by the text's vowelling. How this text was established.